This girl wasn’t with it. There was a screw loose up there. What she was spewing was insane.

  Torie’s gaze shot to mine, and she knew the truth, but I shook my head again. I didn’t want her spilling the truth to the girl who actually had it better than me. She had a stay-at-home mom and a father who was a doctor. Looking after siblings wasn’t something I’d gripe about.

  I was happy to even have siblings.

  In that second, I knew I didn’t want Hoda to be fired. I didn’t before, but I just hadn’t decided if I wanted to tell Kash everything or not. He’d fire her no matter what, if he found out about the released image.

  But I knew now.

  She was here. She was in my classes. I’d have to do projects with her, work closely with her, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make her a different kind of enemy. At least now I knew what I was working with. Better to have the enemy you know than one you don’t, that sort of thinking.

  I also knew I’d be getting all the information on Hoda Mansour after this conversation. Unlike her, I was going in prepped and ready. No underestimating for me.

  Torie shook her head. “You just look stupid right now.” A grunt. “And spoiled.”

  I hid a grin. She’d taken the words out of my mouth, ones that I wasn’t about to say.

  Hoda glared at her, then me. “Am I fired?”

  Torie rolled her eyes, swinging an elbow in my direction. “Up to her still. But man, if I were you, I’d check my attitude. You do know her dad and her man are connected in town and in the field you’re going to be working. You think long term? Might not want to piss off a Francis so early in your game.”

  Hoda’s eyes widened. Blood drained from her face.

  She hadn’t thought about that, and that told me she was running on pure emotion. All that hatred and nastiness because she was purely jealous, which also shone a light on exactly how spoiled she was, though she probably didn’t even know it.

  I didn’t want to enlighten her.

  “No, you’re not fired. But like Torie said, stow the nastiness and we’ll be fine.”

  Her eyes burned fire at me before she rushed past me and out the door.

  Torie waited for it to swing shut. “She is stupid! She is stew-pid.”

  “She’s just wrong, that’s all.” My phone buzzed. Kash.

  At Naveah. Hallway.

  I said, “Gotta go. My man’s here.”

  Kash was leaning against the wall, his face turned toward the rest of the club so I got a vision of his side profile. He was lounging back, his hands in his pockets, one foot resting over the other, and for a moment I took him in.

  Perfection.

  Sensual.

  Badass.

  Feeling a little unsteady on my knees, I went to him and, knowing I was there, knowing I was watching him, knowing I was coming, those eyes turned back to me. Home. That’s what swept up in me. He’d said it before. I felt it now. I almost faltered in my step, that feeling was so strong, so powerful, and it exploded everywhere in me. It filled me up.

  I needed a second.

  Hayeses didn’t cry, but dammit, the proof we did was leaking out of me, and not for the first time.

  His eyes turned tender as he straightened from the wall. His hand rose, cupping the side of my face as I stepped into him like I’d been made just for his hand. His thumb wiped away the leak and he whispered, “Hey.”

  “Hey back.”

  My voice was hoarse.

  He was searching me. “What is it?”

  I shook my head, my throat still thick with the feels. “Nothing.”

  The door opened behind me. Torie came out, and Kash looked up to see her.

  He drew me to him, my front to his front and his arm circled around, resting behind my shoulders. “What happened?”

  Torie looked from me to Kash. “Your IT employee is a bitch. That’s what happened.”

  I stiffened in his hold.

  His thumb moved over my shoulder blades now. “More.”

  She hesitated again, then moved to the side of us. I turned, my eyes imploring, but she ignored me. “Sorry, Bailes. I can’t. He’s my boss and he told me to watch out for you when you’re here. I have to do my job when it happens here.”

  “Torie, no.”

  Her face closed in, her mouth tightened. Her eyes went straight to Kash, not looking at me once as she laid it all out, what had happened in the bathroom.

  Kash’s body was already tense, but it was cement by the time she was done. “I want her in my office. Now.”

