Page 88 of Pack of Crooks

I have no idea if it’s true, but Lottie is more than enjoying herself. I haven’t seen her laugh like this in. . . actually, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her laugh like this. It’s so nice to see, but also a little heart breaking to realize that even after Mom died, Lottie hasn’t experienced this sort of joy.

Didyou think you’d do such a better job than me, bitch?

Shoving Mom’s voice into the far recesses of my mind, I force myself to stay present, be in the moment rather than letting her drag me back into the darkest pits of my memories. We’re at a restaurant I could never afford. The tables are covered in fancy white cloths. There’s a double-sided fireplace in the middle ofthe room. Six waters on the table. I run my fingers along my fork, grounding myself in the feel of the silver.

Milly is chatting with Maddox about the stock market—ew, but good for them for investing—and Mad’s hand is on my thigh, smoothing over my skin in various patterns of four. Ezra sits on my other side, wearing a big grin as he watches his lover win Lottie over one girly giggle at a time.

He notices my attention, and glances at me, immediately sensing something is off. His hand finds mine under the table and he squeezes. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

He gives me a look that says he knows I’m lying but lets it slide, smoothing his thumb over the back of my hand. “Look at our happy little family.”

My chest twists. Family? It’s only ever been me and Lottie against the world. That’s not fully true though. Milly has always been there for us. She’s like a second sister, and with Pack Lennox, we actually might have found our home.

Kill finishes his story, winks at me as Lottie tries to catch her breath, and a smug smile cuts across his face. Mad squeezes my thigh, and Ezra leans toward Lottie.

“Hey, we have a question,” he says soft enough I can barely hear. He’s giving her a sense of privacy and control.

Chest warming with appreciation for him not putting her on the spot, I strain to hear their conversation. Yeah, I have zero shame about eavesdropping.

“Do you think you’d be okay moving in with our pack? I know you don’t know us, but my pack is pretty head over heels for your sister, and I promise that you’ll have your own space in our home.”

“We won’t make any major decisions without bringing you in,” Kill adds quietly.

Milly and Mad continue to talk, but their conversation is stilted, both of them trying to keep up a ruse while desperately trying to listen in as well.

“What are your intentions with my sister?” Lottie whispers.

“We asked her to be our omega,” Kill admits.

“We want to take care of her, and you too, but only if you are okay with that.” Ezra pauses, giving her time to process. “If you would rather not move in, we’ve already made arrangements for you two to have your own apartment with two bedrooms. Fully furnished and paid for.”

Lottie doesn’t answer for a few seconds, and my stomach drops. What if she says no to all of it? What then? I’m pretty sure I’m falling for Pack Lennox, but if Lottie doesn’t trust them, I have to stand by her. She’s my entire world. I’d never force her into a situation that makes her uncomfortable.

“I have another question,” she murmurs.

“Ask us anything,” Ezra says calmly.

“Can I have a cat?”

“Absolutely not. You’re allergic,” I say before I can think better of it.

“Ha! Caught you.” She shoots me a look behind Ezra’s back. “If I can’t have a cat, can I have a puppy?”

“How about a dog,” I counter. “One from a shelter that needs someone to love it. Do you really want to wake up at one in the morning to take a puppy out to pee.”

She wrinkles her nose.

“Didn’t think so.”

“Okay,” she concedes. “A dog, but one that I get to pick out.” She pauses and glances at both Kill and Ezra. “I mean, if that’s okay.”

“You can have whatever you want,” Kill says.

“Whatever you want within reason,” I correct, giving him a stern look. “No helicopters or private jets or anything crazy.”

“Don’t be silly, Hazel,” he fires back. “We already have a private jet.”