I’ll heed it. I’m not a stupid man.
As if I would risk not having this woman in my life? Hell no.
“Duckie and Ripper,” when I address my SAA and my enforcer, they both stand up taller, ready to follow through with whatever I need, “I want someone on Wagner. I want to know if he’s looking into who Addyson is and how it’s going. Anchor will monitor as well, but we need eyes on him. Take shifts, pull in who you need to pull in.”
“Got it,” Duckie’s acknowledgement is more than words, it’s understanding. Ripper nods; it’s not words, but it’s enough.
“And no prospects,” I add on as they head toward the door ready to get started.
I don’t need to explain why and even though a look of confusion flashes on Addyson’s face, it’s gone quickly. Her shoulders slump and I know I need to get things moving and get my woman to bed. She’s worn out and on the edge.
“Rampage,” I bark and he perks up from his place next to Addyson like he’s her fucking lap dog. “Make sure we’re prepared for shit going down.”
I don’t need to say more. He hops up from his position on the floor and swoops down to kiss Addyson’s forehead before I can stop him. Then he’s out the door with a salute.
He’ll make sure we’re stocked and ready for a lockdown from food to ammunition to medical supplies. You never know how things will go down and it’s better to be prepared. He’ll also keep his mouth shut.
When I push off the edge of my desk, Addyson’s pupils dilate and she sucks in a sharp breath as I crouch down in front of her. My hands hover over her knees because I already know touching her will feel like coming home. It’s also not going to be easykeeping it innocent when I desperately want to strip her and spread her out on my desk.
Anchor clears his throat and my hands land on her knees. A jolt goes through me, and I’m surprised it doesn’t knock me on my ass. I knew it was coming and it still was like a punch to the gut.
What is it about this woman?
“You’ve been so strong and brave, Tempest,” I keep the words low, just for her to hear. She curls in on herself slightly, but she doesn’t pull away. “You’re safe now. I promise.” She nods, swallows hard, and gives me a weak smile. “But if you ever put yourself in danger again, like you did today by going to that police station, you’ll find yourself over my knee with your ass a pretty shade of red.”
Her mouth falls open in shock before she snaps it closed as she blinks at me. “What?”
“You heard me,” I confirm, my voice stern. “Now, please give me your phone,” I hold my hand out, my request sounding more like a demand.
“Okay?”
Even though she’s unsure she still hands me her phone. When I hand it to Anchor who plugs it into his laptop and starts tapping away, I have no idea what he’s doing. While I’m a hell of a lot more digital than my father, I’m a far cry from tech wiz. I’m damn glad Anchor is on my side.
“I’m tired,” Addyson’s body slumps slightly and I give her knees a squeeze.
Her eyes are glassy and I can see she’s fading fast. “I’ve got you, Tempest,” I murmur. “I’ll take you to my room. You’ll sleep there.”
She covers her mouth when she yawns and shakes her head. “I’m not going to put you out of your room, Mayhem.”
I make a humming sound, not arguing with her. It’s pointless. I know where she’s sleeping tonight and you better fucking believe it’s going to be in my room. In my bed. With me curled around her to keep her safe.
“Prez,” Anchor hands me a new phone which I hand to Addyson. As he stands, he drops hers to the ground and then stomps on it.
Addyson’s eyes go wide and she reaches toward the useless phone as she makes a strangled sound. “What the fuck?” Her head snaps up and she narrows her eyes at him. “Didn’t you just need to destroy the SIM card?”
Anchor grins; it’s maniacal and scary as fuck. Since he’s the geekiest brother we have, you sometimes forget he’s dangerous without a computer as well. “I could have,” he agrees, “but this was much more fun and dramatic.”
When I stand up slowly, Addyson watches me closely. As if I’m not hard as steel already. Having her eyes on me does something to me I can’t quite explain.
Recklessness slides along my skin and I welcome it.
“Anyway,” Anchor adds on as he heads toward my office door, “I already transferred everything over for you. Including your contacts. You text those three guys a lot.”
Anchor’s words echo around the room as the door closes behind him. My eyes bore into Addyson’s as I stand over her. What three guys?
As if she can hear my thoughts, her face scrunches up and she glances toward the now closed door while muttering, “What three guys?”
I can almost see the lightbulb that goes off in her head because her face smooths out and she tries to make it go blank. When I cross my arms across my chest, she arches an eyebrow as if she’s unimpressed.