  “Kash, I—”

  He released me as Torie gave him a quick dip of her chin and headed off to do his bidding. His hands caught my shoulders, one moving to tip my head up to his. “No.”

  “No?” My eyes flashed.

  “No.” His eyes didn’t. They were steady and calm, but there was an undercurrent there. He was pissed off. “My employees don’t talk to you like that. Your classmate, I can’t do a thing about that, but my employee? Fuck no. She doesn’t get the right.” His hands smoothed down my arms, going to my hips, pulling me against him.

  “I’m assuming you don’t want her fired. That’s why you tried to hide that from me?”

  I nodded.

  “Okay.” He tugged me back to him. His arms wrapped around me, his head resting against mine.

  The situation aside, I was getting heated in the whole physical way. That was going to happen. It was just Kash. Most girls probably felt the same as I did, but the home feeling was still in me. Still wreaking havoc on my senses and whispering words of love and adoration in my head. All that was going on, so I wasn’t able to stay firm against him. I was melting, and I wanted him to hold me in his arms just a little bit longer.

  My arms slid around him and moved up to his shoulder blades. I held on tight, as tight as I could.

  He dipped his head down. His mouth moved over my shoulder, then my neck, my jaw, my cheek, and he expelled a soft breath at the corner of my mouth. “I’ll be back. I gotta have my woman’s back.”

  Gah. And those words.

  I nodded, my forehead moving against his shoulder.

  He cupped the back of my head, pressing a hard kiss to my forehead, and then he was gone. Half the guards went with him. Half remained with me.

  I trekked back to VIP.

  TEN

  Kash was kissing my throat.

  Gentle soft touches, caresses, and they were waking me up.

  My shirt was lifted and his mouth circled my breast. He was sucking on my nipple. His hand was smoothing down my side, circling my waist, and then oomph, I was lifted off the bed, but he only moved between my legs. His arm was firmly holding my ass up, his fingers splayed out, grabbing on to a good chunk of cheek. Then his free hand was pulling my panties down.

  I was awake and I was writhing in his arms.

  I wanted more.

  I needed more.

  My legs clasped around his waist. He looked, meeting my gaze, his eyes darkened and filled with lust, and then he lifted up. He slid inside, and both of us closed our eyes at the contact.

  His left hand held my hip and cupped the side of my ass as he began to move inside. “My home.” Those same words again. Whispered. As if he didn’t realize he’d said them. A tear slipped free. It trailed down my cheek. He moved, his mouth catching it, then I arched my back and received a growl in response.

  I smiled at the same time I began rolling my hips to urge him on. “Kash.” A whisper from me.

  He stilled. “Bailey?” His head was next to mine.

  I opened my eyes, rolled my head to his, and said bluntly, “I want you.”

  A primal and raw need flashed hot in his eyes. He moved, his mouth found mine, and it was a hard kiss, almost punishing, then he reared back and slammed inside.

  This man of mine. He was always in control, so much restraint. I knew why. I knew the reason he remained, the threat he grew up under, the looming cloud currently over him, but in this bed, I didn’t want that from him. I wanted him. Raw. Exposed. Just him, as he thrust harder, deeper, rougher. I was getting him. This was my man. He’d let down the walls and he was taking me on the ride with him.

  I wrapped my arms tight around him, my legs raised up higher around his waist.

  I was right there with him.

  ELEVEN

  “Your boyfriend is an ass.”

  I looked up from washing my hands in the bathroom, saw Hoda leaving one of the stalls, and turned off my water. Grabbing the towels, I turned to go, but not before I threw over my shoulder, “Be glad he didn’t fire you.”

  My back hit the door. I pushed it open and stepped out into the hallway.

  Going a few feet, I thought I’d see Melissa or Liam in the hallway. I was wrong. Matt was barreling down on me. The guys who noticed him just frowned. The handful of girls in the hallway gawked at him. He was storming my way, his frown fierce. “Did you know about Marie?”

  I frowned at him. “Marie?”

