“You can take the day off from the club?” I ask, greedy to spend more time with him, but not wanting him to be lax. I can’t let anything happen to him—not now. Not ever.
“I can do anything I want and I most definitely want this,” he whispers. He’s leaning over me, his hand still holding the side of my neck. He buries his face in the other side, letting his teeth rake against the skin. My hips thrust up against his. He groans.
When we got home last night, he took me straight to his room. He let me get ready for bed on my own, giving me one of his long-sleeved shirts that fell to my knees. I thought he would pressure me to show him what I’ve been hiding. He hasn’t, and I’m glad, but as his hand moves up under the shirt and the pads of his fingers trail up my leg, I wish I’d just let him…
When he gets to my hip, I tense up. I know he feels it because his eyes go to me and he squeezes my hip gently.
“Mi cielo, nothing you are hiding could bother me. You are beautiful to me no matter what,” he whispers, and I want to believe him. I want that so much. I swallow and it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him it’s okay.
“Skull,” I start, but I stop when there’s a pounding on the door.
“Boss, you in there?” Sabre asks.
“Hijo de puta,” Skull mutters, holding his head down. He slowly brings it back up, his eyes holding mine. “This better be good, Sabre,” he growls, much louder, still looking at me.
“We’ve found Colin,” Sabre says.
Both of us tense at the same time.
“I’ll be right there. Tell everyone to meet me in my office,” Skull tells him, and we hear Sabre walk away.
“When this is over, Beth, I am loading you and Gabby up and we’re hitting the road and only stopping when we want, and only answering the fucking phone if we feel like it.”
“I’m not sure I like that idea,” I tell him honestly.
“Why’s that?”
“Our bed isn’t on the road.”
“But you haven’t experienced the joys of hotel sex yet, querida. Trust me, I’ll make you like it.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” I tell him with a half-smile.
“I better go to work,” he says. I nod my head in agreement and regret. I don’t want to lose the connection the two of us have finally made. “Hey, I got this,” he says, correctly reading the worry on my face.
“I know, I just… things are so good right now…”
“I’m going to kill him, Beth. Then, when he’s no longer polluting the air we breathe, you and I are going on our trip with our daughter. That’s my promise to you.”
“Do I get to…”
He puts his finger on my lips. “You killed Matthew. You have to save one for me, querida. They destroyed my life, too.”
“You’ll let me know what’s going on? You won’t hide it from me?” I ask him, knowing that if I at least know what he’s doing, that will be enough.
“I promise. You and me against the world, remember?”
“And Gabby,” I answer.
“Always Gabby,” he confirms.
“Then get off of me. It’s time we get this day started.” I smile, trying to shake off this bad feeling I have. He reaches down to kiss me, and I take it with gratitude. His tongue pushes inside my mouth, moving against my own as we slowly taste and enjoy one another. I bring my fingers up to my lips when we pull apart. Five minutes later when Skull has dressed and left the room, I’m still holding my fingers to my lips and wishing I was on the road with my family.
“You’re looking awfully satisfied there, boss,” Briar says when I come through the door.
I look him over. Could he be the mole? A man could drive himself fucking insane trying to figure this shit out.
“This mean you’re finally boning your wife again?” Torch asks. I slap him on the back of his head, harder than is warranted, but that shit feels good.
“Respect, estúpido,” I warn him. Bastard doesn’t even blink an eye. He laughs. I could almost hate him.
“‘Bout damn time. Hell, my balls were turning blue watching you two pussyfoot around each other,” Sabre says.
“Pussyfoot? What the fuck, man? What the hell does that even mean?” Briar asks.
“That means your old lady’s been broke by a foot-long dick,” Shaft says.
“Fuck you motherfucker,” Briar grumbles, flipping Shaft the bird.
“Can you fuckwads tell me what we’ve found out about Colin or are you just going to gossip like a bunch of old ladies all night?”
“Damn, I don’t remember you getting so bitchy when you get sex. Someone pass the boss a candy bar.”