Chapter 17
Cassius
Warm breath againstmy face wakes me from my sleep. Did Rosie climb into my bed again last night?
Slowly, I blink my eyes open and find myself staring right into a pair of bright blue eyes, but they're not Rosie’s. My eyes widen, and I think my heart stops for a moment.
“Sweet mother of god,” I breathe loudly. Harlow starts cracking up, only an inch away from my face. She’s straddling me, and as she sits up to give me some space, she rocks against my morning wood, making me grunt.
She wiggles her hips back and forth, making me even harder. Fuck.
“Morning, Cassy. Looks like someone grew up big and strong. Did you eat all your veggies like a good boy?” she giggles and rocks her hips again. My hands fly out to hold her still, not wanting to blow my load. She instantly goes quiet, and I look from my hands to her face before quickly removing them.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you, it's just... fuck,” I breathe.
“From what I can tell.” She rocks her hips again, making me groan. “You feel as big as Axel looked.”
My heart stops for a moment. She's seen his cock? What the fuck?
“And how exactly do you know what his dick looks like?” I growl, feeling jealous at the thought that my brother’s had her before me. But then I remember who Harlow is now, and there's no way she fucked him.
“You missed quite the show, Cassy boy,” she grins, then falls onto the bed next to me. I roll over onto my side as she rolls onto hers, making us face to face. Her black hair fanning out onto the pillow.
“Oh really? And what show was that? D-Day, or your little show with Neo afterward?” I ask. The thought of Neo getting to fuck her doesn’t bother me as much as it did before. The only thing I’m jealous over is that I don't get to touch her while he does. For now, she’s ours, and I’ll earn her trust back over time, and when I do, I'll let it be known that I’m madly in love with her. I don't want to own her, just love her, and be loved by her, like when we were kids.
Rosie adores her, not shutting up about her for even a second. The look on Rosie’s face when she told me that Harlow agreed to be her mama made my heart explode. I know it sounds crazy; who lets a serial killer just take charge and demand that a child be theirs now? And I used to think the idea was absurd, but after seeing how amazing she is with my daughter and everything she has done to protect her, I know she's exactly what Rosie needs. Not once, since Harlow has come into her life, has she asked about her mother, other than when I told her she will be living with me full time from now on. It was nice, but sad, when I told her that her mother was gone and not coming back. She was happy and excited about living with me, but didn't ask anything more on the subject of why. That woman only did one good thing in her pathetic excuse of an existence, and that was giving birth to Rosie.
Harlow's smile grows wide with mischief and amusement. “Axel, the foolish man that he is, didn't enjoy my little challenge. Let’s just say, by the end of it, I'm sure there was nothing left of his cock,” she giggles.
My brows pinch. “Did you sleep with him?” I ask, holding my breath.
“No, silly!” she scoffs. “As if he would let me have any control over him.” She rolls her eyes, then smiles again. “At least in the bedroom,” she winks, and I chuckle.
“We had some fucked-up game of chicken during my post kill fuck with Neo. God, it was hilarious watching him whack his willy like it was gonna cum skittles.” She breaks out into a fit of giggles at her own joke, and I can't help but smile at this really weird situation. We’ve found ourselves in some strange predicaments regarding Neo in the past, but with both of these oddballs in the same room together, I should get used to weird shit happening all the time now. Also explains why Axel looked like he was in a lot of pain last night, heard him cursing in the bathroom before I went to sleep. Stubborn fucker.
One thing I do love and appreciate from both Neo and Harlow is that their crazy personas get locked enough down to a safe and appropriate level when they are around Rosie. Another reason why I trust them with my daughter.
“So, what are you doing here so early... in my bed... with me?” I ask with a smirk.
She tucks a piece of my long locks behind my ear, like she used to when we were teenagers, as if out of muscle memory. When she realizes what she's doing, she retracts her hand.
“I'm having a girls’ day with Evie today. With you guys joining our little rag-tag group of misfits and my spending so much time with Rosie, on top of all the club business and Tracy...” Her face flickers with pain and frustration at the mention of the girl who’s gone missing. “I haven't had any time with my bestie. So, I came to tell you that I’m giving you guys the day off and closing the club for the night. It's a Monday, so it’s really no biggie.”
“I’ve had a lot of days off lately,” I point out.
“About that. Penny can't do anything around the club with her not being legal age and all. So, I was thinking that if you're okay with it, she could watch Rosie while you work?”
She sees my immediate refusal coming and continues. “I know you don't trust many people with Rosie. But Penny is a good kid. She turns 18 next week, and she loves kids,” she says. “You can bring Rosie to my place above the club. I have a top-of-the-line security system, we can get anything she might need while she's there, and she will be close by if anything happens. Keep in mind that you can’t keep her locked up here forever, and I won't let this be an easy way out of the deal you made with me.”
She does have a point. Rosie is already getting annoyed at my over-protectiveness, and she doesn't understand why. I don't want to overwhelm her any more than she will be once she starts going to therapy.
“Fine. But won’t the music be a problem?” I ask.
“Ah, no,” she laughs. “I have that place completely sound-proofed. Don't need anyone hearing my screaming orgasms now do I?” she giggles.
“Don't they hear that after your kills anyways?”
“Nope. Everyone has to leave for that part.”