Page 52 of Devil's Work: Dark

“She pimped you out,” he argues, trying to keep his voice low and I know it’s so the kids don’t hear.

“Yeah, she did. But she was trying to help me out. She didn’t know about the little kids. She thought they were all adults pretending to be minors. Please don’t make me have to choose between the two of you because that’s an impossible decision.”

He brings his hand up to cup the side of my head, drawing me in close. He presses his forehead against mine, breathing in deeply. Then he kisses me. It’s deep and beautiful. He’s telling me exactly how he feels without uttering a single word. Coming from a man who’d never kissed a woman romantically until he met me, I take this seriously and hope that he understands me by my kiss, too. The words are there. But I’m afraid to say them. Saying them makes them even more real. Saying them might scare him off. Emotions come hard for some people. There’s a reason Dark joined an outlaw motorcycle gang and not a poetry club.

Dark starts to speak, but his voice cracks and he has to clear his throat. I kiss him once more to hopefully convey that I get it. I get him.

“If she stays, she follows our rules. Ours—the brothers, not yours and mine.”

“She’ll hate it, but she’ll have to get over it.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Honey… you’re here because you’re trying to keep me and my kids safe. I’m not going to argue.”

His eyes grow soft when I call himhoney. “Keeping you safe is why I came here. Not why I’m still here, or, not the only reason.”

“Oh, would you two stop being all schmoopy?” We hear Dela call out from behind us. Both Dark and I turn around. My sister has her arms folded over her chest, hip cocked. “It’s making me nauseous.”

Taking Dark’s hand, I drag him toward the kitchen. “Come on, big guy,” I say teasingly. “Your breakfast is getting cold.”

“You so owe me.” He growls into my ear and his words send a trill of excitement through my entire body.

God, if the kids weren’t awake, I’d drag him down to the bedroom to pay off my debt in every way he could come up with.

“Get yourself some coffee,” I order Dela, pointing to the coffee maker while I head over to the refrigerator to grab more eggs and sausage for my sister. “Dark, honey, you need me to redo that for you?”

“This is fine, baby,” he says.

My sister makes a gagging sound. “Would you two stop with that ‘honey,’ ‘baby’ shit? It’s making me sick.”

“Mumma,” Ty says. “Aunt Dela said a swear.”

“Shit—shoot!” She corrects herself. “I forgot about that.”

“Dark’s a guarder man,” Ty goes on, undeterred by my sister. “I’m gonna be just like him when I grow up. So you need to be nice.”

I know he’s said it before. I can’t remember if Dark has heard it before. But from the look on his face as he stares at my son, all the bad that’s happened the last couple of months was worth it to bring us to this moment, right here.

“Outlaw biker 2.0,” Dela mumbles under her breath.

“Da—darnright,” Dark answers. I pile Dela’s food on a plate for her, walking it over to her, then slide back into my seat to finish my now-cold breakfast. I couldn’t care less. My family.My whole familysits around the table eating. How could I ask for more than that?

Tomorrow is Ty’s first day of kindergarten. This will be his first day of actual school. I homeschooled him for preschool because he needed to be close to me after Jim died. Dark will have to take me up to the Walmart. He needs a backpack, and supplies like crayons. The school sent me a list in the mail exactly as they said they would.

Once everyone has finished eating and the dishes have been washed, I change Lacy’s diaper then set her to play. Ty decides to play with her for a little while. That gives Dark and I the chance to talk privately with Dela, and I’ll get to tell Dark that we need to go shopping.

“Have a seat,” Dark orders my sister. Her attitude clicks on in an instant. This is going to be a long stay if I can’t get them to at least call a truce.

Dela raises an eyebrow, hands to her hips. As she gears up to give him shit, I hold my hand up to stop her from saying anything she’ll certainly regret. “Dela, stop.”

Dela’s eyes narrow at the same time her mouth pops open with unamused astonishment.

“Oh, get that look off your face,” I order, then I sigh. “Here’s the reality. Things are dangerous right now. I want you here. I’m glad you’re safe, but I have to keep the kids safe, too—you know?”

“I don’t want the kids hurt, either. I love them. But I can’t be stifled. I’m an adult.”

“Then you’re out,” Dark says.

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