Page 37

Vince

Scarlett fell asleep in Ezra’s arms, with Mateo still peppering kisses along her arm. Vince, however, sat back on his heels, completely mesmerised. How could they be this lucky?

Vince watched closely and when goosebumps pebbled her skin, he rose from the floor to grab a blanket.

He was surprised that Ezra let him take her out of his hands.

With the blanket firmly around her, he carried her upstairs and into her room.

Mateo and Ezra weren’t far behind, one pulling her blankets back while the other already held her pyjamas.

“Scarlett?” he whispered, kissing her temple.

She hummed in response, but her eyes stayed closed as he laid her on the bed.

“Let’s get you dressed. Mateo has your pyjamas.”

Scarlett mumbled something that Vince couldn’t quite discern and sat up, barely opening her eyes. They helped her change and she was instantly asleep once more.

Ezra tucked her in rather gently and then they left her to her dreams. Downstairs, Mateo cleaned up the snacks while Ezra cleared the shattered ceramic in the sink. Vince stood in the middle of the room, feeling rather lost.

Mateo walked past him and chuckled, his arms overflowing with food. “Is your mind blown?”

Vince only stared after Mateo. He wasn’t sure even where to start on putting that into words.

It had been a while since he’d been with a woman, and they’d never even imagined sharing one.

Most shockingly, not a single one of them felt jealous.

She had not favoured one over the other, nor had she been uncomfortable.

Ezra walked past him with the shattered mug in a bowl, redirecting his focus. Ezra clearly felt their confusion, but ignored them and disappeared out of sight.

Mateo shook his head, following behind their friend. “As long as he’s not using them to slit my throat, I won’t ask any questions.”

Vince stood there in the kitchen for a long while, having no idea what to do with himself. Eventually, he decided to call it a night as well and retreated to his own bedroom.

The next morning, he woke up to see the sun brightly streaming through his windows.

When he looked at his phone it was well into the morning.

He got dressed, made himself a sandwich, and walked out to see Scarlett in the gym.

Sweat glittered across her skin and dripped down her temples as she set the weights back on the floor.

“You’re doing well,” Mateo praised, handing her a water bottle.

“They barely weigh anything and I feel like I’m dying,” Scarlett panted.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everyone starts somewhere.”

Scarlett looked in the mirror, and Mateo’s words didn’t seem to ease her frustration. She wore fitted leggings and a matching tank top that hugged her perfectly but judging by the dark rundown she was giving herself in the mirror, she didn’t think the same of herself.

“You only started today, be kind to yourself.”

“I’m trying.” She noticed Vince standing in the doorway and curled her lips into a smile. “Good morning.”

He walked up to her and kissed her forehead. Instead of returning her greeting, he said, “He is right.”

Scarlett sighed and he stepped back to give her room to pick up the weights again. She took a long step towards the mirror and started doing lunges. “I know.” She silently counted to ten before switching her feet and repeating the motions.

Ezra wasn’t nearby, which was odd because why would he miss watching Scarlett work out? That may have been why Vince slept in—Ezra wasn’t around to keep him up with his tumultuous thoughts.

“He was gone when we woke up,” Mateo explained.

Vince nodded and turned to leave, but Scarlett called after him. “Are you still going to drive with me later?”

“Of course.”

The smile on her lips made his heart race, but it quickly returned to normal when she continued her workout.

She was clearly a determined woman, and soon she would grow much stronger than she ever imagined. The potential hiding within her made him proud and he couldn’t wait to see her reach the goals she was setting for herself.

He spent the rest of the morning in the workshop, only looking up from the dresser when his stomach growled. Ezra still hadn’t shown up and although it hadn’t been very long, Mateo was worried. Vince felt it before he even entered the kitchen. “Enjoy the quiet while it lasts.”

“I am, but he hasn’t so much as left the house since Scarlett came home.”

The quiet surrounding his mind was far too peaceful to ruin it by thinking about Ezra, so he made himself a sandwich and once his stomach was satisfied, he made his way upstairs where Scarlett was hiding.

“Scarlett?”

“Come in.”

But she wasn’t in her room. The air was filled with a familiar orange scent and the splashing of water from the bathroom answered his unspoken question.

“I wanted to see if you would like to drive now, but I’ll come back later.”

