“Only you, Kady. Only you.”
I pulled her in for a hug, careful of Cecily.
The kitchen was full with most of the men ensuring Patrick didn’t get away. It was one thing to be the nut job who killed Aiden Steele, but it was another entirely to want to kill their women. That crossed the line for them, I was sure, and no doubt considered killing Patrick because of it justifiable homicide.
Sarah, Penny and Cricket joined us so we stood in a tight circle.
“This is insane,” Sarah said, glancing toward the kitchen. “We have a half-brother who’s obviously criminally insane who killed our father and tried to kill all of us for the money. If he’d just come forward, said he was one of Aiden Steele’s kids, too, I’d have shared it with him.”
“Me, too,” Cricket added.
Kady, Penny and I nodded.
Fussing came from the other side of the room and Penny broke off to go get Locke from where he’d been sleeping in his car seat. He’d slept through everything. She returned with him over her shoulder. He stared at us wide-eyed, yet still sleepy, content to be in his mother’s arms.
“That man, at the bar that night, I’d thought he was just a handsy jerk,” Penny recounted. I didn’t know the story, but it could have been bad. “But after what Patrick said, he’d sent him to hurt me.” She shivered and Sarah wrapped her arms around her. “Patrick was there, in the bar, too. We’d even driven together, had drinks. Danced. God, if Jamison and Boone hadn’t showed up.”
“You’re fine. We’re all fine,” Cricket reassured. “We can’t think about all of that or we’ll never sleep at night. Let’s think about…Natalie!”
I frowned at Cricket’s surprisingly Kady-like outburst. “Me?”
All four of my sisters eyed me. Cord, Sam and Ashe, too.
“Yes, you. This probably wasn’t good to help the cause for you sticking around, but you’ve got to stay here in Barlow. I mean, we’re sisters and we’ve literally survived a lot together.”
It was true. We had. In a matter of days, they were the crazy family I’d heard about—minus the crazy half-brother—and never knew I’d missed.
“I’m staying,” I replied immediately.
The women pounced on me, pulling me into a group hug that was happy laughing and shedding some tears. Locke fussed. “But you’re not the top reason why I’m staying. Sorry,” I said through the big hug. I pulled back and turned to face Ashe and Sam.
“You two are the reason why I want to stay.” I looked a
t them, met their eyes. Held. They’d looked at me just like this in the hallway of the restaurant in Boston. Eagerness, hope. Intense interest. But there was something more now, too. Love.
“If the offer still stands, I want to—”
Ashe had me in his arms, his lips on mine before I could finish. I vaguely heard more whoops and excitement, but the kiss was just too good.
And when Ashe was done, or maybe before he was, Sam tugged me into his arms and his lips were on mine next.
“Get a room,” Cord said, his tone joking.
Sam pulled back and smiled down at me.
God, I wanted them.
“I know I said I wouldn’t fuck you with others around, but, well…I need you.” I took Ashe’s hand, then Sam’s. “Now.”
Sam looked around.
“Not the coffee table!” Cricket called.
“The door in the office has seen a lot of action. It’s a little hard against your back though,” Penny advised.
“The laundry room works pretty well,” Kady added.
God, was there anywhere in the house someone hadn’t had sex?