Page 107 of Like Grim Death: Part One
A staggering arrow of vulnerability seems to pierce my chest. Shallow breaths leave my lips and I know I need to say thank you, but with Rain in my arms and all this love at my door, I can’t find the words.
My mouth has gone entirely dry.
“We didn’t get any presents because he’s already a spoiled son-of-a…” Ezra suddenly trails off, his hazel eyes wide on mine. He clears his throat as Mav twists around to glare at him. “Son of a beautiful woman,” Ezra finishes with.
I want to burst into laughter, but it comes out as a startled gasp instead.
I place my hand on the back of Rain’s head and realize Maverick is stepping through the door. I back up so he doesn’t bump me, and he’s already reaching for Rain, a smile on his face, the upside-down cross creasing as he grins.
But despite the balloons and the cake and the feelings inside my chest, I don’t give up my son. I’m thinking about Nikita, stabbed in this doorway. Is that why they’re on my doorstep? Reinforcements since Lucifer is still away doing who-knows-what with the fuckinginitiate?Is this protection from RC?
I suddenly, irrationally, feel very uneasy.
“Is this just for Rain?” I ask Mav, my eyes meeting his as he drops his hands by his side, curling his tattooed fingers into fists when he realizes I’m not going to hand Rain off just yet. “All of you being here?”
Behind him, Cain, Ezra, Atlas, and Ella all come inside, dragging their balloons under the door with them, and no one answers me. Atlas is very close to Ella, elbow brushing her shoulder.
He seems to be exhausted, shadows beneath his eyes. I think of Natalie’s brother’s body.Does he know who killed him? Why?
As I watch, he closes and locks the door behind him and I’m left facing off with all of the Unsaints, minus my husband, plus Ella.
Even though I don’t think they’d ever hurt me or Rain, my guard is up, and I cradle my baby closer as his soft head bobs up underneath my hand.
Maverick’s throat rolls as he swallows. He’s in a black hoodie and black pants, just like Atlas. Cain is the only Unsaint not in black sweats. Instead, he’s wearing charcoal pants and a white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up his brown forearms, a matte black watch on his wrist.
He releases his balloon, letting it float up to the high ceiling, then slips his hands into his pockets, one tattooed with the Unsainted brand, but I catch his bloody knuckles before he hides them.What the hell happened at Sanctum?Or did he go somewhere afterward? I vaguely recall he spends a lot of time at a gym in downtown Alexandria that the 6 own. Some place I’ve never been because Lucifer and I are mainly runners. In more ways than one.
“Can someone turn a fucking light on?” Atlas asks the question quietly. Faint light trickles in from the kitchen down the hall, but it is relatively dark in here. I like to keep it that way at night to try and adjust Rain to something of a sleep schedule.
Ezra gives a huff of a laugh, but it’s Ella who reaches for the light switch in the foyer with her free hand, bathing us all in a low, golden glow from the black and gray chandelier in the high ceiling overhead.
Maverick twists around, and his eyes meet Ella’s. She smiles at him, balancing the cake in her arms. Her long, red hair is in pretty waves, and she’s wearing a flared skirt over black tights, a long sleeve black shirt tucked into her skirt. She’s still very close to Atlas, who is looking at me with a slight smile on his face, dimples flashing in his smooth cheeks, the balloon in his fist making him look even younger than usual.
But with Mav continuing to stare at them, Ella quickly moves away from Atlas, coming to stand closer to her boyfriend.
Interesting.
“Thank you, all of you, for coming.” I finally manage to say, knowing I should despite my anxiety. “For all of… this. You didn’t have to, you know?”
Ezra makes his way toward me, his balloon trailing after him. He winks at me. “Not many people celebrated our birthdays growing up. We’re gonna change that for him, okay?” He glances at Rain with real warmth in his eyes.
I nod, a lump in my throat. Then Ezra heads past me with his balloon like he owns the place, walking into the kitchen, no doubt to look for alcohol. I think I caught the scent of it on him, beneath the freshness of his cologne.
Cain pulls his phone from his pocket and starts going through his texts but he doesn’t disappear into the house.
“Why are you really here?” I ask Mav again, and he slowly turns to look at me.
He folds his arms over his chest, cocking his head, his baby blue eyes locked on mine. “Just relax, Angel.” He glances at Rainy. “Happy belated two months, big boy.” There’s a softness in his voice that wasn’t there when he spoke to me.
I widen my eyes, my chin over Rain’s head, ignoring those words.Relax?I hear the freezer or fridge door shut down the hall, from Ezra’s doing no doubt. “I do appreciate you being here but since when do all of you come by unannounced when Lucifer isn’t—”
“I texted you,” Mav counters, his voice low. “And my girl made Rain a cake.” He cocks his head toward Ella. “Nice, isn’t it?”
I glance at it. The perfect smoothness of the icing. The colors that match Rainy’s room. Flicking my gaze up to Ella, I nod once. “Thank you,” I say, feeling Mav’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my head.
She smiles and her face flushes pink. “You’re welcome.” Then she stands there kind of awkwardly and I know I should tell her to put the cake down and lead them all into my house but I’m just a little overwhelmed and a lot concerned about why they think I need so many watchdogs.
“Is everything okay?” I check again, growing more frustrated the longer no one answers me.
