Pride (Living In Sin #1)

Chapter 38

Alec

I’d always liked Mondays. I knew it irritated everyone, but for me it was a little reset. That the week before was done and very few issues could make their way into the new week became a delightful mantra. Fresh ideas and solutions were definitely the call of the day.

Not that any solutions could fix what was going on in the bar when I arrived.

“You can be a real dick, Env.”

Des must have used the weekend to get their hair done. It was longer and there was a certain theatre in the way they flicked it over their shoulder. The shorts were shorter than the skirt they’d worn Saturday and clung to Des’s arse like a second skin. Coupled with the tall boots and a neon pink mesh shirt, Des looked more ready for the club than anyone else present. Even if it was only 10am on a Monday.

“Envy and Des never get along.”

I kept jumping out of my skin to a minimum. Ace made so little noise even on the squeaky club floor. They had a trash bag in one hand and watched the bar’s spectacle with a resigned look. Like it was a movie they’d seen a million times before.

“I can see that. Is the whole family like that?”

A slight lift of the shoulder. “Fury and Pry are worse. But he hasn’t been by in years.”

I had to close my eyes, rubbing two fingers against my temple. I should not be needing headache pills so early in the morning, but here we were. I’d somehow managed to forget there was going to be seven of them to deal with.

“And Crave’s on some extended business trip. He and Pry don’t always see eye-to-eye either.”

If I was at my desk, I’d be against the surface, praying for strength. As it was, at least Ace was not nearly as cryptic as their siblings.

“And everyone has a share in the club?” It sounded like a nightmare waiting to happen. I swore I’d be looking through all the ownership paperwork before the end of the week.

“More or less. Club Midnight belongs to each of us.”

And they were back to being cryptic. But I couldn’t focus my attention on the young cleaner as there was a shatter of glass. Des yelped, and I moved without thought.

“Enough!”

The club was empty and the acoustics off the charts that my bark rang over the space. Envy’s eyes bugged a little, the second empty beer bottle in his hand clunking on the counter without being thrown. For a moment he even looked contrite. Considering the way he’d been so far, I was sure it wouldn’t last too long. I took advantage of it though.

Des looked murderous. “This better not leave a scar, you jealous prick,” they hissed at Envy, making his hackles raise instantly.

“You know it won’t, you hussy. Just get out of my bar. All of you.”

I wasn’t sure how much to push it, but Des was bleeding just above the thigh-high boots. In the dimly lit club, it was hard to see just how deep the glass had cut but the fact they were bleeding was enough to spurn my actions.

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but Des weighed nothing. Even my un-athletic arse could scoop him up and I was already moving him to the back office before Envy got the chance to stop grumbling. We’d have to deal with his brattiness one day soon, but it wasn’t something I was ready for now.

“Oh, my hero.” Des laughed and sounded breathlessly sexy as I used my foot to push open the door. I wanted to roll my eyes at the antics, but I was horrified Little Alec seemed to enjoy the praise a little too much. Hadn’t Pry worn him out over the last two days? And now I was too busy lusting after his sibling to worry about the real threat of dehydration.

Even with Little Alec causing me issues, I took care to place Des carefully on my desk. I was grateful the first thing I had done was clean up the office because at least now I knew where there was a first aid kit.

In the bright light of the office the streak of red running down Des’s leg was not as bad as I first thought and I felt a bit like I could breathe again. The cut from the glass was superficial; it was more blood than depth to the wound. Sort of like Des and their drama.

It didn’t take long to clean and press a bandaid to the other wisely perfect skin. How was it so smooth? It was like those few times with Pry; where I’d touch him and he didn’t even feel real.

It was a strange feeling, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to feel like anyone was more than someone else. Even if they were unlike anyone I’d met before, the Sin family did not deserve that.

Still, with Des’s heavy-lidded eyes watching me it was difficult to move. Stepping out of their space was like moving through syrup. The whimpering sound they made had me wanting to move back. With the way my skin prickled, I wasn’t sure what I’d do to Des if I did.

But the way they looked at me was intoxicating. I had to leave before things got worse. Or better if Little Alec had anything to do with it.

“It’s okay to stay.”

Pry was already leaning against the closed door. While Des’s eyes made me feel like I was drowning, Pry’s burned. The way he pushed himself off the door and into the centre of the room made my mouth go dry. Behind me Des moaned. I wholeheartedly agreed with the sound. Pry was pure sin.

“Des is ok with it, too.”

I wanted to wipe the smirk off Pry’s face but it would not be possible. Any clever retort was lost with all the blood running to my dick.

Dehydration it was.

“I want to stay.” Des didn’t quite touch me, but it was so close that I could feel the heat from their body even through my clothing. “I like it here, my sweet Hero. Will you save me again?”

My mind was swamped. I couldn’t help myself and with a guttural noise, I wrapped my arms around Pry’s neck and pulled him down for another messy kiss.