Page 26 of The Saviors: Part Two
“How many more ways do I have to spell it out for you?”
“I know.” I tug his hand until he’s against my side so I can wrap my arm around his shoulders. “Just don’t give up on me.”
“I can’t, or I would have left your ass in that warehouse.” I see him grin and relax against the couch. I thought for sure he was going to tell me to fuck off.
“Very funny.”
He looks up at me, and I can’t help but seal my lips over his. It’s a soft kiss, not meant to go any further than feeling his lips against mine. He pulls back and lays his head on my shoulder. “I’m trying really hard to keep us all in one piece, Axel.”
“That’s not your job.”
“Why isn’t it? Sean can barely walk, Kai can barely come in the house, Chels just got snatched by her psycho ex, and you act like you aren’t in pain when I can see it in your eyes. Cole and I are all you have right now.”
“You were involved in that too, Nolan.”
“Yeah, but he cut my neck and smacked me around a little. Nothing compared to what you guys went through.”
I’ve wondered if Nolan is hiding how he really feels about this, but he seems to be the one who’s better adjusted. He stepped up when Chelsea’s security was mentioned, and he’s taking care of a bunch of assholes that don’t know what to do with the attention. “We need to get your tracker put back in, and we need one for Chelsea.”
“Already on it. Doc will be here tomorrow, and Holden already gave me what I needed for hers.”
“Does she know?”
“Yep. I talked to her about it earlier when you were deadset on going on your suicide mission.”
“It was not a suicide mission.”
“You would know since you’ve gone on them before.” He jumps off the couch before I can grab him. The little asshole is using my injury to his advantage.
I tilt my head to the side. “Do you remember what happened the last time you talked this much shit to me?”
Nolan acts like he’s thinking, then snaps his fingers like he just remembered. “Ari caught you knuckles-deep in my ass.”
“One of these days, I’m going to turn your ass red.”
“And I can’t fucking wait.”
I feel arms wrap around my neck behind me and look up at Chelsea. She kisses my lips and then lays her forehead against mine. “Cole told me you weren’t going.”
I grab her arm and pull her around in front of the couch. She sits carefully on my lap, and Nolan sits on her other side. He laces their fingers together, and my heart skips a beat. I can tell Nolan has finally accepted himself as a part of this, and from the blush creeping up Chelsea’s cheeks, she feels the same.
I know something happened between them in the office today just from the way they were acting around each other. Chelsea was looking at Nolan like she was seeing him for the first time, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. They didn’t even let it bother them when Sean was being obnoxious about it.
“Sean starts his therapy tomorrow,” Chelsea says. “He’s not happy about it.”
“He’s going to be hard to deal with.”
Chelsea laughs, and then a sad look crosses her face. “He said something about finding a facility if this doesn’t work for him to go to.”
“I’ll be damned,” Nolan and I say at the same time.
“That’s what I told him. He needs to know that he has a place here, no matter what happens. You all do.”
“What are you saying, Cupcake?”
“Just that,” she blows a breath out, “when this is over, I don’t want you guys to leave. I like having you here. This place finally feels like a home. No matter how loud Cole snores.”
“I don’t fucking snore!” Cole yells from the kitchen, making me laugh.
