Page 30 of The Vigilante's Heart

“I hope you know what you’re doing, darling girl,” he mutters as he shakes his head.

“So do I, Harry. So do I.”

Chapter Twenty

Bennett

It’s been two days since I came home with blood on me for the second time and I can tell it’s still bothering Peyton. She’s pulling away from me. Last night she mentioned moving back into her apartment. It’s never happening, she’s everything to me and I am never letting her go. I need to find a way to show her what she means to me. She’s got a couple days off coming up and I’m seriously considering flying us down to see my parents in Florida. They need to meet the woman I plan on spending the rest of my life with.

We’re at the gym and she’s currently doing a class, I can see her through the windows of the studio room she’s in. Her shift isn’t until later today, so we decided to get a workout followed by coffee in before.I’ve been completely riveted by her while I’ve been doing weights, as have a good number of other members here.

I need to put a ring on her finger, my name tattooed on her skin, or preferably a baby in her belly. Everyone needs to know she’s mine.

I place my weight back on the rack and move to the pull up bar.

“No matter how many times I try to do those, I can never get them right.” Her voice comes from behind me, her class has obviously finished.

“Come and stand in front of me, the other side of the bar.” She cocks her head at me but does as I asked. “Now place your hands on the bar, but inside my own and then put your feet on mine.” She has to jump to reach it and I can’t help but chuckle at her, there’s no way her feet are going on mine.

“I can’t reach your feet,” she mutters petulantly which only makes me laugh harder.

“We’re going to have to rethink this slightly.” My body is shaking with my laughter. “Wrap your legs around my waist.” Her body sways slightly and then her legs are around me, and I’m instantly hard. I’m realizing I definitely didn’t think this through. She’s dressed in skin tight gym gear that leaves very little to the imagination and her body is currently pressed to mine.

“Now what?”Now I try not to come in my pants.

“Now we lift.”

I bend my elbows and she does the same, both of us rising together, our faces mere centimetres apart. I can see every fleck of color in her eyes — I think she may have every shade of blue to ever exist in her irises. I’ve always thought her eyes were beautiful, but close up like this, they’re exquisite.

“You’re so goddamn beautiful, sweetheart.” She leans forward slightly, her forehead presses to mine and her sweet breath ghosts overmy lips; our lifts are forgotten. In the bustling gym, with the noises from the machines, the grunts and groans of it’s members and a good dozen eyes on us, I’ve never felt closer to her.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” she whispers, her face still pressed to my own.

“For making my heart beat again.”

We head to get coffee together at her favorite spot, the place where I first saw her, where — if I’m honest with myself — she first stole my heart. She wants to introduce me to Sandra, the owner; apparently she’s going to be very happy to see us together.

The bell tinkles as we cross the threshold and the welcome smell of coffee assaults us.

“Hey Sandra,” my girl calls to the woman behind the counter.

“Hey girl. I’m not even giving you the option today, you’re having a special. I think it’s my best yet.” She responds without even looking up, she’s too busy grinding beans.

“Fine by me, but can you make it two?” As the words leave Peyton’s lips, her head whips up and her gaze takes in the two of us.

“I’ll make it three,” she replies smugly, “because there is no way I’m not hearing about this development.”

I am a big fan of Sandra. First, she makes the best coffee I have ever tasted, hands down the absolute best. Second, she’s already got Peyton and I married off and named all our children. Like I said, big fan.

Chapter Twenty-one

Peyton

I was meant to be pulling away, I’d started to distance myself from him, I’d even mentioned moving back into my apartment. Yet here I am walking onto a jet to Florida to meet his parents.What am I doing?

I thought I could handle it; the secrets, the unspoken truths, the dangers he’s hiding from me. But I can’t, it’s eating at me. He knows everything, I can’t hide anything from him, even if I wanted to. He’d find a way to either get it out of me, or just look it up himself, yet I’m supposed to just look the other way and ignore the fact that he is clearly involved in something.Yeah, not happening.