Page 42 of Too Far

Kendrick pulls his focus from Decker and assesses me, while Kylian’s hand freezes on my thigh.

“We hurt her?” Nicky challenges, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his chin. “When? How?”

“Josephine explained to me how she, well, what caused her to be sick.”

This time, I can’t hold back. I slap my palms on my knees and sit up straight.

“Good grief, Decker Crusade. You’ve got a lot of gall for a guy who didn’t even know what a UTI was until two days ago.”

He grunts in response. By his scowl, I’d say he’s just as annoyed as I am. “We’re all grown ass adults, so I knew you’d bristle at this. But you all can’t just run a train on her like that.”

While that simmering under my skin ratches up to a low boil, Locke slaps his hands to his face, attempting and failing to hide his reaction.

Kendrick shakes his head at Decker, then shoots me a knowing smirk.

“Easy,” Kylian warns under his breath, one hand still clamped down on my thigh. Probably to keep me from lunging.

These three? They know me. My quirks, my go-to responses. They get me. Each one of them can so accurately predict my reactions.

Why does the self-appointed leader among us insist on learning lessons the hardest way possible?

I cross my arms over my chest and hit him with a deadpan stare. “You’re forgetting one important part of the equation, Cap.”

“What’s that?”

“Me.”

Across the vessel, his eyes narrow to slits. “I specifically brought this up because of you, Josephine.”

“But you didn’t ask. Did it ever cross your mind that I wanted them to, how did you so eloquently put it? ‘Run a train’ on me?”

“Josephine—”

“Don’tJosephineme, Decker Crusade.” I hop to my feet and plant my hands on my hips. I can’t sit still while fury and annoyance rage inside me. “You think you’re being chivalrous—feminist even—by insisting your friends aren’t allowed to rail me when I want to be railed?”

Kendrick whistles low.

Kylian leans forward, wrapping one arm around my hips to steady me, even though the boat is barely rocking.

“Like you said, we’re all adults here.” I throw out an arm and glance at each of my guys. “There’s never been an instance where I didn’t have a say in what we were doing or how things went down. The four of us have been navigating this for a while now. You, though? You’re awfully concerned about our game plan for a man who hasn’t fully committed to this team.”

With a low growl, Decker turns and looks out toward the isle, his jaw ticking as it always does when he’s angry.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not about this, Decker.No play, no say.”

Around me, my guys sit up straight. They’re prepared to back me up, but they’re giving me the space to handle this.

With a deep breath in through my nose, I rise to my feet and take a tentative step forward. Kylian brushes a hand over my ass, then secures it at my hip, anchoring me and ensuring I’m steady, but never holding me back.

“Although,” I start, taking another step. With the next, Kylian’s hand falls away.

I swear Decker’s holding his breath as I approach. He’s raging with Big Decker Energy and a broody attitude after being scolded.

“There is a way youcouldhave a say.”

As soon as I’m within his reach, his hands are on my hips. He’s not holding me the way Kylian did. No, this overprotective brute is worried about my balance despite my steady footsteps.

I look over my shoulder at each of my guys, then turn back to Decker. Lifting my chin, I give him the sauciest look I can manage.