Page 154 of Reaper and Ruin

Levi took my hand and threaded his fingers through mine. “Vi, you are not a psychopath. You are just a woman who loves hard. You protected yourself. The little girl you were. Us. Nyah. I have zero concerns that we’ll need to lock you in X’s bedroom because you’re about to go on a bender.”

X shrugged. “If you want to join me when I’m going on one though, I would love the company.”

That unsettled part of me came to rest at their reassurances. “So you aren’t scared I’m going to start stabbing people?”

Whip shrugged and grinned. “I wouldn’t get between you and a boy who pulls Ari’s hair, but I think the general population is probably pretty safe.”

I elbowed him and muttered something about making sure Ari knew to kick anyone who pulled her hair, but he just chuckled like I was being cute.

We strolled back to the club, Hawk and my brother a few paces ahead of us. Drinks and food flowed inside, and we were instantly the center of attention once more. Word of my pregnancy had gotten around like wildfire, and more than one biker asked if I would name the baby after them.

But I kept glancing over at Whip and remembering the children he’d lost. And all I could think about was naming this baby after them. It’s big brother and sister, gone but never forgotten, deserved that honor.

It wasn’t my choice to make alone, of course, but it sent a warmth through me nonetheless. Beers were passed around, and I declined them all. Will and Ari played happily, and when they came running over at some point before midnight, with their eyes drooping but happy smiles on their faces, asking if they could sleep at Hayley Jade’s place, I glanced at Kara, and she nodded.

“We’d love to have them for the night.”

I wasn’t sure at all about letting them be away from us. But they were so insistent that I found myself nodding and saying, “We’ll be right here in Levi’s room. So if you need us in the night, just tell someone and we can come get you right away, okay?”

I really wanted them to understand that we were absolutely not abandoning them. And if they needed us, we would be there in a heartbeat.

The fact that Kara’s house was literally just a one-minute walk through the trees helped.

Ari and Will both cheered, and it looked like Kara had drawn the short straw, with half of Rebel’s and Bliss’s kids all filing out after her, their laughter and chatter trailing away as she took them all down to her place to sleep. Grayson, Hayden, and Hawk all followed her, scooping up trailing kids.

Bliss and Rebel were left with their youngest children, and one by one they retired to their rooms here at the club. Prospects paired up with the club girls and disappeared into bedrooms of their own. Some of the guys moved outside and talked shit quietly in the moonlight, beers clutched in their meaty fingers.

When the club around us was finally quiet, Levi eventually reached a hand out for me. “Bed.”

I nodded, letting him pull me up.

X laid himself out on the couch. “I’ll be here if anyone needs me.”

I hated the idea of him sleeping out in the common room. But me, Whip, and Levi were going to struggle to fit in Levi’s bed as it was. There was zero chance X would fit as well.

But Levi offered X his hand. “Come on. Get up. You aren’t sleeping out here.”

X squinted at him sleepily. “No offense, but I don’t really want to sleep on your floor either. I’ve already got splinters from that tree. Don’t need any extras from your ancient floorboards.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Just come.”

X took his hand and let Levi help him up off the couch. We all followed him into his room, but nothing was any different than the last time we’d been here.

“Levi, I—” X started to complain.

Levi bent down and peered beneath his bed.

For the first time, I noticed that there was no longer the dusty, empty space beneath the frame. He dragged out a rolling mattress, already neatly made up with sheets and blankets.

X’s eyes widened. “You bought me a bed?”

Levi pulled a spare pillow from the top of his closet, his cheeks a bit pink with embarrassment. “I bought you a mattress on wheels, but sure, if you want to call it a bed, then so be it.”

“So we can have sleepovers and braid each other’s hair? YES! Except yours is getting a little thin on top—”

Levi shot him a look.

X grinned, already plonked down on his bed and taking off his shoes. His expression turned serious, and he glanced up at Levi. “Thank you.”