Restraining Order
Shay
I walked into my house and could hear music coming from the backyard. My back sliding glass door was open. I walked out after putting my grocery bags on the table and heard splashing from the pool.
I saw a body slicing through the water, arm over arm swimming like a pro. Who in the f*ck was in my pool? There were clothes piled on one of the chaise lounges. I walked over to the pants and picked the slacks up, digging into the pockets until I found a wallet. I opened it and scoffed.
“Mic! What are you doing here? You have your own pool,” I yelled.
Mic’s head popped up, and he waved with a big grin. He swam to the side of the pool and hauled himself out. If I didn’t know him and thought of him as a brother, I would admire his physique. The tattoos that were all over him, his muscles and his stunning face, he’d be any woman’s wet dream. Just not mine.
“Hey, cupcake,” he said, running over, shaking his head and getting water everywhere, making me squeal. He grinned as
he leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Can’t a big brother come see his little sister?”
“Sure, if my other brothers were with you along with my sister-in-law and my niece and nephew. What’s going on?”
“Let me get dressed. Meet you in the kitchen.”
I nodded and handed him back his slacks. He was lucky he had a suit here. They all did. I would have been so
embarrassed if he came out of that pool naked. Mic, Ford, and Davis had no problem walking around naked, no matter
who was here. I knew Dawson didn’t either, but when I was living with them, at least he had the decency to stay covered
up, unlike the other three. Even Isha would walk around naked sometimes, it was like we lived in a commune.
I put my groceries away. I kept out the chicken, asparagus, Parmesan and garlic. As I waited for Mic, I rinsed my chicken off and patted it dry with a paper towel. I washed my hands and got bowls out to prepare my chicken.
“What are you making?” Mic asked.
“Tonight the guys are moving in. I’m making buttermilk fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and garlic Parmesan asparagus. I gotta get the chicken soaking in buttermilk, and put the seasoning together. They should be home by seven,
right?”
“Yeah. Sorry they had to take that last-minute job.”
“No, problem. So, as much as I love you, why are you here?”
“I don’t want you to freak out about what I am going to tell you.”
I turned to him slowly and braced my hands behind me on the counter.
“What?” I demanded.
“Someone was in your backyard. They looked through the windows and tried the sliding door. Luckily, it was locked. I think they were going to try to break in and set cameras up in the house. Davis found one in the backyard.”
“What? How do you know this?”
Added to the library
“Well, Bryson mentioned you had run into your e
e got a weird gut feeling. And since we’re security guys, and we go with our gut feelings, h
ere cameras in the house and was wondering if we could turn them back on. Luckily we did, or this guy might have succeeded in invading your privacy.”
I was dumbfounded. Who would want to set up cameras in my house? I’m going to have to reward Bryson for his quick
-Restraming Order
thinking
“Do you have a picture?” I asked.
Mic nodded and pulled up something on his phone before handing it to me.
I stared at the picture. The shadowing from the outside light had most of the face concealed, but there was something
familiar.
7 think that is my ex, the one from this afternoon.”
The one Bryce and James punched?” Mic asked.
Yeah. Look, you can kind of see a bandage on his nose.”
Mic took back his phone and his eyes widened.
“You’re right. F*ck, I didn’t catch that. Neither did the guys.”
I watched him text on his phone, and then it pinged, and I saw his face darken.
“It’s him. Dawson just sent me a better image,” he said, showing me. The shadows in the first picture were cleared up and there was douche canoe Carson looking into my house.
“What can we do with this?” I asked.
“We can get him for trespassing, but that’s about it. I’d like you to get a restraining order on him.”
I nodded and Mic started the process for me. What is with Carson? He’s the one that dumped me. Why now is he acting all crazy? Is it because he can’t stand to see me move on? I scoffed, what a prick.
I got the chicken soaking and put it in the fridge. I put my seasoning together in the crushed saltines I pulverized in a food processor instead of using flour for my fried chicken. I also got out my coconut oil and made sure I had enough,
which thank God I did.
