She's sent a few green check mark emojis, a target one, and a... house? Why in the hell can't she just text like a normal person? I'd call her, but without doubt, she'd ignore it.
'Someone could be listening', she says, opting to play a game with pictures instead. The best way to confuse the enemy is to confuse her friends, I guess.
Smoke's better at this than I am. Assuming the check marks mean she's found what I asked of her, my smile returns for just a few seconds before I realize what it means to find the guy.
Nooo. Fuck. There goes our alone time.
Sighing, I shoot out another message, this one looking for a ride.
"Change of plans." Nudging her arm once I return to her side, I tuck my phone back. "How would you feel if we visited the warehouse again?"
She tries not to grimace. "We're going to have to ride in the delivery van again, aren't we?"
"Until I get that SUV." Nodding, I pick out a flavor that looks pretty good. "We can eat on the way there. Oh, and don't worry about if she makes a mess. We've got a fantastic cleaning company that does detail work at a great discounted price."
It's the prospects. They do it for free because Havoc scares the shit out of them.
Hoping to make her feel better with a joke, I get a real grimace this time. "Do I want to know what they clean up?"
Ah.I think I need to rework my dark humor to match hers.
"Uh, grime and dirt." Not a lie. Some of the guns we get in transport are covered in god-knows-what. I don't need to mention any bodies or our club members bleeding in the back.
Repeating my words, she shakes her head. "We've traveled in it once. We can do it again."
"That's the spirit." Looking at the bored teenager running the stand, I add my cone to the mix. At Penny opening my wallet, she nearly drops it when seeing the bills inside.
Looking between the teen and me, her fingers tremble. "Can you break a hundred?"
In my defense, I haven't gotten the chance to do anything with my winnings from the casino since she's come into my life. Plus, I didn't know she'd be shocked by a couple of thousand dollars.
She should see me when I'm on the floor. Showing off to her may be deemed a distraction, but I'd still bring home enough for them to live however they wanted.
Chuckling under my breath, I can't help but think how cute this woman is. Now I just want to spoil her.
But first, I need to prick this annoying thorn of a problem out. After that, I'll spoil them both.
The warehouse is busier during the day than at night.
Dante's brooding on the U-shaped couch, accompanied by Casper, his sister, and Killer. Butcher's throwing darts hard enough to risk breaking them if he misses. Devil must be his opponent from the way he's kicking his legs back and forth from his seat on the pool table.
My family. My brothers. And right now, every single one of them is a potential threat to her comfort.
Looking around, I debate which direction to head toward.
Butcher's going to scare the hell out of Penny, but Leliah might like the arcade games. Dante is going to make Leliah cry if shesees that wicked scar on his face. Hell, he makes plenty of men cry just by looking their way.
I'm already running damage control in my head, and we haven't even crossed the room.
"So, listen..." I suck on my teeth and grimace. "I need to take care of something, but I need to leave to do it. Therefore, I'm going to have to leave you here to make sure you’re safe. As great as Smoke is, I can't rely on him all of the time."
She pales and hugs her sticky daughter. That instant fear guts me every time.
"You met Casper, he's pretty cool." He might be willing to do me a favor if I owe him one in return. Though I don't know if he's the best guy to watch over her, he's better than most. "Yeah, let's talk to Casper."
My movement encourages her to follow, but she's shy enough to cling behind me. Using me as a shield, I like it more than I should.
Dante, of course, is the first to notice us. His brows immediately furrow as he looks past me at both of them. His eyes narrow, and Leliah waves to him in return. Surprisingly, his scowl cracks. Guess he's got a soft spot for kids. Seems Leliah is as brave as her mother.
