Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty

Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty
Ryder

“Ahh, darlin,” Marcus ducked a clout to the head, “I haven’t been a Cajun for years.”

“Yeah, but you lived in that bayou for almost a century before returning here. Once a Southerner, always a Southerner, isn’t that what your cousin said?” she challenged.

“You’re complaining now, but later, when you beg me to talk dirty to you in ‘that sexy accent of mine,’ I won’t do it.” Marcus laughed when she went to clout him again, but he ducked faster than her hand could ever move.

“Sugar-bear, you got to be faster than that to get your ol’ man.” He grinned, baring fangs.

She contemplated that with an evil gleam. Kelly’s brow rose in the challenge, sauntering by him to Kev and snaking an arm around his waist.

“Kevlar, you’ll talk dirty to me in a sexy accent, won’t you.” She pouted and looked up at him with those helpless girl eyes that had gotten her out of a snip or ten with Marcus.

Kev stepped away from the couch with her. He picked her up by the waist as he twirled her around.

“Anything for you, darlin’,” Kev mimicked Marcus’s accent uncannily. Hell, it even sounded like Marcus.

Marcus emitted a low mock growl before he launched at the dancing pair, knocking them both over. Kelly squealed as Marcus both tickled her and held Kev in a headlock.

“Tickling is so not allowed!” Kelly shrieked.

Light feminine laughter floated through the hallway a second before I sensed her in my mind, the first glimmer I’d had from her in hours. Watching the wrestling match on the floor, I reached out behind me and pulled her onto the couch. I gathered her into my lap, ignoring the sharp look from Holly.

While I kissed the top of her head, Kelly managed to break free, dancing out of the way quickly.

Marcus grappled with Kev, rolling around on the floor and bumping into the coffee tables and an unknowing Holly. I was surprised they’d caught him off guard while he had been speaking with Gene, but he toppled anyway.

The look on his face was priceless.

“Oh, you so did not just get me involved,” he yelled, a battle cry from the tangle of flailing limbs.

Holly dropped a thick elbow into the small of Marcus’ back, and Kev’s hand came up and smacked the back of Holly’s head. An all-out war broke out while we watched from a safe distance. I pulled Cat’s legs onto the couch, and Kelly scrambled onto the far side to avoid Holly’s fate.

Gene pulled beside her to play referee, and Sara popped in behind him. He or Kelly had called her when the fight broke out, naturally. It wasn’t like she would ever willingly miss one of these.

Sara was just as likely to jump into the middle of it.

“Hey now, don’t be breaking my house again,” I yelled as they smashed into one of the glass-covered cabinets and shattered it. The glass rained down over their rolling bodies, unheeded and unnoticed.

We were a rowdy bunch—that much.

“You know damned well anything they break will be replaced after they’re done.” Sara laughed at a right hook Gene declared foul play, earning him a murderous glare.

Kev tried to stand up to dispute the call, but Holly tackled him back to the ground. Catalym laughed so hard that she doubled over in my arms, the feeling of light amazement a footprint in her mind.

“Kev, I’m going to kick your ass if you bruise his lip again. I have good use for that!” Kelly kicked his shin as Kev and Marcus rolled toward her. He looked up at her from the floor with the silliest grin.

“He likes pain! No matter what I do to him, he will still service you at the end of the day,” he grunted when Marcus toppled him again.

“I win!” Marcus yelled triumphantly.

He sat up and pulled Kelly down for a brutal kiss. He growled, pressing into her, not caring about the rest of us. When he moved away, her tongue shot out and licked the blood from his split lip, his face igniting with instant lust. I knew he was thinking about the chances of finding seclusion and realizing the unlikelihood of such a venture.

They could never get enough of each other.

“You should be sleeping,” I murmured into Catalym’s ear.

“And miss this?” She gestured towards the men beating the snot out of each other.

I didn’t knock it, however. I wrestled with these guys often. It was playful, but it kept us ready for a real fight, and in our business, that was a necessary skill.

“Winner by default!” Gene declared.

Marcus jumped up, got to his feet, and bowed for our benefit.

“Default, my ass,” Marcus muttered.

“Hey buddy, I want nothing to do with your ass.” Gene snorted, and Sara giggled.

Kev grabbed Marcus’ boot when he walked by, and they crashed into the pantry just around the corner. Grunts and crashes emitted from the hidden food closet, and Kelly shut the door.

“Men,” she said playfully as she flounced to Sara.

“They’re pigs, but what would we do without them?” Sara shrugged.

“Spend a lot more time buying sex toys.” Kelly laughed and sat back down.

Hmmm. Now, that was a thought.

I tugged Catalym to her feet.

“What?” Catalym asked with an impish grin.

“We have to work tonight,” I told her in the way of explanation.

But not for a while.