Page 39 of Red, White, and BearCat Blue

Josiah was going to be even scarier than he normally was.

Maybe Mars would give me a gun. I snorted, angry at myself for being so stupid. Holding a gun and firing it with any sort of accuracy were foreign things to me. Given the opportunity, chances were I’d shoot my own dick off by accident.

I wiped my mouth with a hand towel and tossed the one around the waist in the bath before padding back into the bedroom. One look at the rumpled sheets brought the anger at myself rushing back. I should’ve never come on to Mars like that, even though I’d been thinking about getting him naked every second since meeting him.

I’d been vulnerable and worried and I’d wanted to change the subject when he’d hugged me close. Well, I’d managed that in spades, another thing to kick my own ass over. I sighed, crawling between the sheets which smelled faintly of his citrus/spice aftershave and sex.

I flipped off the light and laced my fingers together behind my head, ignoring my damp hair, staring up at the ceiling. I couldn’t see anything in the dark hotel room. I hadn’t bothered to open the heavy curtains, knowing the million-dollar view of the Strip at night would bring a trillion twinkling lights along with it, keeping me awake. I stared sightlessly for a long time, then bolted upright. Shit. We hadn’t called Josiah.

I groaned and rolled out of bed, throwing on dirty clothes, and bracing myself with seeing Mars again so soon. I knocked on his door with great hesitancy, phone in hand. God only knew what he’d think when he found me here. It took him a few seconds to answer and when he did, he looked surprised. “Cam, what—”

“We forgot to call Josiah.”

“Shite.” He reached up and ran fingers through his hair, then nodded and stepped back. “Totally forgot.”

I walked in, noting one bed was unmade. He hadn’t changed, still dressed in the same clothes he’d been wearing a half hour before.

“’Ave a seat,” Mars said, waving vaguely in the direction of the unmade bed.

I did, holding up the phone. “I should just say my sister called…that she’s stopping by?”

He nodded as he sat on the bed beside me. Having him so close after practically kicking him out a half hour ago was making me nervous as hell…as if I needed more nerves right now.

“Tell ‘im she’s flying in tonight and will be picking up ya mum to spend the day with ‘er tomorrow. It’s a spur of the moment thing that she does all the time. Tell ‘im ya ‘ave no say in the matter, Cam.” He pinned me with an encouraging look. “Make ‘im believe ya.”

I nodded, looking down at the phone as nerves filled my guts all over again. I took a deep breath and looked at Mars before dialing his number and waiting. I put the call on speaker, praying I wouldn’t fuck up. Josiah picked up after the fourth ring.

“Why are you calling me?” he growled. No greeting. No nothing. Just obvious anger in his voice. “I’ve told you not to do that.”

“I’m sorry, Josiah. I didn’t want to, but my damn sister just called. She’s flying in tonight and called to say she’ll be picking up my mom to spend the day with her tomorrow.”

“Your sister?”

“Yeah, my sister. She’s always doing shit like this. She never gives me any warning. Sometimes she just shows up on my doorstep.” Josiah didn’t say anything for a few seconds, so I kept talking, praying I didn’t sound nervous. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you because she’ll expect to stay with me tonight. She’s a big mooch and it’s not like I can tell her she can’t.”

“Why the hell should I care about whether she’s staying with you tonight?”

“Because I can’t start packing my apartment with her underfoot. I have a lot of stuff. I know you said your guys were going to move us the next day but neither Mom nor I will be ready until afternoon since I’ll have to wait for my damn sister to leave.”

Josiah let out an audible growl…an honest to God growl. “I’ll tell my guys not to come until five.”

My eyes widened as I stared at Mars, shaking my head. “He doesn’t believe me, Mars,” I mouthed.

Mars frowned and I opened my mouth to say something else, when Josiah spoke up again. “Did you hear me?”

“Y-yeah, Josiah…hey, listen, thanks for understanding.”

“I don’t!” he said abruptly. He wasn’t even trying to disguise his anger. I’ve never been more relieved to be having this conversation over the phone rather than face to face. “I have plans to change now. Is there anything else I can do to accommodate your family, Cam?” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

I frowned. I wanted to tell him where he could shove his orders, but I wasn’t about to do that. Instead, I sighed. “Like I said, I’m really sorry. There’s nothing I can do about it which is the only reason I called.”

“Fine.”

“Thanks. Well, good night.”

The call abruptly ended. Josiah hadn’t even said goodbye. I hung up, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. I wanted to cry, but I wasn’t about to do that, not here. I startled, eyes flying wide open when Mars suddenly squeezed my bicep. “Ya did fine, Cam.”

I shook my head. “He didn’t believe me.” Fear coursed through me.