Kira stepped outside her room once again, glancing back at her sister before giving Tiny a pleading gesture.“Will you stay here tonight?”She glanced back inside the room but didn’t move.
“Uh.”Tiny glanced at me, a puzzled look on his face.“I mean, yeah.If you think I need to.Couch is pretty comfortable.”
There was more whispering, this time mostly on Zelda’s part.Kira looked back and forth from us to Zelda before finally twisting her fingers together tightly, something she did when she was nervous.
“Well, um…” She glanced back at Zelda.Again.
“Spit it out, honey.”I had to fight the smile.Last thing I wanted to do was to make Kira think I was making fun of her, but I knew in my heart whatever was about to come out of her mouth was, A) a lie, B) had been Zelda’s idea, and C) Kira knew she was about to say something Zelda thought we’d buy more coming from Kira rather than her.And Kira was nervous about it.
Finally, Kira sighed and shook her head sadly.“I’m really sorry, Mom.”She took a breath, then looked at Tiny.Her expression was so earnest and concerned I was starting to get worried.“Tiny, Mom has this thing about scary movies.She’ll be terrified if she stays by herself.Do you think that, maybe you wouldn’t mind sleeping in her room?With her?You know.In case she wakes up screaming in terror.The screams can sometimes be blood-chilling…” Her voice broke on the last word as if she were driven to tears by the whole thing.The child actually covered her mouth with the back of her hand like she was some delicate feminine flower faced with unspeakable horror.
I was speechless.Like, I opened my mouth and nothing came out.I heard Zelda’s small giggle, then Kira pursed her lips before ducking her head.
“I’m so sorry!”Kira sobbed, putting her hand over her face in despair.“It’s so horrible when she has those dreams, I’m terrified zombies are just down the hall.”Oh, the little imp was good.“Just promise you won’t leave her tonight, Tiny.Please.For me and Zelda.We really need our beauty sleep.”
Apparently, that was all Zelda could take.Peals of laughter rang out from Kira’s bedroom.Kira ducked inside and slammed the door shut.
Tiny plopped back down on the couch beside me.We sat there in silence.Until Tiny snorted out a laugh.Then chuckled.Then we were both laughing so hard tears were rolling down our cheeks.I slumped against Tiny and he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me sideways onto his lap as we continued to laugh.
Chapter Nine
Penny
“I’m so sorry.”I covered my mouth with my hand to hide the smile.There was no way I could hide otherwise.
Tiny scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand.For the first time I noticed a tinge of pink on his cheeks above the beard.“I mean, I expected that from Zelda.Not Kira.”The sight of the poor man looking so confused and slightly embarrassed made me give in to the mirth inside me.The earlier bout of laughing had my belly still sore, but it felt so good to laugh.So fucking good.
Tiny tightened his arms around me and rested his chin on my head.“Might be at my expense, but I’ll take it.Anything to hear you laughing like this.”
I smiled up at him, out of breath and smiling so much my face hurt.“I swear I’m not laughing at you.I swear.It’s…”
“I know.The girls.”He sighed.“I have the feeling life is never going to be dull with them around.Just promise you won’t hold it against me if I have to violate my parole when some knucklehead comes around trying to date one of them.I’m not sure it’s going to go well when that happens.”
That got me laughing again and I hugged Tiny tight, nuzzling his neck with my face.His skin carried a faint scent of clean sweat and maybe gasoline mixed with a hint of evergreen.Like he’d been fiddling with the Christmas tree at Haven.“I’m sure your brothers here will keep you out of trouble.Besides, you honestly think Zelda is going to stand for anyone trying to date her sister?”
“Right.I forgot who I was talking about.Because any boy brave enough to try to date Zelda has biggercojonesthan I do.”
Again, I laughed.When was the last time I’d felt this carefree?Like one of those Goddamned Christmas movies the girls kept on from November until January.As I smiled up into Tiny’s face, I saw so much affection and satisfaction on his face I almost thought maybe he felt as much for me as I did for him.Maybe he did.He’d promised to take care of us.
Unable to stop myself, I reached up and stroked his beard.The big man leaned into my touch, his eyes shutting as if in bliss.When he looked down at me with what looked almost like euphoria, I thought maybe this man needed me as much as I needed him.I smiled back, urging him to meet me halfway with his kiss.He did.
His kiss was at once rough and gentle, like he fought hard for control and feared he was losing the precarious hold he had.The rumble in his chest vibrated against me as he grunted his approval.His strong arms felt so good as he squeezed me tight while he kissed me.It wasn’t sweet.It was hunger and need and the kind of desperation that made me melt for him instantly.I moaned into his mouth, clutching at his neck, digging my fingers into the solid muscle there.
Then he seemed to remember where we were.Which was a good thing because I was really too far gone to care.He pulled back slightly, pressing his forehead to mine, his breathing as ragged as mine.“Christ, Penny.Not here.Those little hooligans are probably watching.”
As if to illustrate his point I heard, “Get a room, you two,” from the vicinity of Kira’s bedroom door.
“I swear to God, Zelda, one of these days you and I really need to sit down and have a serious discussion about boundaries.”
“Says the woman lip-locked to the biker.Go do whatever icky stuff you adults do and seal this deal.Kira and I want Tiny to be our dad, so we’ve decided to force the issue.”
“Christ, my life,” I muttered.“Just keep thinking of it as icky stuff and everything will be fine.”
“Whatever.”She waved her hand dismissively as she turned back to Kira’s room and shut the door once again.
“Guess we have our marching orders.”I grinned up at Tiny.
He grunted, then stood with me in his arms.The guy didn’t seem to strain at all.I mean, I knew he was strong, but this was on a whole other level.There was no way to deny the thrill I got from his casual show of strength as he carried me to the master bedroom.On the other end of the apartment from the girls.
