18. Cage

18

CAGE

C age: Two things. Ember is my temporary Little until she can go back to DC. And you guys have her CNC to punish her if she misbehaves. No spankings yet, though.

Cage: Also, her next period is expected in two weeks. Add it to your calendars.

We’ve all made it a habit to track Rowie’s periods, so it’s probably a good idea to track Ember’s. That way, as it gets closer, we can make sure to stock up on pads and chocolate and be more available in case they need extra snuggles.

Rylan: I fucking knew it. Dom, you owe me five grand.

Dom: Fuck.

Cage: What the hell? What were you betting on?

Rylan: Whether or not you would make Ember your Little girl.

Cage: You bastards. What is wrong with you?

Rylan: A lot.

Gunner: Congrats, bro.

Lex: We’re going to have two Little brats running around now?

Cage: Don’t call her a brat, asshole.

Theo: Rowie isn’t a brat.

Koda: I’ll bet all of you fifty grand that the temporary part turns permanent.

Cyrus: I’ll get in on that.

Cassian: Let’s make it a hundred grand.

I glare at my phone screen and try to remember why I claimed these assholes as my brothers. They’re really fucking annoying.

Cage: Fuck off. All of you.

Rylan: I think the only one getting fucked in this family right now is you, bro.

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 smug look 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.

“What’s going on?” Declan asks, suddenly all business.

They may not trust me personally, but professionally, they do. If this had anything to do with a job, I know they’d lend their assistance without question. Then again, I guess it sort of has something to do with a job.

“I’m protecting a woman from a threat. She’s staying at my home,” I tell them.

Declan and Kieran stare at me like they don’t know what I’m getting at. No wonder they need my help sometimes. They all might be a bunch of good-looking, rich mafia bosses, but I’m starting to wonder if the brains aren’t all there. Hopefully, they know how to make their women orgasm.

I glance from Cali to Paisley, observing the smitten expressions when they look at their men. Okay, at least they know how to keep their women happy.

“You like her,” Paisley finally says.

“I do,” I answer slowly. “She’s Little. I’m her Daddy. Temporarily.”

“And does she know this? Or is this against her will?” Declan asks.

When I flip him off, he shoots me a smug smile. Fucker.

“So, what’s the problem? Does she like you? Oh, can we meet her?” Cali perks up, her attention no longer on the movie.

The back of my neck tingles as a wave of possessiveness washes over me. There’s no fucking way I’m bringing my girl around these men. I don’t give a fuck if they have wives. I don’t want Ember around any men other than my family. She would adore Cali and Paisley, though, so I might have to make a compromise at some point.

I run my hand over my eyebrows, trying to soothe the headache I’m fighting. “Settling down has never been my plan. It wouldn’t be fair to her. The way she would have to live if she was mine permanently. She wouldn’t have a normal life.”

Cali raises her eyebrows. “Who does have a normal life? Besides, what is normal anyway? There’s no right or wrong way to live as long as you’re happy.”

Declan stares lovingly at his wife and then presses a kiss to her temple. It’s a sweet gesture that, a few years ago, I never would have thought I’d see the man do. But here we are, the leader of the entire North American Irish mafia, gently kissing his wife and watching Beauty and the Beast.

“Why don’t you ask her what she wants?” Paisley asks.

Probably because I’m afraid of what her answer might be. I don’t want to think about the end until I truly have to. If she confirms that it’s all just a temporary game for her, I don’t know how I’ll feel.

“What if I can’t keep her safe?” I hate how vulnerable I feel as the words come out.

I’m not an insecure man. I have abilities that most people can’t even fathom. But the tiny sliver at the corner of my brain that keeps asking that is what’s stopping me from diving headfirst because I’d give up Ember forever as long as it keeps her safe.

“We all worried about the same thing when we met our girls,” Declan answers, his gaze pinned on Cali with a tortured expression. “And while we do everything possible to keep them safe, there’s always a chance that something could happen.”

I stare at him. “Exactly. I’m not willing to take that risk. Risks aren’t part of my life. Calculated plans are what I do. Sure things. Leaving nothing to chance. I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened to Ember.”

Kieran clears his throat. “You have at least a dozen brothers who are trained the same as you. The risk of anything happening to her is pretty much non-existent.”

“I guess that’s true,” I mutter. “We’ve kept Rowie safe all these years.”

Declan’s eyebrows draw together. “Who is Rowie?”

I glance up and take a second to process his question.

“Rowie is our sister. I thought I’d told you.” That’s a lie. Now that I think about it, I know I never told them. Damn. I guess I really haven’t let these men into my life at all. Maybe I need to start. At least then, they might trust me more.

“You have a sister? Oh, how old is she?” Cali asks.

“She’s around your age; she’s Little too. We found her when she was a kid. Long story, but she’s in Little Space most of the time. It’s therapeutic for her.”

Paisley and Cali exchange a look before Paisley grins at me. “Okay, we need to have a playdate with Ember and Rowie. We could do something fun like a tea party with real tea and snacks. Would that be Little enough for them?”

For the second time since I’ve arrived here, my chest warms. These girls aren’t even age players, yet they still want to make friends with my sister and my girl.

“We’ll see,” Declan says before I can answer. “So you’re here because you want advice or…?”

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 with this 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.

B y the time I’m done shopping, I’m surprised my credit card hasn’t dissolved into dust and the pilot hasn’t told me I can’t bring all this shit on board. It’s worth it, though. I’d spend every last dollar to make Ember’s desires come true. She’s never had the chance to be truly Little, and I’m going to change that.

My thoughts have been non-stop since I left Declan’s. Would it be so bad if I kept Ember for myself? From what I know, she has no real ties to DC other than her piece-of-shit father. If I had it my way, she’d never see the bastard again.

She also doesn’t know what she wants to do with her future yet, so it’s not like she has a path already laid out ahead. With me, she can do whatever she wants. Hell, she can be my baby twenty-four-seven if she wants. It would make me the happiest man alive. It would ultimately be her choice, though. If she wants a career, I would support her in that.

Am I really considering this?

Fuck. I am.

I’m strong, but I don’t have it in me to let Ember go. They say every man has a weakness, and mine is my Little firefly.

First things first, I need to figure out who the hell this threat is and eliminate them. If I’m going to offer Ember the chance to stay in my life, I want it to be by choice and not because she needs protection.

My phone buzzes, and I snatch it from my pocket as the plane starts down the runway.

Declan: Seriously, though, how much to get in on your brother’s bet?

I shake my head and send him back a middle finger emoji; he returns it with a laughing one. Maybe letting these men into my life wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I trust them, which is saying a lot since the only people who have ever had my trust have been my brothers and Rowie.

As I go to slide my phone back into my pocket, it goes off again with a text from Jasper.

Jasper: No need to panic, but do you know if Ember is allergic to bee stings?

Fuck. My Little girl. And I’m not there to comfort her. Some fucking Daddy I am.

“I don’t care what you have to do, but make this jet go faster,” I yell out as I press Jasper’s name on my contacts.

I’m going to kill my brother. How could he let her get stung? Fucking Christ.

My entire body shakes with both fear and anger. Ultimately, I know it’s not Jasper’s fault, but it’s easiest to go after him. I just hope my Little firefly will forgive me for leaving her. Even if she does, I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself.