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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

MARLEY

“Gotta admit, Lee-Lee, I like your man,” Marshall mutters the minute the paramedics take over for the two of us.

Thankfully, he injected a sedative into Hattie, shutting her up. I didn’t know how much more I could take of her threatening me and telling me that Griz was hers. The whole situation is meant for some terrible nightmares.

“Seriously?” I ask, my lip curling slightly with the annoyance flooding through my veins. “It doesn’t matter if you do or not.” I had enough today when it comes to siblings, and now with this. All I wanted was to go home and have that flipping bath that I won’t get because my back is throbbing right now.

“Yeah, I know it doesn’t matter,” Marshall remarks, touching my upper arm just barely and sighs. “Look, I know I’m a fuckwad a lot of times when it comes to being your big brother. I come off as a total dick. I get that, but I don’t mean it. You’re my little Lee-Lee, and I don’t like hearing when something fucked up has happened to you. I also don’t like seeing the parentals upset.”

“I don’t like seeing them upset either, but I don’t come at you or Marla the way you both seem to always want to team up against me.” I shrug and start away from him to where Griz is standing by the exit.

“I get that, Marley, I’m trying to apologize here,”

That stops me, in all our fights, not once had either he or Marla apologized for anything unless Mom or Dad forced the issue. “And I should forgive you?” I shake my head and let out a heavy sigh. “Look, Marshall, I love you. You’re my big brother, I’ll always forgive you, but you need to know I won’t allow you guys to keep it up.”

“Don’t think your man will either.” Marshall smirks. “I like the fact you have someone that will always have your back, Lee-Lee, and will always stand in front of you while letting you be who you gotta be.”

Marshall moves past me through the doorway as Griz approaches me.

“You okay, baby?” he asks. One hand comes up to cup the side of my face, his thumb strokes along my cheek, and the other hand wraps low around my waist.

“I’m okay.” I give him a small smile and lean into his touch. “I’m just ready to go back to sleep and be done with this day.”

“Hate to tell you, sweets, but you can’t be done with the day just yet, Adams wants your statement. After that, your ass is mine.” His hand at my waist lowers, cups my bottom, and squeezes. “Adams can talk to you outside. You don’t need to be in this place any longer than you have been.”

This whole thing was fucked up. Everything from what Hattie had been doing to me down to what we found she’d been doing to other people. I’m sure I’ll have nightmares about it all.

Who kills someone just to take the skin and put it on a sculpture? It’s enough to give a person the heebie-jeebies for sure.

Griz ushers me out of there to a waiting Detective Adams and Detective Ratford.

I give them a rundown of everything, including the notes. Griz had the one I’d left with mine that he handed over to Adams. Adams’s face grew more than a bit frustrated about what I hadn’t shared. However, I explained to him how I had to deal with a stalker before, so he let it go. Ratford, on the other hand, told me that if something like this happens, I best get with the police about it. It didn’t matter what it was I needed to tell them, if it involved any type of threat, it was best to bring it to them. He also threw in the fact that I was one of them because of my profession and that I couldn’t go it alone. If I was going to skip trace and be a process server, then I needed to do things the right way—no going rogue on them.

Finally, they said we were good to go, and Griz took me straight to his bike.

“We’re going to the clubhouse,” Griz shouts, telling the others.

“Meet you there,” Blow returns.

I wrap myself around Griz and hold tight to him. It’s a beautiful feeling riding behind him, holding to him as if he were the one holding me back from falling over the edge. He’s the person who keeps me safe, and I honestly like the thought.

The ride stops far too soon for me. I wish we could’ve kept on riding the rest of the day. Maybe another day, once I’m healed up, we can go out and spend the whole day out there riding.

Griz and I barely get off the back of his bike when the front doors fly open, and Marla storms out, face red,

Oh Lord, what now?

“What the hell were you thinking, Marley?” Marla screeches, my parents coming out behind her, much, much slower, eyes on me. “How could you be so stupid?”

“You need to back off, Marla,” Griz snarls, getting in front of me. “You nor anyone else is going to talk to Marley that way. You do, and you’re out on your ass. You hear me?”

“Marla, back off,” Marshall grunts, getting out of his car. “Knock it off with the attitude.”

Marla’s head swings toward our big brother. “Are you serious right now? Years you’ve bitched about what she does, and now you’re telling me?—”

“Enough, Marla,” Dad says, coming forward.

