Page 55 of Cage
A low growl escapes. Both from possessiveness and frustration. I don’t like that Rylan is thinking about Ember having sex. Even if it is with me. Add on the fact that it’s not actually happening and I’m a little irritable.
I pocket my phone and climb out of my SUV. Almost as soon as I ring the doorbell, the enormous front door swings wide-open.
“Cage!” Cali squeals as she practically jumps on me for a hug.
Warmth fills me, and I grin as her husband walks up behind her, scowling at me, probably because I’m touching his girl. Possessive bastard. Not that I blame him. Cali’s a doll. She’s not Ember, though. I hadn’t planned to settle down, though, if I had, that would be out the window now. She may only be in my life temporarily, but Ember will be in my heart for the rest of my life. She’s carved a spot there, and I don’t think there’s a woman on this Earth who can compare.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Declan demands as he pulls his wife away from me and tucks her behind him.
“What? No warm welcome? I’m hurt, Declan, I really am.” I place my hand over my heart and smirk while the Irish mafia boss continues to glare at me.
“You showed up here unannounced,” he snaps.
I turn and look down his driveway toward the wrought-iron gates where six security guards are currently posted. “They called and told you I was here. That’s an announcement.”
Declan mutters something under his breath about me being a psycho, but I choose to ignore it. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he likes me.
“Daddy, be nice. Let Cage in,” Cali insists, tugging on Declan’s suit jacket.
He looks down at her and sighs before he takes a step back. I wink at Cali and get another growl from Declan in response.
“Where’s the rest of the fam?” I ask.
Cali skips alongside us as we make our way through the house. To my surprise, Declan doesn’t lead us into his office. Instead, we enter a small living room, which the girls always seem to be watching movies in. Sure enough, Paisley is sitting on Kieran’s lap while Beauty and the Beast plays in the background. I don’t know what it is with this movie, but the girls in this family all seem to love it. Maybe Ember understands and can explain it to me.
Paisley’s eyes light up as soon as she sees me, but Kieran studies me as he protectively pulls his girl tighter to him. Jesus, it’s like these guys don’t trust me. Don’t they know I don’t kill friends?
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Kieran demands.
I guess he’s still a bit pissy about me goading him when he was sprung over Paisley but not ready to admit it. I let the guy punch me, so he really should get the hell over it.
Declan shrugs and sits down, pulling Cali onto his lap as he does. “No fucking clue. He showed up without calling, so whatever it is, it must be serious.”
As I take a seat at the other end of the couch that Kieran and Paisley are on, Kieran bares his teeth at me. I give him a smuglook before I wink at Paisley. She giggles, then yelps when her husband pinches her thigh.
“Ouchie. Daddy, that wasn’t nice.”
Kieran scowls at her. “Blushing and laughing because another man winks at you isn’t nice.”
Paisley scoffs and glares back at him, clearly not intimidated by the hulk of a man. “So basically, I can’t have fun, is that right?”
“That’s not what I said and you know it,” Kieran says.
All he gets in return is an eye-roll before Paisley turns her attention toward me and beams. “Don’t mind him, Cage. He’s grumpy today.”
“Just today?” I lean back on the couch and smile at Kieran, who flips me off.
Good times.
“Can you just get to the point as to why you’re here? In Seattle. Don’t you live in another state?” Declan asks.
I shrug and ignore his question. Maybe that’s one of the reasons they don’t trust me. They know nothing about me, yet I know everything about them. It’s the life of a dark-ops agent. Nothing but secrets.
“I have a problem.” I quickly check my phone to make sure I haven’t missed anything from my girl, then slide it back into my pocket.
“No shit,” Kieran mutters.
Paisley playfully hits him on the chest.