the grip on her hair and she falls back against Sebastian’s chest before he steps away and makes room for the two of them to scurry away. “Hey,” Eli calls after them. Casey turns back and meets his eyes and the grin he sends her is more than wicked. “That offer still stands.”
Her eyes bug out of her head and they run faster, making the boys buckle over, howling with laughter as Milo stares in wonder, probably wondering if Eli would extend his offer to him.
The boys have hardly finished their celebration when a hard body steps into my back. My body stiffens and as his familiar scent wraps around me and my knees buckle beneath me, Nic straightens.
Colton’s hand falls to my waist, keeping me steady as my boys all stop to stare, confusion twisting on their faces. I don’t know where the fuck Kairo comes from but suddenly he’s there, able to smell the threat from a mile away.
Colton leans into me, his hand slipping further around my waist and doing all sorts of things to me, but the way Nic watches has me ready to duck for a shoot out. He steps forward, putting himself right in front of me to where he can easily reach for Colton’s throat. “Take your fucking dirty hands off my girl.”
I feel Colton’s grin as his hand tightens on my waist. He leans down, dismissing Nic’s request. His breath tickles my throat and I keep my eyes locked on Nic’s as Colton’s demanding whisper sounds right beside my ear. “As of five minutes ago, you were on the clock. If you want to keep your job, then I’d suggest fucking them off and picking up a goddamn serving platter.”
Oh, fuck. This is not going to go down well.
My face scrunches as my jaw clenches.
What am I supposed to do here? Tell my boys to go and cause all sorts of shit or lose my job?
I turn in Colton’s arm and look up at him, meeting those eyes that have tortured me since the second I stepped through the doors of this over-sized, power-hungry mansion. “Please,” I murmur, hating that I’m about to beg, but when it comes to my crew, there’s not a damn thing that I won't do. “Don’t make me do this.”
A grin pulls at his lips and it’s clear that he’s enjoying himself. “After the scene you just caused with my sisters at their father’s funeral, you're fucking lucky that you’re not going with them. Your friend was just up in my bedroom trying to steal my father's Rolex while this other prick just offered to fuck my underage sister. Take your pick, Jade. What’s more important to you? A bunch of gang members who have nothing to offer except a prison sentence or a fucking shot at a life after graduation?”
No, no, no, no, no. Why did he have to word it like that?
“Come on, this isn’t fair.”
“Five fucking seconds. I’d suggest you hurry up and choose.”
“Colton.”
“Three seconds, Jade.”
Fuck.
This is not going to go down well.
I let out a breath and turn to face Nic with regret heavy in my eyes. His gaze tightens and all my boys stiffen, seeing where this is going before I’ve said a damn word. “You should go,” I tell them. “Chill out in the pool house until I’m finished working and we can hang out after that.”
“The fuck?” Nic grunts, his face twisting as his brows drop low. “You’re turning your back on your boys for this fuckwit?”
“I’m not,” I demand, stepping into Nic and feeling the loss of Colton at my back like the loss of a limb. “You’re my fucking boys. You always will be, but if you stay you’re going to fuck things up for me here. I have a good thing going. You know how much mom and I need this. Colton is my boss now. I have to do this.”
“Babe, come on,” Sebastian says.
“Please,” I say, feeling my heart breaking, seeing the devastation deep within his handsome features. “Just go chill out in the pool house.”
Colton scoffs behind me. “What makes you think they’re welcome in the pool house?”
I spin around and shoot my glare at him, letting him see just how fucking deeply he’s killing me. “I can have guests in the pool house. That’s always been the rules,” I demand, hating that I’m making a scene right in the middle of the ballroom for Harrison, mom, and Maryne to see.