CHAPTER 12
Nitro waited for Hurricane’s reaction to the raven-haired beauty sitting at their table. She looked like an angel. But she was his angel. He’d had doubts before, but not anymore. The way she’d kissed him on that porch and gave herself so freely to him. The idea of not having that every day was unthinkable. But not as unthinkable as any other man having it.
“Gentlemen,” Bishop said as Nitro watched Felix look everywhere but at the men before her. “I believe everybody has been introduced. The new angel visiting is Miss Felix Champlain. She’s a member of Nitro’s hatch.”
“Holy shit,” Hurricane said, figuring it out. “Is that Little Birdie?”
“The only daughter of the Champlain’s,” Bishop said.
“Somebody give her an application,” Patches muttered under his breath, bringing snickers from the other men.
Felix’s gaze found Nitro’s for a brief flash. Just enough to tell him she was hanging on by a social thread.
“Alright,” Bishop said, pointing to the extra chairs. “You ladies have a seat, and we’ll get started.”
Nitro kept his eye on Felix, waiting for her to brave a glance his way. All his silent willing paid off and her pretty blue gaze found him. He didn’t waste the treat and gave her a wink. He hated seeing the fear just under that pretty face and hoped the meeting wouldn’t last long. He wanted to get her alone and let her know that whatever it took, he’d find a way to protect her and her little birds. Even if he had to move the fucking Hatch to her place, he would.
“Spook will be the Parleur for the remaining Twelve,” Bishop announced. “To keep things streamlined and focused.”
“Perfect,” Belle Eveque said, smiling at all of them like the regal queen she was. He took a second to appreciate all her abilities. If they were right about her gifts, he sure hoped she accidentally used some on Felix. He was ready to bow at her fucking feet which made being the big bad rod of the Hatch tricky.
“I’m happy to report,” the Belle Eveque began with a beaming smile, “that since the applications opened, we’ve gotten over four hundred responses.” She had her phone out while everybody mumbled about the spike in numbers since 8-Bit gave his.
8-Bit looked at his phone. “Sure enough,” he muttered. “They’re flooding in. Traps, you’re on the board. Seems you got quite a few secret admirers from Bacon and Nitro’s hatch.”
He gave one of his booming Santa laughs which seemed to tickle all the women across from them. Felix again met his gaze and he let himself have naughty thoughts while staring at her. The sudden lowering of her eyes said she’d read his eye sex and the way it flustered her got him rock hard and planning her next orgasm.
“At this rate,” Belle Eveque said, “we’ll reach our numbers before tomorrow night. I was thinking of cutting it off when we reach five hundred. Figure it’s better to have too many than not enough.”
They all seemed to agree, and Nitro added his own vote when he remembered Felix still had to want him like he wanted her. Where was her head with all that? With Hurricane? Fuck, the idea she might choose another caused his blood to bubble with the promise of explosive intent.
“So what needs to be decided, or what I need your input on is this third phase coming. The interview. I’ll need to know what kind of things you need to know to make your selections.”
The outbreak of racket brought Bishops hand smacking the table. “Spook?”
Nitro didn’t envy his job but he handled it like a champ, leaning in and muttering out ideas that encompassed their interests in a logical capacity. After getting their nods, Spook presented what he had. “Seems we have a consensus of a couple of must haves and absolutely can’t haves.”
“Great!” the Belle Eveque said, opening a notebook and clicking her pen before waiting.
“So…in no particular order,” he started. “Music genre. Movie genre. Uh…family plans. How many children?” He aimed questioning eyes at the men, and they nodded. “Something with…finances,” Spook muttered, glancing at them and getting more nods.
“Got it,” Belle Eveque said, writing. “So basically, you’d like to know how much of it is required to make her happy?”
A mumble of agreement happened as she wrote and nodded.
“And you’d like to know how many kids she wants? Or doesn’t?”
More nods.
“And…what about the uh…intimacy stuff?” she suggested. “You’d want to know how they feel about that kind of thing. Something that gives you a sense of where her mind is. Frigid or fire?” She eyed Bishop with a grimace.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Find out how much she wants to try to make babies without actually making them.”
She snickered and laughed, nodding. “Good way to put it.”
“And maybe how creative she’s willing to be,” Patches barely muttered to Spook, getting Belle Eveque’s curious wonder.
Again, Bishop helped her, leaning to whisper, “Ask how much fun she’s willing to have while trying not to make a baby.”
Belle Eveque nodded and wrote. “Got it.”
“And conflict resolution,” Spook said. “How does she feel problems should be solved.
“Very good one,” Belle Eveque agreed. “And I think it’s a very good idea to make sure you’re on the same page spiritually.”
She regarded all of them and Bishop offered, “I think we are all compelled to agree with my Belle Eveque on that.”
This got immediate chuckles which prompted her worried, “What’s so funny,” whisper while casting glances their way.
“I’ll tell you later, my angel,” he whispered back, kissing her cheek.
Nitro finally allowed himself to look at Gracie, wondering what the strained look was on her face. He glanced at Ruckus, finding his glare on him. Was the fuck still pissed about that kiss?
“How’s your Mah-Mah and Pah-Pah, Little Birdie?” Hurricane asked, while Bishop spoke to the Belle Eveque.
“They’re fine.”
“I hear you moving to the Enclave with them?”
Nitro’s guts tensed as he eyed her. “No,” she said simply, giving barely a smile.
“No?” Hurricane aimed his gaze at Nitro. “I thought it wasn’t safe there?”
“I’m handling it.”
A second passed before Hurricane laughed. “Is she the excavation? Our Little Birdie refuses to fly away?”
“I said I’m handling it.”
****
Felix’s pulse raced as the air thickened between Nitro and Hurricane. She didn’t miss the tick in Nitro’s jaw as he kept his head lowered.
