Page 10

Chapter Nin e

Pippa

“What the everlastin’ fuck, Gunnar?!”

I let out a surprised squeak as something removed the most wonderfully heavy, delicious-smelling weighted blanket from my body I’d ever had the pleasure of sleeping under. After such a long time in hell, the loss was traumatic and I whimpered my displeasure.

“Get the fuck off my daughter!” The enraged roar was followed by a punishing fight. I sat up in shock, pulling the covers over my naked body on instinct.

“Stop it!” I screamed at the two men, but no one was paying me any attention. I reached for my phone, unsure who I was planning on calling, when another man sauntered into the room like he owned the place.

“For Christ’s sake, Knuckles. What the fuck did you expect?” The other man didn’t attempt to pull Knuckles off Gunnar. Instead, he leaned against the wall… drinking a cup of coffee? I could smell it from here! My gaze locked on the lidded cup and it was on.

“I’ve not had coffee in… Ohmigod!” I jumped from the bed and in the direction of the older man standing there all cozy with a grin on his face like this was all a big fucking joke, when I was still half asleep and hadn’t had coffee in FOREVER! “Gimmie!”

“Oh, shit.” The guy with the coffee straightened and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to guard his coffee from me or hand it over, but he had both hands around his cup. All I could comprehend in that moment was a mean man was withholding my coffee. “Gunnar!” Gunnar’s name was barked like a whip of command. Both Gunnar and Knuckles stopped fighting, but I couldn’t be bothered. Coffee !

I snatched the cup from the guy’s hands and popped the lid off, looking at the dark liquid from heaven and inhaled deeply. I moaned in pleasure even before I took a delicate sip. Even black and so strong the shit could probably jump out and walk on its own, it was the most delicious concoction I’d ever tasted.

“Christ.” Someone wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and spun me around. “Bathroom, Pippa. Now.” The order was sharp and followed by a swat to my ass which would have made me jump but I had bigger problems. Like how to walk and drink a full cup of coffee with no lid.

Gunnar guided me into the bathroom, one hand firmly on my lower back. I clutched the coffee mug to my chest, taking small sips as I shuffled along. My mind was still foggy with sleep and caffeine deprivation.

“Drink your coffee and get cleaned up,” Gunnar said gruffly, though his touch remained gentle. “I’ll deal with our… company.” He winced as he finished, scrubbing the back of his neck before meeting my gaze and holding it.

I blinked up at him, finally registering his disheveled appearance and the red mark blooming on the side of his face. “Oh my God, are you OK?” I reached up to touch his face but he caught my wrist, hesitating before he relaxed and gave me a soft smile, letting me pet his damaged cheek.

“I’m fine. Just focus on waking up properly. I’ll handle things out there.” His eyes softened as he looked at me. “Take your time, sweetheart. I’ll snag you some clothes.”

“Might want to snag some for yourself, though I can’t say I don’t appreciate the view.”

Gunnar glanced in the mirror at himself and his face flushed red under the forming bruise, which was kind of cute. “Fuck.” He glanced back at me and shook his head. “Fuck.” I couldn’t help it. I burst into giggles and threw myself at him. Gunnar chuckled with me, holding me tight. “Yeah. Clothes for both of us. Though, if our dads don’t want to see us naked, they shoulda fuckin’ knocked.” He pulled me up for a quick, hard kiss. Which turned into something a little hotter than either of us intended, but fuck those guys outside.

I urged Gunnar to deepen the kiss, thrusting my tongue into his mouth as his hands slid down to cup my ass. He pressed me against the bathroom counter and I moaned into his mouth, the coffee momentarily forgotten as desire flared between us. His erect cock pressed insistently against my stomach and I arched into him, craving more.

A loud bang on the door made us both jump. “Don’t even think about it!” Knuckles’ voice boomed from the other side. “Get your asses out here now!”

Gunnar pulled back with a frustrated groan, resting his forehead against mine. “Fuck. I guess we better face the music.”

I nodded as I giggled and buried my face in his chest. I kissed his pec before stepping away from him. “You go first. I really do need to clean up a bit. And get dressed.”

He gave me one last lingering look before snagging a towel to sling around his hips before slipping out of the bathroom. I heard muffled voices as I quickly used the facilities before splashing water on my face.

There was a soft knock on the door before Gunnar handed me an overnight bag. “Take your time, honey. There’s clothes and a new toothbrush as well as a few other things.”

“Do me a solid and don’t get killed?”

He barked out a laugh. “Yeah. That’s at the top of my list.” He leaned in to kiss my forehead, then left, shutting the door behind him. I heard muffled voices from the other side of the door but not raised and angry like before.

