“No, Brick.” Slade shakes his head and scowls. “We aremeantto have stranger danger. Stranger danger is a good thing! It keeps us alive!”
“What about accepting people as they are, and expanding our sense of community by surrounding ourself by people who may not be exactly like us?” Brick puts his pointer fingers to his thumbs and closes his eyes as if he’s deep in meditation, humming to himself. When he eventually opens them again, they’re twinkling with amusement.
“BRICK!" Slade explains, his eyes flicking to the dishcloth in his hand like he's contemplating swatting him with it. "Goddammit you are frustrating.”
Brick smiles sweetly. “But you love me.”
Slade sigh, visibly exasperated, but a little smile gives him away, tugging at the corner of his mouth like the hands of a toddler at the hem of their mother’s shirt in the candy aisle at the grocery store.
"For real, though," says Slade. "A moment of truth…you’d think with everything going on it would just encourage me further into the shadows. To force me into some hermit life, surrounded by the only person I can ultimately trust—myself. Yet, here I am. And it’s like this entire process has softened me somehow. Normally I wouldn’t like it, and god knows I’ve fought against it enough. But with you guys—and Angel in particular—I guess you’ve helped me to realize it’s okay to trust. And even love."
My heart almost bursts with pride at Slade sharing his feelings with the group in this way.
"Are you saying you love me, Slade?" Brick asks, grinning. Oh god, he just has to keep pushing it. Slade's eyes narrow and for a moment I think he's going to snap.
But instead, he opens his mouth to speak. “Yes, Brick.” he says, squeezing his mouth together in a thin line while his eyes meet Brick's. “I do love you.” As soon as the words come out, it’s almost too much. Slade's body tenses, as if waiting for a blow to come out of left field, just because he uttered those words.
Brick is unable to contain himself. “Slade, are you saying that if we were in some world involving MM, where there were swords crossing all over the place, you’d want to cross swords with me?”
I laugh and shake my head. This guy.
Instead of running to the kitchen to grab a sharp knife, Slade just laughs. “Yes, Brick. I guess that is what I’m saying. Although it’s purely hypothetical, so don’t get any ideas.”
Brick beams. “Slade likes me. He really likes me.”
I can't help but laugh again.
With Brick on my team, life will never be boring.
As if on queue, Brick reaches out and gently touches my jaw. "My sweet Valkyrie. We have a surprise for you…"
Chapter fifty-three
Blindfolded and giddy with anticipation, I cling to Brick's arm as he guides me along the uneven ground.
"Come on, Angel. We're almost there," Slade says from behind me. His breath tickles the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
"You're not taking me to some deserted warehouse to chop me into little pieces, are you?" I tease. My heart pounds with each step, a delicious blend of fear and excitement. These men could do anything to me, and I'd let them.
Brick chuckles. "My sweet Valkyrie, if we wanted to chop you up, we wouldn't waste time on a romantic date first."
I swallow hard. "Good to know." I know they love me more than anything, but my mind still likes to play pranks on me every now and then. I mean, they did kidnap me in the first place… muscle memory, I guess.
The air feels different here, heavy and salty. Seagulls cry out in the distance. We must be at the beach, although, to be fair, most places on this island are on it or close to it.
"Are we going to Aria's?" I guess. The guys are always spoiling me with trips to my favorite restaurant. And I don't just say that because the owner has become like a sister to me. Her food and drinks are seriously to die for, and not in a Tane Brown's henchmen kind of way.
"Nope." Slade squeezes my shoulders. "Somewhere even better, I reckon. But don’t tell her that."
My mind races withpossibilities, each one more tantalizing than the last. A private island? A secluded beach house? A yacht on the open sea, far from prying eyes?
I lick my lips, trembling in anticipation. "You can't leave me in suspense like this!"
Brick stops walking and presses his body against mine. I feel every hard line of muscle through our clothes. "Patience, little one." He kisses the tip of my nose. "All will be revealed soon enough."
Slade's hands slide down to my waist, pulling me back against his chest. I'm sandwiched between them, acutely aware of their strength and the growing bulge in each man's pants.
"Trust us," Slade whispers in my ear. "You're going to love this surprise."