“Neither do I. Are you ready for bed?”
“Mmm-Hmm.”
She was half asleep already. I slid her to the side and reached to let the water out of the tub. The floor wasn’t an inch deep in water, but it was far from dry. Climbing from the tub, I said, “Stay put for a second,” and reached for a towel, looking back to see Hope’s eyes slitted open, a satisfied little smile on her mouth.
“Are you checking out my ass?” I asked, amused. She could check out my ass anytime she wanted.
“Maybe.”
I tossed my towel on the floor to soak up the water and grabbed another, reaching for Hope’s hand. “Careful, it’s slippery.” I wrapped the towel around her, pressing a kiss to the curve of her cheek.
The bed was so close. I’d tuck her in beside me, naked and warm, and—
The crash of shattering porcelain sliced through the silence beyond the door. Something else falling, breaking, and voices raised in alarm. Tightening the towel around Hope I said, “Stay here. Don’t leave this room. Do you understand?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Griffen
Fear chased away her post-orgasmic haze. Hope blinked up at me and nodded, eyes grave, closing her fingers around the towel. “Go. I’m okay here.”
“Don’t leave the room,” I repeated, dragging on my clothes, grabbing my weapon from beside the tub, and racing for the bedroom door, my feet still damp from the bath.
The hall outside the master suite was dim, lit only by sconces turned low. The voices were coming from the hall beyond the head of the staircase. The one that led to the wing with my siblings’ bedrooms.
I should have gone to check the courtyard. Hope thought she saw something and I was so intent on getting her naked I’d convinced myself it was no big deal. I had to stop letting my cock run my brain. This wasn’t just about me. Hope and Savannah were here. I had a family to protect.
I rounded the corner and stopped short.
Sterling sprawled at the top of the steps, arms laid wide, golden hair trailing across her face. Savannah crouched beside her, tugging on her hand. “Sterling, come on, get up.”
Sterling rolled to her side, torso heaving before she grumbled, “Don’t wanna. Sleeping here.”
This was not Savannah’s job. We had specifically discussed the fact that dealing with my sister on a bender was not her job. Fucking hell.
“Leave her there,” I said to Savannah. “I’ve got her. Any mess she makes, she’s going to clean up.”
Savannah let go of Sterling and stepped away. “No argument here. You sure you’ve got this?”
Grimly, I confirmed, “I’ve got this.”
With a shake of her head, Savannah took off. She was no fool. I had my arms hooked under Sterling’s armpits and was hauling her to her feet when I heard a sound behind me.
“She okay?”
Hope.
“I told you to stay in the room.” I looked over my shoulder to find her wearing her robe. Not the dark blue silk one I’d taken off her earlier in the day, this one was fluffy and pink. Ugly, but it looked comfortable as hell.
“I know,” she answered, watching Sterling with wary concern. “I heard her voice. I knew it was Sterling.”
I wanted to argue with her, tell her she should have listened to me anyway, but I didn’t have time. Sterling was wobbling on her feet, her body hitching as if she was getting ready to hurl.
“I have to get her to her room,” I said, hauling her into my arms and striding to the corridor. Hope followed behind, then raced ahead to throw Sterling’s door open. Both of us paused on the threshold, my little sister’s room still an unholy pit of disaster.
I set Sterling back on her feet, turning her to face her bathroom. Unsteady, she raised her head, pushed her hair out of her eyes, and spotted Hope. “Hope? What ‘ya doin’ here?”
Hope reached out to turn Sterling in the direction of her bathroom, murmuring, “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I think you need—”
A spasm shook Sterling’s body and she threw up, a fountain of vomit spewing onto Hope and the floor beyond. Swearing under my breath, I moved fast, dragging Sterling into her bathroom. She fell to her knees before the toilet, draped her arm over the seat, and retched pitifully.
I left her there, going back to check on Hope. I expected her to be pissed. She stood in the middle of Sterling’s room, her face white as a sheet, shaking, her eyes shocked and wide. This wasn’t anger. This was something else.
“Baby. What’s wrong?” Hope’s eyes settled on mine. Wild. Terrified. I reached out to touch, but she shook me off.
“Take care of Sterling. I’m just going to go—I just need to—I need to get the smell off me. I can’t stand the smell. I can’t—I can’t stand the smell. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Griffen, I have to go—”