“No, it doesn’t.” I chewed on my bottom lip and for the first time in years, I thought of my future outside of working for or running a gang. “We wouldn’t be able to completely disband; otherwise, it would create a power vacuum that a crime lord like Angelo might take advantage of. But I’d like to open another shop in town, or maybe beside the bar.”
“You want to keep the bar?”
“I think I do. With your help, I think we could make something great.”
“With you guys by my side, I truly think we could achieve anything.”
“I think so too.” I captured her lips in a tender kiss. “What do you see in the future?”
“I’m not sure yet.” She nestled her head into my chest. “It doesn’t feel right stopping at the Barones. There are so many people both in the town and in the town council, and the police, senators, and other political figures who took the Barones’ blood money. I want to hunt them and take them down one by one.”
“Like you said, we can do anything we put our minds to, and I’ll help you every step of the way.”
“I know you will.” She grinned, her fingers lazily tracing the muscles beneath my thin sleep shirt. “I think the best way to smoke them out is by ingratiating myself into politics so I can access their records and be the person on the inside.”
“You’ll destroy them all. You’re not called ‘little devil’ for nothing.”
“You always say such sweet things to me.” She tipped her head up, and I closed the distance. I deepened the kiss this time, quickly turning it from tender to scorching.
I was about to throw everything off the bed and strip the baggy shirt and pajama pants off her, to hell with the doctor’s orders, when the door opened.
“Hope we’re not interrupting.” Spade whistled a jaunty tune as he strode into my room with Kellan right on his heels.
“Get out,” I growled, feathering my hand through Giana’s hair to keep her close to me. Her lips twitched as she tried and failed to hold back her giggle.
“Don’t be like that, Mer,” Kellan said with faux reproach, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “We just want to spend some time with you.”
“More like cockblock me,” I muttered under my breath, reluctantly loosening my hold on my little devil as Spade squeezed into the bed beside her.
“You’re supposed to be on bed rest, Merrick.” Spade waggled his finger in admonishment. “Therefore we’re saving you, not cockblocking you.”
I scowled at Spade over Giana’s head, wishing I could shove him off the bed without jostling my little devil.
“I am not getting in the middle of this.” Giana went to get out of the bed, but I tightened my hold on her.
“There’s no way I’m letting you get away, little devil.” My lips brushed the shell of her ear. I didn’t miss the shudder that rolled over her body. My girl wanted to break the rules just as much as I did. Now if only I could think of some way to make these fuckers leave us alone.
“We decided to have a family movie day.” Kellan moved the trays off the bed and went to curl up right on top of Giana, but Spade scooped her up first, laying her in his lap and jostling my arm off her at the same time.
“Seriously?” Kellan grumbled, narrowing a glare at our soon-to-be-dead friend.
Giana only giggled and patted the space beside her. “There’s enough room for all of us.”
“We need a bigger bed.” I sighed, tugging her over to lean against my shoulder, drawing both Kellan’s and Spade’s ire. I shot them a smug smile and threaded my fingers through Giana’s hair. Her answering moan went straight to my cock.
Fuck. This girl was perfection. And I was going to kill my best friends if they didn’t let me have some alone time with her soon now that she was feeling better.
“We need a bigger room too.” Kellan eyed the cramped space. “I love this old house, but they didn’t make rooms big enough for four people and the giant bed we’d need to sleep us all.”
“Maybe we need a new house?” Spade mused, his eyes locked on the back of Giana’s head as his jaw ticked. I could tell he was debating pulling her back to him.
“Stop following me!” Sophia’s scream vibrated off the walls despite the closed door.
“Knowing you, you’ll manage to get taken from the house next,” Zane barked, his stomping footsteps echoing down the hall.
“You don’t know anything about me!”
Were they seriously arguing right outside my room?
