Stealing Their Harley, page 8
His words stun me. Does the man have a death wish? He just witnessed Kacen shifting from a human into a wolf and he wants to piss him off more? I thought my best friend was smart, but apparently not.
When Rico tries to reach for me, Kacen snaps at him with his powerful jaws. “Hey!” I holler, pulling his tail again. “Do not snap at Rico. It’s rude.”
Kacen growls at me as Dawson pulls my back against his front. “You’re not going anywhere, love.” It shocks me to have my sweet Dawson sound so demanding. I’d never admit it, but it turns me on. I wonder briefly if he’s dominant in other areas too.
“Get your hands off of her!” Rico yells, taking several steps in my direction.
I know he’s trying to protect me, but he’s going to get himself killed if he doesn’t knock it off. This time Alekai meets Rico head on and it’s about to come to blows between the two. I’ve had enough testosterone and I decide I need to put an end to all the bullshit.
“All right, everyone knock off the crap right now, dammit!” My tone causes everyone to freeze where they are, and I have to work to hold in the smirk that wants to come out. Rico knows when I yell it’s serious, but I wasn’t sure the guys would get it. They’re smarter than I gave them credit for.
When I’m sure I have everyone’s attention, I bark out my orders. “Kacen, get changed and quit snapping and growling at Rico. You’re pissing me off and I’m about to pull more than just your freaking tail.”
He lets out a snort-huff and shifts where he stands rather than finding a more private place. Rico and I both gasp. Him in horror and me in awe. “What the fuck, man? Put that thing away!” He turns his head and uses his hand to cover his line of sight to Kacen’s impressive nakedness. Kacen huffs, but walks out of the room, presumably to put his thing away.
I can’t help but giggle at my best friend. It’s only been a few days but I missed the hell out of him. He peeks in my direction at the sound of my laughter. I watch his eyes well up with tears and I can’t handle it anymore. I launch myself at him. He anticipates my attack and catches me around the waist, rocking us back and forth. “I’m so glad I was able to track your location, Harley. Now, before the night can get any weirder, let’s go home. You might need to drive though. I think that joint I smoked earlier must’ve been laced. I’ve seen some freaky-ass shit tonight and I don’t know what’s real anymore.”
Several growls sound around the room and before I can tell them to knock it off, I’m yanked out of Rico’s hold and into Alekai’s arms. “Keep your hands to yourself, boy. That shit isn’t going to happen with Harley so you can stop dreaming.”
I spin in his arms and glare up at him. “Are you freaking kidding me right now, Alekai? Let me go hug my best friend or I’ll knee you in the balls.”
“Sugar, we may share well with each other, but that’s where our ability to share ends.” He pulls me close and kisses my lips lightly. “You belong to the three of us, Harley.” He turns his dark gaze toward Rico and clarifies just in case there was any doubt. “Only the three of us.”
“What the fuck?” Rico screeches. “She’s like my fucking sister, you sick fuck! And besides, she doesn’t fucking belong to anyone.” He reaches his hand out for me, and tries to extricate me from Alekai’s death hold. “Come on, Harley. Let’s get you the fuck out of here. These bastards are bat shit crazy.”
Torn between the men who are quickly stealing my heart and the man who has been like a brother to me my entire life, I do the only thing I can in my situation. I burst into tears and back away from all of them. Kacen takes that moment to come back into the hallway, fully dressed, and the four men look on in horror as I totally lose my shit.
“Baby, what happened?” Kacen asks, taking slow, measured steps toward me. “Did this fucker hurt you?”
I shake my head vigorously and hold my hand up to stop his advances. “You guys are tearing me apart and I can’t handle it. You three are stealing my heart and I can’t stop it. You already mean a lot to me and I barely freaking know you. But you’re trying to take me away from my best friend and that’s not fair. He’s been there for me since I was small. He’s like my big brother and I refuse to hurt him or let you guys hurt him.”
After a long silence, Dawson pinches the bridge of his nose and speaks up. “Okay, let’s all shelf the anger for Harley’s sake and sit down and hash this out like adults. Deal?”
