Liar (Madison Kate #2)(31)

He left the kitchen muttering something under his breath about anticlimaxes, and I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face at his sour attitude. One day he'd learn that he couldn't mess with me.

Kody still watched me with his perceptive green eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Suppose I'd better go pack a bag." I sighed and leaned a hip against the island beside Steele. "Any hints what I should pack for?"

"You're... being really chill this morning, MK," Kody observed.

"Cold," Steele answered my question. "Don't stress about anything fancy; I doubt we'll be leaving the estate."

My brows rose and questions burned on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't push it. Archer wanted to play dumb games, and I wasn't in the mood to take the bait. So instead I just nodded.

"Alright, can do."

Kody stood up to take his own plate to the sink, turning his back on us. It was the opening Steele must have been waiting for, though, and he kissed me with lightning speed.

"Tease," I whispered when he released me. Kody's back was still to us, and Steele just grinned with pure satisfaction. I turned to leave, and he swatted me on the ass, reminding me all too vividly of how he'd spanked me in bed.

Of course that sound, Kody heard.

He gasped as I disappeared into the hallway, but I was still close enough to hear him.

"You motherfucker," he exclaimed. "Seriously? Fuck! I knew I recognized those moans."

Steele just laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about, bro."

"Sure you fucking don't," Kody grumbled. "I hate you so much right now. Prick."

I snickered a quiet laugh to myself and made my way up to my bedroom to pack for this mysterious trip. I wasn't even mad that Kody had worked it out. It'd been fun to sneak around, but I wasn't one for hiding who I was having sex with. Especially when there was still the possibility of becoming involved with Kody again.

Post-sex euphoria was holding my good mood strong, so I packed an overnight bag without grumbling too much.

When I exited the house, Archer's massive, black—of course—F-150 Raptor was idling in front of the main entrance with Kody leaning on the open passenger side door, talking to Archer in the driver's seat. Steele was placing his own bag in the bed, so I handed him mine and he tossed it in.

"Thanks," I told him with a smile. I moved to get in the truck, but he caught me by the waist and pulled me back to the rear of the truck for a heated, lingering kiss out of sight of the other boys.

"Max Steele," I chastised him, "what would your other girl think if she saw that?"

He snickered an evil laugh and kissed me again. "She'd be totally understanding because I quite clearly can't keep my hands off you."

I grinned in response but slipped out of his embrace and took my seat in the back of the truck. I had less than zero desire to fight for the shotgun seat when Archer would be driving, and considering Steele usually took the back, there was a good chance I could sneak some decent cuddles. Or at the very least a bit of clandestine hand holding.

Except as Steele slammed the tailgate into place and rolled the bed cover closed, Kody slipped into the backseat beside me with a wide grin, quickly shutting the door after him.

"Hey, babe," he said to me with a wink, "you don't mind if I hang back here with you, right?"

I rolled my eyes. I should be mad at him—at all of them. I should still be angry as hell. But... fuck he was hard to hold a grudge against.

"Suit yourself," I told him, "but I hold no responsibility if I fall asleep on you and drool."

His smile grew wider, if that was even possible. "Aw, gorgeous, I love when you drool all over me."

Steele sat in the front passenger seat with a huff, slamming his own door and clicking his seat belt on before giving Kody a side-eye. "You're a shithead," he told his friend.

Archer just made an annoyed sound in his throat but met my gaze in the mirror. Surprisingly, he didn't look as pissed off as his whole body language was implying. Instead he looked... I didn't even know. Curious, maybe. Intrigued.

Regardless, it made me shiver.

"So, are we ready to tell poor, clueless Madison Kate where the fuck we're going today? I'm in the car now and have no intention of doing a tuck and roll out onto the highway just to save myself the boredom of your company." I was speaking to Archer, and he knew it. His lips curved up in the mirror, but his eyes remained on the road ahead.

Neither Kody nor Steele answered for him, though, and eventually his eyes flickered to mine for just a second. "We're visiting the D'Ath family estate," he finally told me.

I jolted, shocked by his response. Whatever I'd been expecting him to say... it wasn't that.

"Don't worry," he continued, clearly misreading my expression of surprise. "Zane was disowned years ago when he took over the Reapers from our father. He won't step foot anywhere within two hundred miles of D'Ath land."

I thought of my last conversation with Zane. He'd vaguely offered to help me, but then not so vaguely threatened my life if I trespassed on Reaper grounds again. Apparently being contradictory and infuriating was a family trait.

"Well, that's something," I muttered under my breath. "So, you're taking us home for Thanksgiving dinner? That's a bit cute." Except... Cherry was on a cruise with my father, Zane had been disowned, Damien had died years ago, and Archer had told me his grandfather was dead, too.