When he doesn’t move, I sigh, rolling over to face my accuser.
“No men in my bed was a general term. You can’t take it personally.”
He looks away, snout poised high in the air.
“Come on. Don’t be like that.”
Ronan huffs again, his accusation just as loud as it was the first time around.
“You men are always so needy.” Grumbling to myself, I give him a warning look, “Fine. But just this once, okay?”
He ignores the question and jumps up on the bed.
Ronan settles himself down beside me, nuzzling my chin gently as he tucks his neck under my arm. Lies his massive head on my chest and cushions me from the world just as he’s done countless times before.
Trapped between two animals, the one covered in ink protects my back while the one covered in fur protects my front. It’s a circle of love and affection, warmth spilling from each beatingheart until I feel flushed, overwhelmed by the heat that engulfs me.
Both of my boys fall asleep beside me, the two bright lights on my dark and twisted road. I watch over them as the night drifts by, refusing to close my eyes in case I lose a single second of this moment.
Sunlight creeps through the curtains just as my eyelids start to drift lower. A beam of sunshine that creeps along my bed, casting an ethereal glow on the peaceful breaths rising and falling from each scarred chest.
In and out.
Chapter 49
CHRISTOPHER
My duffel bag feels heavier than I remember it.
So do my feet as I amble around Hellman Hall, aimlessly wandering through doorways as though it will make my presence a little more known.
Honestly, Hell Hall really did have a better ring to it.
“Oh, and there’s the kitchen! I made sure the maid knows to clean your favourite mug every night so it’ll be ready for you in the morning.”
Cruella’s voice carries through the art prints and bleached furniture, a steady rhythm that’s grown more unfamiliar throughout my stay here.
I round the corner and spy the spotted fur coat draped along her shoulders. White with black spots, it would seem her intentions as a pet owner did not hold up as long as she’d expected.
“And the cream?”
“Full fat, just how you like it.” A breathless answer that pairs perfectly with the silk gloves pressing against his chest, “You know I always take care of you.”
“Mm.”
The Colonel makes a noncommittal sound, his stark gaze scrutinizing as he looks around the present his newly wed gifted him.
I never understood how these men could fail to see how good they have it. How their presence could put stars in my mother’s eyes and a spring in her step the way mine never could.
Then again, I never understood how my mum could look at another human and see a meal ticket.
“Oh, Christopher.” Pausing mid-sentence, Cruella fails to hide her wince, “I forgot you were heading out today. Have you met the Colonel?”
“Nope, and I don’t think I need to.”
The man in question turns his head at my blunt tone. Raises the edge of his bushy moustache slightly, the start of a smile that isn’t deemed worthy enough to see through.
“Ah, yes. The runaway son.” Brisk and to the point, the Colonel leaves no room for interpretation, “You mentioned he was passing through.”