“Vince?”

“Yes, Scarlett?”

“Would you like to join?”

Vince had the door open before he could even comprehend what she’d said. Bubbles poured over the sides of the tub, with Scarlett’s head seeming to float amongst them. “Yes,” he finally responded.

He hastened out of his clothes, not missing Scarlett’s curious eyes on him. He wasn’t as lean and toned as Mateo or Ezra and up until now, it hadn’t bothered him. What he lacked in muscle definition, he made up for in skill.

Scarlett scooted forward and he slipped into the bubbles, suddenly feeling grateful that he could hide beneath the soapy water.

Once he’d settled behind her, she leaned back and rolled her head onto his shoulder.

With his arms wrapped around her, he closed his eyes and let the hot water seep into his muscles.

Her nose nuzzled against his neck, her breath washing hot over his skin.

“Can we talk about last night?” she asked, the hesitation there spiking something in his chest.

“Of course.”

“You said you didn’t want children.”

“I don’t.”

“But Ezra and Mateo both do. How do you feel about that?”

“I will be there to support you throughout the whole process.”

“Though that is very sweet of you, it doesn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t have ill feelings about you having children if it’s what you want. I don’t hate children. I just never saw myself as having my own, not even when I was younger.”

“So having them run around here and disturbing your peace does not upset you?”

“No, though if they disturb my peace, I’ll do the same to their fathers as revenge.”

“Not to me?”

“You are my peace.”

She brushed a kiss against his neck. “For someone who never wanted a woman, you are very romantic.”

Scarlett’s thumbs brushed the wet hair on his thighs. Fuck , he hated being self-conscious. “Do you want children?”

“I do, but now I’m not sure how exactly it will work out. I’ve never pictured myself raising them rogue.”

“What scares you the most?”

“Being alone. I know I’ll have the three of you but when you have your pack, there are always helping hands. From making meals during the first weeks of motherhood to homeschooling later.”

“It would all fall on us, but the more I get to know you better, you think it will all fall on you entirely.”

Scarlett sighed. “Exactly.”

“You’re not alone. We may not be a whole pack, but we will do this together.”

“I know. I think I’m just having a hard time letting go of that ideal picture I had for my life. I mean, it’s not bad right now and I know you all will take care of me. But it’s so different. My mind has trouble comprehending it.”

“You might always wonder to yourself what it would’ve been like if Isis had chosen differently for you. Following someone blindly is hard even if you trust that person—or in this case, goddess—with your life.”

Her fingers danced over his thighs, setting his nerve endings alight. This all felt too good to be true. Too perfect to be the rest of his life. Was this what happiness felt like? Was it supposed to feel this amazing?

They stayed there in the bath until the water became too cold to tolerate any longer. She kissed his cheek and stood, water splashing around them. “Time to rinse off then we can head out.”

He stared up at her perfect body, with not a single scar or imperfection to be found. Part of him hated it, knowing she had not seen enough in the past years to have life’s scars. The other part hoped that he could keep her just as safe as her pack had for the rest of her life.

She stepped out and straight into the shower and try as he might, Vince couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Her body was petite, for now at least. Her ribs and spine still poked through her skin, but with her determination and Mateo’s guidance she would grow beautifully strong.

She already had a fierce mind. Her body would soon follow suit.

Their eyes met and with a smile, she wrapped a towel around herself and crossed the room to him. She fell to her knees beside the tub and took his face in her hands, her thumbs brushing over his cheeks.

“You are beautiful.” His tone was much huskier than he’d anticipated. “I could admire you all day.”

“For someone so quiet, you sure have a way with words.”

“It’s easy with you.”

Scarlett tried and failed to hide her smile. “Such a big old softy.”

Maybe he was, but heaven help the person who threatened her with him around.

She dipped her hand into the water, where the bubbles had already faded away and shook her head. “You must be freezing. Come.”

He accepted the hand she offered and helped her stand up. Scarlett’s eyes trailed over his body, lingering for a brief moment on his crotch. As if she felt caught, she quickly handed him a towel.

Covered from the waist down, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. “Are you ashamed? Because I’m yours, Scarlett.”

“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“I assure you that I don’t. I looked at you the whole time you showered. Did that make you uncomfortable?”

Scarlett shook her head. “No.”