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“Giddy up, horsey!”
Rueben’s chest vibrated, and I hoped it meant he was laughing. The twins chuckled, finally heading out the door, and the three of us escaped the hotel, no one else the wiser. As we drove to their rental, I prayed that the fourth member of PROP was as cool as these three guys had been.
9
RAVEN
Porter pulledup to a small cottage that fit the quaint town. I couldn’t make out many details at this hour, but it looked like it would belong to a sweet old grandmother who made you chocolate chip cookies.
“Mmm, chocolate chip cookies,” I moaned, my tongue salivating at the thought. Damn. I’d left my food in the fridge.
“Farwell, pie. You will be missed,” I whispered.
“I have the sudden urge to run to the store,” Porter said, reminding me I wasn’t alone in the van.
“Why?” I asked, turning to look at him, my brows furrowing.
“He wants you to make that sound again,” Phoenix supplied, his brother hitting him in the arm.
“Oh.” My eyes grew big as I stared at the twins. I didn’t know what to do with that. Were they flirting? Did they like me like that? They were hot, and my mind was short-circuiting.
“I think you broke her,” Porter whispered, hitting Phoenix again.
I’d been serious when I said I didn’t spend much time with boys. I had a few awkward times with a random guy I met in one city early on and a tech guy I’d hooked up with at one of the conferences. Neither had left much to be desired, in my opinion. I hadn’t sought out male companionship after that.
When they’d asked me to stay, I assumed it meant as friends. I couldn’t deny the heat between me and the guys, but I’d never assume it was mutual. I was prepared to fall for them and live an unrequited life as their cute friend. But this…
Rueben tapped my leg, drawing my attention to him. He’d already opened the van door and turned, lowering himself so I could climb on again.
Smiling, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, inhaling his coffee and sweat smell. His large hands grasped my legs, holding me to him. Heat radiated off him, warming me instantly.
“And we’re off!” I chuckled when he stood. “I might have to switch to RuebenAir for all my transportation needs from here on out,” I teased. His chest vibrated, and my skin tingled from the sound.
The twins hurried out, the doors shutting after they grabbed my bags and theirs. Rueben waited at the door for them, his hands busy with me. Porter unlocked it, pushing it for us to step through. Rueben had to duck down to get in the door, the top of my head brushing the frame.
“Raven, what did you mean earlier about a nemesis? Did you know who broke into your room?” Porter asked, concern on his face.
I waved him off as Rueben bent down, lowering me to the couch. “Oh yeah. It’s nothing. It’s not the first time someone’s tried to kill me,” I said nonchalantly.
“Um, what?” Phoenix asked, his face falling. “They were there to kill you?”
“I’m beginning to wonder if you guys understand the definition of assassin. I. Kill. People.” I pointed at myself, then gestured like I was cutting my throat, my head lolling to the side at the end.
“Yes, Cutie-pie, we got that part.” Porter held his fist to his mouth like he was holding in a laugh. I shrugged, not embarrassed about my macabre charades.
“Okay, well, I’m sure Jerome Fulton isn’t too happy with me or my cause and has therefore hired my nemesis to kill me.”
“Why do they want you dead? You didn’t steal from them. We did. Speaking of, we need to inventory what we gathered tonight, so Otto has it all in the morning when it’s recovered.”
“Otto? I had a friend named Otto once,” I hummed, my mind bringing my first friend to the forefront of my mind. I’d need to check my search once I was settled.
“Why do they want you dead, Raven?” Phoenix asked, squeezing my thigh to get my attention. I hadn’t noticed him sit beside me, too focused on the memories playing in my head.
“Oh.” I blinked, re-buffering my mind. “He’s the board president of Good Meds Pharma, and I made it my mission to take out the board, saving him for last. So, self-preservation is probably his motive.”
Phoenix’s mouth dropped open, turning his head to look at the others, then back to me. “I have the sudden urge to lock you in a room and not let you leave,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
I rolled my eyes, pulling his arm closer to me so I could snuggle into him. “Oh, please. Steel Strike is not half as good as I am. You seriously underestimate the Belladonnas. Not a smart move, dude.”
