“That’s nuts.”
“I don’t make the rules, girl. You got to take that up with the crazy people in this town. Nuts, all of them. Don’t know how I stay so sane.”
“I’m fine,” Flick protested as West hovered over her, fluffing pillows behind her back. Butch wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Beau whispered.
“It’s like watching a bear use a toilet,” Raid added.
“Weird and creepy,” Tanner agreed.
Mia turned and glared at them all.
“West Malone, leave my pillows alone!” Flick ordered. “They don’t need fluffing.”
“I’ll fluff if I want to fluff,” West grumbled.
Tanner snorted out a laugh. “He’s a fluffer.”
West glared over at him, and Tanner held up both hands. “Sorry, brother.”
West turned back to Flick. “From now until the baby is born and you’re both safe, you’re getting fussed at. By all of us.”
Everyone else in the room nodded. Butch moved to her side as Mia walked over to Alec, who drew her against him, murmuring to her quietly.
“You gave us all a fright, Flick,” Butch told her. “Let us take care of you, okay?”
Flick’s frown disappeared. She sighed tiredly, staring up at them all with weary eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m tired and grumpy. I didn’t mean to snap.”
“It’s okay, baby. We understand.” West brushed her hair back from her face, his movements so sweet and gentle that Butch felt this odd longing in his chest.
He wanted that.
What they had.
“Just don’t ever scare us like that again,” West demanded. “I can’t take it.”
“None of us can,” Mia added with a small smile from where she still stood nestled in Alec’s arms.
“Believe me, I’ll try not to.” Flick rubbed her belly, looking worried.
“The doctor is keeping her in for a few more nights,” Alec told them all. “She needs to be watched closely.”
“And even when she comes home, she’ll be on strict bed rest for the rest of this pregnancy,” West added with a stern look her way.
Flick sighed. “That’s so boring. There’s only so much daytime TV a girl can take.”
“Don’t worry, Flickity-flick, we’ll keep you entertained,” Tanner said.
Flick eyed him. “Why do you look worse than I do?”
“Yes, Tanner,” Alec drawled. “Why do you?”
“Uh, well, you see . . .”
Butch’s phone rang, and he patted Flick’s hand before walking out of the room. He frowned as he stared down at the contact name that came up.
“Hello?” he answered the call.
“Butch, this is Jake.”
Fuck.
“Man, if this is about Tanner—”
“It’s not,” Jake said quickly. “Although I need to chat with him about last night. No, this is about a woman named Lara Matheson. You know her?”
He straightened. “Yes. Fuck. Do you know where she is? I’ve been trying to get hold of her.”
“I know where she is,” Jake confirmed. “She’s at Fet.”
How the hell had she gotten there? Didn’t matter.
“I’m on my way.”
“You like this girl? You know her well?”
That was kind of a weird question. Wait, why was Jake there anyway? The restaurant wasn’t open yet. “Yeah I do, why?”
“She’s not in great shape. Just wanted to warn you first.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well . . . looks to me like someone might have hit her.”
What. The. Fuck?
Definitely never letting her out of his sight again.
27
Lara looked up as the back door of the kitchen slammed open.
Tears entered her eyes as he walked into the room. His face was filled with thunder, and there was murder in his eyes. His hands were clenched into fists. He looked tired and angry . . . and she’d never been so pleased to see someone in her life.
“Butch!” Jake said sharply, jumping to his feet for some reason.
She got up, and Renard leaped forward to grab her, but she evaded him as she threw herself at Butch. Her entire body protested, and the few bites of omelet she’d managed to eat threatened to come up, but it was worth it as a sense of safety raced through her.
Butch picked her up with a hand under her ass, cradling her against his chest. She wrapped her legs around him, burying her face into his chest even as her cheek throbbed.
Worth it.
“Are you a broom? Because you’ve swept me off my feet.”
He groaned at the terrible pick-up line.
“Thank fuck you’re okay,” Butch told her. “I was fucking worried about you. I couldn’t get hold of you.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Damn it, baby. Don’t do that to me again. I don’t like not knowing whether you’re okay or not.”
“Well, I was going to ask her if she felt safe being around you. But I can see that she does,” Jake said dryly.
“Of course she does,” Butch snapped. “I’d never harm her.”
“You need to tone down the angry face then,” Renard said.
“I would never hurt her. No matter what. And you insult me by suggesting I would.”
Uh-oh.
Butch was growing tense.