“You have options, Sadie,” he reminds me.
“Okay, okay. You have Henley. I’m going to shower,” I shut down the conversation, well, I try to at least.
“She’ll sleep in bed with us tonight.”
“Who said you’re staying the night?” My mouth is hanging open in shock.
“Me.” Apparently, that’s the end of the discussion because he walks to the couch, grabs the remote, turns the television on, and takes care of Henley like she’s his own. Jesus, I really need to get my head together because I could easily fall in love with Ruger.
One
Ruger
As soon as church was over, I let Shovel know where I was going and if he needed me, to call. My only goal was getting to my girls. All those months ago when I had to make sure Sadie and Henley were safe, it was my room in the clubhouse where they stayed. When Sadie said she’d get out of town, I heard the weariness in her tone. The single mom who’s tired, probably struggling to survive. So, I opened my house to them, not even caring that I only met her the one time. I was fuckin’ gone for her and Henley, especially when she called me Ru-ru and lay on my chest, snuggling into me just like her momma does when we’re in bed together.
“You gonna sleep tonight, Hen, hmmm?” I ask her, turning on the cartoon show I know she likes, hoping like fuck she’ll let her mom get some sleep tonight.
“Ru-ru, play?” She sits up from where she was lying on my chest.
“Yeah, you’re gonna fight not only your momma, but me too? That’s the pits, darlin’,” I tell her.
“Play, pease.” Her toddler talk is cute. It’s a shame her dad fucked around like he did. He’s missing the best days of what I’m hopin’ will be my life.
“Sure, you want to play with your blocks or dolls?” I ask Henley as I help her down from the couch. Even though she can walk, run, and climb, I’m not about to let something happen to her. Henley doesn’t tell me what she wants to play with. Instead, I watch her walk towards her bin of toys that Sadie keeps out, tipping the whole thing over.
“It’s like that, is it? Givin’ me a lot of work, darlin’.” She giggles in response. I get down on the floor with her, lying down, knowin’ full well she wants to use my body as her personal jungle gym more than playing with all the toys in the world. My mind wanders back to Sadie. She’s in the shower, naked and wet. If this little one were tucked away in bed, I’d be in there with Sadie. If she’d fuckin’ get it through her stubborn head that I want way more than this friend zone she’s hell bent on keeping us in.
“Hey, there, darlin’. You runnin’ yourself ragged?” I ask the one girl I know is mine. Fuck, even Sadie knows it. The brothers know it. Raven and Persephone do too. They’ve tried hard to bring her into the fold, and when we’re on lockdown, it’s hard not to. Sadie, though, the minute she can tuck tail and run, she does.
“Ru-ru.” She crawls on top of my chest, my eyes on her the entire time. Henley looks so much like Sadie—same hue of red hair, wild as the flowers growing on the side of the highway, green eyes that seep into your soul with just one look, and a temper that can put most of us brothers in their place.
“Henley.” She yawns, her head going back to lying down on my chest, this time right over my heart. Fuck. That settles it. I’m not leaving tonight, and tomorrow, while Sadie is at work, I’m taking action. I know she’s got her doubts, but the only way I’m going to get through to her is if we’re around each other when there ain’t an emergency, which if she knew about the shit that’s about to go down, she’d skin me alive.
My eyes close when I feel Henley’s little hand going to my throat, hanging on like I’m going to leave her. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Wherever Sadie and Henley are is where I’ll be, and now that I feel Henley’s body relax against mine, her breathing evening out, I know she’s asleep wrapped around me. My own body giving way to sleep, needing to get a couple of hours in before Sadie and I run ourselves ragged about what needs to happen when the sun rises.
Two
Sadie
I walk out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around my body and another on my head, so I don’t have sopping hair when I finally get to sleep. But it’s completely quiet except for heavy breathing. I guess there’s a plus to having a one-bedroom apartment even if that means your toddler sleeps in the closet that’s big enough to be its own bedroom. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not ideal, but fingers crossed, in the next few months I’ll have enough saved up to get us out of here. I’d never admit this, but with the lockdown and staying there, food being provided, all of the girls pitching in to help with Henley, I was able to get caught up with my job as a graphic design artist. The only reason I have to get up at the crack of dawn later on is because there was a rush change order on a big-time website and the client is what I’d like to call a PITA, code for pain in the ass.