SAX
Ipulled into the long driveway of the address Nat had sent, wrapping along the long bend until a house came into view. It had taken an hour to get here, and I was hoping we weren’t walking into a trap.
“It’s not a trap,” Loren said, smiling over at me as she patted my hand.
Grunting, I put the car into park and looked around the place. It was weird to drive a car, but we hadn’t wanted to draw attention by taking one of the SUVs in case Dayton had someone watching us. Cami leaned forward, reminding me she was here.
“Swanky. What do you think Nat’s gotten herself into?” she asked.
“Let’s go find out.” Loren opened her door, stepping out. I watched as she stretched, her shirt rising some. A smack on my shoulder had me jumping, and I glared over at the nuisance.
“What?”
“You got it bad, is all.”
I rolled my eyes, heaving myself out of the car. We hadn’t exactly taken a large vehicle, and my long legs were screaming at me after being in the nondescript sedan. The cracking sound felt good as I turned from side to side, rolling my neck. Checking my sidearm, I shut the door and walked over to my girl.
Atticus had a meeting he couldn’t get out of, so he left this up to Spitfire to handle. I kept trying to remind myself that since Atticus had only sent me, he had faith in our ability to handle it sufficiently. It was a big step for Mas, letting go of some of his control, especially when it came to Loren. Hopefully, it wouldn’t bite us in the asses.
“You ready?” she asked, biting her lip. Loren held out her hand to me, and I took it as I pulled her close. As she collided with my chest, her tiny gasp sent chills down my spine. Tilting her chin, I grasped it with my other hand and kissed her.
“You got this, Spitfire.” I might have my own concerns, but I didn’t want her to think they were about her capability. If anything, I trusted her to keep us out of any trouble. Loren had a way about her that made others want to listen to what she had to say.
She nodded, taking a deep breath. I watched as she strengthened something inside herself, some fire coming to her eyes. “Thank you.” Quickly, she pecked my lips and stepped back, holding my hand. Cami smirked at us from the steps, but I ignored her. With her staying in the manor most nights now, she’d become more and more like an annoying little sister, a constant pest.
“You ready?” Loren asked her.
“It’s just Nat. How bad do you think it is?”
“It sounded serious on the phone.” Loren reached out, ringing the doorbell, and the three of us waited to be let in.
When Beau answered the door, I felt instantly better. He smiled when he noticed us, stepping back to let us through. “Hey, guys. You made it!” He clapped me on the shoulder as we entered, and I wondered what weird situation we’d encountered.
“Hey, Beau,” Loren greeted, squeezing his arm as we passed. A low growl rumbled out of me before realizing I’d done it. Loren didn’t say anything, but I caught her smirking at the sound.
Nat came around the corner, taking a few steps into the foyer, and I instantly wished I was anywhere else as girly screams and chatter erupted. Loren dropped my hand as she pulled Nat into a hug with Cami, and the three of them began to animatedly talk a mile a minute as they caught up on things. You’d think they’d been separated for years the way they were carrying on.
Beau stepped up next to me, and we both watched the scene unfold. “It’s good to see you, man.”
I looked over, trying to gauge how things were going. He appeared relaxed, a soft smile on his face as he watched them.
“I can’t say the same until l know what we’ve been dragged into.”
He snorted, peeking up at me. “Fair. But it’s not what you’re thinking. Come on, Byron is out by the grill. How do you like your steaks?”
Checking on Loren one more time, I turned and followed him through the house. When we stepped out through the back door onto the deck, I stopped speechless.
“I know, right?” Beau chuckled. “It takes a minute to get used to after being in the city.”
The deck wrapped around a sparkling pool. A massive outdoor kitchen with a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall was to the left. On the other side was a pool table, dartboard, and a foosball table. It was the perfect outdoor man cave. I followed him over to the grill where Byron stood, flipping steaks. He nodded as Beau reached down into a fridge, handing me a beer. I looked at the beverage, almost like it was a foreign thing.
“What the fuck?” I finally asked, looking up at the two men. “I thought you guys hated each other but were on this undercover mission with Nat to infiltrate the O’Sullivans. But instead, you’re out here living a life of luxury, all happy family while Nat’s daughter is with us? If you wanted a vacation, okay, but this? I’ll say it again. What the fuck?”
The two men, one of whom I considered a friend, turned to one another before doubling over in laughter. Having heard enough of their mockery, I tossed the beer at their heads and stalked off, not caring if I hit one of them. I hoped I did.
There was shit going on in our life. It was on them if they didn’t want to take it seriously. I wouldn’t participate in it or make Loren have to either. She’d lost her father and had been dealing with so much, she didn’t need someone she considered a friend throwing how good they had it in her face. We’d come under the impression they needed our help, but this was just cruel.
I stormed into the back door, stalking through the house, looking to where they’d gone. Hearing voices, I followed them, stopping outside a room when I heard them talking.