  “She’s gone. Like totally gone.”

  “She’s been gone since we had that family dinner.”

  Matt’s eyes bulged out. “I know! She should be back by now. No matter how long they say Marie will be gone, she’s never gone this long. A day, two tops. Not this long. Marie doesn’t do vacations. I went by the estate this morning to have breakfast with Ser and Cy, and Marie is still gone. Theresa was there and she was giving your mom the side-eye. You know what that’s about?”

  I was at a loss for words.

  I blinked. “Theresa was side-eyeing my mom? Not your aunt?”

  Matt snorted. “Payton’s not my aunt. She’s Cyclone and Seraphina’s, and yes, Theresa was giving your mom the evil eye, not even the side-eye. I know Theresa. She wouldn’t do that unless Marie still being gone was your mom’s fault.”

  “Or she thought it was my mom’s fault.”

  “What?”

  I repeated, “Or Theresa thought it was my mom’s fault.”

  “You saying she doesn’t know? Theresa knows everything. Her and her mama Marie. If something’s going down at the house, they know it.”

  I didn’t know why I was getting heated, but I found myself arguing back, “They didn’t know about Quinn.”

  “They knew about Quinn.”

  “Bullshit.”

  He stopped and his eyes twitched. Literally. He scowled. “They knew; they just didn’t know they knew.”

  “That makes perfect sense. They knew but didn’t know they knew.”

  “You know what I mean.” He looked irate, then he stopped and shifted back on his heels. He reassessed me. “What’s going on here?”

  I shot back, “You’re blaming my mother for something you don’t know for sure.”

  I was defending Chrissy, and I swore. “Hold on.” I pulled my phone out and began heading to a corner for privacy.

  Matt followed. “What are you doing?”

  I turned a corner and settled with my back to the wall. Matt stood next to me, his back to the students milling past us. Erik was keeping back even farther, taking point ten feet behind Matt.

  I responded, “If I’m taking my mom’s back, I’m making sure I should be.” Because one never knew with Chrissy sometimes. And with that, it was ringing in my ear.

  A second later, she picked up. “Well. Well. Well. This is a long overdue phone call. My daughter has remembered she has a mother. That I exist. That I was the one who opened my legs and pushed you out, and it was my womb where you first grew.”

  She was gloating.

  I sighed. “Can you get on with it?”

  She laughed, chirping, “How are you, baby? My very loving and so doting daughter of mine? What can your mother do for you, since you deigned to call me today? I should note the date. Put it on the calendar. Make this a national holiday. I could bake a cake. I could buy a cake. Balloons. I’m seeing it all right now. A parade, too!”

  “Chrissy.” I groaned.

  “Don’t call me Chrissy. I’m Mom.” A beat. “And until you do, I’ve got more in me. I can go all night long, make you miss your next class and everything.”

  “Don’t call me baby.”

  “Anything for you, honey bunches.”

  “Chrissy!”

  She laughed. “I’m just messing with you. What’s up? Are you coming for dinner tonight? That’d be great. I can do this all to your face and in person. Think of the hugs and the patting on the back and the cheek squeezing—”

  “Chrissy!” Forget it. I was going back to what I was used to. “Are you behind Marie still being gone?”

  Silence.

  I waited, my heart starting to pound.

  More silence.

  Crap. That was the answer right there.

  “I just had your back against Matt, Mom. If you were the reason Marie left, call her back,” I said with a soft voice.

  More silence, then her voice was just as soft. “You called me Mom again.” She sniffled.

  My head jerked upright. Excepting the time I’d been kidnapped, both times, and when she knew I’d find out about Peter, she never sniffled or even teared up. What was going on? I shot Matt a look. He was right. Something was going on at the house.

  I spoke into the phone, “Are you okay?”

  A second sniff. “I’m totally fine, honey. Really. Just midlife emotions. You wouldn’t know about that yet. And I wasn’t behind Marie leaving, but your father told me that she and her husband wanted to go on a cruise, so he arranged for that to happen. That’s all.”

