Page 17 of Targeted By Love

I strode into the living room, my hand clutching Rhodes’s sweaty palm. He lagged behind, and it probably appeared to my brothers as though I was dragging him. Maybe I was. He no doubt wanted to be anywhere else but confronting his so-called kidnappers.

“Everyone, this is Rhodes.”

“Rhodes,” they all droned in unison.

Just as they had when I’d tried to reach my mate at the front door, they fanned out in front of us. Seeing it from Rhodes’s point of view, it must have been intimidating.

“Spread out. This isn’t an assault.”

They shuffled their feet, their arms outstretched so their fingertips were touching, looking as though they were in the military.

Gods, I’d wanted them to make a good second impression because the first one sucked.

“Sorry we kidnapped you.” Thiago did a little head bob as if that made it okay.

“It was… different. And you need more mouthwash in the bathroom and extra towels. Kidnap victims like something to wipe away their tears.”

Ouch! My brothers’ cheeks flooded with a pink hue, and Riggs inspected his feet.

I raised my hand. “I’ll get right on that, as it’s my place.”

Lake, who was at one end and still holding a chip bag, offered it to Rhodes. “Want one?”

My mate shot me a glance and moved closer, his shoulder brushing against mine. “What flavor?”

“Barbecue.”

Rhodes took a chip and munched it while everyone in the room stared at him. “Nice, but I prefer salt and vinegar.”

“You see, Maynard. I told you.” Lake tapped his phone, and when he was done, greeted my mate with a triumphant smile. “Two big boxes will arrive in twenty minutes.”

“That’s kind of you, but we’re heading to brunch.”

Riggs gagged. “Don’t touch the shrimp. We can’t have you shitting the bed.”

“What?” I slung an arm around my mate’s shoulder. “No one’s pooping the bed!” I slapped my brow.

A giggle burst out of Rhodes. “It wouldn’t make a good impression.” Thiago and Ezra joined in, and Lake had a hugegrin slapped on his face. Boaz was still sporting a thunderous expression while Riggs’s cheeks had a green tint.

They were warming to my mate, though I wouldn’t blame him if he was still wary.

“Why can’t you all be normal? Rhodes will think you’re always like this.”

“Dude, where have you been? We are always like this.” That was Ezra.

Everyone cracked up, and even Boaz smiled, but he also rolled his eyes.

“I have a question.” All eyes were on my mate. Shit, was he going to pummel them for details? He had every right to, but we had to get going, and my mate had so much to learn about my family, the pack, and the mafia. I wanted to be the one to explain it to him.

“We’re waiting.” Lake was the first one to sit, and he slouched on an armchair.

“Don’t almost all chips have salt?”

There was a collective gasp in the room.Thatwas his question? Weird, but better than saying he was calling the police and reporting a kidnapping.

“They do.” Lake was the chip connoisseur.

“So why do salt and vinegar add salt to the name?”