Heads nod around the room and I sniffle, the tears finally slowing. Dawson strides up to me, taking me in his arms. I wrap my arms around his middle and snuggle into his chest. He’s my current favorite and by the pouts coming from Kacen, Alekai, and Rico, they know it.
Damn boys.
Chapter 10
Dawson and I lead the way into the small dining area attached to the kitchen. The table only seats four, but I end up pulled into Dawson’s lap, so everyone gets a chair.
Rico watches me closely and I give him a minute nod to show I’m okay where I am. His tense shoulders barely relax, but it’s something at least. Kacen leans forward and opens his mouth to say something, but I stop him.
“Okay, I’m just going to explain everything to you, Rico.” I wiggle a little in Dawson’s lap to face my best friend better. Dawson groans and takes hold of my hips. He stills my movements as his hips flex and I realize what I was doing to him. I give him an apologetic, if not a little naughty, smile. He winks and I want to kiss him, but I resist. I don’t want Rico to lose his shit so soon again.
“I can’t wait to hear this,” Rico mumbles, bringing my attention back to him. He curls both of his arms across his chest and folds his hands under his upper arms. Ugh. This is not a good sign. That’s a classic Rico pose when he is humoring someone.
I smirk, knowing while he may not listen to reason, he really can’t wait to hear the answer. He’s the least patient person ever, aside from me. “First off, this is Kacen, Alekai, and Dawson. Guys, this is Rico.” I chuckle to myself because they’re not too welcoming with my introduction, but I ignore their attitudes. “Well, apparently my father isn’t gone. He’s been trying to keep a pack of angry asshole wolf shifters away from me and Mom. Oh, and he’s a wolf shifter, also. These guys are, too, as you saw.”
“Wait a second.” Rico holds his hands up, his expression suspicious. “That’s not fucking possible, Harley. Werewolves aren’t real.”
“Wolf shifters,” I correct, earning a wide grin from Alekai. “You know I’ve never been one to deny what’s right in front of me, Rico. You saw the same thing I did. I’ve watched all of these guys turn from humans to wolves and back again. It is what it is, accept it.”
“Harsh,” Alekai mutters.
Rico chuckles. “She’s never been one to beat around the bush.”
“We’re learning that,” Dawson sighs, squeezing me tight.
“But she’s also full of shit.” Rico leans forward in his chair, staring intently at me. “What are you playing at, woman? Is this in retaliation for the time I convinced you space aliens were real and were going to abduct you because you liked to play with barbie dolls? Or the time I told you I was in the witness protection program because my dad was a mafia boss? Or even when I told Kyle Watkins that you had really bad back acne so he wouldn’t ask you to the junior prom?”
“For fuck’s sakes, Rico. You saw it for yourself! You saw Kacen turn into a freaking wolf. Do you really think I could’ve pulled an elaborate hoax like that? Hell, I can’t even do my own makeup without looking like a kid playing dress-up.”
Rico scoffs at me, and now I’m the one crossing my arms. “Nice try, Harley. What I saw didn’t actually happen. I had a hallucination brought on from smoking a bad batch of weed. There is no such thing as a wolf shifter.”
Knowing I am fighting a losing battle at the moment, I relent a little. “Just humor me, asshole, and let me finish the rest of the story.”
“Anyway,” I huff, annoyed about being interrupted. “The day I texted you and said I was sick, I was going to walk home. I took the path through the woods and that’s where Alekai found me. I didn’t know who he was, but at the time I figured he was the politest kidnapper ever. He asked if I’d please follow him. Instead, I started to run because no matter how polite, still a kidnapper, but I was too weak from being sick.”
“Are you still sick?” Rico asks, concern laced his tone. “Did these assholes get you medical attention?”
I shake my head impatiently, waving off his concern. “I was never actually sick. I’ll get to that part, though. Patience, grasshopper.”
“Brat.” He rolls his eyes but holds any further questions
Kacen growls low, then clears his throat. He shrugs when the attention shifts to him. “Automatic response. He’s calling my girl a brat. I’m trying here. Sue me for slipping.”
