“Is she here?”

“Yes.  Would you like to speak to her?” I hear Cash respond.

“Of course. I didn’t drive all the way down here to ask a simple question.  Unless you want to make it worth my while.”  I grin and shake my head.  I can almost see the smile she’s wearing as she sharpens her cougar claws on Cash’s chest.  Before Cash, who is no doubt speechless, can respond, she continues.  “Where is that disappearing wench?  She scared the shit out of me!”

I look at the clock.  No wonder she’s upset.  It’s nearly seven p.m.  I must’ve slept longer than I thought.

I pull the covers up tighter around me and sit up just as Ginger is coming into the bedroom.  “There you are,” she says flinging her arms.  “And just as I suspected.  I’ve been worrying my ass off and you’ve been having multiple orgasms at the end of a Greek god’s penis.  Figures.”

“I’m sorry, Ginger. I didn’t mean to worry you.   It’s that stupid phone I’m using.  I can’t wait to get mine back.”

“That’s a likely story.  But hell, I’d lie, too, if this was waiting for me back here.”  With a smile, she perches on the edge of the bed beside me.  “No worries.  I’m just happy to see your hen house being taken care of by such a fabulous cock.”  She leans in and whispers to me, “And it is a fabulous cock, am I right?”  I say nothing, simply grin.  She leans back and clears her throat.   “I expected nothing less.  God doesn’t mess something like that up,” she says, hiking her thumb back toward Cash who is hovering in the doorway, clearly already bored with Ginger’s presence.

“No, He didn’t mess up anything on that!” I gloat.

“You’re a saucy bitch to tease me this way.  Where’s the other one?  They’re twins.  He ought to be just as perfect. Only a little less…attached.”

Ginger grins at me and I roll my eyes just as I hear the door open. I see Cash turn toward the garage and then I hear another voice.

“I hope it’s a bad time,” Nash says in his gruff way.  He steps into the doorway and looks in at me.  “Damn, you lucked up.  I love a girl that doesn’t mind company.”

If the sting in my cheeks is any indication, my face is cherry red at his insinuation.  Before anyone can respond, Ginger turns to me, her eyes wide.  “Sweet mother of sex, they’re triplets!”

Ginger looks back toward Nash and my eyes meet Cash’s.  I’m fine until he winks. Then I lose it.  We both burst into laughter.

“What?” Ginger asks, turning to look back at me.  She narrows her eyes on me and gasps.  “You’ve been hiding them from me on purpose!  You naughty, naughty little vixen!”  She pauses for only a second before she throws her arms around my neck.  “Never in all my wildest dreams did I take you for a foursome.  With triplets, no less!”  She leans back and grins at me.  “You’ve officially earned your claws.  Not the cougar kind, of course.  You’re far too young for that.  But you get honorary claws just for being the only hen in a whole house full of cocks.   I’m so proud,” she says melodramatically, covering her mouth with her hands.  I know she’s just teasing when she winks at me over her polished nails.

“God, you’re incorrigible.”

She drops her hands and kills the drama.  “I know.  But that’s why you love me.”  She stands and tugs at the hem of her short skirt.  “Well, boys, I’d have been happy to join this little party, but I’m thinking it’s already a bit crowded.  I wouldn’t want to overwhelm anyone with my fabulousness.  Maybe next time.”  With her typical cocky strut, Ginger makes her way from the room, reaching behind her to slap Nash on the butt as she passes.  I see her turn and give him a cheeky wink as she goes.

“Who the hell was that?” Nash asks.

“You don’t want to know,” Cash replies.

“I heard that,” Ginger chimes in from the garage, her voice echoing back to us.  I hear her mumble something else a few seconds before another voice sounds.

“Hello?”

Marissa.

Oh shit!

I hear a light knock, like she rapped on the doorframe with her knuckles.  I look to Cash and he sighs heavily through thinned lips.  “Dammit!” I hear him mutter.  “Couldn’t you people have called?” he says testily.

“I’m sorry,” I hear Marissa say.  “I was looking for…him.”  I imagine her indicating Nash.  He’s the only “him” in the room other than Cash.

“Fine,” Cash says abruptly.  “You found him.  Why don’t you two take the office?  You can have some privacy.”  I see him trying to push Nash out of the way and shut the door, but not before Marissa gets into the apartment far enough to see into the bedroom.  In to where I’m still lying naked in the bed, covered only in a rumpled sheet.

She looks in and I see a frown flicker across her forehead before she rushes past Cash toward me.  She launches herself at the bed, throwing her arms around my neck.  I’m stunned, of course, and left wondering what’s going on while I try to keep myself covered.  The room is far too full for my current state of undress.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she murmurs against my neck.  I feel her body shake. It takes me a minute to realize she’s silently sobbing.

“Marissa, what’s wrong?”  I ask this more out of shock than any real concern.  My cousin has been a royal bitch since birth and any love between us died about six months thereafter.

She leans away and looks back at me with huge, watery blue eyes.  The most puzzling thing is that they seem to be sincere huge, watery blue eyes.

“I was so afraid for you. I heard them talking about killing you.  Both of us.  All of us,” she says, turning to look back at the twins, standing quietly in the doorway.  “I’ve never been so scared in all my life.  And all I could think about was sending you to that damned art exhibition wearing that stupid dress.”

I’m dumbstruck. And completely suspicious.  I’m adult enough to admit it.  This girl, who I’ve often fantasized about scalping or setting on fire or dying purple, suddenly gets nice?  Um, I don’t think so.

“I know you probably think I’m crazy.  Or making it up.  But I swear to you, Liv, you were all I could think about.”  Her lip starts to tremble and her eyes fill with more tears.  “You’ve always been good to me, always been such a sweet person and I’ve always treated you like nothing.  And I’m so sorry.  All my life, I’ve been surrounded by people just like me.  People who probably couldn’t care less if I disappeared. And that includes Daddy.  What I needed most was to be surrounded by people just like you.”  She pauses and swallows hard, tears streaming down her face.  “I don’t want to be that person anymore, Liv.  Can you ever forgive me?”