Page 57 of The Devil's Weakness

“You’ve always been a tough dude.” I nod my head in response.

The room falls silent for a bit before Iron speaks again.

“How’s the girl? Sasha, is it?”

“Yeah. She’s,” I pause, rubbing the skin between my brows nervously. “She’s all right. I think she’s in shock. This whole time, she thought she was responsible. We all did. We didn’t treat her very well because of that.”

“You’ll make it up to her,” he tells me.

His faith in me gives me hope, but I don’t share his same confidence in it.

“I’m going to try.”

“Is she the one?”

I pin him with a look of confusion, and he speaks again.

“Look. Blade,” he continues as he works to sit more upright in the bed. “You’re good at going unnoticed around most people, but not those of us who know you best. For the past couple of years, whenever we’ve been out, you’ve always kept your eyes peeled. At first, I just thought you were doing what you do, but when I paid better attention... I saw you watching her.”

I look down at my feet and scratch an imaginary itch above my right eyebrow. I really thought I was slicker than that.

“I think it’s great. I mean, different circumstances obviously would have been better. But I don’t think you ever would have approached her otherwise. Am I right?”

Iron has known me for a long time. He probably knows me better than I know myself sometimes.

“Yeah, ‘course you’re right. She’s way too good for me.”

I peek over at Hawk, who is doing his best to pretend he’s not listening. Pursing my lips, I turn back to Iron and nod my head slightly.

“Between Patty and now this accident…” he trails off, and if I didn’t know better, I would swear he was getting a little choked up. “Life is too fucking short.”

“You’re right, man. It is, which is why I’m going to cut this emotionally charged conversation short and bounce. Yo, Hawk… can you give him something for that?”

“For what?” Hawk asks, confused.

“For all those feelings he’s having,” I laugh. “It’s giving me hives.”

My brothers laugh along with me as I turn and walk back into the house. I grab the plates of food that Bon left on the counter, thank her, and head back upstairs.

When I open the door, I find Sasha curled up in a ball, fast asleep on the bed. I lower the plates onto the surface of my dresser. Standing at the foot of the bed, I watch her sleep. Never in a million years did I think she would be here. Not in my life, and sure ashellnot in my bed. I didn’t want to pursue her because I didn’t want to drag her down.

She’s beautiful, smart, level-headed. Everything I’m not. She’s way too good for my sorry ass. But life has a funny way of working out, I guess. Fate made sure it placed her in my path. Now? There’s no turning back.

Unable to keep my distance from her anymore, I climb into bed and carefully place my arm under her head. When she sighs contentedly and cuddles into my side, I don’t know which grows larger, my heart or my cock.

I turn and lay a soft kiss on my girl’s forehead.

My girl.

Fuck. I like the sound of that.

Chapter Eighteen

My body wakesup before my brain does the next morning. As I roll over, I come into contact with the wall next to my bed. Only, it feels different. It’s hard like my wall, but there is a smoothness to it that doesn’t feel familiar. Still too tired to open my eyes, I run my hand along the surface absentmindedly.

When a low moan is returned as a result of my caress, my eyes shoot open. I look around my room, only to find that I’m not in my room at all. I’m not in my bed either. And the wall that I’m petting isn’t a wall.

It’s Blade.

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