Page 67 of Tangled Lies

I hadn’t been in this room yet, but it was simple and comfortable. Large wraparound couch. Some floor seats that looked comfy, and they all faced a blank wall. I’d been to a movie theater with my parents once upon a time and wondered if maybe this was something like that. It didn’t matter. My stomach growled.

“Yeah, princess. Pizza. Jett was supposed to ask what you liked but I got sick of waiting, so just pick whatever you like and if it’s wrong, well, noted.”

He put the boxes down on a square table set between the couch and the floor seats. It didn’t take long for the other three to follow their noses. I was so busy looking at the boxes, my fingers hovering at the little lip of the box to pull it open, that I missed the water being tossed at me.

“Ouch. That was rude.”

I looked up to see Knox scowling.

“What’s rude is opening the pizza before we’re all sitting down.”

I noticed the way his eyes ran along me and I looked down realizing as I’d shifted to the edge of the couch, the shirt had risen.

I pulled my hand back and pulled the shirt down.

“Sorry. I didn’t know this was a proper house where we all wait for the head of the table to sit and start eating. So tell me, Knox. Where will the king be sitting, because I’m starving.”

I couldn’t be sure, but maybe the muscle in his cheek twitched. Maybe he would smile or maybe his face would crack. Either way he looked away and handed another bottle of water to Talon.

“Ignore him. He’s just pissed off at the world. Go ahead and eat. Also, here.”

Talon handed me the phone that he’d held onto tonight. I took it, but I looked up at him expecting some kind of reason.

“Everyone in the phone is here. You already know I won’t be calling for help from my uncle or my fiancé, so why does it matter?”

They all grabbed boxes and spread them apart, opening one after another. They had napkins, but no plates. The wayI watched Ronan eat a slice in about four bites might have explained why.

“Princess, grab a slice or two before they eat it all.” Talon pointed to the pizza, and I looked at them. Cheese and pepperoni. Another one with what I assumed was olives, and the one next to it was for sure a meat lovers. I’ll just take that one.” I reached over and grabbed the cheese. It seemed to be the least popular for the moment.

“Cheese?” Jett asked.

I shrugged.

“I’ll eat any of them, but no one touched it so I thought maybe it was better to not stick my hand in front of a bunch of wild animals.”

They all stopped mid-bite and stared at me.

“So you do have some sense of self-preservation,” Knox said, and everyone looked at him like he’d just spouted off Shakespeare.

“Do I?” I said and took a bite of my slice.

Ronan went back to eating without looking at me. Talon winked at me, and Jett came and sat down so close I could feel the heat of his leg through the gym shorts he had on.

I chewed while I looked around. They were all in gym shorts. T-shirts too.

“I really didn’t think you guys owned anything but suits.”

Jett licked the grease from his fingers.

“Family rules. Always look professional like you’re ready to head to a funeral. Or, well, that’s my interpretation.”

Ronan finished chewing and looked my way. “Do you have any idea who we are? You’ve lived in that little gilded cage of yours for a long time. How do you know you didn’t trade that little rat of an uncle for a pit of snakes?”

I took another bite and met his stare.

“The thought occurred to me. But this snake pit has fed me, clothed me in things I like, and, oh right, two of you fucked me like I requested. Or, well, I guess the second was a bonus?”

The silence was thick and all eyes were on me again.