  I tensed.

  Something wasn’t right.

  “Then why is my brother finding me at my school, and why is he so motivated to do that because Theresa was giving you the side-eye?”

  Matt moved closer so his voice could be heard. “Theresa doesn’t give the side-eye unless it’s earned. And she was giving it to you.”

  Chrissy sighed on the other end. “I don’t know why she was doing that, but it’s not about Marie. I can tell you that. I didn’t even know Marie was going until suddenly she was gone. That had nothing to do with me.”

  “So what did?” That was from Matt.

  Chrissy hesitated again on her end.

  My stomach fell. My mom was hiding something. I could read the signs even over the phone.

  Enough was enough.

  “Mom, about tonight.” I held Matt’s gaze as he heard me, and his frown was now a scowl. “We’re coming for dinner. Six, right?”

  Once I hung up, Matt was in my space. “What the hell, B.?”

  He called me B. It was the first time I got that nickname from him, so I indulged in a moment to savor it.

  My brother had given me his first nickname.

  The moment was done.

  “My mom’s not lying about Marie. I can tell. But she is lying about something. Or she’s purposefully not telling me something, something that she knows I would want to know. That means we’re going there for dinner. You. Me. Kash.”

  “Kash is flying to Brazil today.”

  “Oh.” He hadn’t told me. Brazil? Wow. “Then you and me.” I raised a hand up in a fist. “Team Batt.”

  The scowl lifted. A grin took its place, a fond grin, and his entire face warmed. He laughed shortly before hitting my fist with his own. “We should use a code name like Team Dracula. It’s too obvious, otherwise.”

  I was having another moment. Team Batt was a real thing, and my brother was joking about it with me.

  “You’re right. Dracula it is.”

  He laughed again before tossing an arm around my shoulders, and we began walking back down the hallway. He was taking in everyone. “So this is what a certified nerd building looks like from the inside. I always wanted to know.”

  Well. Now he knew.

  TWELVE

  “They’re sleeping together.”

  Kash told me this when I was on the phone with him, as I was driven from school to the apartment. He called to ask how my day was, to let me know where he was flying (which Matt had already told me) and that he would be heading back late in the night. I had just finished filling him in on the rest of my conversation with my brother when Kash delivered this bit of news, and I almost dropped my phone. I was that surprised. He announced it so easily and quickly, and almost lazily, as if he’d known for months and hadn’t realized I might want to know.

  “Matt and my mother?” My voice might’ve gone shrill for a second.

  “What?”

  “Who’s sleeping together?”

  He started laughing. “Not your brother. Peter and your mother.”

  I didn’t let that sink in, not quite. “We were talking about Matt and my mom. You said they’re sleeping together.”

  “Your mom and Peter are sleeping together.”

  Now I let that sink in, and my stomach was curdling. There was a sour taste in my mouth. “How long have you known and why didn’t you tell me?”

  Again, no hesitation.

  “I’ve known awhile, but you had other things going on. Also, nothing’s going to happen from it.”

  “What? Why not?” That sour taste turned bitter.

  “Because your father is a cheater. I owe a lot to Peter, but I’m not blind. Your father has always had one weakness and that’s pussy.”

  “Kash!” Seriously.

  “Women. You know what I mean. And Chrissy Hayes is like her daughter—she doesn’t take shit from anyone, even if she’s momentarily weakened because her daughter was almost kidnapped for the second time. Hayes women are strong and bounce back, and your mom, she might be forgetting Peter’s history for a moment, but it’ll just be a moment. Something will happen and your mom will remember that he’s not the baby daddy to just her kid.”

  “You sound pretty sure about this.”

  “Fact.”

  “So you’re saying that whatever the reason my mom is sleeping with my father, and because he’s going to eventually cheat, I shouldn’t get worked up about it because it’s not going to go anywhere?” Talk about a doom-and-gloom vibe.