Kisses and Warfare

The bonus for me, he smells like leather and sex.

He stands so he’s at eye level with me.

“The idea of you. The feel of you. Just you.” He eyes me. “It’s pretty simple, really.” He takes Annabelle back from me. “Work is covered for tonight. Steve will be in. Fred is at home, and I’ve sent a doctor to check on him, plus supplied food. So, now it’s you and me, once your sister leaves.”

I hear a car door shut, and footsteps come up to the door.

I turn to Rochelle. “You’re leaving?” My hands are now empty, and Annabelle has stopped crying and is curled up and comfortable again in Blaze’s arms.

“I have an appointment with the doctor.” She looks down. “I can cancel it if you really need me here, but I’ll be back straight afterward.”

“No need to cancel it. She will be fine,” Blaze chimes in.

“I really hate you right now,” I say to Blaze.

“Love. Hate.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Such mixed emotions from you.” He sits back down with Annabelle and holds her, as if he’s held her forever, and it’s not his first time. I shoot daggers to him as Rochelle walks out with Marcus, who’s waiting at the front door for her.

“I’ll be back, okay. Don’t go anywhere.”

“I don’t intend to, but I want him gone,” I say, looking at Blaze. “You aren’t welcome here.”

“If you say so,” he says while smiling at Annabelle.

Rochelle waves and leaves, and I stay where I am, standing and looking at him.

“You should put some ice on your lip,” he says, taking the doll from Annabelle, which she never lets out of her sight or parts with. Only certain people are allowed to touch that doll, so the fact that he is, it’s a big gesture. She has a book in her hand, and he starts reading to her. Walking up to my bathroom, I quickly look and see my lip is swollen.

Fuck. Just what I need.

Coming back down the stairs, my doorbell rings, and Blaze’s voice stops. I step over to the door, and there’s a man standing there with two bags. “Order for Blaze.”

I scrunch up my nose and take the bags as the delivery driver walks away. “You ordered food?” I ask Blaze, turning around and shutting the door.

“Figured you’d be hungry.”

“Is he dead, Blaze?” I ask.

He closes the book he was reading and looks up at me. “No. But you won’t hear from him again, I promise.”

I take him for his word.

Somehow, and in some way, I believe him.Chapter Twenty-SevenBlazeKatarina is fighting sleep as she lays on the other end of the couch next to me. A movie is playing, and Annabelle’s asleep in my arms. I text Rochelle to tell her to come by later, that she needs to rest more. She said she would be back by dinner time, and it’s almost dinner. I didn’t think she would eat what I bought for lunch, but I’m glad she did. She hasn’t really spoken to me much, though. And if she does, it’s only to do with Annabelle. Who, I might add, is very fucking special. I don’t like kids, but this one is okay in my eyes.

“It will never work, Blaze,” she says, looking back at me. “We were delusional to think otherwise. I can’t bring any harm to that little girl.” I look down at Annabelle, who is sound asleep in my arms.

“I will never let harm come to her.”

“You took that man’s daughter. Do you think your enemies won’t do the same?”

“No. They wouldn’t dare,” I tell her.

“They took me. So I damn well think they would dare.” Katarina closes her eyes and turns over on the couch, so her back is to me. I get up and walk Annabelle up to her room, laying her in her crib and covering her up. She doesn’t make a sound when I close the door and walk back down. Katarina’s back is still to me as she lies on the couch, and I walk over to her, climbing down next to her. She doesn’t protest as I push her over, so both our bodies now fit side by side.

“They regret their decision now and will forever,” I tell her. I kiss her shoulder and place my hand around her midsection, careful not to touch her stomach too tightly. Rochelle mentioned the bruise. “When I got the call, I imagined what it would be like without you in my life, and I didn’t like it. Not one bit,” I tell her. “I need you in it, and if you’ll have me, I’ll try to prove to you I’m worth it.”

She still says nothing, just lays there not moving, but I know she’s awake because I can feel her breathing, which is uneven beneath my hands.