I deflated as I saw the concern on his face. I would be furious later. Right then, I wanted to be okay with Ian. “It’s okay. Your work is private, Ian. You’ve always been professional about your cases, and I wouldn’t expect you to break your morals for something you didn’t think mattered. It’s weird, you knowing my parents in this other way. That’s it, though. It doesn’t matter past that for us. I’m angry at them. Not you.”
“I would’ve fucked my morals right out the window if I’d found something I thought you needed to know. You come first.” He licked his lips and looked away. “Always have. I only took the job to feel close to you. As pathetic as that is.”
My heart fluttered, and I let it. “I know a place close by where we could be alone.”
“You’re still supposed to be taking it easy.” He watched me scowl and continued. “So, you’ll have to just bend over and let me do the work, baby.”
I shivered and nodded. “Yep, yep. Get in the truck.”
He did and threw his truck into drive. “My apartment’s changed some, but there’s no looking at that until after I’ve had my way with you. I’ve got to focus, and there’s no time for you noticing things.”
I laughed and then let out a strangled moan when he cupped my sex. “No noticing things! Got it.”
31.
***
Ian***
“Anthony’sagoodguy.”Jayden frowned at me from his spot on Violet’s couch. “Why did they think he wasn’t?”
I glanced behind him at where Violet was singing along to a Christmas carol in the kitchen. “Money. They’re still convinced that he wants to be with her because of it.”
His expression clouded over with anger. “Vi’s family literally accused her of only having a boyfriend because he must want her money. While thinking the same about her sister and somehow not saying a thing about it? Why does Vi get all the scrutiny?”
Adam came out of the kitchen with white powder across his face and a happy grin. “What are we talking about?”
I filled him in on the details that I hadn’t bogged Violet down with. We’d already talked about everything with Violet the day before, but with our schedules, I hadn’t been able to really talk to them about the nitty-gritty. The fact that I wanted to made me feel slightly weird, as someone who’d never really had guy friends that I talked with, but what wasn’t weird those days?
“Are we allowed to give them a talking to? I’d really like to.”
Violet slid into the room and wrapped her arms around Adam, giggling when she looked at his face. “Who do you want to talk to? You never want to talk to outside people.”
He pulled her with him over the back of the couch and laughed when Jayden got a foot to the face. With Violet on top of him, he kissed her and trailed his hands down to cup her ass.
She wiggled and went up on her hands and knees, putting her panty-covered ass in Jayden’s face. When he bit her cheek, she squeaked and fell off the couch. “No fair. I’m in the middle of baking. You three are supposed to be keeping your hands and mouths to yourselves.”
Adam looked down at her on the floor and shrugged. “I’m an animal. What can I say?”
She smacked Jayden’s knee. “What’s your excuse?”
“Oh, I don’t follow rules that feel arbitrary and just plain mean.” He grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. “Now get back to your cookies or you’re going to find yourself on the floor for a lot longer.”
Backing into me, Violet looked up at me and batted her eyelashes. “You’ll save me.”
I flashed my teeth at her and laughed when she hurried back to the kitchen, fussing at us for all being animals. Looking back at Jayden and Adam, I saw that we all had the same dumb look on our faces. It was happiness. Despite the circumstances, we were all living a life we never thought we would again. We had Violet back, in all her happy glory.
“What are these cookies for again?” I was considering letting them burn.
Adam grunted. “Nip that thought in the bud. She’s making cookies for a bake sale to raise money for the animal shelter. I tried to get handsy in the kitchen and she asked me if I wanted the sad puppies and kittens to never find a home. She’s cutthroat at times.”
Jayden looked down at John and patted his head. “I caught her talking to John again this morning. Pretty sure she’s using him as a diary. She told him that she loved him. I swear to god, this dog had a tear in his eye. How the fuck do her parents not see what an angel they have?”
I looked over at Demon, who’d positioned himself at the entrance of the kitchen so he could watch Violet. “To not see Violet’s heart, they’d have to betryingnot to see.”
A knock on the door sent Demon snarling in that direction. John even stood up and glared, which was unusual for him. I walked over to the door, scooped Demon up, and glanced out the window to see Rose standing just outside with a team of people.
Violet hurried down the hall to her bedroom, so I assumed that meant I could open the door, since she hadn’t told me not to. I barely got it cracked before Rose pushed her way inside and looked around at the three of us. I’d only seen her in pictures and while watching Anthony, but seeing her in person made it even more apparent just how dissimilar she was from her sister.