Page 31 of Paradox
“Good. They’re okay.” My head falls forward as her thumbs findthe spotat the back of my neck.
“You’re so tense.” She moves to my right. “I’m a licensed therapist, you know. I could give you a massage.”
“Really?” I raise a brow. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“The guys are cool, we’re taken care of, and we don’t have to do anything we don’t want to.”
The brunette nods in agreement.
“Yeah, but how did you get here?”
“I got to Stony View a few months ago. I was moving to Atlanta and took a wrong turn on my way there. I stopped at Millie’s for lunch and met Venom there. The rest, as they say, is history.”
“Fucking Venom.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “Don’t you miss it?”
“I guess, but there aren’t any massage parlors around here, and I don’t exactly have the resources to open my own.”
The businessman in me perks up and I turn to face her. “Listen, I’d like to continue this conversation when things around here aren’t so hectic. What do you say?”
“You mean”—her brows draw together in confusion—“you’re going to help me?”
“I’d like to explore the possibility.”
“Oh God, I… I don’t know what to say!” She turns to the brunette in shock.
“Say yes!” the other Hound encourages.
“Okay.” She smiles, extending her hand. “Thank you, Gage.”
“You’re welcome….”Shit. What’s her name?
She giggles. “Trixie.”
“Sorry, Trixie. I promise I’ll remember it from now on.”
“Did you forget it, or is it that you didn’t know it in the first place?”
Shrugging, I apologize again.
“It’s okay. I love how you only have eyes for Raven.”
“We all do,” the brunette chimes in. “Who doesn’t want a man like that?”
I spin the shot glass on the counter, staring down at it, my baby doll overtaking my thoughts. Curling my fingers into a fist, I shift my gaze to the letters tatted on my knuckles—R-A-V-E-N.
“Raven and I have been through a lot. Our love was forged in fire.”
“That’s—” She pauses. “—so sweet.”
I don’t know which one of them said it, but I look up to find them both staring at me with stars twinkling in their eyes.
“Sweet? That’s my cue to go. Thanks for the conversation, ladies.”
It’s weird, but I do feel better after talking to them. Maybe that’s why the guys love having them around.
I leave them and head to my room, wanting some alone time. The boxes in the corner are the first things that catch my eye and I make a beeline for them. In no time, I have crib parts scattered all over the floor. I go through the instructions, organize the parts, and get to work. I can’t wait to bring my babies home. They’ll be keeping us up through the night, but I don’t think I’d be able to sleep anyway. Every second my eyes are closed is a moment I’m missing with them. As soon as I get done here, it’s back to the hospital. Hopefully, I can have my family home with me by tomorrow. We might have to stay here for a while so we’ll have some help, and some time to finish the nursery at our house.
I’m putting the final touches on the crib and contemplating going home to assemble the ones there when Razor knocks on the door.
