Page 19 of Double or Nothing
“No, I’ll wait until you’re gone.” Vulcan shakes his head. “Hurry up, would you? We don’t have all day to finish this.”
Jade walks over and grabs the bag of marshmallows out of Leroy’s hands. She sticks one on the end of a stick and hands it to me, then does the same for Seven. “We should have a quick bite to eat,” she says. “It’s been a long night and I’m hungry, too. Grab a spot around the fire, fellows. We should try to end this hellish night on a positive note.”
Five minutes later, we’re all eating melted marshmallows off the end of our sticks as if we’re on a summer camping trip. Jade laughs and reaches over to wipe the corner of Vulcan’s lips with her thumbs where the marshmallow has stuck to his face. He smiles back at her, and I can’t help feeling relieved.
He’ll be okay; we all will. After tonight’s ordeal, one thing remains clear: our unbreakable loyalty makes us stronger together.
9
JADE
After devouring an entire bag of marshmallows, we load up the dirty shovels. Seven and I carefully climb into the back of the limo with the shovels while Kit sits up front with Leroy.
Once we’re on the main road, I lean my head against Seven’s shoulder and quickly fall asleep.
“Wake up sleepyhead,” he whispers into my ear when we arrive at Kit’s ranch. “We’re here.”
I groggily sit up and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. I’m exhausted and am sure the guys are too. Unfortunately, they’re all expected to show up for their jobs tonight, while I can rest. I feel an enormous amount of guilt for everything I’ve put them through. There’s a lot of making up for me to do.
Leroy pulls the limo into Kit’s huge garage, and they unload the shovels for Kit to hide later. Seven tugs me close for one last hug. “You’ll be safe here,” he says. “I’ll call you tonight to check in on you. Try to get some rest today.”
I nod at him and move away to give Leroy room to back out of the garage. Kit unlocks the kitchen door and waves me inside in front of him. “Are you hungry?” he asks. “Can I fix you anything to eat?”
“No.” I give him a slight smile. “The only thing I need is a shower to wash the dirt and dust off me, then a soft pillow and a bed.”
“Same here,” he says. “If you need anything, yell for me. I’m always right down the hallway.” He leans down and kisses me gently on the lips before folding me into his arms in a comforting embrace. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay. We’ll protect you and keep you safe.”
“I’m worried about all of you, not me.”
“Don’t be,” he says. “We’re big boys and can take care of ourselves. We’re in this together now.” He kisses the top of my head and releases me. “Go shower and get some rest. No one can hurt you here. Where is Vulcan’s gun?”
I press my hand against the purse that holds Vulcan’s gun. “I’ll keep it close to me at all times.”
“Are you comfortable using it, if you need to?” he asks.
“Absolutely.”
“If Ivan’s brother finds you, don’t hesitate to use it, because he won’t hesitate to kill you.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” I assure him.
“Okay, go take a shower and I’ll do the same,” he says, clearly hesitant to let me go.
I slowly pull out of his arms and head toward my bathroom. Quickly, I strip off my clothes and step under the hot water. I lose track of time as I stand there under the spray, washing the dust, dirt, and blood from my skin and hair.
When I’m finally clean, I turn off the water and reach for one of the thick, plush towels hanging on a rack. But a distant rumbling noise stops me in my tracks.
Is that a motorcycle?
In a surge of adrenaline, I hastily wrap myself in a short, white robe. My bare feet pad quickly down the long hallway. I unlock and throw open the front door.
Vulcan’s motorcycle is already parked in front of the house. He climbs off and glances up at me standing on the porch. I run straight to him, and he grabs me, lifting me off the ground with his muscular arms.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, drawing back to look up at his face.
“When all of you left me, I realized I don’t want to be alone anymore.” His anguished words, honest and laced with unmasked pain, drive a knife straight into my heart. For him to admit he needs us is everything.
I raise my hands to his face, my fingertips tracing the rough stubble on his cheeks, locking onto his dark, wounded eyes. “You’ll never be alone again,” I vow.
