“Has any man in this family asked?” Luther chuckles, and Mom sighs.
“Nothing has to be decided today; there’s no rush.” Meadow’s calm words bring a smile to my face that I bury in Saint’s chest. “Besides, Scotty and Jax would want to be here.”
Scotlyn is the big sister to all the girls in this family. She’s older than me by a couple of years and so damn brave. I can’t wait to see her and the kids when they arrive.
“Scotty’s going to be my sister.” My hushed tone is only loud enough for Saint. His eyes crinkle in the corners, pleased that I’m happy about it. If there’s another woman in this world that he loves anywhere near as much as his mom and me, it’s Scotty and her daughters.
As everyone goes back to cooing over Ari and making plans for Scotty and Jax’s arrival, Saint draws a finger down my face and around the curve of my jaw. “You didn’t answer.” He pinches the tip of my jaw between his forefinger and thumb and tilts my face to him.
“Answer what?” I’m lost in his eyes’ swirling emotions. He’s never been so open in this way before. It’s intense and overwhelming.
“If you’ll marry me.”
“I didn’t think you needed one.” Brushing my hands up his chest, I push up on my toes, and he meets me for a heart-melting kiss that leaves me breathless and my brother catcalling us until we break apart.
Life is changing… Something I’ve been afraid of for years, and yet, I anticipate all the things coming our way now. Even the nightmares, because I know Saint will be there to protect me, to soothe me, to love me in the way I’ve always needed.
CHAPTER 13
Saint
Heavy is the hand that holds the weight…or in this case, the knowledge and names of the men who hurt my woman.
After spending the evening with both families, I sent Lake to bed, noticing her exhaustion. But before leaving for the night, I made my request for her to move in with me. I want her in my space. Decorating how she likes. Breathing in the air of a home that holds no expectations, gaining the privacy we’re both eager for.
When she hesitated, I encouraged her to sleep on it, insisting there was no rush. I’ve spent my whole life without her sleeping in my arms, I can handle a couple more nights. I hope.
About an hour after I returned home, which was somewhere around midnight, Nolan, Holden, and Bishop showed up, and we went on the hunt for the names on Lake’s list.
Jeremy Boyce, the ringleader, lives in Montgomery, Alabama. He has a wife and two kids and is employed at his father-in-law’s car dealership.
Holt Flay is still single and living in Destin. He’s jumped from job to job for years. Drinking problem, gambling addiction, and can’t rub two pennies together.
Caleb Underwood and Craig Rice live together right here in Pensacola. From all accounts, they’re inseparable and attend church regularly, where they also volunteer and sometimes go door-to-door recruiting new believers. It’s possible they’re part of a cult, and I don’t care. The fact that they found God after terrorizing Lake and changing her life forever matters little to me.
They’ll all die, slowly and painfully, once I get my hands on them. It’ll take time and a lot of plotting, planning, and patience, but it’ll get done, and by the time they realize I’m there, their lives will be forfeit.
The sun is beginning to rise now, and as Bishop readies to leave, he turns to look at me, contemplative, before asking, “You bringing her to your next fight?”
“No.” Lake doesn’t need to witness that kind of violence. She also doesn’t need to be in Destin when I take out Holt.
Nodding his understanding, he leaves, and I head to the kitchen to put together lasagna soup for Lake when I bring her over later. Not many people are aware of my enjoyment of cooking.
As a child, my mom often had Scotlyn and me in the kitchen with her. As I grew older and my certainty that Lake would become an important presence in my adult life, I realized I should know how to take care of her.
When Texas happened, it became even more important to me to learn what constitutes a good, hearty meal because there was no doubt that Lake was not only injured but suffering right down to her soul. Food was how I ensured she could be taken care of, especially in those first few months when she lost so much weight and was hospitalized more than once for malnutrition. Lake starved herself, and it physically hurt to watch her so despondent.
Expanding my food knowledge to slow cookers has helped immensely; now I can toss everything in and carry on with my day. Such as today. I need to buy some things for Lake so she’s more comfortable here, as well as the ingredients to bake her garlic knots, and something else for dessert.
If the men in my family knew just how proficient I’ve become in the kitchen to provide for my woman, they’d likely tease me endlessly. I don’t care, though. The only person who matters is Lake, and whether she enjoys the way I take care of her.
I still remember the day I received the call after Luther and Nolan learned of her assault. Where I was, what I was doing, the feeling of rage and helplessness.
I sit on my bunk, sleep, the only thing on my mind after a three-day mission in the jungle, waiting on a target to pass by my scope. No sleep, no food, as little water as possible, all for me to be notified of a location change. I happily handed the mission over to another sniper team. It’s not that I didn’t want to assassinate the leader of a human trafficking ring, but I would have preferred to do it with my bare hands.
There is no better feeling than that of a man’s life draining in the palm of your hands. The release after a kill is cathartic and pleasurable, but I can take a shot from a mile away without a problem, too; I just find it to be more anti-climactic.
Before my head hits the pillow, my phone rings, and if not for Nolan’s name flashing on the screen, I would have ignored it.
