Page 37

Abruptly, Damien let me go and stepped aside. I hadn't been paying attention to what had been going on around me, I'd been too lost in my own daydream of Quinton's ass cheeks turning bright red.

Delicious.

Rain got right up in my space.

Fantasy what?

Daydream who?

A sexy bared ass being spanked by two shit hot Salt and Pepper twins?

Poof!

All gone the moment my father shoved his face up close to mine. A flush covered my cheeks and I just knew my cheeks were blazing bright red.

Busted?

I couldn't even meet his eyes. Rain was crazy smart, he'd figure it out immediately, and then things would take an even more unpleasant turn.

"Glad you made it home safe, baby girl. Even if it is about ten hours past your fucking curfew."

Rain leaned in, kissed my non-scarred cheek, and then he was gone.

I blinked at the space he had once filled. Had he just said I was late for my curfew? Since when had I ever had a curfew?

Umm, never?

Having a dad was super weird sometimes.

I looked through the room. Quinton now looked down at his cowboy boots with his hands on his hips. I couldn’t see his whole face, but I could tell he was no longer angry, but he certainly wasn't happy either. He looked pensive, possibly even reflective, and he refused to look at any of us.

Whatever.

Rain had made a serious point when he called Quinton my warden. Though, I'd never toss him out as if he were yesterday's garbage. That was a bit too harsh for me.

Julian's eyes kept shifting between Damien and myself. They were shining brightly and the smile on his face was so big and so smug I had to shake my head at just seeing it. He was crazy, but I'm pretty sure he got off on watching Damien and me driving his best friend just a little bit crazy.

Addison and Abel were no longer seated on the couch. They were standing side by side and leaning on each other. Their hilarity from earlier had faded, but they still wore small smiles on their faces. They had just joked about holding down Uncle Quint and spanking him, and neither of them held any sort of remorse for it whatsoever.

I loved them both so very much.

Both Trenton and Simon watched me with faces clouded with remorse and strung up tight bodies. I couldn't help them with their remorse, it was theirs to deal with, not mine.

Dash stood before the sliding glass window, looking out into the backyard with his back to me and his hands shoved in his front pants pockets. I didn't know what that meant and I wasn't going to ask. He had hurt my feelings when he stood beside the firing squad. He was the last person I would ever expect to stand against me.

And it kind of pissed me off, because I was willing to do anything for him, and in the coming days I'd prove it to not only him but the whole lot of them. Coven and family above all else. Always. I had learned this from them, for goodness’ sake.

Dash had actually disappointedme.

My throat began to close up tight and the room blurred before me. Suddenly, things weren't funny anymore and I had to get out of here before I embarrassed myself and burst into tears in front of them all.

"I'm going to shower," I mumbled.

I turned around and forced myself to walk slowly away from the kitchen. My hands fisted at my sides, my nails cutting into my palms sharply.

I would not fucking cry.

Someone grabbed my hand, stopping me. I looked back over my shoulder, expecting Quinton, but came to a full stop at the sight of Trenton. My shoulders immediately tensed up. Whatever this was, I didn't think I had the energy for it. The day had just begun and already I was emotionally spent.