"We, uh, didn't have sex."
"Well, that's disappointing."
"We did other stuff though. I don't want to fuck him. I just met him," she admits.
I raise a brow. Interesting. "And your not banging one of the hottest guys alive has nothing at all to do with a certain Ben Kingston?"
Her brows furrow and her eyes fill with fire. "Ben Kingston can go to hell."
Very interesting. "I've said that a time or two myself."
"I'm sure three-fourths of the population has," Coley snarks.
"Ha. Nice. Now, tell me how good Lucian is with his tongue and fingers."
She lets out a snicker then tells me what I want to hear.
"Holy smokes. I think I need a cold shower or a cigarette," I mutter, fanning myself. I need to find and jump my husband.
Coley laughs. "Yeah, it was quite the experience."
"I just bet. I figured Burners were kinky, but who knew?" I murmur, motioning Coley on the bus.
I take a seat and Coley heads toward the back to shower. I feel his stare. It's like a caress without being touched. I always feel him. I meet his gaze, his expression blank, but his eyes tell me so much. Unless you know him intimately, you wouldn't notice there are a few more crinkles around his eyes signaling he's upset. Unless you know him intimately, you wouldn't know that the way he's separated his index and middle finger from the rest of his fingers on the hand he's resting his chin on shows he's ready to do battle. You'd never know the darkening of his eyes isn't from arousal, but the knowledge that someone he loves is in danger.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and he blinks. I watch as he moves the middle finger off of his face now as well, and that's my cue.
I pull out my phone and pretend to look at a text. I sigh and look up.
"Babe," I begin.
"Fee," he returns.
"I just got a text from one of the guys and they're having a bit of an issue." A small lie, but I am not getting Lucy, Jesse, or anyone else worked up over this until we know what's going on, and we don't want to tip off the rat.
"Then by all means," my sexy husband says, standing up and offering his hand to me. I take it and he helps me to stand before putting that hand on the small of my back. Just that simple touch sends shivers up my spine. What this man does to me.
"Do you need any help?" Ethan asks.
"Nah, we're good," I tell him.
"Cool. Just yell if you do."
"Thanks Ethie weethie," I sing song and Ethan visibly cringes.
"What the fuck?" he asks.
I snicker. "Too much?"
"Only by a few thousand miles or so."
"I'll work on it."
"Please don't," he says.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head, I'll come up with the perfect nickname for you."
"Christ," he mutters and tips his head back against the sofa.
Kennedy chuckles and I give him a look.
"Don't think you're safe from a nickname either, pal."
"Pal?" he asks.
"Did you want me to call you Kenny Wenny?"
"Fuck no. Never say that again."
"Fine, but I'm working on it."
"Yay," he says, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"You guys are no fun today," I mutter.
"Make up a nickname for Cage and see if he's more fun," Ethan mutters.
"I already did," I tell them with a grin. I pause for effect. "He's Batman."
They all nod in agreement. No words needed. Cage looks down at me and shakes his head. I give him my biggest, cheesiest grin and I see a small lift of the side of his mouth.
We exit the bus and I turn to face him. "I knew it!"
Cage just looks at me. "Knew what?"
I can't contain my excitement. I feel a bit like Meggie right now … minus the bouncing. I don't bounce. Not on purpose. Well … never mind. Off topic.
"I knew it! You secretly like being called Batman!"
He smirks. "You're weird."
"That's not new."
"No, it isn't, but this is a new kind of weird," he tells me.
I snicker. "A Batman kind of weird?"
He nods.
"That's a pretty epic weird," I admit.
He nods again. "What am I going to do with you, Fee?" he asks, putting his arm around my shoulders and kissing my forehead.
I look up into those gorgeous eyes full of love. "Love me?"
"I already do. To impossible lengths."
"Yeah?" I probe. I love when he shares his feelings but he always needs a little nudge.
He nods again. "Impossible."
I nod in return. "I'm right there with you, babe."
"Took you long enough," he deadpans.
I narrow my eyes. "Whatever. I loved you the whole time. You just didn't know it."
"Oh, I knew it. I also knew you were too stubborn to admit it. You, my lovely Fee, always take the hard way," he explains.
I tilt my head and grin. "I like things hard."
He chuckles and I pull him down for a kiss.
"I love you, Cage."
"I love you, my Fee. Now tell me what has our little Coley upset."
"You were right," I tell Cage.
He nods, his expression grim and angry. "So I was. I was hoping I wasn't."
"How do you think it happened?" I ask.
"I'm not sure, but we'll find out in due time."
I sigh. "What do we do now?"
"Watch, wait, and listen," Cage tells me while texting on his phone.
"Who do we tell and not tell?" I ask.
"We tell no one. None of the guys are going to fuck her. She's made herself look like every other groupie out there. They aren't going to do anything with her since she's traveling with us."
"Ah, yeah. What are we going to do to protect Lucy?" This is what I'm worried about most. If anything happens to those babies, it will destroy her, and if anything happens to her, it will destroy me.
"I won't let it happen, Fee," Cage says, pulling me into a hug.
My husband, he knows me so well. I wrap my arms around him and breathe in the scent of pine that soothes me. "I know."
His arms envelop me, holding me close as he clutches me tightly to him. Then he sighs.
"What's wrong?" I ask, running my hands up and down his back.
"You shouldn't be part of this. It will always be like this. I wish there was a way to keep you out of it," he murmurs, resting his cheek atop my head.
"For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in good times and in bad. Do I need to go on?" I ask.
"Fee."
"Cage. I will give you up for nothing and no one. I'm done running and hiding-and not just from you. From all of it. I will stand by your side and support you, whatever needs to be done. You know this so stop thinking about the 'what ifs'." I look up into those eyes that see every single emotion inside of me and my heart sighs.
He rests his forehead against mine. "Fee. You undo me."
"And I'll never stop. We do this together because whether you like it or not, I'm a part of this. It's an equal opportunity Famiglia," I tease.
The side of his mouth twitches. "So it would seem. It also seems like we're not the only Family who's made these changes."
I nod. I sat in on the meeting between Cage and Gampy Gio, Damian and Ernesto. Not only have the Manzinis begun to allow women to participate in the Family business, but so have the Donahues and Tierneys. I'm not sure why it's taken us so long. The Cartels have been permitting women to take part in the business-not that we're on the same level as Cartels, but still.
"Cousin Bella's ready to go."
Cage nods. "She's been waiting. I'd have pulled her in sooner if I could. She can shoot better than everyone but Ernesto and Damian."
I scoff. "She can't shoot better than me. And I'd like to see her match me with knife throwing." I'm a little affronted he said it like that, even though I know his next sentence is going to be-
"Fee, I didn't mean it like that. I was referring to those away from us. You're a better shot than her by a mile, and knife throwing?" he smirks.
"I know. I just wanted to hear you say it."
He chuckles.
"What now, Batman?"
"I need to relay this to Gio, Damian, and Ernesto. We'll need to put someone on Lucy who she won't suspect is guarding her."
I know just the right person. "Liam."
Cage lifts a brow. "Why Liam?"
"As much as I hate lying to my sister, we could use the excuse Kane wants him to look after Lucy just in case something happens with the babies," I tell him and he nods.
"That'll work. We have to make sure Coley doesn't get too close to this. She's going to want to so she can help protect Lucy and the babies," Cage reminds me.
"I know. She's the little sister we never had and she's fierce like us."
"That she is, and here she comes now."
I turn to see Coley walking out of the bus.
"She looks a little pale, don't you think?" I ask Cage.
"A bit, yes. I'll have Kane check her over but I think she's probably not been eating properly."