Page 300 of Blackwood

Mouth open. One arm hanging off the bed. A little snore. I just stand there, staring at her. Cade walks in behind me, sees the scene, and literally wilts.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna punch a wall.”

“She moaned my name like two hours ago, Lex.”

“She rode me like a mechanical bull to Ludacris, Cade.”

We both just stare. Then I sigh, step forward, and slowly pull off her other boot. She doesn’t move. Cade gently covers her with the blanket. She snuggles deeper into the pillow, letting out a tiny content hum.

I press a kiss to her temple and whisper, “Sleep, baby.” Then I turn around and adjust a very angry Little Lex like a soldier defeated.

Cade’s right behind me, muttering, “Blue balls are a hate crime.”

We fall into bed beside her, staring up at the ceiling in silence.

“So, you wanna rock-paper-scissors for who gets the cold shower first?” Cade whispers.

“Fuck that. We both suffer.”

Chapter 81

BELLA

Home

64 Days Since Daddy’s Death

“Is she dead?” Knox’s voice rings out from the kitchen, way too loud for someone not being murdered.

“No,” Cade says, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “She groaned when I opened the blinds. Then threatened my bloodline.”

“She’s alive,” Lex mutters, padding down the hall shirtless, still towel-damp with a hand raking through his hair. “Just currently in a bourbon-and-glitter-induced coma. Caused by way too many shots, rainwater, and one too many lap dances.”

Knox snorts. “Y’all were five seconds from banging on the dance floor. Again.”

“She was… enthusiastic,” Cade laughs.

“Enthusiastic?” Lex scoffs. “She bit me, Cade.”

Knox tosses a gummy worm at him. “You looked like you were gonna break the floorboards of the damn rain stage. Spontaneous combustion is real.”

Lex shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m fine. Not sure about my jeans though.”

“Pretty sure Bella’s the one who shredded them,” Cade adds, casual.

Lex grins. “Worth it.”

My phone buzzes violently on the nightstand, followed by more, then more. I groan from under a mountain of pillows, one eye barely cracking open.

ELLIE:Um… where is Bella?

HALEY:Yeah, group chat is sooo DEAD without her.

ELLIE:Also?

ELLIE:Why did I wake up in DeShawn’s shirt??