I’m sure he can, but that doesn’t mean he won’t need a little coddling for a while. Absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. I spent a week in my room in the dark after my first kill. I was a child, but still.
“Don’t get kidnapped again.” I can’t bring myself to pull away as the last few days begin to finally catch up with me.
It’s almost like he knows because he doesn’t let up on the squeezing as he rubs a palm up and down my back.
“Oh fuck, your sister…” The moment is broken as the unselfish part of my brain remembers the badly beaten girl.
“She’s okay. Mostly superficial. Spencer says she needs a lot of rest.”
“Are you two coming?” Speak of the handsome devil. Spencer is now standing at the driver’s side of the car.
“Not yet, but hopefully soon.” I wag my brows and grin.
“What do you mean by hopefully?!” Grinder mocks outrage.
“Well…it’s been a long night, you’ve been all tortured, you’re tired…”
“Stabby, even on my death bed I can make you come.”
Rolling his eyes, Spencer gets back into the car, but I see the smirk. I guess his first time at murder wasn’t as bad as I suspected. But there’s the whole shock factor time thing to consider…I’ll keep an eye on him.
“C’mon, old man, let’s go home.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Grinder
“Wakey wakey, little sis.” Mia’s been sleeping for going on two days, and because I vowed that I would always be there for her, I haven’t left her room except late at night until early morning. And because I’m a needy fuck, Parker and Spencer have been my caregiving shadows this whole time. Not only by sitting with me in Mia’s room, but also sleeping on either side of me when we go back to our suite.
“Ugh, Diego, don’t you have better things to do than to harass me?” Her voice is sleep-filled and sounds like she’s just smoked a pack of unfiltered cigarettes. Not that she would actually smoke. We had a very long, very scary conversation about the things I would do to anyone who pressured her into smoking or doing any kinds of drugs.
Yeah, yeah. I’m a hypocrite and she knows it. Doesn’t mean she’s allowed to fuck up her life on stupid shit.
“I do, but because I’m a great fucking brother, you’re my priority.” I kiss her forehead, and despite her groaning and protests, I don’t miss the tiny smile on the corner of her lips. “Breakfast is ready. I wasn’t sure whether you’d want pancakesor crispy strips with two sunny side ups so I ordered both.” When she was a kid, we could tell her mood for the day depending on what she’d eat. Pancakes for comfort food, eggs and bacon when she had a busy schedule. As a cross-country runner—full ride at UNC, too—protein is essential.
“I can’t decide.” She may be almost twenty-two and on the verge of being a college graduate, but when she uses her tiny voice, it pulls me back to that bright summer day when she joined our foster family. My past was fucking horrendous, but Mia? I don’t know how she found the strength back then to take one step after another.
“Both it is, then. Comfort and protein.” She grins at my declaration and I turn on my heel before I start crying because this moment is…a lot. She’s here, she’s safe. She’s fine. Just fucking fine and I need to grow a vagina since my balls are clearly bringing me down.
As I’m bringing the warm plate to her bed, there’s a light knock on the door, followed by Spencer’s disheveled dark head popping in.
“Knock knock, mind if I come in and check your vitals?” Fuck, he’s perfect.
“Hi, Spencer.” Mia loves him, I can tell. And not just because her entire face lights up when he walks in and her voice goes from vulnerable with me to strong and firm with him.
“Hey, how’re you feelin’?” He’s speaking to my sister but he spares me a glance with a private smile that promises so many amazing years to come. I may be reading into it, but little does he know that it’s happening. Same for Parker, who follows in right behind Spencer with two low-hanging pigtails and a black SOK cap Vanessa had made last year for the anniversary of the club’s creation. I like the look on her. A fucking lot.
“A lot better if Bouncy, over here, didn’t feel the need to wake me up at the butt crack of dawn.”
I narrow my eyes at Mia but she won’t look at me. Brat.
“It’s eight in the morning, hardly the butt crack of anything.” I huff out a breath then—because my old nickname gives me ideas—I jump on her bed and start hopping up and down just to fucking annoy her.
“Awww, see? This is what I missed not having Rainer around.” My head whips around at Parker’s words. Who the fuck is…oooh, that’s right. I haven’t fucked with Sledge about his given name in a long time. I’m bumping that shitshow to number one priority, right the fuck now.
“He was probably too grumpy and emo to be fun like me.” I keep bouncing up and down until Spencer slams his hand on my shoulder and speaks through his teeth.
“Stop it. I’m trying to get her vitals.” Oh, shit. Why is that hot? My dick goes instantly hard at his assertive side, all professional and shit. So, making fun of Sledge has just taken the second—no, third—place. Spot one and two now belong to fucking my…I need to figure out a word for us.