A knock came to my door a couple of hours later. Mic had been watching TV and eating the homemade salsa and chips I gave him to get him out of my hair. He got up and answered the door. I looked at the time it was six, I got my frying skillet out and dumped a sh*t ton of coconut oil in the pan to start to melt. I got my chicken out of the fridge and put it next to the seasoned crushed crackers. I then started the water to boil for my potatoes that I had cubed up.
“Here’s your order. Pays to know the right people and judges,” he said with a chuckle.
“Thank you Mic. I am guessing he will get a copy too?”
“Yeah, all his information was easy to find. The officer that was just at the door is delivering his copy next. I’ll be out of your hair once the boys get home. Sooooo any chance I can get a plate of that chicken when it’s ready?”
“I figured you’d be asking and, since I have extra chicken, and I’m making twice as much food because I knew you’d ask, I’m making enough for the whole family too for you to bring home.”
“You’re an angel, cupcake. Best sister ever,” he said, kissing the top of my head.
“Yeah, yeah, go sit on the couch and get out of my kitchen.”
“You got it, boss.” He went to the fridge and grabbed a soft drink. He then went back into the living room.
I loved my family, I truly did, but I liked cooking in solitude. It was my time to think and dream up new recipes. I thought about Friday, the date Bryson and I were supposed to go on, but now that he is moving here with me, and I’ve solidified my relationship with both of them, I don’t want anyone left out. So, I was going to suggest we all go to the farmers’ market, and we all come up with a meal to make together. I may like cooking alone, but cooking with my men sounded like fun. Maybe one of us could be in charge of the main meal, another the side dish and the last person could make the dessert.
The kitchen was big enough to have half a dozen people cooking in it at once. So, space should be no problem.
I got lost in thought as I fried up the chicken and mashed the potatoes. I had pulled out the asparagus from the oven and just started on the gravy when Bryce and Bryson came home with four duffle bags and two boxes each. I heard them greet Mic. I saw Mic grab the boxes, and they all trudged to my room. Well, I guess our room now. I was becoming super giddy as I put the last of the chicken on the rack to drain. A pair of strong hands grabbed me by the waist and turned me. Bryson smiled down at me and leaned in for a kiss. I shoved my hands through his hair and gripped him. He groaned and
brought me closer.
“Okay, okay, my turn,” Bryce grumbled. Bryson chuckled, giving me one last peck before moving aside.
“Hi, pretty girl,” he said, gathering me close.
“Hi,” I said with a smile. His kiss was possessive and all-consuming.
“I missed you,” he whispered against my lips.
“You saw me earlier today,” I said as I stepped back.
“Doesn’t matter. I miss you the moment you’re out of my sight,” he said.
“It’s true, Sunshine. Bryce and I, we have it bad. You’re all we talked about tonight. We have so many plans for us.”
“Do tell,” I said, finishing my gravy.
“In time. God, this all looks amazing,” Bryson said.
“Thank you. I hope you’re hungry. I made a lot.”
“I’m hungry,” Mic interrupted. I rolled my eyes. I packed up containers in a canvas bag and handed it to him.
“I want the bag and containers back,” I said.
He saluted, hugged me, gave Bryce and Bryson head nods and left.
I gave Bryce plates and silverware to set the table. Bryson got us drinks, and we all sat down and dished up our plates.
“So, the guys told us about the excitement while you were out. What are you wanting to do about Carson?” Bryson asked.
“Well, Mic got me a restraining order. Carson should have his copy by now. He isn’t allowed to come within a hundred
feet of me. If he does, he could be arrested. I never knew he could be like this. This is a whole different side of him.”
“People will do crazy things when they are angry and desperate, Bryson said. I nodded and so did Bryce.
“Thank you for having them turn the cameras back on. I didn’t think I would ever need them.”
“Something just rubbed me the wrong way when you mentioned running into him and that guy, Charles, at the store. I’m
glad they did as I asked.”
“Enough about unpleasant people. This is our first night together in this house, our new home, I guess you could say,” Bryce said.
I smiled, “It is, I say we celebrate.”
“And how are we going to do that?” Bryson asked with a grin.
“By finishing this delicious dinner I made for my men and then f*cking all around the house?”
“I second that,” Bryce chimed in. We all laughed and dug into the food.
