I scowled as Seb kissed her on her head and placed the duvet over both of us. “Sleep tight, Lacey.”
That was the moment I knew I was losing her.
Or, had I already lost her?
Chapter 21
Lacey
Hearingmyname,Istopped and took a seat on the stair behind me and listened as they spoke.
“Now I’ve slept on it. I don’t think Lacey will agree with it.” It was Ryan who spoke. I recognised their voices now. “I think it’s a big thing to ask of someone.”
Curiosity got the better of me and I rose and tiptoed to the bottom of the stairs, taking care to avoid the squeaky step second from the bottom. Finally safe on solid ground, I crept to the lounge wall, the opposite side of the open-plan kitchen living area where they were. This position gave me a good hiding place, but I was still close enough to where they sat around the kitchen island. I glimpsed a quick look as they spoke in low voices. They were definitely contemplating asking me something, murmuring my name now and then.
“I know, I don’t know anymore,” Carter said.
Someone made a deep sigh. “Carter, we agreed,” Seb said. “This is the best way for her sake, and ours.”
I heard footsteps as one of them walked across the tiled kitchen floor. Followed by the sound of running water splashing into the sink and then a glass rattled against the counter.
“If it happens, then one of us will need to move into the dining room, not me, though. I need her to be on the first floor with more of us to protect her,” Carter said.
Protect—again. Pfft.
“We are all here to protect her, Carter. Not just you,” Kane spat.
“And are you going to give up the master bedroom to give her a bathroom of her own?” Ryan said, changing the subject back again.
“I’m happy seeing her come out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel wrapped around her,” Seb said, and I smiled because he’d seen me in much less.
I peeked another look at where they were. Carter glared at Seb and I decided they couldn’t see me, so I stayed where I was and watched.
“I’ll give her the master bedroom, but I need to be upstairs with her. Five people and four bedrooms. Someone needs to move downstairs into the dining room,” Carter said.
I smiled, listening to the grumbles.
“I’m not moving downstairs. It’ll be too noisy on a morning,” Seb said.
“Not because you’d prefer to be closer to Lacey?” Carter hissed, staring at Seb, and now I took an interest in the ‘who glared the hardest’ competition. It was like two dominant lions were about to go into war to mate their lioness.
Shit, he knows.
I slipped further back into the lounge, but was still close enough to listen.
“Why not you?” Seb questioned.
“All will come out soon,” Carter said.
“I think we all need to sit down and find out what each of us knows. Especially as Carter seems to think he is superior here.” The rich, powerful voice was Kane.
It was nice hearing the different lilts to their voices and Kane’s was the deepest of them all.
“I’m from the Upper House and I am superior,” Carter said. I pursed my lips and shook my head at his words.
“Look, it’s not worth the aggro. I’ll move into the dining room providing a lock is put on the door. I’m not having anyone coming in and using it for some free space as it’s used now,” Ryan said.
I smiled. He was the sweetest of the four guys, and probably the easiest one for me to talk to. I’d met Ryan several times in the library. We hadn’t kissed again since that day. Everything since was friendly and, along with Polly, we were becoming the best of friends.