Page 57 of Cage

I nod. “I didn’t come here to talk sports, so yeah. Some advice would be great.”

“Why didn’t you ask your brothers?” Kieran asks.

Paisley smacks him on the chest again, but Kieran just shrugs.

My mind goes back to the text conversation I had with them right before I got here. “Because those bastards are taking bets on this to see whether it will actually be temporary or not.”

“I’ll get in on that,” Declan says, holding up his index finger. “There’s no way it’s temporary. You wouldn’t be here if it were going to be. Whatever they’re waging, I’ll double it.”

Kieran snorts. “I’m in, too.”

I glare at both of them and then shake my head. These guys are just as bad as my brothers. Fuck them.

As I start to stand, Declan lifts his hand, a grin on his lips. “Relax, Cage. We’re fucking with you. Jesus. Who knew you were so touchy?”

“Look.” Declan sets Cali next to him and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re obviously in love withthis girl. If she feels the same, why fight it? Why not keep her close where she’s safest?”

I tap my pointer fingers together and consider that. “She’s from a different world to me. Hell, she’s a city girl. I can’t up and leave my family. My commitment.”

Paisley reaches over and puts her delicate hand on my wrist. When I look up to meet her eyes, she offers a warm smile. “If she cares about you as much as you do her, she wouldn’t put you in a position to choose. Besides, just because she grew up in the city doesn’t mean she likes it. I love being out here, on the outskirts of Seattle, and not having to leave the estate unless I truly want to. I have everything I need here. So, maybe you should ask her what she wants instead of assuming.”

I’m glad the girls are here. Obviously, they are much wiser than their Daddies. I won’t say that out loud, though. No reason to go home with a bullet wound.

“Thanks, Little one,” I reply, winking at her.

Kieran grabs her arm and pulls her away from me while shooting daggers my way. Touchy.

“And maybe instead of locking her up in your basement, you could bring her here where she could make some friends,” Declan offers with a smug grin. “We’d love to meet her, and we can tolerate you, too.”

“Ohhh, maybe we could do a Christmas vacation together!” Cali squeals and rubs her hands together.

I grin. I knew they liked me.

Both Declan and Kieran glare at her.

“I have another thing I want to run by you guys. Ember is with me because her father has received threats to her life. He’s a politician in DC. Anyway, I have Cass looking into it, but something isn’t sitting right with me about it.”

Declan narrows his gaze. “Like what?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. Nothing about it makes sense. Her father doesn’t know who is making the threat. My CIA handler doesn’t have much more information to give. And, other than a plane tailing us when we first left DC, we haven’t found any other evidence of a threat.”

Kieran raises his eyebrows. “What kind of father is he?”

Irritation prickles at the back of my neck. “A joke of one. Once this is over, he’s going to have to deal with me after everything I’ve learned.”

Declan rubs his jaw, his eyebrows pinched as he considers what I said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that my gut is rarely wrong. If something doesn’t seem right, it’s not right.”

My mind races at that. It’s time to get to the bottom of this threat. I’ve been putting it on the back burner because I’ve been buying more time with Ember. It needs to end. She needs to know she’s safe. She also needs to know that she still has a home with me once the threat is eliminated. Then I have to hope she chooses to stay.

“Thanks for the advice. I better go. There are a couple of stores I need to go to. I also need to stop by a Style Envy before I go. I ordered some Little frilly dresses from Knox’s wife that I need to pick up.”

Declan rises and leads me toward the door, with the others following. “I’ll text Knox and warn him you’re on your way. You know, since you can’t be bothered to give a heads-up.”

I smirk. “People tend to go into hiding when they know I’m coming. The boogeyman never announces himself. That’s just poor technique.”

Cali bursts out laughing and throws her arms around my waist, catching me by surprise. When I meet Declan’s gaze, expecting for him to look murderous, I’m surprised as he nods at me, giving me permission to hug his wife.

As soon as she lets go, Paisley steps in and gives me a quick hug before Kieran can pull her back. After shaking both men’s hands, I climb into my SUV and head into downtown.