Page 32 of My Crazy Killers
It’s strange, working as a unit. It’s not something I’m used to, but I’m starting to enjoy it, to appreciate what each person here brings to our dynamic.
Wren announces it’s done as Sly pulls the tray from the oven, and the sight of the golden brown pastries has my mouth watering, even though I’d never even heard of a beef wellington before today, let alone tasted one.
Sly pulls the carrots and fancy potatoes out of the oven, and everything is placed on wooden coasters that line the center of the table.
Elias surprises me by pulling out a couple bottles of red wine that I had no idea we had, and pours everyone a glass. And as we all take our seats, with Wren at one end and Sly at the other, I get this weird feeling in my stomach. I glance at each person as plates are filled and conversation flows, and realize what’s changed.
We are no longer a unit. Now, we are afamily.
“Pete, what are you doing? It’s my turn,” Elias whines like an annoyed teen.
“I say Jagger is healed enough that he should give up his spot to someone else.”
Elias eyes the other side of the bed and slowly nods. “You’re right. He’s gotten to spend every night beside her since they’ve been back.”
“Besides, she’s practically healed now, so cuddles are back on the table.”
Sly had tried to outright ban cuddling and allowed only one more of us in the bed with her and Jagger each night. However, that didn’t stop her from moving in her sleep to wrap herself around whichever one of us was lucky enough to claim that spot.
“No cuddling,” Sly says as he steps into the room, glaring at us both.
“I didn’t see you complaining when you woke up this morning with her wrapped around you,” I fire back.
“Besides, there’s no harm in cuddling. It’s not going to damage her back,” Elias adds, and I toss him a grin of gratitude.
“I don’t?—”
“Do I get a say?” Wren asks, cutting Sly off as she steps out of the bathroom. She raises an eyebrow at him as she crosses her arms, unknowingly pushing her boobs up, as if offering them on a silver platter. It doesn’t matter that they are covered in one of our T-shirts, Sly’s, if I’m not mistaken. They still look like temptation wrapped in sin.
“Of course you do,” Sly answers, treading carefully. “I just don’t want you to reopen any of your wounds.”
“It’s just cuddling, Sly. You wouldn’t deny me that,” she asks, her eyes turning big and round as she steps toward him. “Would you?”
I watch in amusement as he seems frozen by her pouty, pleading expression. Finally, he nods, and she reaches up to kiss the edge of his chin. She turns away, facing me with a grin of satisfaction, but he doesn’t let her get far, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back to him as he crashes his mouth down on hers.
She gasps in surprise, and he takes that opportunity to deepen the kiss. Watching them make out is hot, and I have to adjust myself through my boxers.
“Why is watching her with other people so hot?” Elias whispers from my side, sounding confused.
“It wouldn’t be like that with just anybody. It’s because it’s us,” I tell him with a grin. “We’re family.”
He turns to me as a wash of emotions rolls over him, as if he knows what I’m saying but is trying to decipher the real meaning.
“I wish this room had both beds in it,” Wren says when she finally breaks the kiss with Sly.
“Why? You want all of us in one bed?” I ask jokingly. But when I see her eyes fill with heat, I realize she’s serious.
“Done,” Dex says from where I hadn’t seen him standing in the doorway. Then he turns and leaves. We all just watch him, confused.
“What is he…” Wren starts to ask, but stops when we hear loud noises coming from where he disappeared. Having a feeling that I know what he’s up to, I jump up and start moving the chairs and coffee table in the sitting area of the room, off to the side, creating a large open space.
“Help me with this?” I ask Elias as I grab the edge of the mattress and look at him expectantly. He catches on quickly and moves to the other corner, and helps me drag it to the floor—sheets, blankets, and all. Sly grabs the pillows that fell off and throws them on, just as Dex returns, carrying a mattress with Jagger on the other end.
“Shit, you shouldn’t be carrying that,” Elias says as he moves to take Jagger’s spot. But he refuses to let go, so Elias rolls his eyes and leaves the room, mumbling something about getting the blankets.
They place the mattress on the floor beside the other one, giving us a giant, double-king-sized impromptu bed on the floor. Elias brings the blankets and pillows from the other room, and we even add some couch cushions at the sides in case whoever’s on the ends needs more room.
Wren tries to help, but we keep passing her back and forth, distracting her with kisses until everything is perfect.