“Yeah, you did say that,” Hurricane muttered to him. “Maybe since you fucked up the last female crisis we had, you should let me handle this one.”
“Stay out of my Hatch business,” Nitro warned lowly, while Felix wondered what female crisis he’d meant.
“What’s going on?” Bishop cut in.
Hurricane surrendered with his hands in the air, grinning at her. “Just trying to help with the Little Birdie excavation but as usual, Nitro wants all the Gracie jobs for himself.”
“Hurricane, stand the fuck down,” Bishop ordered.
“Don’t use my woman in whatever game this is,” Ruckus muttered, confusing Felix.
“Mercy, are we fighting?” Gracie asked, sounding as annoyed as she was worried.
“I ain’t using nobody’s woman, Bruh,” Hurricane said.
The Ruckus man stood, and Hurricane stood, then Bishop.
“Hey!” Gracie yelled, standing now too. “Can’t we leave it?”
“I can if he can,” Ruckus muttered.
“What you pissed at me for?” Hurricane chuckled. “Was Nitro that kissed your woman, not me.”
Felix sucked in a breath, finding Nitro’s gaze on her. She held it in her chest, waiting for him to deny it as he turned to Hurricane.
“Nitro’s the mover not me. Right bruh? He sure moved Ruckus into gear when he kissed his woman,” he laughed. “Is that what you doing with Little Birdie?”
Felix gasped when Nitro grabbed his t-shirt in his fists. “Shut your fucking mouth.”
“What’s he talking about?” Ruckus demanded.
“Tell ‘em, man,” Hurricane laughed. “Tell ‘em you kissed his woman to get his ass in gear. Nothing wrong with that, right? Except we both know you fuckin liked her more than the job required. Is that how it is with Little Birdie?”
Felix jumped back as Nitro lifted Hurricane and slammed him onto the table while the rest of the men jumped to pull them apart.
“Sit down!” Gracie yelled at Ruckus who looked ready to jump across the table for Nitro while Felix fought the nausea roiling in her stomach.
Belle Eveque grabbed her arm. “I’ll explain,” she whispered. “It was my idea for him to use your birds as a means to get you someplace safe.”
Felix stared at her, swallowing as she stared. “My…birds?”
The look of surprise followed by guilt in Belle Eveque’s eyes brought everything crashing in. All his…sudden kindness and interest in the birds. Felix looked at her, finding pain alongside her guilt while her brain repeated, he kissed Gracie. He liked her. Nitro’s the mover. He liked Gracie.
Oh God, oh God. Nitro had kissed her too. To move her. Only he did… so much more. He did all those things. He said he’d not touched a woman.
“Felix!”
Nitro’s yell struck her like a viper as she raced for the doors unable to breathe.
He caught up to her outside and blocked her path, grabbing her when she tried to dodge past. “Listen to me. Stop, dammit!”
She closed her eyes, fighting back the sobs in her chest.
“Let me fucking explain.”
“You…told me you never touched a woman,” she gasped, her breaths pushing in her lungs. “I believed you. You only wanted to move me.”
“I did, at first,” he gushed, grabbing her face. “And then I…”
“And then you liked it?” she wept. “Like you liked her?”
She fought to push his lips off of hers, clawing his face and stumbling back.
“Nitro!”
Bishop’s yell boomed and he turned right as Belle Eveque appeared next to her, pulling her to her fee. She watched Nitro storm back to the church, letting her sobs go when he was out of sight.
“I’m so sorry, please, you have to believe me,” Belle Eveque begged. “We did it with the intent to protect you. He really does like you, I swear it! I know it and I swear it!”
Felix accepted her consolation only because she was the Belle Eveque and seemed to need to give it. But inside she was not consoled. She was bleeding to death and fighting for every breath. She would not survive this.
****
“We’ll get through to her,” Bishop assured after sending everybody out of the Basilique. “She’s a smart girl, she’ll know and see the difference.”
“She’ll never fucking trust me now,” he swore, pacing next to the table. “And I don’t blame her, I fucking don’t.”
“You love her?”
Nitro turned and faced him. “Love?” He stared at him, feeling like he spoke another fucking language. “I’m going crazy thinking she’s hurting from what I did to her. I fucked up, I hurt something I’d kill to protect.” He slammed his fist on the table. “She’s just a…” He lowered his head, breathing through the fucking agony. “She’s just a tiny thing, she’s…got so much to prove but she doesn’t,” he swore. “Because she’s already perfect. She’s an angel.”
The door opened and Nitro froze at seeing her. The scared look on her face hit his gut like a dirty bomb. She walked over and stood before both of them, her eyes right on him, mirroring the pain of his betrayal. She suddenly turned to Eveque. “I have a request,” she said around shallow breaths.
Nitro couldn’t take his eyes off her, desperate to fucking hold her, praying she felt it in his gaze.
“Anything I can give you, it’s yours, Felix,” he said.
She regarded Nitro and the look in her eyes, that desperate need to prove to the world she wasn’t just a child was there, brighter than ever. “I want to challenge Nitro to a Bat-tie.” She tore her eyes from him and leveled them on Bishop as her jaw went hard.
A bat-tie?
“Mah Petite,” Bishop said gently. “The rules for a Bat-tie do not permit a man to fight a woman.”
She shook her head. “I don’t intend to fight him.”
Bishop stared at her, then glanced at Nitro before asking her, “Help me understand, petite amie.”
“My Legion of bats against his men. If they can defend against them, then I will go wherever he wants and do whatever he asks. But if my Legion defeats them, then I get to stay on my land.” She hit him with a gaze that burned every part of him. “With the ones that can keep me safe from all the bad men.”