Page 21

“OK ladies, I need the full breakdown of what the hell is going on,” Kaia says, a frown on her face.

She’ll fit in perfectly.

Marx

Standing outside Lovely’s cabin I decide I should probably knock on the door rather than force my way in to “look after her”.

That’s been my excuse as to why I’ve been in her home sleeping on her couch since she left the hospital, but I doubt that excuse is going to fly now.

She’s healing up well, still a little tired, but she’s moving around.

She also joined the Girl Gang in a street fight today, so I probably shouldn’t piss her off.

Before I can raise my hand to knock, the door opens, Lovely staring at me. “Is everything OK?”

She’s wearing an oversized DRMC shirt with tiny sleep shorts and my brain short circuits because I realize I have never seen her legs before.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

Usually she’s wearing very modest, slightly loose fitting clothing.

I mean this stuff isn’t fitted by any stretch of the imagination.

It’s just there is skin on show and now I feel like a Victorian man blowing his load over an exposed ankle or some shit.

“Marx? Are you OK? Do you need something?”

Flicking my gaze from Lovely’s shapely calves and thick thighs I see the concern of her face and tell my dick to pull himself together. “Ah, yeah, I was wondering if I could crash here tonight.” I clear my throat, to get some of the huskiness out.

Her brows pinch together a little, before realization dawns on her face, “Of course! Judge, Kaia and the twins needed your trailer. Um, I mean, you’ve slept on the couch the past few nights, if you don’t mind hanging out with me and Bee then I guess it’s fine.

You’re my Pres so I’d be glad to share my space.

” She smiles at me but I can still see a hint of wariness in her eyes.

What I said to her and how I’ve pushed her away really fucked her up.

Which makes me feel like a fucking monster, given that I know a snippet of what she went through with her husband.

He treated her like shit and then so did I.

As much as I’d love to grab her and kiss the hell out of her, I know that I need to earn that right.

Firstly, I need to get her to see me as maybe more than just the Pres of the DRMC.

“Is that all I am? The Pres?”

She swallows and gazes over my shoulder, as if getting her thoughts in order. “Well, I mean, I guess we’re friends, too. I really appreciated all you did for me at the hospital and helping me with Bee.” She smiles, but I can still see she’s unsure.

It’s in my nature to push, but not tonight.

Tonight I accept that we’re friends, which is more than I deserve.

Tonight two friends will eat and talk and get to know each other better.

Then once I have an idea of what she likes, I’ll let Pops help me formulate a plan to woo her, properly like she deserves.

“Friends. I’d like that,” I say, with a smile.

She beams at me and then opens the door wider. “Come on in, you already know where everything is. I was about to sit down and watch The Princess Bride.”

“Ah, cool. Sounds great,” I say, kicking off my boots in the entryway and following Lovely to the couch where she has snacks set up on the table and Bee playing on a rug on the floor.

“Have you seen it? Tav suggested it’s one I should watch. He’s given me a huge list of movies I had to see to catch up with the rest of the world. I thought it might be a nice, easy watch after the excitement of today.”

Lovely sits at one end of the L shaped couch, at the part where she can put her feet up. She pulls a throw rug over her legs, covering those beauties from me. “Oh shoot, you’re bigger than me, do you want to sit on this side?”

I huff a laugh. “Lovely, it’s fine. I’m all good here,” I reply, slumping down a little into the cushions.

She smiles and is about to press play when I interrupt her. “Are you alright? You know, after what happened today?”

She tips her head to the side, studying me with her dark eyes. “Yeah, of course. It was fun,” she grins.

“Yeah, I’m sure. You weren’t scared or worried or anything?”

“Marx, you may not know this, but I’m skilled with a knife.

I can shoot a gun too. Eden’s Keep leaders were paranoid we’d be raided one day.

I’m guessing by the government or something.

Anyway, from the time we could walk we were taught self defence and how to use knives and a gun in case we had to defend the Keep. ”

“I know it was a shit place, but that’s a handy skill to have,” I say, impressed. I never once thought Lovely would be capable of shooting or knife work. I’m starting to see that my expectations of what Lovely is capable of is shockingly low. I’m such a douche.