Before I dressed, I took another healthy swig of coffee. Yeah, it probably blistered my throat on the way down, but it was fucking delicious.

With a sigh, I set down the coffee cup to open the toothbrush and toothpaste I found in the bag and brush my teeth. Dressing hastily, I looked longingly at the half-empty cup. Leaving a whole half cup was just sacrilegious. So I picked it up and drank the rest. Black coffee wasn’t my preference, but it was still delicious.

I opened the door and peeked outside. Gunnar had slung on some jeans and had a T-shirt hanging from one fist while and Knuckles was up in his face, pointing a finger. I’d only met my father once years ago, but I was sure the big man was Knuckles. They were on the other side of the big open space so I couldn’t hear what they were saying clearly, but the body language was pretty obvious.

“What’s going on?” I demanded as I hurried to Gunnar’s side. I started to get between the two men, but Gunnar shoved his arm out to prevent me from passing him.

“Do not!” he snapped. “Stay behind me.”

“I’m not letting him get in your face like that.” I tried to duck under Gunnar’s arm, but he snagged me by my shirt collar and tugged me back, side-stepping so I was solidly behind him and Knuckles. Which is when I got a really good look at the man.

Knuckles was fucking huge . He looked like a giant next to Gunnar and the other man -- likely Cain, since Gunnar said it was our dads here. He was covered in tattoos over every inch of skin I could see, other than his face and neck. He wore a sleeveless black tank revealing muscled, vein-roped arms. I met his dark gaze and thought better of trying to get around Gunnar again. Instead, I fisted my hand in the back of Gunnar’s shirt and took a half step back to give Gunnar room if he needed to fight.

“I ain’t gonna hurt you,” Knuckles grunted. The expression on his face transformed from anger to contrition. His voice was still gruff, but he looked genuinely distressed. “Sorry.”

Gunnar relaxed slightly but kept me behind him. “It’s all right, Pippa. Your dad just got a little… overexcited.”

“Why?” I couldn’t help the demanding bite to my tone. “He’s the one who told you to make me your old lady. Right?”

Gunnar shrugged but didn’t take his eyes from Knuckles. “Yep.”

I glared at Knuckles. “Then what’s all the fuss?”

“He was on top of you! In fucking bed!” Knuckles lost his cool for about a second before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I could tell he was inhaling for patience. “He’s not supposed to be in bed with you,” he grumbled. “S’not right.”

“What’s not right? That I shouldn’t have sex with the man who’s making me his old lady? Because if I’m not supposed to have sex with him, who am I supposed to have sex with?”

Gunnar growled as he glanced down at me. “Me. You’re supposed to have sex with me.”

Now it was Knuckles’ turn to growl.

“Sounds like fucking Captain Caveman around here,” I grumbled. “Well?” I looked over at Cain who sat on the couch, sprawled out like he owned the place. “Are you gonna do something?”

“What do you want me to do, honey? I’m an old man. These guys are way tougher than me.” The shit-eating grin on his face said he was enjoying himself.

“You know, I really like Angel. Your wife is a sweetheart. Your daughter, Hannah, too. You? Not so much.”

Cain shrugged. “I always say let boys be boys. They’ll work it out on their own.”

I blew a curl out of my face in exasperation, then turned my attention back to Gunnar and Knuckles. Heaving out a sigh, I focused on Knuckles. It was past time for this meeting. “You’re my dad. Right?”

Knuckles nodded, his expression softening when he looked like it had been carved from granite moments before. “Yeah, sweetheart. I’m your old man.”

“Then why are you fighting with Gunnar?” I frowned, trying my best to adopt a scolding tone when I was angry as fuck. “You punched him in the face! He saved me. Just like you told him to. He’s been nothing but good to me since he found me.”

Knuckles ran a hand over his face and sighed heavily. “I know, I know. I just… seeing him… uh… you know… like that…”

“You want to prevent that in the future?” I raised my eyebrows, putting my hands on my hips, refusing to back down an inch from the big man.

“It would be my sincerest wish.”

“Great! Next time you come for a visit, you will knock on the fucking door !” I gave him a bright smile and threw my hands up like “DUH!” “Problem fucking solved.”

“Also,” Gunnar added, putting his arm around me and pulling me close. “Aren’t you supposed to be in prison?”

The two men stared at each other for several seconds before a grin split Knuckles’s face. “It’s damned good to see you, boy.” Knuckles pulled Gunnar into a tight embrace as both men clapped each other on the back several times. Hard. I thought I saw Gunnar wince, but I’d never say a word. I would never understand male bonding.