Page 21 of Stone

“Back off, Smoke.” I let my now fisted hands drop to my side, but I’m ready if he decides he wants to take this further. “If Oriana proves her worth then I don’t see there being a problem.” I scowl back at him.

“Neither do I, as long as you don’t overstep the mark and fuck the staff.” Smoke disappears inside, slamming the door behind him, leaving me seething, not over his words of warning but at the fact that he’s damned well right.

I take a few moments to calm myself before following Smoke inside, but instead of seeking down Ginger as my dick is now well and truly slack after my confrontation with Smoke. I grab a couple of beers from the bar, pop the tops, and kick Rex off the couch and take his place, alongside Hurricane and Crave, who are watching a re-run of an episode of American Chopper. At least this distraction will give me the time to cool my ass before Smoke will inevitably call us to church to discuss new business. Namely, the new evidence from the cops, and how we’re going to go about finding and ending the fuckers that are responsible.

Thirty minutes later, after I’ve found Smoke and made peace with him over a beer, and he’s had his fill of nicotine, we sit with our brothers around the solid oak table and make a plan. A plan that will get us the answers we need and every single brother in that room is one hundred percent on board and raring to go.

Whatever it takes.

By the time I get back to the house, it’s passed eight. The place is quiet; only a lamp glows in the hallway. I sigh in relief, knowing that, at least for today I’ve avoided any further confrontation with Oriana.

Tired to the bone, I make my way upstairs to my bedroom. A shower and an hour of relaxation are what I need before I hit the sack. But first, I need to check on Sasha, so I make my way to her room and quietly click the latch and push open the door just far enough so I can see her sleeping. She’s laid in the fetal position, her favorite toy squashed tightly to her chest along with the cream teddy bear blanket. The sound of a soft, gentle snore that is in no way coming from Sasha has me pushing open the door further. Oriana is flat on her back at the side of Sasha, her arms above her head like someone has her at gunpoint. She’s laid on top of the covers, which gives me a clear view of her in skimpy bed shorts and body-hugging tank top, showing me lots of her creamy skin. Her legs are much longer than I expected, but maybe that’s because the edge of her shorts have ridden up high, and if she hadn’t been wearing underwear, would have given me a cheeky glimpse of her pussy.

Needless to say, her dress sense, which so far has consisted of baggy clothes, is going to be my only savior because, holy fuck, she has one hell of a sexy figure, and one that is tempting and ripe for the taking.

Before the image of her tight little body burns a hole in my retina, I back up, close the door and make a quick retreat to my room in frantic need of that shower, but now, I’m going to have to make sure it’s a cold one.

ChapterFifteen

Stone

Thirty minutes later, I’m dressed in slate gray sweatpants and a fresh white wife-beater, and heading down the stairs. I grab a beer from the refrigerator, switch on the TV and drop onto the couch. A quick flick through the sports channels, and I find what I’m looking for. A re-run of the Longhorns game that was played on Sunday. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid the results, seeing as the rest of the club guys aren’t into football, and now having my own space, I can catch the game without interruptions.

The game is about a quarter in, but I opt for the ‘From start’ option because it’s quicker, then fast forward all the crap past the pundits talking shit and the players coming onto the field. I even bypass the cheerleaders looking all cute in their short skirts and tight tops. The real tits bouncing, and the fake ones not, as they jump around all over the place, and pick it up at the start of the real action.

The Seattle Seahawks player completes the kickoff, and it’s caught by Pulter, the Longhorns’ returner. As he sets off running, the noise of the crowd escalates. God, I wish I was there to soak up the atmosphere in the Montana Longhorns home ground. I take a deep draw from the bottle in my hand and relax back into the cushions with a contented sigh. I need this escape from the pressure of club business and responsibilities of ensuring I’m doing right by Sasha.

TJ Burress, running back for the Longhorns is racing up the field and gets taken down less than ten yards from the touchline. This is the perfect moment for the Longhorns to get first points on the scoreboard. I straighten up and scooch forward in my seat to get closer to the TV screen, the excitement building in my gut. As the snap is taken, my view of the screen is blocked. It’s the nanny.

She’s still wearing the skimpy short PJs, but now up closer, I can see they’re washed-out blue with not-so-white clouds and faded rainbows. The bottom of one of the legs has cotton threads hanging loosely, and the top has a break in the seam halfway down the side.

If it wasn’t for the aroma of fresh linen, vanilla and honey, and the glow of her flushed, clean skin, I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if she’d been pushing along an old grocery cart with the rest of her belongings in.

“Mr. Stone,” she addresses me, standing with her arms hanging loosely by her side. “Can we have that talk now?”

“I’m busy,” I grunt back at her, scooting further down the couch to see around her. Fuck knows what’s happening on the TV screen because she sidesteps, blocking my view again. “What the hell, Oriana. Can’t this wait?”

“With all due respect Mr. Stone, Sasha’s wellbeing and happiness is more important than a football game that could be recorded and watched at a later date.”

It’s a valid point. How can I argue with that?

The young woman is keen to give Sasha every care and understanding that she needs, and is looking to ensure that my opinion on her daily routine and care is considered.

I hold up my index finger to her before flicking my hand for her to move out of the way of the screen. She folds her arms in front of her, cocks a hip and scowls at me. But after a brief hesitation, she moves to the side and out of the way of the TV.

A few pressed buttons on the remote, and the rest of the game is set to record. You can visibly see her body relax a little and she bites the corner of her lip to suppress a smile. I guess she feels like it’s a small victory for her.

“If you think you’re going to stand there and lecture me on the do’s and don’ts of parenting, then you’re out of luck,” I scoff as I lean back into the chair, tilting the beer bottle to my lips and downing the last mouth full.

“That’s not my intention.” Oriana rounds the coffee table and sits at the other end of the couch, perching right on the edge of the seat cushion. “First of all, I was hoping you could tell me more about Sasha, her likes, dislikes anything that will give me an idea of where she is with her development.” She shuffles fully onto the seat until she’s sat cross-legged facing me. “I’d also like to discuss any specific requirements and expectations, not just with Sasha’s care but for me as well. Do you have any rules I need to abide by?”

“The only rule that I give a shit about is that Sasha is happy and taken care of.”

“Which is understandable, but I’d also like to learn more about her parents,” her gaze drops to her lap where her hands lay, fingers interlinked. “A couple of times she’s asked where her mommy and daddy are. I know they have both passed, but I wasn’t aware of how you wanted to me to deal with the situation so I deflected, but she’s bright and that isn’t going to work every time.”

I run my hand through my hair, knowing that our conversation will be emotional, to say the least. Everything is still raw, especially with the new intel that their death wasn’t a tragic accident.

“My brother Jacob and his wife Savannah were murdered,” I get straight to the point, a tightness in my chest and throat affecting my voice.

---