Chapter 77 - WHERE TO STAY

Following the impromptu lunch meeting with Lucian I went with Kyle and Bastian to see Ronnie. She applauded me for my ability to close the case fast but she didn't know the details of what had happened to me while I was away. She never would know either, she just wouldn't understand it at all.

After I secured the funds for my payment we all left. It was time to figure out exactly what we were going to be doing from here on out. I know we had talked about adding Bastian to my team, not that I ever considered the fact that I had a team. It had always just been me and EZ working together, we were a duo yes, but I never thought of us as an official team. Now however, I had EZ, Kyle, Bastian, and I couldn't forget about the vampire name Laremy that was so inclined to help me out as well. I really was forming a team here.

Maybe I should come up with a kickass name for my new team. And this whole thing would only work if they all understood that I was the boss. I don't care what the hell Kyle thinks. I am the boss dammit.

I couldn't exactly tell Bastian to just go home since he didn't have a home, so I wanted to let him stay at my place for the night. I needed to go see EZ, even though I wasn't ready to see him just yet. I think I will just wait for tomorrow. It has been a crazy few days and I already had to deal with Lucian. That had been plenty for today.

"You can come back to my place tonight, Bastian. I know you don't have anywhere else to go."

"Like hell he will." Kyle pulled me toward him as we were walking toward the car.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked him as I glared at the hand he had pulled me with.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" He growled out. "You're my mate, my woman. You can't just go and invite men back to your place. Especially not right in front of me."

"I know she is yours. And as beautiful as she is, I am not interested in her." Well that was a little insulting. OK, he did call me beautiful but he also implied that I wasn't attractive at the same time.

"Whether you're interested in her or not doesn't matter to me. I am her mate, she can't just sleep with you in her place. Besides, she only has one usable bedroom. The other is for her case files."

"I can sleep on her couch then, it's not a big deal, really."

"Why aren't the two of you getting this? It is a big deal." Kyle was not having any part of this situation or conversation.

"OK then Kyle, if you don't like this situation what do you suggest?" I crossed my arms and asked him for his solution to our problem.

"I know exactly what to do." Why did he just look like Sylvester after he ate the little canary? I don't know if I really wanted to know what his solution was. "He sleeps on your couch but you sleep in my bed."

"If I am not sleeping in my bed then he can." I snapped at him before I could fully process what he had said but by then it was too late. "Wait, no-."

"Nope, you just agreed you weren't sleeping in your bed which means you're sleeping in mine." He grabbed my hand and started to pull me toward the truck again.

"And I am still sleeping on your couch, even if you aren't in the bed. I don't care for that kind of personal violation."

"What the hell is the matter with you two? Can you not see that I am not agreeing to this?"

"It seems to me that you two are going to argue no matter what I do so I am just going to follow the trail you leave behind. It's safest for me."

"You know that you can't deny me, Jacy baby. I am the only one who is evenly matched with you." They completely ignored the point and just spouted some stupid nonsense. I was doomed.

I don't know how it happened but I found myself sitting in my truck with Kyle driving and Bastian in the passenger seat. How the hell did I end up in the back seat of my own truck? I vaguely remembered some argument about being taller and needing the extra leg room. I wasn't fucking short myself, those asshats.

Before I knew it we were pulling into my parking space at the condo. Kyle and I grabbed our mail from the lobby before heading up to the top floor. I unlocked the door to my place, I wanted to get some fresh clothes that weren't in my travel bag and a few other items that I might need. You know, a razor, some deodorant, perfume, some catnip, a spray bottle to spray a bad kitty, maybe a bat to hit him upside his stupid head with. The essentials.

I was basically emptying my bag of dirty things, throwing a few of them away since I didn't want them anymore, and then refilling it with new stuff from my place. As long as Bastian was at my place Kyle would kick up a fuss about me being there. 

"Bastian, you can use anything that's in the fridge or the cabinets. Anything that I need to keep hidden is locked away in my office so as long as you stay out of there you shouldn't find anything out of the ordinary." I was explaining things about my house to my new house guest so that he would know where to find what he needed when he needed it. "There are two bathrooms, but the better one is through the bedroom. And since I spend a lot of time out of town on work this place barely feels lived in. If you really want to, you can sleep in my bed. There are even fresh sheets in the closet so that you don't need to worry." I walked into the room to show him the space."

"Huh, it's not girly at all." Bastian commented as he followed me into the room to see where the sheets and better bathroom was and to get some of my stuff.

"Were you expecting super girly? Seriously? Have you fucking met me?"

"Point taken." I could hear the laughter in his voice and turned to see that he and Kyle were looking at each other with knowing looks.

"If you two are going to be like that you can go sleep together at Kyle's I will stay here."

"Not going to happen sweetheart." Kyle commented as he smacked me on my ass. "It's just that it's true, you're not that girly, but you are super sexy."

"I don't know how I should take that." I was glaring at him. "Your laughter seems to undermine it."

"Don't be like that." Kyle leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I love you the way you are." 

Why did my heart race just hearing him say that he loved me? That was so not the feeling I needed right now. And I just knew that my face was going to be bright red.

To hide my flaming cheeks I turned away and went to the dresser. I shoved a few handfuls of clothes into my bag without even looking at them before I could finally feel my heart starting to slow down a little.

After that I went and got a clean set of sheets from the closet and set them on the bedside table.

"Here, they're clean, not girly, and very expensive. They should be perfect no matter the situation. Just put the dirty ones in the hamper and I will wash them when I come back. Whenever that might be." I heard the humming of Kyle's approval when he heard those words. If he had his way I would never be back in here.

Finally I went into the bathroom and grabbed my face wash, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and all the other things that I needed when I wasn't on the road. I was still a woman, no matter what those two assholes wanted to joke about it. And I really did take care of myself like one sometimes. I didn't want to get wrinkles or acne. I wasn't overly vain but I wasn't about to look horrible either.

With my bag now packed it was time for us to leave my apartment. I just didn't know if I was emotionally ready for it yet.

"There are menus in the drawer in the kitchen. You can find plenty of places that will deliver. All of them have good food. Or you could cook, whichever you prefer. If you do decide to order food then you can just charge it to my tab, all the places that I have menus for know me."

"Won't they get the wrong idea about that?" He sounded a little uneasy.

"They will think that regardless since they'll be delivering your food to my place. Don't worry, if they think you broke in I am sure they'll call my number which is on my account and I will OK it. Everything will work out. So, just make yourself at home."

"Yeah, alright, sounds good." Bastian was smiling now, looking a little more at home than I thought he would.

"OK, is there anything that I forgot?" I was trying to think of anything else to tell him, anything that could delay us from leaving.

"If there is, we can just tell him later. We will be right next door. And he can call your cell as well. Now let's go." Kyle scooped me up into his arms then.

After I yelped in surprise he started to walk out of my place and toward his. It was funny, Kyle was the only person I had ever yelped for. I had never been taken by surprise by any man before this. I had never let a man sweep me off my feet and carry me the way he was carrying me. I had never experienced half of these things that I have experienced with Kyle. Just what was happening with my life?

I tried to contemplate that thought while he carried me out of my condo and down the hall toward his place. I know that he could feel the pounding of my heart. I know he could tell that I was nervous about going to his place.. The uncertainty of what was going to happen was making my mind race faster than my heart was.