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And they did.
“You’re all dead to me!” Jinx grumbled, killing the moment. “Bunch of rotten thieves.”
Laughing, Scott dropped down from Jinx’s back with lithe movements.
She couldn’t help but wonder if those moves translated to the bedroom. Ugh, the man needed to stay out of her brain.
Scott’s gaze clashed with hers. They held, suspended for just a moment before Jinx let out a roar and attacked. He lifted Scott off his feet in a bear hug, which had to be a huge feat because Scott was over six feet tall.
But compared to Jinx, he was small.
“Got you now, asshole!” Jinx yelled. Laughing like a loon, he muscled Scott over to the walk-in pantry. “Now you’re gonna sit in there and think about what you did,” he said as he shoved Scott into the dark pantry and slammed the door. He used his bulk to keep the thing closed as Scott tried in vain to escape.
Olivia shook her head. “Why do I feel like a preschool teacher right now?”
Tracker chuckled around a mouthful of donut. “No clue.”
“You gonna put me down for a nap, Miss Olivia?” Jinx asked.
“Ugh,” Lock said, shaking his head. “That’s just creepy, dude.” He grabbed a donut from the box and took a bite in his typical calm manner.
“Thanks for the donuts,” Olivia told him.
He lifted his snack in salute before heading out of the kitchen.
“Wait up,” Tracker called to him. “I’m coming with.”
Olivia frowned as she glanced toward the pantry. Her stomach wobbled with unease. “Uh, Jinx, why is Scott being so quiet?”
The big guy snorted. “Probably planning a sneak attack the moment I let him out. Not happening anytime soon,” he hollered to the closed door.
Something wasn’t right. She had no idea how she knew it, but her gut was screaming. “Jinx, I hate to be a buzzkill, but, uh…”
Think, Olivia. Scott would hate to show his brother weakness if something was wrong. And she really thought it was.
“Brooke asked me to bring her a bag of dog food. She ran out at the house and keeps extra here. I’m gonna need to get in the pantry.”
Jinx let out a dramatic sigh. “Okay, fine. For you and Brooke, I’ll let him out. But I’m not stupid enough to be here when he gets out. He’ll kick my ass.”
She snorted. “You’re huge.”
“Yeah, but you ain’t seen Spec in one of his trance-like rages. Trust me, girl, he could take down the whole club at once.”
Olivia frowned. Did it really get that scary?
“C’mere.” Jinx dropped his voice to a whisper, waving her over. “Put your back to the door. I’m gonna run out, then you can release him.”
Rolling her eyes, she did as asked.
Jinx scurried from the room, and a few seconds later, she stepped away from the door.
“Scott?” she called out. “It’s open.”
Nothing happened. Frowning, she walked to the pantry and pulled the door open.
Scott stood in the center of the huge walk-in, wide-eyed and trembling. Fear, like she’d never expect from a man as tough as him, was written across his face. He almost seemed in a daze, unaware of her presence.
“Scott?” she whispered as she lifted her hands. “It’s okay. You can come out.”
He jumped as though she’d shocked him. The fear disappeared, replaced by a steely furious scowl that had her stomach sinking. “Where’d Jinx go?” he asked as he stormed past her and out into the kitchen. “His ass is mine.”
He played the part well. Said exactly what she’d have expected if he were still in the game. But his forehead was covered in sweat, his hands had a subtle tremor, and his face had paled to ghostly levels. His eyes darted around wild, uncoordinated swoops, scanning every direction of the kitchen.
Something was wrong. “Are you okay?” she asked, taking a step toward him. She had to clench her fists to keep from reaching for him. As much as she wanted to touch him, to soothe him, he’d never tolerate it from her. And she did want to touch him. Wrap her arms around him. Preferably when they were both naked and needy.
What was it? She’d seen Lance angry, sad, frustrated, sick, stressed, and never once did she experience a physical need to press her body against his and absorb his pain through her skin. But it was there with Scott.
He gave her a sharp glare that had her stopping in her tracks. “What the hell do you mean? Of course, I’m okay. Or will be once I kick Jinx’s ass.”
He shoved past her, bumping her shoulder with his. She couldn’t help but notice his shirt felt damp with perspiration.
She frowned at his back as he stormed out of the kitchen.
Why the hell was Scott sweating like he’d been in a sauna instead of the air-conditioned pantry for two minutes?
And why did she want to wrap her arms around him and promise whatever plagued him would be okay?
