Page 35 of Five

“How about you two?” Michael asks, coming back in the room with a bowl filled with frozen yogurt and a spoon. He glares at me as he unceremoniously drops the bowl on my lap. Touchy tosser.

Then he looks at Rami and Hunter. “So? What’s your combined name?”

“Ramer, duh!” Rami answers.

“Ramer? I don’t know if I like it, Red,” Hunter tells him, which starts a discussion among them.

“Ollie?” I call him. “Wednesday? Did someone feed her?” I can’t believe I remembered my sweetly vicious pet only now.

“She’s fine. Ren is taking care of her.”

Ren, one of the triplets, loves animals. He’s working at a pet clinic, and we volunteer together at a pet shelter that he and his brothers started.

“…Hantami? That’s terrible, Hunter Bear!” I half hear Rami saying as I finish the yogurt. I didn’t know how hungry I was before I started eating. But I need more. First though…I remove the blanket and look down at the suit jacket covering me for a second. It looks big on me. The softness of the fabric and Gabe’s scent coming off it as I move are so damn comforting somehow.

When I slide my legs off the bed, Ollie jumps toward me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Mmm, this sausage fest is great, but it’s like I have a fish tank in my pelvis in urgent need of clearing.”

“I read somewhere that people make better decisions with their bladder full,” Michael lets us know one of his interesting facts.

“Like pissing in the frozen yogurt bowl. I’m very close to doing that,” I drawl, all skepticism as I stand up, swatting Ollie’s hand away.

“Is that Gabe’s suit jacket?” Rami sounds surprised to see me wearing it. No more than me though.

“It is,” Ollie answers, then turns toward me. “I couldn’t take it off you, you kept slapping my hands away.”

“I did?” I must have been really out of it.

“I’ll come back with Sari tomorrow.” Michael squeezes my shoulder, and the urge to remove his hand is strong. But I fight against it, almost sighing in relief as he moves away.

“Where is he?”

“He sent you a text, his flight was delayed. Uri went to the airport to get him,” Michael says as he walks toward the door. “I need to go. Drink and eat if you’re hungry. You’ll be great in no time.”

“We’ll let you be. Try to sleep, Gremlin, and no eating after midnight,” Rami jokes at my expense. He moves toward me, and I instinctively take a step back.

“Hey, just want to give you a hug.” Rami lifts his palms up.

My laugh is too high-pitched to sound real. I feel awkward, my body doesn’t want to be near anybody.

“If you need ahugasmgive it to your boyfriend,” I try to make a joke of it.

“Hugasm?” Hunter echoes.

“Hug plus orgasm. A hugasm.”

“He already gave me one of those today…twice.”

“TMI, Rami. As always.” Ollie rolls his eyes.

Hunter lets out a low, raspy laugh, pulling Rami toward the door, looking at him with an expression of adoration. He tilts his head my way in goodbye.

“You keep me posted, Reacher, or I’ll come after you too,” I yell over my shoulder at Rami as I slowly make my way to the bathroom. Damn, my ass hurts with every step. And I feel dry cum scratching my skin.

“Meg said to call her.” Their foster mother is a psychiatrist, and she surely wants to check on my mental health. Maybe I should ring her.

“Do you need anything?” Ollie asks, seemingly not quite ready to leave me alone. Rague takes a step toward him, looking ready to fight whatever invisible danger hides in the shadows to protect his hubby.