“He’s right,” Alekai tells me and Rico. He smiles apologetically. “It’s difficult for us to even let Rico be in this room with you, sugar. We’re doing our best. Please don’t get mad.”
Rico starts to say something, but I shush him. “I’ll get to that part, also.”
“Proceed.” He motions with his hand to continue, so I do.
“Once Alekai had me, I passed out and when I woke up, I was here.” I gesture to the house around us. “I tried to run at first, but there was no way out. They had all the doors locked and the windows are so freaking thick, it would take driving a mac truck through them to break them. Then, when I didn’t think it could get any worse, my father showed up.”
“If looks could kill, he’d be six feet under by now,” Alekai adds, chuckling. “Never get on Harley’s bad side.”
I cringe and squirm a little causing Dawson to groan again. I smile sheepishly at him but continue. “I was a little upset with him, for good reason. You know what happened with him. What he did.” Rico nods, but doesn’t say anything. “So, anyway, I found out from my father that someone kidnapped Mom. My dad said I had to stay with these guys until he could find Mom and come back for me.”
Rico’s eyes widen into saucers and I smirk. My best friend knows me so well. “Yeah, to say I was mad is an understatement. I spent that first night crying and cursing him in every way I could think of. The next morning, I woke up with a high fever and feeling like hell again. The guys where there and they held me until it somehow disappeared again. They let me call you not long after that.”
“Yes, the first time I wanted to trace the call, but we didn’t talk long enough for the tracker to find your location,” he accuses, his expression turning mulish. “The second time you called, I was able to trace your location and luckily, your guys aren’t very imaginative. They have you stashed in a house just a few blocks away from ours.”
The guys’ heads snap to Rico, but I simply nod. “I figured that’s how you found me. Did you have that hot girl in that tech class lend you the tracer?”
Rico smiles smugly. “You know she can’t resist my charming ways.”
I snort and giggle. “I know.” The guys mumble their disapproval, but I ignore them. “So, after I called you, the guys told me what and who they are. Long story short, my father was part of a pack of wolves with archaic teachings and when he met my mom, he went against the pack rules and left to be with her. The pack is now after him and they’re trying to use me and my mother to get to him. Kacen runs a more progressive rival pack. My dad enlisted his help to keep me safe while he tries to find my mother.”
“That’s crap, Harley.” Rico shakes his head, his eyes pleading with me. “Whatever mob shit your dad has gotten involved in, I can keep you safe. You don’t need to be locked up with these guys. You don’t even know them. Fuck, sweetie, they somehow convinced you that they have the ability to change into an animal and bay at the moon. On top of that, I walked in on them taking advantage of you. You expect me to leave you here with them and wait until you stroll back into our house without worrying about you?”
“You live with him?” Kacen’s voice is very controlled, a sign I’ve come to learn quickly means he’s barely able to contain his anger. I slide off of Dawson’s lap and shuffle over to Kacen, wanting to reassure him.
I wrap my arms around his neck and straddle his lap. “Kacen, take a few deep breaths for me.” I wait patiently as he does, then I kiss the corner of his mouth as a small reward. “He is my brother. I love him as such. Please understand that, please accept it. It’s not going to change, Kacen . I’m never going to give up my best friend, my brother.”
“Harley,” he sighs, resting his forehead against mine. “What am I going to do with you?”
I rock my head back and forth against his. “Would you let Alekai or Dawson go if I asked you to?”
He scoffs at me. “That’s different.”
“It’s not that different and you know it.” I tighten my arms around his neck and kiss the opposite corner of his mouth. “You’re going to have to accept Rico because he’s not going anywhere.”
“What has gotten into you, Harley?” Rico’s question takes me by surprise. I shift my position in Kacen’s lap to face forward again and raise an eyebrow in question. “You’re all over these guys. They fucking kidnapped you. What the hell are you doing?”
“Rico,” I sigh, rubbing at my forehead. “Something else happened while I’ve been here.”
