Page 118 of Lash

Scarlett nods. "I was expecting barracks or a man cave, but this is nice."

One of the bedroom doors opens, emitting a sudden shriek of laughter and thudding music. Anjalee pokes her head out, sees us, and sprints toward Kane, holding her hands out strangely—she has fresh paint on her nails, I think. She slams into him full force, leaping up to wrap her legs around his waist. She holds her hands out to the sides, trusting him to support her as she bends down to kiss him so hard some of the guys wolf-whistle teasingly.

"Girls!" I hear Myka shout. "They’re back!"

Naomi, Terra, and Annika file out behind Myka, and the women all hurry to greet their men—Naomi runs to Silas, Terra to Saxon, and Annika to Chance. The greetings are all unique to the couple. Naomi is reserved, gliding to her man and nestling in his arms, resting her cheek on his chest—I see her lips moving as she whispers something meant only for him. Terra is bold and enthusiastic, much like Anjalee, leaping into Saxon's arms and devouring his mouth with hers, her hands on his jaw. Annika, with her bad leg, limps and leans heavily on her cane—her limp is better now after months of rehabbing it in the gym, and she can even walk without it for short periods, but she'll always have a limp. When she reaches Chance, she slings her arms around his neck, cane clutched behind her neck in one hand, and kisses him—soft and gentle but passionate.

For a long moment, the room is silent but for the wet sounds of kisses.

Scarlett breaks the silence with a laugh. "All right, ya'll. Do Sol and I need to start making out? Jesus. Can I get some introductions?"

They all break apart then, and the men bring their women over to where Scarlett and Tatiana stand together between Sol and me.

Chance takes the lead on the introduction. "Scarlett Gutierrez, this is Myka, Anjalee, Terra, Naomi, and Annika." He points to each person as he names them. "Tatiana Juric, well…same."

Rev laughs. "Smooth, buddy."

Chance shuffles his feet. "Shut the fuck up."

Anjalee approaches Tatiana and Scarlett with a warm, welcoming smile. "Once the men have shown you to your rooms, please come to join us. We are doing the pedicures." Her lilting accent makes her voice musical.

Scarlett snorts. "Ain't had a pedicure in…well, fuck. Ever?"

Annika—once a professional athlete, laughs. "Girl, I get it. But it's fun. Around here, you're gonna have to learn to have an open mind."

Scarlett scans the group of women, then looks at Tatiana. "Bet you've had plenty of pedicures."

Tatiana just laughs. "Yes, I have. I used to get manicures and pedicures every week. I must admit, I should like to have a pedicure. My poor feet have been through hell."

"Just your feet, huh?" Scarlett asks with a laugh.

Tatiana shrugs. "Not just my feet, no."

Terra strides forward and grabs both Scarlett's and Tatiana's arms and drags them toward the room from which music still noisily thumps. "Forget the tour—you can see it all from here and the rooms are all the same. C'mon. It's time to get to know our new sisters."

Scarlett blows a kiss at Solomon as Terra drags her away, and Tatiana looks back at me, somewhere between concerned and excited.

I wink at her. "Have fun, Lovely One. They are wonderful people."

And just like that, it's just us men again.

Kane looks around. "What happened to Inez?"

"She…" I sigh. “Rafael made a play for Lorenzo. She's gathering her stuff and going after him."

"Alone?" Chance asks, sounding pissed.

"The fuck?" Saxon growls. "After all that, she's just cutting us out?"

"No, it is not like that," I start, but I'm saved from having to explain by Inez's voice.

"I'm not cutting you out, I'm dealing with my issue myself. I made a promise on our brand that I would call you if I need you. But this is something I need to do myself, for a lot of reasons. And I’m sure you all understand."

Solomon nods, sighing. "Yeah, we get it."

Chance frowns. "Brand? You have the brand?"

Inez nods, tugging down the neck of her T-shirt to reveal the same brand we all wear on our arms, only hers is on the upper slope of her left breast. "I was the first to receive it."