Page 55 of Clover

“Did you do it?” She doesn’t waste any time. She knows I wanted to, and then he shows up dead. Makes sense.

“No. Unfortunately.” I wrap my arms around her and bring her in closer as she nuzzles close to my chest.

“Do you know who did?”

“If I did, I’d send them a fucking fruit basket and a thank you card.” Her lighthearted laugh mixes with my deep, menacing chuckle. Honestly, I really would send them a thank you. Whoever did it has saved us a lot of trouble.

Looking up from my arms, Clover smiles and doesn’t seem the least bit concerned about his death.

“You okay with all this, sweet cheeks?”

“Hell yeah, I am. Whatever that asshole got, he deserved a hundred times over. I’m glad he’s gone. The world is better without him.” Her sweet face is soft and relaxed. Not a single sign of fear or apprehension. Jesus fucking Christ, this woman is perfect.

“Shall we celebrate then?”

“Yes.” Her face once again lights up in a wide smile as she bounces out of my arms. “What should we do?”

“How about a drink first, then whatever you want?” I’d give this woman anything she asked for. No matter where or what, I’d get it and present it to her on a silver platter, just to see her smile. That vast radiant heart-stopping smile that makes me weak in the knees like nothing ever has.

I don’t know what greater power or cosmos brought her to me or me to her—either way—I’ll be forever in its debt because having her in my life has given me so much more than I could have ever wished for.

Chapter 30

Clover

Two months later.

Nix and I are having our customary Sunday brunch at Cherry’s Pie Bakery, he is having whatever specialty donut Magnus made this week, and I’m having a pumpkin spice cream cheese-filled muffin. Halloween is days away, and I’m enjoying all the spoils of the holiday. Including the perfected pumpkin spice macarons.

Life with Nix has been an amazing roller coaster that I want to ride on repeat, and he lets me whenever I want to. Luckily, I haven’t had to pull out a gun at the bar recently, but I still carry it, just in case. In this family, the need to have a loaded weapon is more frequent than most. I’ve gone back to working nights, and so has Nix. Pretty much everything is back tonormalif there is such a thing.

Nix and I now share his master bedroom. My old room is just another guest room again for when the girls want to crash over. He insisted I move into his room. He was not having the separate beds thing. I don’t mind. I was happy to oblige. He does so much to make me happy I could never say no to something that makes him happy. He asks for so little. Except when it comes to sex, he asks for everything in bed, and I give it to him.

By now, I’ve met almost all of his family and no longer need a flow chart to remember who’s who. Rosie was right. They’ve all accepted me into their little bubble— like one of their own. Now I have the family I was searching for in all the wrong places before. When all I had to do was slink into a bar on a Tuesday afternoon dripping with sweat from the Mississippi heat. Never would I have imagined agreeing to Beau’s offer would lead me here. Eating pastries in a retro-style bakery with a man who loves me enough to violently sodomize a man and whom I love without reservations.

The same man who sits across from me shoving his face with his third candy corn donut. For such a hard-edged man, he has his soft spots. Most of which he reserves for me.

I reach across the glittery white diner table, swipe a smudge of frosting off his chin,

“Hey, that’s mine.”

“Not anymore,” I say, popping my frosting-covered finger in my mouth. The orange frosting is sweet and tastes uncannily like candy corn. I don’t know how Magnus does it, but he’s a miracle baker. Nix grins and licks the remainder of the frosting from his lips. This reminds me of how he licked my neck and nipples not ten minutes ago in the bakery’s bathroom. Don’t judge me. Nix is hot, and I can’t help myself sometimes. He started it anyway. It’s not the first time we’ve had a pre brunch quickie in the bathroom. I think Lily is starting to catch on. She gave us the single eyebrow lift.I know what you just didlook when we came out. Sorry, not sorry, Lily.

Glancing up from my muffin, I catch Nix snapping a picture of me on his phone. He’s been doing that a lot lately. Sneaking a picture here and there a few times, even taking a selfie of the two of us. I didn’t take him for the always taking pictures kind, but then again, he’s a lot different now than he was when we first met. Nothing really comes as a surprise to me anymore. I smile with a mouth full of muffin, and he clicks another picture.

The chimes ring above the door as someone enters, and a moment later, Arrow plops down next to me, followed by Magnus next to Nix. He isn’t baking today, but he’s here to join us for brunch anyways.

“You guys had sex in the bathroom again, didn’t you?” Arrow smirks at us. We must have been sending knowing looks at each other or something because we hadn’t even said hello yet, and he knew.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I would never do such a thing in public.” I feign ignorance, turning my attention back to my muffin so he can’t see the smirk I’m trying to hide.

“Sure you would.” I catch Nix grinning at me, mischief and amusement dancing in his golden eyes. “Twice even.”

My foot makes contact with his shin under the table as I scowl at him. My cheeks most likely turning pink.

“Ow.” He grimaces but with a big ass grin on his beautiful face.

“You guys are disgustingly adorable in the worst way.” Arrow, one of my new besties, nudges me with his elbow. Turning to face Magnus before he continues embarrassing me. “Do you know that last week I walked in on them, bare assed and bent over his tattoo chair?”

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