“Oh my god.” He shoots out of his chair and sends it careening into the wall. If looks could kill, my guys would already be dead. “Did you lose your virginity to one of these assholes?”
I bang my forehead onto the table and groan. “No, you asshat, but thanks for announcing that little detail to the whole damn party!”
Rico picks his chair back up and slowly sinks back into. “Oh.” He smiles sheepishly. “My bad.”
“I’m going to shave your stupid hair off when you sleep,” I let out a growl of my own.
He gasps in faux horror and grabs his precious locks in both of his hands. “You wouldn’t!”
“I would and you know I mean it because I’ve done it before,” I remind him. It was my revenge for the alien abduction prank he pulled on me. He had me so convinced aliens were real and hated barbie dolls, I locked my whole collection in the basement for one whole summer. Not once did I force Rico to play barbies with me, too scared the aliens would get us. The same day my mom realized what had happened and told me the truth, I snuck into Rico’s room that night and used scissors to give him a little trim. He ended up having to wear a hat the first few weeks of the new school year.
He gives me a mean glare. “We don’t ever talk about that. Now just tell me what happened, brat.”
“Well…” I bite my lip, suddenly nervous to tell him. He’s always said no man will ever be good enough for me, but now there are three. “The reason my dad’s pack had a rule that he couldn’t be with a human is because wolves have mates and if he ever found his mate, he’d leave my mom for her. His mate died, though, so that was never really a concern. It’s just a general rule. Wolves aren’t supposed to be mated to humans.”
“Why did you say it like that?” He leans forward, eyes narrowed.
I glance at Alekai and Dawson as I feel Kacen’s hands tighten on my hips. “I say that because somehow it’s happened. These three are mated to a human… Me.” I point to myself, just in case he didn’t get the point. After all, he’s pretty slow on the wolf shifter being a real concept.
His jaw drops open and he gapes like a fish. “You’re joking, right? You believe you are supposed to be in a relationship with all three of them?” He gestures around the table to the guys. “And these guys turn into animals and you are their mate?”
All I can manage is a small nod. Rico’s approval means more to me than anyone else in the world and I’m terrified he’ll think badly of me for it. “Sweetie, are you sure you want that? Mate thing aside for the moment, you’ve never been in a relationship before. You can say no if you want to. You do have that option.”
“I know,” I mutter, shrinking back into Kacen’s hold. “I don’t want to say no, Rico. They may have stolen me to begin with, but it didn’t take them any time at all to steal my heart, too.”
“Well shit. You were telling the truth earlier, weren’t you? I can always tell when you are lying because you suck at it so bad. It wasn’t a bad trip. This wolf thing is real,” he whispers, sitting back in his seat. We all nod but don’t speak. He’s quiet for a long time and my heart begins to pound painfully in my chest. The guys keep sending worried glances my way, likely hearing the loud beats.
“This is bullshit, you know,” Rico finally says. He eyes me and my heart stops at his words. When his attention moves to the guys, I worry he’s going to start a fight or worse, deny what he saw again. I really don’t want the guys to have to shred anymore clothing just to convince him shifters are real. “She gets three guys who would clearly kill to protect her, to keep her safe, and I can’t even find one decent chick who wants to do more than have a quick fuck in the back of my car. Where the hell is the justice in this?”
A breath I didn’t know I was holding escapes at the same time my heart begins beating again. If he’s joking around, he’s okay with this. That’s all I could ask for. “I freaking love you, Rico.”
“I freaking love you, too, sweetie.” He reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “I’ll always support whatever you really and truly want. But I want to make one thing clear.” He glances from me to the guys. “If you guys hurt her, I will end each and every one of you. She is the best person I’ve ever known, and I will not allow anyone to hurt her.”
I’ve never heard Rico sound so serious and dangerous before. If it wasn’t for my benefit, I’d be a little terrified. Luckily, the guys take him seriously, too.
“We’d never hurt her, man,” Alekai assures him. “It’s hard to explain how she became our entire world in an instant, but that’s what happened.”
Dawson nods his agreement. “We’ll protect her with our lives. She’s our forever.”
