No matter what I did to stay busy, the thought of being confined, and knowing why . . . it was making me as jumpy as a cat! I needed my man to come and soothe me, to tell me everything was going to be alright. But no! Instead, he sent someone else! He barely texted and it was mostly just to check in and make sure I hadn’t been abducted or something. It was insane! I needed a little romance. Some love words. I needed reassurance, damn it!
I was feeling neglected and annoyed with the whole damn world, especially those two hulking bikers who acted so deferentially and called me ‘Cain’s old lady.’
That especially made me want to scream!
Every day, one of Cain’s guys brought by my homework, notes, and supplies from my house. Usually, it was Hunter or Vice. I was covered when it came to school, though I didn’t like skipping. I was also missing my shifts at work. The only bright side to this whole disaster was hanging out with my adorable niece and nephew.
And not being brutally murdered, of course.
I sighed and sniffed the air, turning toward the back of the house. I smelled something . . . wood smoke. I was sure of it. I tapped my foot, trying to decide what to do. It was dark and I wasn’t supposed to go outside . . . But I had to at least find out what was going on out there. What if the house was on fire? I had to protect the children above all else, I decided.
My jaw dropped when I saw what it was. When I saw who it was.
I guess he finally decided to show up, I thought. But I wasn’t annoyed anymore. I lit up like a neon sign.
Cain stood on the deck, grilling Portobello mushrooms.
His timing sucked. He finally shows up when I’m aching for him and wanting to smack him in equal measure? I scowled at him. He was out there, enjoying the cool night air when I was stuck inside.
“You can come out. The woods are clear. We just did a sweep.”
He didn’t even look at me. Yet somehow, he knew I was there. I bit my lip and pushed the screen door open. It creaked loudly, sounding like it was part of a horror movie.
I shivered and looked around. That was not a good sign. I had to admit, being outside after three days . . . well, I felt totally exposed.
Cain closed the grill top and turned to look at me. Without a word, he opened his arms. I took a step, and then another before I practically threw myself at him. His big, warm chest was covered in a soft flannel shirt that felt incredible against my cheek. The way he smelled made me melt instantly. His arms closed tightly around me and I was safe.
Just like that.
I suddenly realized how afraid I was. How afraid I had been all this time. I wasn’t just pent up and bored. I was petrified.
“Cain . . .”
“I know, baby girl. I know.”
“What if he’s . . . out there?”
“My guys are everywhere. They made a sweep at sunset. That doesn’t mean we can stay out here for long though.”
“Okay.”
“Here.” He held something up and I realized it was a cold beer. I took it with gratitude. “Unless you want wine?”
“No, this is perfect.”
I sat on a chair by the kitchen door and watched Cain grill. He made himself a steak and me a couple of mushrooms, along with a couple of baked potatoes.
When it was done, he looked around and then whistled. Another voice whistled back, so close it made me jump. He shook his head.
“Just my guys. I’m letting them know half of them can go home. They work in shifts. Let’s go inside.”
I nodded and opened the door for him. When we stepped inside, my jaw dropped. Not only was the TV not on like usual, with one of Cass’s reality shows playing, but the room was transformed. The lights were lower, for one thing. There was a candle lit and the table had a tablecloth on it. A bottle of wine and two glasses were set out.
I raised my brow and Cain winked at me. Winked! He really was loosening up, I decided. And he’d worked a miracle.
Well, I guess he can be romantic sometimes.
I tilted my head and listened. The house wasn’t empty. Cass was watching TV in the master bedroom at a low volume. She loved her shows, especially the ones about Housewives and Southern Gentlemen. Con must be up there with her too. He was into the shows too, although at first, he only watched them to humor her. Now he was hooked.
How sweet of them to let us have the first floor for dinner, I thought to myself.