“I hadn’t ever seen Marley do what she does, still haven’t, but I saw today how she kept herself in check, unlike how you’re doing now.” Marshall grunts and looks to our dad. “Never seen it before today. Gotta admit, Dad, you’re right, and we shouldn’t have fought you on it.”

“I know my daughter.” Dad shrugs.

“Oh my God,” Marla snaps. “I can’t believe this.”

“I can,” Mom says, narrowing her gaze on my sister. “It seems your brother has finally clued in that he can’t dictate his sister’s life. Now, it’s time for you to grow up. I love you. Love all three of you, but bring a brat, and getting your way isn’t going to continue.”

“Marla, I already told you what I had to say. Now, I’m going to go inside, I want a shower and a nap. After that, Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you about something,” I say while taking Griz’s hand.

“Okay, Lee-Lee, how about you call us when you get up? We’ll do dinner at the diner in town. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds like a good plan, Dad,” I agree and look at Griz. “Come on, I’m tired.”

“Then let’s get you to bed then,” Griz remarks, guiding me away from my family toward the clubhouse.

I could still hear my family bickering, but I didn’t care. I was done with drama to last me the next twenty years.

“Don’t think you are going to sleep right away after your shower, Marley. I still owe you one hell of a spanking.”

My body shivers in anticipation. “Looking forward to it.”

“Fuck me, sweets, your pussy is going to be the death of me,” Griz rasps.

“I think it’s going to be the other way around. Maybe sex together will be the death of us both. Think what the death certificate would say, death by mind-blowing sex.” I giggle.

Griz spent hours after starting in the shower pleasuring me. It was fully glorious. He’d given me the spanking he promised me and did so while he was planted fully inside me. He had me begging for more, and I wanted even more. Every last bit I could get from him.

“Once we get through the next part of the day, we’re going away so we can have some fuckin’ peace for more than a couple hours.”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s take the bike and just go away,” I tell him. I didn’t want to deal with anything else right now, still, I know there’s more to handle.

“What do you gotta talk to your parents about?” Griz asks.

“Deets talked to me while I was there looking for Hattie. He admitted to it without admitting to what he did to my parents. Said he was moving to Florida and that he wasn’t coming back.”

I still couldn’t believe Deets had told me all that he did, but I wasn’t going to go into it. His daughter was in the custody of the police. She was going to be put away probably for the rest of her life, and I didn’t have anything else to worry about on that end. I was free and clear. The way Deets made it sound, so were my folks.

“He told you this so he could clear his guilt. I’m willing to bet he knew what his daughter was doing, and this is his way of getting himself out of Dodge at the same time.”

“Evidently, he put in for retirement after I came here.” Lifting up, I meet his gaze. “Can we not talk about this? Put it behind us?”

“Yeah, we can put it behind us, sweets. We can move forward and not worry about this shit anymore. I wouldn’t mind being able for us to spend time without the drama or anything else.”

“That would definitely be nice. I swear it feels like we’ve been riding the edge since meeting. Not being on the edge would be nice for a change.”

“Living on the edge is the way to go about life, baby. That’s life, and we’re gonna live it up ‘cause I’m not letting you go.”

“Even though that means dealing with my crazy family?” I grin and get a twitch in return.

“Yeah, even if it means dealin’ with your bat shit crazy sister. The rest aren’t so bad.” Griz brings his fingers up to stroke my cheek. “Doesn’t matter if they’re crazy, though, because they’re your family, and I know you’ll make it worth it.”

“How do you know that?”

“My dad told me all my life that when I find the one woman for me, I’d know it. She’d get under my skin, and I wouldn’t want to let her work out. That woman, baby, she’s you for me. And I’m a hundred percent I’m the man for you.”

“You are,” I whisper, nodding, leaning into his touch. “You definitely are, Graham.”

Lowering my head, I brush my lips against his. Griz’s fingers slide into my hair, he takes over the kiss and moves us into yet another round of mind-blowing sex. Only this time, it’s not fast or rough in any way. It’s slow and sweet, and I yearn for more with each stroke. With each touch, I find myself loving living on the edge right alongside him. So long as it’s always with him, I’ll never fear anything. Not that I would admit I’ve felt fear in the past. It’s just that he makes everything that much better in every way.