“Don’t give them too much credit. They also taught us women that if it looked like we were losing, we’d take the children and the elderly, barricade ourselves in the hall and drink the ‘calming’ tincture that Royal Landry created.”

“Jonestown style?” I ask, shocked to my core that Eden’s Keep would go that far.

“I don’t know what that is,” Lovely says, her confused face is fucking adorable. Jesus man pull it together, you’ve led men into battle!

“Jonestown was a religious cult led by Jim Jones, I’m guessing similar to yours.

Anyway, Jim Jones became more and more paranoid, some members were accused of murder and everything spiralled out of control.

They believed the government would come to get them, so they decided to round everyone up and have them drink Kool Aid. It had been laced with cyanide.”

Lovely runs a hand over her cheek, wiping away tears.

“Ugh, evil men hiding their true selves under the guise of God and his teachings. That’s why I like it here.

Every man here knows what it is to be good, and just. Do you kill people?

Sometimes, but it’s to protect the innocent.

Those men could never.” She drops her hand to her lap, her fists clenching.

It’s then I notice the ink on her wrist. Leaning over, I gently take her hand, turning it over for a better glimpse.

A tiny bumblebee marks the pale skin. I run my thick finger over the ink, trying to ignore the shiver that runs over her.

I know I should stop touching her, I lost that right when I said that shit, but I want to memorize the smoothness of her skin for one second longer.

“Didn’t know you got inked.”

Her lips tip up. “It seemed appropriate. She’s my little Bee.”

I nod, leaning back into my place on the other side of the couch.

Before I can ask anything else she starts the film.

I settle back and watch the screen while taking sneak peeks at Lovely.

I don’t ever remember seeing this movie, but it’s not as shitty as I thought it was going to be.

It definitely has Tav written all over it.

One of the first things I learned about the man was how much he loved watching films in his down time.

Weird shit from before we were born almost. Not that it matters because watching Lovely watch the movie is entertaining enough.

There’s joy, sadness, anger. Every emotion you can think of crosses her face throughout the film.

One part there she snuggles Bee into her lap and hides behind her so she can’t see the scary parts.

I know I have a shitstorm coming my way, and every time I think of the fuckers tied up in Pops’ office my blood boils, but this here, with Lovely and Bee somehow pushes that to the back of my mind.

It’s so fucking domestic and instead of breaking out in hives I want to grab on with both hands.

The credits roll and I glance over to see Bee asleep on her mom, plastered to a sleeping Lovely’s chest. Her little mouth is wide open and she’s already in her PJs so I very gently slip my hands under her light weight, trying hard not to grope or bump Lovely’s healing chest in the process.

Once I’ve extricated Bee, which is similar to extricating an explosive, I carry the little girl to her room.

Her night light and the machine in the corner that plays soothing sounds is already on.

Pulling back the covers I slowly transfer Bee into her bed, her mop of hair resting against the pretty pink pillow on her miniature bed.

Pulling the covers up over her I make sure to tuck her in a little.

Don’t want her kicking them off in the night.

I know that being cold wakes them up; well, that’s what Rhodie said. Now his kid sleeps in a big sack thing.

I slowly sneak out of Bee’s room, trying hard not to make too much noise and startle her or her mom.

Lovely is still on the couch, completely dead to the world and for some reason that makes me feel good.

She has the tendency to work too hard, to help too much, and I want her to rest and heal as much as she can.

Moving down the hall I let myself into her room.

Stepping inside I’m hit with Lovely’s scent.

Most women smell like flowers and shit, but not Lovely.

She’s somehow a mix of lemony sunshine and fresh laundry.

It’s the only way I can explain it. It’s fresh and comforting all at the same time.

Rolling my eyes at my thoughts I make my way to the bed and fold down the floral quilt, ready for her.

I fluff up her pillow too, because why the hell not?