Chapter 9-2
1219 Words
“You gonna get down?” Anna asks me. The drive here took barely any time at all. I’m not ready to get out and deal with alpha idiots one and two.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”
Anna reaches into the back seat window and pulls out a sign. Did this girl really make a damn sign? I smirk ‘cause yeah; she made a sign. The sign reads, Hottie #1 and Hottie #2 Gaines brothers.
“You didn’t?” I say, stunned. My cousin is a straight fool for making these damn signs.
“I sure as s**t did.” She’s grinning from ear to ear.
“Why on Earth, Annabelle Storme?”
“To piss off Jackson. He’s taking things way too far regarding Sunday’s incident.
“Dude, you’re asking for trouble.”
“Nah, he is. He must have forgotten who he’s married to. And you’re gonna take the welcome home pictures.”
“Nah, sis. Not me.”
“Yes. You. India.”
“Nope.” I push my way out of the car and grab my bag. I’m going to take a taxi or rideshare back if the twins give me s**t.
Promise.
Yup.
The airport looks empty. Sawyer and Finn are standing in front of two women, who are all smiles. These two men are women magnets no matter where they are.
“Those birds are so obvious.” Anna walks ahead of me with a smirk on her face and a gleam in her eye.
Shit.
Is.
About.
To.
Go.
Down.
I didn’t want to be a part of the train wreck of crazy that was about to happen, but those two idiots brought it on themselves.
“Annabelle,” I quietly warn, but not loud enough to stop her. I didn’t want to stop her. It was about time the two of them understood the meaning of Southern heat.
“Are you shitting me right now!” Anna screams over the group’s conversation. The twins turn in her direction. Both men arch their brows.
“Anna, what are you doing here?” Finn smiles before pulling her into a hug. “I thought a car was coming for us?”
Anna clears her throat and winks at me. “I am that car. You two are over here jaw jabbing with these ladies.”
Sawyer crosses his arms. He hasn’t seen me yet. I wanted to keep my distance when Anna really wanted to show out. Finn’s eyes are on Anna. Finn shakes his head and I see him mouth the word “Dangerous.”
“Ms. Storme, are you trying to get us murdered?”
“By who?” she asks coyly. She places one hand on Finn’s chest to push back from him, goes straight to placing her hands on her hips, and strikes a provocative pose.
“Girl, by your man and our woman,” Finn says clearing his throat.
“Who says I’m your woman?” I ask, stepping forward. Both men reach for me, pulling me between them in a synchronized dance we’d long perfected. The desired effect Anna wanted worked. The women have dispersed.
“Little bit, you are ours whether you understand it or not.”
Anna tugs me from between them. “Y’all are making a scene.”
“No, ma’am. That would be you.” Finn adjusts his backpack and tugs Anna by the hand, ushering us forward. The four of us head out to the parking lot when my phone rings. I look down at my caller ID. It’s Hae-in. I haven’t heard from him in a few days, and I instantly pop a smile.
“Hey.”
“Hello, India. How are you?” His soothing, honeyed voice mixed with his genuine enthusiasm when greeting me evokes a pleasant feeling.
“I’m okay. It’s been an interesting couple of days.”
“How so?”
“I almost went to jail.”
My comment makes him laugh. “Why?”
“Lola and Bear.”
“Oh.”
I’d filled him in via text but didn’t have time to update him.
“Oh, is that all?”
Finn tugs on my shoulder. “Who’s that?”
“It’s Hae-in.”
“It’s pretty late in South Korea. Is she one of Kim Mi-Su’s friends?”
He knows Hae-in isn’t a woman. But he’d made a comment once about most men over there being too feminine. I disagree, Hae-in is all man.
“Finn, knock it off. He is not a she.”
“Is there a problem?” Hae-in says in my ear.
“No, Finn is being Finn.”
Finn leans on my shoulder and says something in Korean into the phone. His voice isn’t nice at all. He sounds pissed and irritated. I move back and push Finn into the car.
“Sorry about him. What did he say?” I ask into the phone.
“It wasn’t anything you need to be concerned about. But I received the message.”
I glare at the back of Finn’s head as I get into the back of the car with Sawyer.
“You’re not gonna tell me what he said?”
Both Finn and Hae-in say no at the same time.
“Seriously?”
“India, I called to speak with you. Can we do that please?” Hae-in’s voice is low and soothing, almost as if he’s asking politely, with a slight plea in his voice. I pull in a deep breath and ignore the two idiots in the car with me and Anna.
“Let’s talk then.”
“I’d like to say that you’re rude. Here, I am driving these two fine-a*s men and you’re on your phone,” Anna says as she pulls into traffic.
I scoot forward in the back seat and pinch Anna’s shoulder.
“It’s late in South Korea, and we don’t get to speak often, give us a moment, please.”
“Sure, but only if your friend asks nicely,” Anna says in a sugar sweet voice.
“Did you hear her request?” I ask Hae-in.
He chuckles lightly. “Yes, I did. Put me on speaker.”
I push the icon for the speaker. “You’re on.”
“Hello, Annabelle, it’s nice to meet you. Please allow me to steal some of your cousin’s time.”
“Oh my.” Anna sighs.
“Gamsahabnida.” Hae-in says it in Korean. It means thank you and one of the words I picked up while over in South Korea. There are also multiple ways to say it as well. I tilt my lips a bit. Hae-in really laid it on Anna. I haven’t had the privilege of hearing that voice before.
“Oh, sweetheart, talk to him as long as you want. Can you keep it on speaker though so I can hear that voice again?”
We all laugh except the twins, and I sit back in my seat so I can speak to Hae-in.
“I see I have Anna’s approval.”
“Hmm. It’s interesting, though.”
“What is?” Hae-in asks.
“You’ve never spoken like that to me before. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing.”
“Depends on the mood.” Hae-in’s voice drops an octave. “But if you prefer my casual voice, I’m more than happy to speak to you this way. It’s harder for me, and you may find that I slip into Korean.”
That is totally okay with me.
“I want you to speak how you’d normally speak.”
“This is how I normally sound.”
Wow.
“Well, okay then. What’s up?” I try to go for casual, but there is a slight squeak in my voice. Sawyer gives me the side-eye and shakes his head, and I don’t have to look up to know Finn is staring at me as well.
“I wanted to ask if you’re doing anything tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Let’s hang out.”
“How?” I sit up straighter. There is no way that he is here. He couldn’t possibly be here. Right?
“Let me handle all the details. I’ll send you a text in the morning.”
Which would be my evening.
“Okay.”
“Have a good day, India Danvers.” His voice slides over me like a nice pair of jeans, snug, but not too tight, while making sure it touches all my curves in the right places.
“Sleep well, Hae-in.”
“Say jal ga.”
“Huh?”
“It means sleep well.”
“Jal ga,” I say sweetly. Both Finn and Sawyer grunt.
“Hmm. I will, India.”
- Writer
