Page 45 of Possessing Paisley

Instead of doing that, I stare at Patrick and try to control my trembling lip. They wanted me to be safe. They cared. These people I’ve only known for a short time cared enough to put asecret detail on me. Like they consider me family. I’ve never felt like I had a family before.

Taking a deep breath, I smile at Patrick and head back toward the office. “Come on, big guy. You don’t have to stay invisible anymore.”

Patrick hesitates just briefly before he starts following behind me. I’m glad he can’t see the wide smile on my face.

By the time I finish redoing the paperwork for my meeting in the morning and get home, it’s nearly eight, and I’m dying to see Kieran. I’m also ready to give him and Bash a piece of my mind over having Patrick following me around. I’m not angry, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to give them shit for it. For a bunch of big, scary mafia guys, they’re certainly afraid to upset any of us women. It’s kind of cute.

Kieran’s car is parked at Bash’s when I pull up. I’m sure he’s waiting for me so he can take me to his house like he has the past couple of nights. The man doesn’t like to be away from me, and he’s made it clear that we aren’t going to sleep apart ever again. We’ll see about that.

The guys are yelling at the TV when I enter the living room. Almost as if he has a sixth sense, Kieran turns before Bash or Chloe notice me. Warmth spreads low in my tummy. He licks his lips appreciatively.

Smiling shyly, I set my bag on the floor against the wall.

“There’s my girl,” he says, his voice low and velvety.

I want to go to him and crawl onto his lap so I can absorb his warmth and comfort, but I stop myself since we’re not alone.

“Paisley!” Chloe jumps up from where she was sitting next to Bash and rushes over to hug me. “How was your day?”

“It was long. I found out something today,” I say.

Kieran hasn’t taken his attention off me since I walked in, but now Bash has turned to look at me, too, the three of them waiting for me to keep going.

I nod and smile at the men. “I went for a walk near my work to get some fresh air, and I nearly peed myself because I kept hearing noises like someone was behind me. But every time I turned around, there wasn’t anyone there.”

Both Kieran and Bash stand, their faces serious and deadly as they stalk toward me. I nod and stretch the silence for longer than necessary.

“Paisley, what the fuck happened?” Kieran demands.

Huffing out a laugh, I raise an eyebrow. “What happened? Well, I started shouting that I had a gun so if there was someone lurking in the bushes, they wouldn’t attack me. Luckily, it wasn’t an attacker. It was my damn bodyguard.”

Bash and Kieran let out deep breaths, then glance at each other and back at me.

“Uh,” Bash starts.

I wave my hand in the air to stop him. His look of surprise is comical. He wasn’t expecting me to sass him.

“Both of you are overbearing, stubborn, bossy assholes. You assigned me a bodyguard behind my back because you thought I wouldn’t want one. Well, gee, if I didn’t want one, did it occur to you to maybe not give me one?”

Bash shakes his head. “No. You’re our family, lass. We protect you whether you like it or not. Get used to it. We’re not risking anyone we love. Have a fit about it, and I’ll ground you to the estate.”

Now it’s my turn to be shocked. Did he? Did Bash Gilroy just threaten to ground me? Seriously?

I look to Kieran to see his reaction, but he’s crossed his arms over his chest and lets out a grunt in agreement. These unapologetic assholes. Who do they think they are?

Bash called me family. Is that what they consider me? These men don’t just let anyone into their circle, but for whatever reason, they’ve welcomed me right in. I’m not sure how toprocess this. They’re being high-handed, but they’re doing it to protect me.

My bottom lip trembles slightly as I glance at my best friend. She’s smiling at me. She gives me a subtle nod and a wink. I have a family. People who care about me.

I sniff, unable to make eye contact with Kieran or Bash because otherwise, I might burst into tears.

Bash steps forward and hooks a finger under my chin, his expression soft. “You’re with us, now. We’ve got you, Little one. Forever.”

Kieran circles me and pulls my back against his front as he lowers his mouth to my ear. “Forever, baby.”

My heart swells, and all I can do is nod as I try to swallow the baseball-sized lump in my throat. I guess having them go behind my back and assign me a bodyguard isn’t the worst thing in the world.

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