Come Back to Me

Chapter 41: Present Day

"Alright, girls, it's time to break this up. We need to get Reggie home before daylight."

"Nanny Noah," Beth murmured into my shoulder, where she lay slumped against me on the sofa.

"Nanny Noah," I echoed.

We were deep into the early hours of the day, most likely a few rotations of the clock away from dawn. If I had it my way, we'd stay the night, right there, on Thad's luxuriously plush sofa, burrowed into the blankets and pillows like Beth and I were at present.

Our drunkenness had given way to exhaustion, and we cuddled in for the night, letting the guys talk business and strategy. My brain couldn't absorb one more thing about Phillip Stephen Nicholas Miller Laughlin III, so it was easy for me to drift off to sleep while they plotted and planned. It was the first time in days that I felt completely safe and didn't need to worry about Stephen crashing the party. Thad had cameras everywhere inside, and Mark's men were everywhere outside. No door was unguarded, all the windows had break and seal sensors, and my three guys hadn't let me out of their sight the whole night.

"Can't I stay here? Like right here," I lazily raised a hand to point to the couch. "I'm so comfy."

"You are more than welcome to one of the guestrooms, Regan," Thad answered, coming around the front of the couch to look amusingly down at both of us. "The closets and bathrooms are fully stocked with whatever you might require."

I squinted up at Noah with one eye.

"Okay, yes, you can stay here. But only if one of us is with you."

"So clingy," Beth whispered. I nudged her with my elbow.

"I already said I'd stay with her tonight. Doesn't matter if it's here or the apartment."

Mark leaned over the back of the couch and hooked his arm under my shoulder and knees. He lifted me with no effort. "Let's go sleepy girl. Time for bed."

Beth flopped over, still in only her jeans and bra, and Thad reached over to brush her hair out of her face. "You, my dear girl, owe me for last night."

She rocketed up so fast that her head almost connected with Thad's nose. "You mean...?"

Thad nodded and offered her his hand. "Yes."

Beth lept to her feet and tugged him down the hall to the stairs. "See you all later!"

Mark turned to follow them. Noah stopped him, and Joshua came over to give me a good night kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow night, baby girl. Mark will be with you until then."

"Okay. Be safe."

"I love you, Reggie. I'll see you soon."

"Love you. I miss you."

"We'll all be together soon enough."

Mark stomped off up the stairs and down a hallway he seemed to be accustomed to. I heard beth already moaning from behind one door. He carried me a few more doors down and chose the furthest from Thad and Beth.

"Wow, nice."

Like the rest of the house, the large and spacious bedroom had mostly walls of windows that looked out over the forest. Another house was lit up on the lot next to Thad's, far enough away that I couldn't make out any details—just figures walking around inside.

Mark set me down and let me wander around, touching the soft comforter on the bed, feeling the cold wood of the dressers, studying the paintings along the wall where a large bathroom was attached to the room until I walked up to the glass and stared out.