I rolled my eyes. “Could you not right now, Serena?”
“Stupid cousin,” she fired back.
“Love you too,” I called.
“Is Annie okay?” Izzy was next.
“Phoenix, why the hell are you allowing the girls up here?”
I could practically feel Phoenix’s sigh. Nobody said no to my cousin and sister. Nobody.
Not even the great Phoenix Nicolasi.
The thought had me smiling until I locked eyes with Annie again; she had tears streaming down her face.
“Hey, hey, hey.” I cupped her face wiping her tears with my thumbs. “You’re going to be fine; besides, the blast would take me out and keep you alive.”
Her pouty lips parted. “I don’t think I could survive that sort of guilt twice, Ash. Next time—” Her lip trembled. “Next time, please just let me die.”
I dropped my hands. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
She looked away. “Are we safe yet?”
“Almost there…” Junior said, all casual, and then started fucking whistling Shawn Mendez. Sometimes I hated him. “And wires cut…” He sighed. “You’re lucky it was a dud, or you would have been ash.” He laughed. “Oh shit, sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Jackass!” Serena yelled, barging into the room as Annie slipped out from underneath me and made her way toward the door.
Izzy was there in an instant pulling her into her arms. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Annie sniffled.
“Annie!” Tank’s voice was more unwelcome than the bomb.
“You sure it’s a dud?” I jerked my head toward the small stuffed white horse. Because if it wasn’t, I had someone I was going to throw it at. Hah, watch him explode into tiny little Tanks all over the house.
The hell was wrong with me?
Tank shoved his way into the room, basically jerked Annie out of Izzy’s arms, and hugged her so tight that I was afraid her head would pop off.
“She’s fine,” I barked.
“Why was she even up here in the first place?” Tank scowled over Annie’s head, his green eyes flashing.
I just grinned like it was for nefarious purposes and then lifted a shoulder in a bored shrug. “Does it matter?”
“You.” Tank jabbed a finger at me.
I tilted my head. “Yes?”
“Tank.” Serena patted his back. “Leave it alone, big guy. As much as I like watching people fight, you would lose, and Ash’s running on enough adrenaline that I’m afraid he’d wrap your tongue around your own head then set you on fire.”
“Always so fucking graphic, my girl.” Junior winked.
Looking remarkably at ease in her black pants and matching crop top, she carried out a mock curtsy, then crossed her arms and stared at both Junior and me. “So what are we dealing with?”
“Evil horses.” Phoenix marched into the room and grabbed the package. “Good job, son. You did this one in under a minute.”
Serena pushed Junior in the stomach, her way of giving him a high five. Psychopath.
Junior ran a hand through his newly buzzed hair. “Thanks, Dad.”
Phoenix just nodded his head and then waved the package at us. “I’ll be with the other bosses trying to figure this shit out. You guys get any more packages, don’t bring them into the house, all right?”
“Yup.” I saluted him. “Though that one’s on my dad…”
Phoenix froze, his blue eyes narrowing. “He brought it in?”
“Tossed it on my bed.”
“Huh.” He licked his lips. “Wonder why our underboss is suddenly so careless…”
All eyes fell on me like it was my fault.
Well… it probably was.
He’d been pissed at me again.
I’d been like an angry zombie going through the motions.
“Shit.” I lowered my head. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Better yet,” Phoenix said, his voice icy. “Fix it.”
“Fix what?” Serena asked, even though I knew she wasn’t clueless.
“All of it.” Phoenix smirked. “Annie, always a pleasure to see you; I like the hair. It suits you.”
Her cheeks pinked. “Thanks, Phoenix.”
The hell? He gives her a compliment, and she looks ready to write him a note during math class! I compliment her and… Well, I didn’t actually compliment her, but in my head I know I said something like, “damn nice hair.”
Fuck.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Tank tilted her chin toward him and studied her face.
“She’s fine,” I snapped. “She was with me, or did you forget so quickly?” I crossed my arms while both Izzy and Serena gave me funny side-eyed looks. Junior was suddenly staring down at his phone like he was seconds away from curing cancer.
And Tank?
Well, every muscle seemed flexed.
I hated that I was the reason he’d gotten more cut in the last year. I’d trained him, for shit’s sake, and now he felt more foe than friend.
“I’m staying for dinner,” Tank announced, wrapping an arm around Annie and leading her out of the room.
Izzy skipped after them, then looked over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue at me.
I flipped her off.
Her cackle could be heard all the way down the hall.
With a sigh, I collapsed onto my bed.