Page 33 of Intolerable Bishop

“Yeah, I’m kind of surprised about that, actually. Until this trip, I would’ve said that Theo tolerated me more so than liked me.”

Ren kissed my lips softly, and as she did, I had to get something off my chest. “Listen, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop the other night when you were talking to Myles about that guy you went to school with.”

“Rylan?”

I nodded. “But I did overhear Myles and what he said about adding the other guys into our relationship.”

Her brow furrowed. “You don’t have to worry about that, Blake.”

“Whether I do or don’t isn’t the issue. Look, I’m very observant. Nash…will figure out that he has feelings for you, and as you’ve seen, he doesn’t take no for an answer. I know you may not see it, but Theo is different with you. He admires you and respects you. It takes a lot to get both from my brother.”

“Okay, but I do get a say in this, no matter what, and I’m not looking to add more people to our relationship.”

I kissed her nose and laid my forehead against hers. “All I want you to know is that whether you do or don’t, I’m fine with it. I never want to sleep in the same bed as my brother. That’s kinda weird for me since we stopped doing that around age six, but aside from that…I’m happy. You make me happy, and oddly, Myles feels natural. If, at some point, you decide that you want one of them, just know that I feel the same way Myles does. I’m good with it.” I wasn’t sure if I really was, but saying it felt like the right thing to do. “But definitely not that Rylan guy. He’s skeezy.”

She burst out laughing, making me smile. “Skeezy? Wow, that’s a word I didn’t expect to come out of your mouth.” She kissed me again, and I wanted to wrap her up in my arms, lock us in a safe room, and never leave. All the mystery with her and her family was sitting like acid in my stomach. If something happened to her…if I couldn’t stop it…my fear was not being able to protect her when she needed me. I couldn’t and wouldn’t let that happen.

Cupping her face, I kissed her as deeply as I could and poured everything that I was feeling into it. Pulling her as close as possible until our bodies were almost flush, my hands explored and slipped under the T-shirt she was wearing. The bra strap tempted me to pluck it free.

She wiggled on my lap as we kissed, and I wanted her so bad, but there was a part of me holding back. I’d felt it since her attack, not wanting to scare her. Now, it was the worry of messing this up. Fuck, I hated my brain. Everything was stuck on a loop that wouldn’t end. I could pleasure her, sure. But when it came to sex, what the fuck did I know?

She wiggled again, and I grabbed the bottom of her shirt to pull it off when a loud thump sounded behind my head, and Ren jumped as high as my heart had into my throat.

“What the hell was that?” She stared at the wall, and I swallowed hard. “No one should be in my mother’s room,” Ren whispered, her eyes wide with horror. “We need to call the police. What if they’re back? What if the robbers were really after me and….”

“Whoa, slow down, it’s okay.” I grabbed her shoulders before she could jump off my lap. “Look at me, Ren.” She slowly peeled her eyes away from the wall over my head.

“But Blake….”

“No, it’s okay. Sort of, anyway. It’s not a robber or murderer or anything else like that, but I think you’re going to be pissed.” She narrowed her eyes and glared at me. I swallowed hard. Forget having sex. I’d be lucky if she didn’t reach between my legs and castrate me.

Thanks, assholes.

“What are you not telling me?”

I stood and put Ren on her feet and then grabbed her hand as we walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to her mom’s room. I reached for the handle, but she grabbed my hand and stopped me.

“No one is supposed to be in there,” she said.

“I know, but Myles and Theo are.”

Hell hath no fury like the look on her face. Ren grabbed the handle and flung the door open with a bang. Myles, who was in the room going through a box, jumped, his eyes wide. Theo stuck his head out of the large closet a moment later, looking just as guilty.

Ren crossed her arms over her chest. “Would either of you like to tell me what is going on,” she asked, her voice as hard as steel.

“Blake, what the hell? You were supposed to keep her busy,” Myles said, and I covered my eyes and groaned as Ren looked over her shoulder at me with the same ‘I’m going to kill you’ glare.

“I tried, but one of you decided to drop something or hit the wall. Not my fault,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Well…out with it. I specifically asked for no one to come in here, and instead of talking to me about wanting to look at something, you break my trust?”

I didn’t think three people could look more guilty if you tried. “It’s my fault,” Theo said, stepping out of the closet.

“Aye, it was his idea, but I agreed to go along with it,” Myles said, putting the box he was holding under his arm.

I cleared the dryness from my throat and looked down. “Same. I didn’t like the idea, but I understood it and agreed. The only one who’s oblivious is Ivy, which is why we had her go get dinner.”

“So that’s why you were trying to get me to go with her.” Ren shook her head. “Great, you can all own up to it when you’re caught red-handed, but you still haven’t explained why to me yet.” Ren marched across the room, and Myles tensed like she was going to eat him alive. Instead, she took the box from under his arm and started rifling through it. “Don’t you understand that I haven’t even been able to come in here since that night?” She looked at Theo leaning against the doorframe of the closet. “I was locked in there.” Ren pointed, the emotion making her voice hitch. “I had to watch my mum die, and you guys come in and start going through everything like she and what happened didn’t matter? Like my feelings don’t matter.”