The Revenge (The Insiders Trilogy #3)(42)



His eyes narrowed. “Are you talking about your drunk night with Matt?”

I laughed, a lightness shifting in my chest. “No. I mean there might be a situation where we could do something to help you, here, on our end, you know…”

He gave me a dark look. “What are you planning?”

I shrugged. “Nothing. Just if a situation happens to show itself and we can do something to help out, I want you not to worry about me. Or Matt.”

“Matt?”

“Or whoever might be around who can help me. You know.”

There was a long beat of silence between us.

Kash was studying me. I was more trying to look at him, but also not looking at him, because he could see through me and I didn’t want him to derail us from going after Quinn.

“Bailey.”

“Hmm?”

“What are you planning?”

Oh, screw it. A whole rush of air left me and I capitulated. “I have to do something. Something! I’m going crazy not doing anything. You’re off being all dark and dangerous, and well … let me help, too. Quinn is here. Her court case is happening, and we haven’t gone after Camille Story at all. You handle big and scary Calhoun and we’ll handle Quinn here. Deal?”

I held out my hand.

He stared at it, then at me, back to my hand, then to my face. His head tilted to the side and he raised an eyebrow. “I am not shaking on that.” A whole whoosh of disappointment flooded me. “But do what you have to do. Just don’t get in trouble, and my God, please listen to your guards. I have them on you for a reason.”

Did he …

Holy crap, he just did!

“You’re okay with it then? Matt and me going after Quinn?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m okay with it, and I’m not sure about Matt, because he likes to get arrested a lot, but…” His tone gentled. “I know that you need to help and this is your way of doing it.”

The lightness was in full effect. I felt like I was floating on air. “Really?”

“Really.” He closed his eyes, his face shuddering. “I cannot control you, nor do I want to, but I am terrified for your safety.”

“I won’t take any risks that are stupid. I promise.”

A stark look came over him as he stared at me. “Good.”

I stared back. “Good,” I whispered. “Do you need to process having a twin?”

He shook his head. “No, because I don’t know if he’s going to be good or harmful. For now, he just exists and that’s all. He’s a possible threat.”

“That sounds ominous.”

“I don’t even know his name.” He let out another soft sigh. “I need you. I need to hold you. I need to reassure myself that you’re okay. But I think for right now I need to do something normal with you.”

I perked up at that. “Normal?” Normal was my new thing of fantasies.

He grinned. “I could rent an entire movie theater for us. Any recent movie you’d like to see? ”

A movie? The floor just moved under me. I haven’t even thought about a movie since last May. “I’m sure there’s a new superhero one out.”

“Done.” His grin shouldn’t be as sensual as it was, but it was, and it was sending tiny little thrills down my spine. “Popcorn?”

Those thrills turned into tickles. “Yes, please.”

“Chocolate candies?”

“Now you’re making me want to jump you on the way to the movies.”

“Oh no, no, no.” He was being slightly flirty now, a little twinkle in his eyes. “We’ll be as normal as we can be, and that means making out in the theater. I reserve time for that.”

The tickling, thrills, and the whole floating sensation was overtaking me and I moved to him. “I’m really happy you came back even though you’re in the middle of destroying your grandfather.”

He smiled, his eyes so tender. “I’m just glad you love me. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I promise.”

I was standing close enough to him so he tipped my head back, his lips lowering and giving me a soft kiss, before he said, “Now, change. I have a movie theater to go and buy out.”





TWENTY-FOUR

Bailey


I wasn’t supposed to like her.

I had seen her before. She’d been a person lurking in the background. Then she was lurking in the background when I was at the house, and, full disclosure, she was there, and she was quiet, but she wasn’t really lurking lurking. I wouldn’t have noticed if it was someone else, but the point is that she looked almost exactly like her sister, and it was her sister that I hated.

Loathed.

Despised.

I’ve digressed.

Payton. I wasn’t supposed to like her …

But I did! Or, well, I didn’t want to stab her. She seemed nice.

She came over and gave me a hug when she got to the house, but that was after a long look at Kash. And Kash being Kash, he watched her right back, until he finally spoke. “Hello, Payton.”

She swallowed. “Hello, Kash. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Just for the night. I’m leaving soon.”

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