Page 46 of Undisputed Chaos
I stood, pacing past my six-monitor setup, the city lights blurring beyond the industrial windows.
“Listen to me. You were perfect. Better than perfect. Fuck, the way you said my name? I’m gonna be hearing that in my sleep.”
Silence. And then a hint of a laugh.
“Cross my heart.” I traced an X over my tattooed chest. “And I’ll stab anyone who says otherwise. Including past-me, who thought the pinnacle of romance was sharing a corn dog at a title fight.”
That earned a genuine giggle, music to my fucking ears. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously into you,” I shot back, grinning as I grabbed my tablet and pulled up her favorite sushi place, courtesy of a little deep dive into her frequented locations.
Two taps and her usual order was in my cart, but spruced up: a sushi boat, miso soup, and extra ginger were on their way.
“Dinner’s coming in twenty. And before you argue?—”
“Adrian, you don’t have to?—”
“Too late. Ordered.”
I flopped back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. “Your order was a little tame, so I spiced it up a little with all the fancy shit you’ve never tried.”
Her laugh was startled, musical. “I amnottame!”
“Angel, you paint sunsets and own eight pastel dresses. You’re the human embodiment of a pumpkin spice latte.”
I flopped back onto the couch, grinning at the ceiling. “But I’ll corrupt you yet. Wait until you see the order.”
I also personally loved fruity little drinks and sugary frappes. The guys liked to give me shit about it.
“You’re terrible.” She said it again, an adorable petulance in her tone.
"Terribly good at taking care of what's mine," I corrected. "Driver's en route. You're gonna eat every bite, and I'm staying on the line until you do, got it?”
A pause. “Why?”
The simple question held a lot of uncertainty. Because you're mine. Because those bitches hurt you today, and I need to fix it. Because I'm already planning how to make them pay.
"Because you're mine,” I answered instead. "And I'm not going anywhere."
She was silent for a moment before mumbling something adorable and content.
I leaned back, phone cradled to my ear, her breathing filling the silence.
“But seriously, angel. You did good. Real good. And not just...” I gestured vaguely at my spent cock, grateful she couldn’t see my uncharacteristic fumbling.
“You trusted me. That’s… fuck, that’s everything.”
The admission was raw and uncomfortable. I busied myself with the knife, flipping it end over end, the blade catching moonlight.
“Adrian?”
“Yeah, angel?”
“Thank you. For… staying, too.”
The knife stilled in my hand. The word echoed in my skull, foreign and right. I opened my mouth to deflect, to joke about charging her for my time, but the lie crumbled before it could form.
“Anytime, angel,” I said quietly. “I’ll always be here from now on.”
