his scent as he runs a hand gently through my damp hair.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers.
“What?” I snap my head up.
His large hand cups my jaw. “I’m sorry that we put you in this position, Sloane. I would have never endangered you like this.”
My lips quirk up in a sassy smile. “You kidnapped me.”
His eyes spark with humor. “Yes, well, things are different now.” His ears heat red as he tries to continue. “But really, Princess, I don’t want you to be a part of this, if there is a way …”
“No.” I shake my head, gripping his shoulders. “I am going with you. Not just because of fucking Pierce though. We are a team. Royce, I don’t know what is going to happen after all this but I don’t want to not be with you guys.”
He searches my face and then speaks. “I may end up in prison anyway though.”
“What?” I arch a brow.
“For when I kill Pierce,” he mutters as my heart warms. I step into him further and go on my toes to kiss him lightly.
“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner,” I state quietly.
Royce shakes his head. “In a way I’m glad you didn’t, because I would have probably killed him in retrospect and the fucker deserves jail time.”
“You know they probably have this room bugged.” I chuckle.
“Good,” he grumbles.
“Kitten.,” River groans as my eyes light up at the sound of his voice and I kiss Royce again, slipping past him into the bedroom.
Oh, poor River. He is spread out on the bed with gauze wrapped around his chest. I go sit next to him on the bed and he immediately smiles.
“I’m so glad you're okay, Kitten,” he whispers softly, kissing my hand. Warmth and affection surge through me and my feelings for him ram into me. Suddenly, words I’ve only spoken to Pierce a long time ago want to surge from my mouth. I hold them back because the urge is so sudden and intense.
When did I fall in love with fucking River? The one that when this mess began wanted to kill the hostage? Shit. This is … this is something else.
“We need to leave soon.” Kaden’s voice sounds from the door as River narrows his eyes.
Instead of responding to the man, I move toward four large packed bags and a standard issue outfit on top consisting of sweats and a sweatshirt in black. I walk back toward the large closet and put on a pair of boy shorts and a cotton bra, before braiding my hair and tugging on the outfit with socks. It’s oversized and hideous but for a plane ride? It’ll do.
I tie my gym shoes and then help River easily slide on his sweatshirt, his hair damp, clearly having showered in another room before getting bandaged up. The brothers are nearly ready as well and I can tell that they are excited in a way. I mean we’re practically getting government funding for this insane mission. My eyes trail to a bag of weapons that is in front of Kaden’s feet as he patiently waits for us.
“Are we good? Princess?” Royce asks, his voice soft.
I inhale and nod. “Yeah, let’s go get this shit handled.”
As we leave the room, Royce carrying River’s bag and Blaine mine, I make sure my insane psycho is feeling okay. He is cracking soft side jokes so I think he’ll be just fine. When he walks through the door, Kaden stops me with a touch on my shoulder. I flinch slightly, feeling frustrated as hell at the guilty look on his face.
“We both have secrets,” he whispers, “that doesn’t—”
“It changes everything,” I state softly. “Everything. Because it’s not the secret Kaden. It’s that we are now being blackmailed by the fucking FBI to do some shit or land ourselves in prison. All you had to do was explain, damn it.”
His eyes heat up. “You don’t understand—”
“Do not tell me what I do and don’t understand,” I whisper angrily and pull away, turning to look back at him. “You know what I don’t get?”
“What?” he asks, pulling the weapon bag over his shoulder.
My eyes tear up slightly. “Why all the bullshit? If it was just part of the job and I was so clearly an easy fuck, why all the emotional shit? That’s just fucking cruel, Kaden.”
I don’t wait for an actual answer as his face crumples slightly at my words. I can barely see it through my tears as I shake my head and turn away.