“Normal is overrated.”
“It is,” Cade replies, and then brings one of my bandaged hands to his lips and kisses it softly. It aches when he touches it, but the way he tenderly presses his lips to me makes my heart flutter all the same. I’d rather feel him than nothing at all.
“I’ll have scars, I think.”
“I’ll love each and every one of them.”
My eyes water, and I touch his face gently. He leans into it, his eyes closing. We breathe together for a moment, and then his eyes open.
“I murdered him,” he says, and I sigh.
“Good.”
“His body is unrecognizable. I smashed it to bits.”
I remember the smug expression on Vex’s face as he ordered Orin to work. “I hope they have to shovel him out.”
“Oh, he’s being shoveled into barrels and reduced to goo.”
I giggle and then wince. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“Sorry, my love. But it’s true. He’ll be dumped into a hole in one of the construction sites we own. He’ll be nothing more than the mud under your shoe one day. Literally.”
“Oh my god,” I say, and then grin, but then it falls. My heart thunders in my ears as I come to a realization. “Shit. Neo. Is he okay? They didn’t get him, did they?”
I’m struggling into a sitting position, but Cade’s hands gently ease meback down. “It’s okay, Neo’s fine. He sat with you for the past hour or so. I told him to give us a few minutes alone, but no doubt he’ll be back soon. He’s going to be living here for the time being. Wylder insisted on it.”
“Well, that’s odd,” I reply. “Wylder was upset when I came to stay, and now he’s just invited Neo in?”
Cade’s lips twitch. “Yes, well, I have theories on that… We may even have a small betting pool started.”
But before he can open his mouth to explain what he means, the door opens and Neo rushes through. His blue hair is sticking up in every direction, his shirt on backward, but he’s alive.
And just as feisty as ever.
His nostrils flare, hands going to his hips as he stops at my bedside. “You’re awake. Good. You’re a dickweed. Never do that shit again. Running off all rogue like some kind of superhero. Fuck you for doing that. Do you know what that did to my heart?”
He flips me off and then flops onto the bed next to me, narrowly missing my arm. Cade curses at his recklessness and reaches for him, but I stop him with a shake of my head.
“No, it’s fine,” I tell him, and then turn to my best friend. “I’m really sorry. I won’t do that again.”
“You sure as fuck won’t. I told Cade you’re not allowed to leave his side.” I roll my eyes, and Neo frowns. “I mean it. You’re not fucking leaving or going anywhere unsupervised. You disappearing almost gave me a hernia.”
“You mean a heart attack? Or maybe an aneurysm?”
Neo scowls and then sits up. “Doesn’t matter what it was. I was very upset. I may get shingles from the stress of it all!”
I huff a laugh and groan. “Fuck, really. No more laughing. It’s killer.”
“Neo, go away and find Wylder,” Cade pipes up, growing annoyed that my best friend’s presence is stifling our time together.
“Tiny dick man? No thanks. He’s a disappointment. As the leader of The Firm, he should have done so much better fixing this situation. Thinking it was Ansel, blaming him? Unacceptable. Then hedoesn’t let me into the meeting. I mean, who does he think he is? I’m the one who protected The Firm’s files, for fuck’s sake.”
Cade sighs and pulls out his phone, no doubt to tell Wylder to come get my unruly best friend. While he does this, I meet Neo’s stare. Anyone else wouldn’t see it, but I do. The slight flush to his cheeks, the way he wets his lips when he talks about the oldest Buckingham. Even if he does call him “tiny dick man,” he’s thinking about Wylder’s cock, and that’s something.
“I wanted it to be this way,” I remind him. “Don’t blame Wylder too much.”
“I fucking blame him. I will until I die.”
