Tough Shit (Rejects Paradise 1)

“OCEAN?” My name is hollered through the house from behind me. “What the fuck is going on?”

I barge through the door of the staff quarters and race past mom who gives me a knowing grin, then I weave through tables, chairs, and the coffee cart. “I ain’t slowing down, Milo. If you want in then you better hurry the fuck up.”

“Language,” mom scolds, but she’s too late to do anything about it as I barge out through the back door and cut across the side of the house. I race around one of the three pools on the property until I finally find it. The pool house.

Milo remains heavy on my heels and I’m sure that by now he’s probably caught onto what’s going on. After all, I’ve spent the last few days telling him all about them. By now, he probably knows them better than I do.

The door of the pool house is propped open with a box and I race through it before quickly glancing around. I haven’t been in here yet so this is all new, but right now, the furnishings are the last thing on my mind.

All four of my boys are making their way around the pool house, carrying boxes, and cleaning up the old housekeeper’s things. To be honest, it looks like they’re doing more harm than good but they have good intentions, whether they’re selfish or not.

I don’t dare stop, spying Nic in the kitchen. “There’s our girl,” Sebastian beams, giving Nic the slightest warning before I crash into him. Though, that warning could have also come from the squeal that tore out of me the second I saw my boys. I haven’t gone this long without seeing them … well, ever.

I throw myself up into the sky and he drops whatever is in his hands as he reaches out and catches me with ease.

My legs wrap around his waist as our arms curl around one another. His lips instantly come down on mine in a crushing kiss and I hold on with everything I have, kissing him back. He cuts the kiss short, knowing that anything more is going to set me off. “I fucking missed you,” he grins, spinning me around.

I laugh as the other guys start making their way over, knowing that Nic and I needed this small moment together. “It’s only been four days,” I remind him.

“I know,” he says, squeezing harder. “Four days too long. I’ve never gone this long without seeing you.”

My heart flutters and I beam at him until Sebastian is there, slipping his hands around my waist and tearing me off Nic. “Come here, brat.” He pulls me in tight and presses a kiss to my forehead and I feel my world finally beginning to right itself.

Eli is next and practically pulls me out of Sebastian’s arms, only to dip me low and come at me with puckered lips. “Try it and your life won’t be worth living,” Nic warns, making Eli’s lips pull into a wide teasing grin.

His head continues down toward me and he plants a kiss on my cheek, beaming down at me. “Hey, O. Missed you.”

“Missed you too, turd,” I smile as he helps me up.

Mr. Afraid Of Showing Emotion is next and I turn toward him with a cheesy as fuck grin. “Hey, Kai.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah,” he grumbles under his breath, reaching for me and dragging me across the floor until I’m pulled into his wide arms. “Don’t get all mushy on me, pretty girl.”

I tilt my head, looking up and meeting his hard eyes. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Who the fuck is this?” Elijah grunts, his tone taking on a dark edge, one that reminds me that these four guys are not just my best friends but also gang members, each of them with several kills under their belts.

“Is this Carrington?”

At the sound of the name, all four of them stiffen, becoming the lethal boys I know and love, more than prepared to teach Colton a lesson and deliver a not so subtle warning.

I glance back at Milo and as he takes in the four boys bearing down on him, I race forward, throwing myself in front of him before the guys can do any damage. “No, no, no,” I screech. “You’ve got it wrong. This is Milo. He’s practically been my lifesaver over the past few days.”

“Milo?” Nic grunts, his eyes becoming suspicious. The other guys relax, the lethal look in their eyes disappearing, but I see the same suspicion reflected in all of them.

Kairo nods at Milo. “What do you want with our girl?”

Milo’s face scrunches up. “Umm … nothing. She’s a friend. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Sebastian questions, taking a subtle step forward. “I hear you’re spending a lot of time with her. No one wants to be just friends with a chick and spends that amount of time with her unless he’s trying to fuck her.”