“It’s from us all,” Lorcan says, shifting his stance, hands in pockets.
Dino gives a sheepish look. “Four rings in one.”
“Or a hole for each of us,” Jude says with a smirk, kissing me on the forehead.
“For each of you…you mean Dante too?” I ask. I almost choke on my words.
Lorcan’s gaze slides to Dino, the hardness behind his eyes about to set. “The fucker chipped in, but he said you’d just throw it in the pond if we gave it to you,” he grits out.
Dino’s jaw tightens as he looks away. “If you don’t like it….”
“What’s not to like?” Jude stares right at me.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?
I give them all an incredulous look as they stand there, unable to look me in the eye. Well, except for fucking Jude, who looks like he would rather fight me or anyone right now than have me give the knuckle duster back.
I look at it, running my fingers over the warm white metal. It’s pretty but also deadly. Interestingly, my monster likes it.
But…
“You really want me to wear this?” I ask, looking at each of them.
“Or just keep it,” Jude says quickly. “Until you’re ready.”
“Even if you never are,” Dino adds, baby blue eyes focused on mine.
Lorcan is looking at me, too, waiting.
“You’re all fucking ridiculous,” I say, meaning it.
“Yeah, well, you won’t fucking marry any of us, will you, sweetheart,” Lorcan chides.
“I’ll see if it goes with anything I wear,” I say, slipping it into my pocket.
There’s a collective sigh of relief, and then Jude claims my lips. As Dino brushes his lips to my forehead, Lorcan steps in behind to kiss the back of my neck.
“Well, we chose the fucking wrong time to leave,” says a grating voice while someone else clears their throat. It’s Saskia and Quinn.
“Don’t mind us,” Quinn says, grinning at me.
I roll my eyes and extract myself from the three boys. Lorcan takes my case and loads it into his car while Jude and Dino help the girls with theirs.
“So where are we going?” Lorcan asks me once everything is packed away.
I’ve no idea where we’re going now that I don’t have to run. “I need food,” is all I can say to that.
“Is he coming?” Lorcan asks, glancing up at the house. I presume he means Dante.
I shake my head. “He’s got some family business to take care of. He’ll find us later.” I do not doubt that Dante will find us later.
I get into the front seat of the disgusting yellow Mclaren, slipping on a pair of shades. Saskia and Quinn are already in the backseat.
“Are we going back to the academy?” Saskia asks.
“I think we’re going to get waffles first,” Quinn says in answer, looking up from her phone. “It’s tradition.”
In the wing mirror, Jude gets into his car behind, and Dino slips his helmet on and straddles his bike. And then Lorcan leads the convoy out of the estate. We’re the last cars here. Everyone else has already left, apart from a hideous brown Mustang with one window missing out the back and bullet holes all over the hood.