“Fuck the Italians,” I snarl, “I told you I’ve been distracted.” I take a step closer to Dolph. “My future wife is inside that house and I’m gonna need you to leave. I’ll come back once I’ve finished some business.”
“Your business is our business,” Dolph growls and I bore my eyes into his.
“Not this. This I’ll do on my own.” I explain my plans to Dolph. Tell him I’ll go after the Scarecrow Crew once Addie has fallen asleep. At first he insists on me bringing reinforcement but gives in when he sees I won’t budge. I want to finish them off with my own bare hands. It’s a basic masculine need, the need to harm everyone who has harmed your woman and I don’t want anyone sharing that privilege with me.
Dolph reluctantly agrees to my plan and he’s about to leave when the front door opens. I tense, throwing a furious glance over my shoulder. Addie doesn’t notice and there’s a hospitable smile plastered on her face that pales slightly at the sight of Dolph.
“Never mind my robe,” she says in that friendly, warm tone of hers. I stand in front of her, to block Dolph from looking at her but to my great annoyance, she peeks around me. “Just wanted to ask if you wanna come inside? Rev said you doan but I aint never known a man saying no to a fresh bowl of farm ice cream.”
Dolph’s jaw slightly slacks but I rasp in a curt tone.
“He can’t stay. He was just about to leave.”
“Oh,” Addie murmurs, frowning, “then can I get you something for the road? Maybe some cold milk fresh from the cow’s teat...?”
“He doesn’t need anything,” I growl, snatching Addie around the waist and I yank her back into the house and close the door and she turns around, peering at me.
“Is he really your friend?” she asks and I nod and she crosses her arms. “He doesn’t look as kind as you, though he sure is big.”
“I’m bigger,” I say with a flare of jealousy that makes me want to run out again and challenge Dolph to a fight just to show Addie I’m the only big, bad around here and the only one she looks up to with those eyes. Addie lets out a low snigger and I add, “Go to bed, Addie. I’ll lock up all the doors.”
Her lids flutter. “Sure is nice having someone else doing that.” She drags a breath. “Rev if I get scared of the thunder, can I come into your room tonight?”
I sway in place, my heart skipping a couple of beats in my chest.
“Yeah,” I rasp hoarsely, “you can come to me.”
I guess the killing’s gonna have to wait. I don’t want Addie to need me and not find me. She leaves for upstairs and I lock up before heading to my own room. Undressing, I put on the pajamas and usually I sleep naked but with Addie around it’ll be risky.
Especially if she comes into my room.
It better thunder tonight.
Grinding the back of my teeth, I push the covers aside and get into bed. I lay on my back, looking up at the ceiling and I wait and wait...My eyes flash in relief when I hear the first drops smatter against the window and soon a sky fall follows. It pours down but I’m going to need more and I tilt my face to the side.
Just go ahead and...
Boom!
Thank fuck. Thunder blasts, smashing into the ground like a hammer and I hear a squeak from Addie’s room and seconds later she’s standing in the doorway. Pale in the face, she whimpers, crossing the floor so fast I barely get a chance to blink and she worms under the duvet, wriggling erotically until my eyes roll back in my head.
This.Having my hands full of a farm girl blessed with rich curves is probably as close to ecstasy a monster like me will come.
5.
Adelaide
I can barely breathe under the covers and being snuggled up against Revenge’s icy frame feels surprisingly warm and now I understand why people make icehouses to keep the heat. Thunder slams outside and I scooch closer.
“Feels like the storm’s goan pull up the house by its roots doan it? Not that houses have roots...,” I add with a whisper and Revenge shakes his head in reassurance.
“You’re safe with me,” he rasps and I bury my head into the pillow.
“Safer than I am on my own anyway,” I murmur and even in the dark, I notice that Revenge is frowning. I wonder why he always seems to get upset when I doubt his ability to protect me. Thing is that I don’t doubt his ability. It’s just that I know the power of crooks more.
The crew could pulverize Revenge if they wanted to and that scares me. There are twelve of them and one of Revenge and math has never been my strong side but even I know it means he’s outnumbered. Reassured by the fact that he’s here and safe with me, I smile to myself in the dark and wriggle closer to Revenge but he tenses.
“Keep wriggling like that and I’ll give you something stiff to wriggle on,” he growls and I gasp. I squeak, lying still for a moment and I stare at his profile.