This fierce badass, who has made me a different man, deserves all my love. Not only is she my mate, she is also my soul. I took a bullet for her and would take a thousand more if needed. Every day, I’m grateful for my wife, children, the Disciples. This is my life and I’ll do anything for them.
I pull back and zip my pants. It’s times like this that I need a cigarette.
Fuck it, I’m on vacation, sort of. I reach over Eve who’s busy looking in the mirror at my bite marks on her neck.
“Angel, hand me my phone.” I snap open the glove box, pushing aside my Glock to dig underneath all the paperwork on the van for my emergency pack of cigarettes.
She plops the visor up and reaches into the console for my phone, which starts vibrating the instant she picks it up.
“Thanks, baby.” I reach for it when she pulls it to her chest. My eyes narrow.
“You’d tell me if it was bad, right?” Her blue eyes are so sincere that I give her the only truth I know.
“It’s my job to protect you from everything.”
“What kind of answer is that?” She rolls her eyes and tosses the phone at me. “I’m going to clean up.” She shuts the door and I lose sight of her as she moves toward the back.
Ripping open the pack of cigarettes, I inhale the clean air before I fill my lungs with nicotine.
I flick the lighter and take that first drag in months. I fucking love cancer sticks, but I love Eve more and she hates my smoking. Now that I’ve fucked my mind clear, I look down at the numerous missed calls all from Axel. None from David.
Gripping the cigarette in my teeth, I push on the last incoming number.
“Bout fucking time.” Axel’s pissed-off voice makes me inhale and lean against the van as I take in the trees.
“Well?”
“He’s a fucking piece of work. Ryder identified him on the footage of the warehouse. He’s sloppy and stupid.”
“Did you kill him?” I blow the smoke into the air.
“No.”
“So, he got away again? I guess he’s not that stupid,” I reply dryly.
Fucking Benny. I’m going to have to deal with him. Which sucks because no matter what Eve says, she still has feelings for him. He’s her brother for fuck’s sake.
“You’re clear to come back,” Axel growls through the wire.
“I’ll be in touch.” I hang up without saying goodbye and take one last drag off my cigarette before I stub it out in the dirt.
The afternoon sun peeks its way through the trees. To be honest, this latest resurrection of my brother-in-law is not good. I needed for my boys to get to him, yet he still lives. I roll my neck. This is a prime example of why I never leave loose ends. Benny seems to think he has a get-out-of-jail-free card because I put a ring on his sister.
He’s wrong.
I open the van door to be greeted with my wife’s smell of coconut and steam. All thoughts of Benny vanish. His fate is for another day.
Reaching into the top cabinet, I bring out a bottle of Jack and crack the seal. She exits the van’s small bathroom wearing a short white robe, her hair piled on top of her head.
“How was the shower?”
“Fine.” She puts her hands on her hips.
I grin at her and take a big guzzle. “So, we have two choices.” I hand her the bottle. She looks at it and takes a small sip.
She puffs out her breath and I pull her into my arms. Her eyes water from the bite of the bourbon.
“What are they?”