Page 55 of Intolerable Bishop

“Please, get over yourself,” Theo said.

“It wasn’t like that,” I said, but Blake didn’t look at me.

“You know how I feel about her, and yet you can’t help being first, being number one.” Blake shoved Theo, and the air of calm around him vanished in a blink.

“It wasn’t about you,” Theo growled and shoved Blake back.

“Enough, it wasn’t Theo’s fault. I wanted to,” I said.

“He took advantage of you,” Blake roared. “You don’t even like her, but you happily stepped in to be her knight in shining armor.” Blake pushed Theo harder this time, and he took a step back. “What kind of prick takes advantage of a girl like that?”

“Fuck you, Blake. You weren’t there. You don’t know what happened,” Theo growled, his hands balling into fists.

“Guys, stop it!” I went to grab Blake, but Nash wrapped his arm around my waist and picked me up as he hauled me back. “Let go, someone needs to stop them.”

“No way, Princess. You started this, but they need to finish it,” he said with a lilt of humor.

“Not funny. Do you want them to fight?”

“No, I want them to sort their shit out so we can get to work. Plus, this is entertaining as fuck. I missed the drama you bring to the table, Princess. I’ve gotten used to your brand of chaos.”

“What I know is that you just can’t help yourself. You have to be the best and show me up in everything. You say you don’t, but this isn’t a game to me. I love her, and you just pushed me out of the way,” Blake yelled.

I’d never seen him mad like this. Blake was many things, but prone to rage fits was not one of them. The only time I’d seen him like this was when he’d kissed me for the first time, and he and Myles got into a yelling match. That was different, and his reasons for trying to get someone to hit him were toxic.

“For the last time, me sleeping with Ren had nothing to do with you or your feelings or adding more to the imaginary bar you think I have set,” Theo said, getting right up into Blake’s face.

My heart was pounding out of my chest, and I pulled on Nash’s arm. Someone needed to stop this before it got out of control, but Nash was having none of it and lifted my feet off the ground again. Nash was right about one thing. I might have hit the button on the bomb, but it had been ticking long before this. A brother’s rivalry that I could never fully understand.

“Put me down, I’m not a damn child.” My teeth gritted as I glared over my shoulder at him.

“Not a chance, Princess, they need to work through this on their own,” he said.

“Oh, okay, Dr. Nash. When did you get your PHD in psychology?” This was humiliating. “I love your fucking mouth Princess, but if you start to fight me right now, I promise that I’ll be the one bending you over.” Nash’s blue eyes dropped to meet mine, and I was acutely aware that he could easily pull it off.

“I call bullshit.” Blake fumed, jerking my attention back to him and Theo. “You made the escape plan, and you purposely arranged it so you would have her alone and all to yourself,” Blake said, not backing down.

This was insanity. “Hello! I did have a say in all of this,” I yelled, but no one was listening. Not even Myles or Liam. Their eyes were trained on the two brothers getting ready to come to blows. The tension was so thick that if we were in a room, we’d choke on it.

“Oh yes, I’m fucking clairvoyant now and saw mercenaries coming to attack us just so that I could fuck Ren’s brains out on a mad dash to save our lives. You figured me out, brother.” Theo pushed Blake hard enough that he stumbled back. “It’s not my fucking fault you’re a virgin and butt sore about it. All I did was what you wouldn’t do, even when she begged you to,” Theo growled.

Oh fuck.

The argument had been like watching a long fuse and a little flame burning as it raced toward sticks of dynamite, but just like that, everything went kaboom. With a yell, Blake lunged at Theo, and the fight was on. The tackle took them both to the ground, and I covered my mouth as fists flew. Shit, when everything happened with Theo, I never thought that things would boil over into a fight like this. Both Blake and Myles had given their consent, sort of anyway.

They rolled past the motorcycle, narrowly missing it. I looked at Liam, mortified that I might’ve created an even bigger issue than Blake, but he was watching the show, his eyes casual with his hands stuffed in his pockets. What the hell was wrong with guys? They seemed to love a good fight no matter what it was over.

“Blake’s a virgin? How the fuck did I miss that,” Nash asked. I looked up at his shocked face.

“That’s what you’re worried about? Not them beating the shit out of one another,” I growled. “And put me down. I feel like a rag doll.”

“Ya know what, fuck this.” Myles marched over, and Nash let go of me. But before I could say a word, Myles tossed me over his shoulder like a firefighter.

“Myles put me down,” I said and smacked his ass as we walked, which did nothing. The sound of the fight grew quieter, and then I couldn’t hear them at all when the door to the cabin closed behind us. Even though there was no way to see where we were heading, I knew we were going to the bedroom. As soon as we got inside, he dropped me on the bed and closed the door.

Butterflies twisted and turned in my stomach, the silence drowning me and clogging my throat. Myles was turned away from me, hand on the door, head down. I watched his back expand and contract with each breath he took.

“Are you not worried about them fighting?”