Hideaway
Page 78

So, Michael knew who I was. So, what? He also knew it didn’t change anything, and Michael didn’t interfere when it wasn’t necessary. Damon always liked that about him. While Will was nosy and Kai tried to reign Damon in, Michael rarely interfered with how Damon wanted to have a good time.
Kai was going to find out, but I hoped he wouldn’t just yet.
“You two were about to come to blows last night?” I pointed out, changing the subject. “What happened?”
Why was he suddenly attending a party at Kai’s house, acting like everything was fine?
Michael swallowed his beer, bringing his glass down. “Nothing. We fight, and we move on. We’re not girls.”
Idiot.
“What the hell is she wearing?” Kai asked, looking out toward the foyer.
I followed his gaze, seeing Rika enter and hand her coat to the attendant. She wore sleep shorts with avocados all over them and a matching shirt that read I Avo Crush On You.
Michael started laughing under his breath, shaking his head. “I can’t believe she still has those pajamas. My mom gave them to her when she was like fifteen, and I felt so bad for her. But she wore ’em anyway. That’s what she must’ve gone back home for today, I guess.”
He walked over to her, and she tried to hide her embarrassed smile as he scooped her up in his arms and laughed with her.
“So, we could wear just regular pajamas?” I eyed Alex who avoided my glare.
“Like I said, you can do whatever you want.”
Yeah.
I needed to get the hang of that.
Second door after the stairs.
The candles were burning down, so Kai asked me to grab a handful more from the closet in the hallway. I knew some of the doors led off to the basement or were used as coat closets, so I found the one instructed and turned the knob.
It went deep. Shelves lined the back as well as the sides, and I stepped in, my finger hooked into the loop of the candle holder as I reached up to yank the chain for the bulb.
The chain clicked, but the light didn’t go on. I looked around me, still able to see fairly well with the candle I’d carried in.
Okay. Candles, candles, candles…. Where are you?
Bending over, I set my holder down and scanned shelves, moving things out of the way, and kind of wondering why I was searching for candles when there were flashlights and batteries right here in front of me. But rich people liked having parties by candlelight, so…
I looked over, finally spotting the candles on the other side.
But suddenly, the door slammed shut, and the room darkened more, leaving only the light from my small candle. I shot up, twisting around.
“So, I hear you kicked Rika’s ass,” Michael said, blocking the door and moving toward me. He was tall and imposing, and there was no way around him.
My heart pounded harder, but I shook it off.
It was just Michael.
“I didn’t walk away unscathed,” I said, turning back around and grabbing some tapers out of the box.
“And I heard you made a comment about ‘taking it in both ends’.”
I laughed under my breath, facing him again. “And you’re here to fight for her honor?”
“Rika can fight her own battles.”
Clearly.
And clearly she has no choice but to do just that, because it would never occur to Michael to be jealous or possessive or angry. He would never be troubled with grand gestures, would he?
I shook my head. “God, do you have any pride?”
He pushed me back against the shelves, and I dropped the candles.
Leaning in, I could barely see anything but his broad chest in front of me as he hovered. I tried to control my breathing.
“How about this?” he asked, seething. “Rika is my earliest memory, and I’ve loved her forever. The sun rises with her. It always has. And everything we do, we do together. Everything.” He bared his teeth. “No one judges us, and we’ll roll right over anyone who tries. You got that? Look in the fucking mirror the next time you want to cast aspersions on her character. All you’ll see is your own self-hate and jealousy. What you don’t know about us is a lot.”
I stared right back at him, neither of us faltering, but my pulse was racing a mile a minute now. Would I have minded if Rika had Will in that steam room?
No. I might not have shared her open mind, but I wouldn’t have cared. He was right. It was jealousy.
And it was my problem. Not hers.
Light fell into the closet, and I looked over Michael’s shoulder to see Kai standing there. He must’ve come looking for me.
Michael turned around, but he didn’t move out from in front of me. I reached down and picked up the candles as Kai’s eyes narrowed on the scene. I’m sure it looked bad.
“What’s going on?” I heard a female voice and looked up to see Rika standing next to Kai and looking in.
Oh, awesome. The whole party’s here.
“I was just about to ask that myself,” Kai said, still staring at Michael.
And Michael finally moved aside. “Just setting her straight.”
Kai walked in, and Rika followed, closing the door.
“Are you okay?” he asked, approaching me.
“She’s fine,” Michael offered.
“I was asking her.”
Kai glared at his friend, but Rika stepped forward, placing herself between them.
“You didn’t need to say anything,” she told Michael. “If the situation were reversed, I’d feel just as weird about it.”
“I don’t feel weird,” I interjected. “How’s the nose, by the way?”
She shook her head, giving me a half-smile. Walking up, she said, “I’m not a threat to you, okay? I love Kai, but I’m not a threat to you.”
“I don’t care.” I moved around them. “Let me out.”
“I think you do care.” Michael stepped into my path, but he didn’t touch me. “Real bad, in fact. And I kind of understand. Wanna get even?”
I paused, looking up him, confused. “What?”
Even? As in…?
“What are you talking about?” Rika asked him.
He turned to her, casting a quick glance at Kai. “Kai got you. Why shouldn’t I have her once?”
“You’re out of your mind?” Kai pushed in, inching into Michael’s space. “I don’t share.”
“Since when?” His friend straightened, both walls rigid as they dared each other. “Why don’t you let her make the choice? See what she says.”
Kai looked completely out of sorts. Like he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or fight.
I stood there with my mouth hanging open just slightly and still trying to figure out if this was a joke.
Rika didn’t look at all confused, though. She stared at Michael, looking worried.
“You’re very beautiful,” Michael said, turning back to me, his eyes softening. “Rika had Kai. Do you want to have me? And then everyone’s even?”
I was dumbfounded. He wasn’t serious.
“Michael.” Rika stepped up. “I don’t like this game.”
“Am I playing?” he asked her.
And she tensed.
I met Kai’s eyes, and his gaze bore into me. He might be waiting for what I had to say on the matter, but if I chose wrong, he was going to step in.
He wasn’t sharing.
And I fought a smile, but I didn’t want him to.
I watched Rika stare at Michael and him look back, and then his eyes faltered, weakening at the sight of her.
He was playing with me. She was his, and he was hers, and they knew who and what they wanted.
But I still didn’t like Michael messing with me. I could play, too.
I pushed him back. “Screwing you puts me on an even keel with her?” I told him. “I don’t set my sights that low. I want to be on an even keel with Kai.”
His eyebrows dug in, not following me. I met Rika’s eyes.
And she broke out in a smile. “She is clever, isn’t she?”
“What’s going on?” Michael looked between Rika, Kai, and me. “What does that mean?”
Reaching out, Rika took my hand and gently pulled me over to her. “It means, if Kai got to have me, so does she.” And then she looked at Michael. “What? Fair’s fair, right?”