“Home. This place really feels like home,” she said, leaning her helmet against his cut as he drove into his driveway and hesitated for the garage to open.
“That’s a good thing, right?” Vex asked, reaching around to give her a backward hug.
“The best feeling ever.”
A flashback to the gate at her father’s house popped into his mind. Arriving at the two places felt completely different. One was stiff and formal, the other welcoming and warm. Of course, she’d gotten that greeting because he’d claimed her as his Little. Pirate wouldn’t have been so friendly if she’d been a random gate crasher. No one entered the compound without a member of the MC vouching for them.
“Let’s get these burgers inside and devour them before the fries get cold,” he suggested, pulling into the garage. He usually reversed inside to park his cycle, but he wouldn’t waste time on that tonight.
To his relief, her tears had already stopped when he got her helmet off. Poor tired Baby. He wiped her cheeks dry with the hem of his shirt before carrying her inside. In a matter of moments, he had her snuggling on the couch with a burger and fries on a plate.
“Eat. Do you need ketchup?”
“Please,” she said, lifting her burger to take a bite. When she shivered slightly, Vex made a quick stop at the hall closet before grabbing the squeezable container from the fridge.
He added a puddle of the sauce to her plate before unwrapping the soft gray fabric. “Here, Baby girl. Cover up with this.” Vex had never thought he’d have someone to give this to and had stashed it away. Seeing the blanket draped over her felt good deep inside him.
“Oh, that’s so warm! Look! The material has the same emblem that’s on your vest.”
“It does,” he agreed, settling beside her with a can of cola for her and a beer for him.
“Vex. This is special. You just got this out of a package. I’ll put the throw away, so I don’t get it dirty,” she said, leaning forward to set her plate on the coffee table.
“Freeze, Baby girl. That was in a package because I hadn’t given the gift to anyone. Now I have. It’s yours and should be used.”
She popped a fry into her mouth as she studied him. Slowly, she stroked a clean finger over the embroidered patch. “It means something, doesn’t it? This is special.”
“I’m glad you like it, Angel.”
“Tell me,” she demanded in a soft tone that told him she wouldn’t drop it.
“Each of the Devil Daddies receives a blanket from Lucien when they join the MC. It’s meant for their Little girls,” Vex said.
“And you’re giving this to me?”
Confident that she was his, Vex decided it was time to share his feelings with the woman who mattered the most to him. “You’re my Baby girl. I love you. No one else in this world deserves it.”
Inside, he crossed his fingers hoping he hadn’t misread her. Vex would never recover from her rejection. To his delight, her eyes filled with happy tears.
“You love me?” she asked, thrusting her plate at him as she moved toward him.
“I do. Come here. I need to hold you.”
Vex quickly settled their plates on the couch next to him to make room for her to crawl onto his lap. He grabbed the throw and wrapped it around her as he rocked her in his arms. Hugging her tight, he kissed her lightly.
“I love you, Baby girl. Until the end of time, I will want to be your Daddy.”
“I am so much trouble,” she said in a small voice, focusing on her fingers tracing a swirling pattern on his chest.
His heart ached for her. She should never have experienced a moment of distress. Vex cupped her chin and tilted up her face so he could see her eyes. “First off, you are not responsible for the things others do to you. That’s on them. If the Ravagers disappeared off the face of the earth in the next five minutes, their demise would take too long.”
Angel nodded vigorously. She opened her mouth to talk, but he placed a finger across her lips.
“I don’t know what trouble you believe you were for your family, but why have money if you aren’t going to use it to put someone you care about in a better situation?”
Letting her think about that for a minute, he watched Angel consider that. She had such an expressive face. He could read her emotions easily. Her gaze rose to meet his. Their parents had raised them to look at funds differently. Her father used currency as power. Vex had enough money to do anything he needed or wanted to do. His funds were a means to an end, not a dragon’s hoard that he had to devote his focus and energy to growing.
“And you are exactly the kind of trouble I’ve dreamed of having in my life since I was fifteen. You are the biggest blessing I’ve ever received. I love you, Baby girl, and I will treasure every ounce of trouble you bring into my world.”
