Page 11 of Midnight Legacy

We’d only been together for a few months, but both of us knew the body language of each other.

“Is everything ready for Thursday?” I asked. Michael’s funeral was at his family’s country estate because there was a crypt there. I didn’t feel like going after all the shooting last week, but would be there to stand beside Xavier.

“Yeah, Ash left last night to travel up with his mum. She’s taken his death badly. Preliminary reports suggest the shooter who demanded the money was the one who shot him.”

I doubted that, considering there’d been two trained assassins prowling around the room, but there was no point in pushing the issue. When he was ready to talk, I’d hear the entire story. The day he saved me from Malcolm, a new side of Xavier had appeared. His eyes had been hard and filled with murderous intent. I’d fallen in love with the fun-loving man who rode a Harley and shared stories with me in the dark. The man who stormed into that room because someone had hurt me, had made my stomach tighten and panties burn.

My husband was an avenging demon from hell who protected what belonged to him.

Jay stood waiting for us in the carpark, his dark gaze trained on our car.

“Problem?” Xavier queried.

“Nothing I can’t handle. Jason texted to say there were a lot of bags that needed carried up.” Jordan rolled his eyes before stubbing out his cigarette.

“This is a no smoking zone,” I pointed out in a pissy tone. He was playing with my friend’s emotions and my mothering instincts were leaking out.

His eyebrows hit his hairline and he shot Xavier a look that told him to sort me out.

“Fuck off, Jay,” I muttered. “You’re being a dick. The sign says no smoking and I’m pregnant. Zee will not be telling me off for pointing that out.”

I grabbed Megan’s hand and stomped toward the elevator.

“What the fuck, man?” I heard Jordan snap.

“He’ll go ballistic now,” Megan whispered, turning to stare at the angry man and chewing her lip.

“Maybe he should realise he can’t treat people like shit, Megan. You deserve to be loved and cared for.”

Her cheeks flushed and her head lowered, but she didn’t answer. Different elevators travelled to our apartments, so I gave her a tight hug and moved into mine. Xavier caught up with me before the doors closed.

“Playing with fire?” he asked, amusement lurking in the depths of his cobalt-blue eyes.

“Just pissed that he keeps treating Megan as if she doesn’t matter.” I bumped my hip against his. “If he tried to attack me, I have a husband who took a vow that covers my protection.”

His deep laugh washed over me. “Great, so now I have to get my ass kicked because you’ve decided to interfere.”

The elevator ping told me we’d arrived home. “I just want her to be happy.”

Xavier pressed my wrists to either side of my head. “He cares, but Jay has so many enemies that anyone he’s with will have an automatic target on them. He didn’t take her to Ash’s party so no one knew she existed.”

“He took her to the auction,” I replied in a low tone.

“Yeah, but he practically ignored her the entire night. You can’t fix other people’s relationships, Cas. They need to do that themselves.”

My bottom lip trembled and tears formed behind my eyes. Hormones were evil.

His strong hand cupped my face. “Don’t cry, baby. I just wanted you to know that he does care—probably too much.”

I melted when his lips found mine in a tender kiss. He’d been avoiding affection since our dare, so I absorbed every moment of it. Pressing a kiss to the end of my nose, he released me.

“Now I have to go and retrieve all your purchases from today. You better not start taking up my side of the closet,” he mock warned me before disappearing into the elevator again.

As soon as he vanished, operation seduction began. I left the huge bath to run, after pouring my favourite rose-scented bubble bath into it. My clothes were deliberately left on the bedroom floor, with my red lacy panties pointing the way to the bathroom. I took the time to pile my hair in a messy bun on top of my head before stepping in and submerging myself in bubbles.

A smile played on my lips when I heard the muffled curse in the bedroom. He loved to sit behind me in the bath, normally making me ride him when his hands wandered too much.

“Can you wash my back for me?” I called out before he had the chance to go and smoke on the balcony. He had an alarming collection of cigarette ends out there, and I knew he only smoked when he was stressed.

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