Page 59 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

“Minds his own business,” Aaliyah answered. “You should try that sometime.”

“If it’s gotta do with my girl, it’s my business.”

“Not in this case. Why don’t you go in and get the boys and their things together?”

“They ain’t ready?” Once again, the man’s voice carried through the neighborhood. Magnum’s volume setting must only have two settings: loud or silent. Nothing in between.

Nox could imagine both were scary as fuck if you were on the biker’s bad side.

Aaliyah lifted one dark eyebrow. “What do you think?”

“They knew what time I was gonna be here.”

She shrugged. “They also know you’re never on time.”

“Gonna smash those fuckin’ gamin’ systems,” Magnum grumbled.

“Did you forget who bought them?” Aaliyah asked.

“Didn’t realize they wouldn’t be able to fuckin’ function without ‘em.”

“Next time run their Christmas wish list past me first before you go on a spending spree.”

Magnum grunted his response and, with one more glare at Nox, turned on his boot heel and headed inside.

Both Nox and Aaliyah waited until the front door shut, then she turned toward him. “Sorry about that. He’s a bit… protective.”

“I see that. But I was going to say he’s like a bull in a china shop.”

She sighed. “That’s true, too. Do you mind waiting out here while I go deal with the testosterone currently under my roof?”

“I can go.”

She grabbed his forearm and squeezed. “No, don’t. My father isn’t staying. He’s only here to pick up his grandsons.”

Now the sidecar made sense. “You got your container. No reason for me to stay.”

“There are plenty of reasons for you to stay.”

Did he detect her voice getting husky? “I gotta go.”

“You say that a lot.”

“Because it’s true.”

“Where do you need to go?”

Nowhere.“Home.”

“What’s waiting for you there?”

Absolutely fucking nothing was waiting for him there. Everything he wanted currently stood right in front of him.

Because of that, he said, “Go. I’ll wait.”

He only hoped he didn’t regret it.

ChapterThirteen

---