Page 54 of Vicious Little Darling

I laugh. “Don’t sweat it. It’ll be fine.”

Ember looks nervous. “I don’t know… I’ve never met anyone’s family before, and we haven’t really been together very long… I don’t… I don’t know what to do—or how to act. You saw where I lived… I don’t… I don’t fit in with the upper crust crowd.”

I smile. “Neither do I, and for the record,” I say, slipping past her. “I’ve never introduced anyone to my family either. It’ll be a first for both of us. I’ve never actually, um… had a girlfriend.”

She frowns. “Boyfriend then?”

I burst into laughter. “No, I don’t swing that way. I just haven’t met anyone like you. I’ve been waiting for you my whole fucking life, and I never even knew it.”

She nods, her eyes dropping to the bulge in my pants as her upper teeth press into her lower lip. “How soon do we have to go?”

“Unfortunately, very soon,” I grumble, not bothering to hide my disappointment. “Otherwise, I would be bending you over this damned counter. I’m dying to be inside you.”

Her cheeks flush and she smiles. “Maybe when we get back then?”

“Yes,” I say, kissing her forehead.I sure fucking hope so.I leave her to get ready and head upstairs to my own bedroom. I have every intention of bringing her up here soon, but at the moment there’s just too much evidence of the other me. As soon as I step inside, I see the skull mask on the dresser.

Part of me just wants to take it right down and show her, but I know she needs to meet my uncle first. One step at a time, and taking my uncle is much easier than taking the fact that I tried to murder her. I blow out a sigh and grab my jacket from the closet. The sight of the row of hoodies inside makes my stomach hurt, now, for some reason.

I have no problem with killing. But damn, if I don’t want to change my MO.

I reach in and grab the hoodies along with the skull mask and toss them into a heap behind the door of my room. I’ll throw that shit away after I take Ember to work tomorrow. That makes me feel a little better, and with that, I head downstairs to wait for her.

***

“Don’t be nervous.” I squeeze Ember’s hand as we walk into the same Italian restaurant I always meet my uncle at. The hostess gives me the same funny look, and then guides me to the private dining room.

“I feel as if I’m going to throw up,” Ember says under her breath, her hand sweating inside of mine. It doesn’t bother me—nothing about her does. I don’t know why she’s so fucking different, but she is.

My uncle gets up from the table to greet us.

“Jax.” He turns to Ember. “You must be his girlfriend. He hasn’t said much about you, but the fact he’s said anything must mean you’reveryimportant.”

Ember blushes. “Thank you. I’m not sure if I’m his—”

“You are my girlfriend,” I say, gazing down at her. “We can make that official today.”

She laughs softly. “Okay then.”

My uncle shoots me a look and then gestures towards the table. “Shall we sit down and eat? I have a lot I’d like to talk about.”

“Of course,” Ember says.

I pull out a chair for her, eyeing my uncle. I have no idea what the fuck he wants to talk about, but the thought makes me feel sick. There’s so much he could say that could genuinely hurt my relationship with Ember. Would he do that? He always seemed like he was rooting for me, but now…

I’m not so fucking sure.

What if he wants her for himself?The thought makes my hands clench. I’d fucking murder anyone who tries to take her from me. She’smine.

“So, I take it you’re both quitting the bar job, yeah?” Roman raises his brows as he takes a sip of his water.

“Yes,” I answer for us. “Seems like the right thing to do considering.”

“I agree.” He nods, and then turns to Ember. “And what do you do for your second job?”

You already know, asshole.

“Um,” she hesitates, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I work at a bookstore.”

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