35. Chapter 35
Kingsley
“This is the last one,” Wentworth announced from behind me.
I was straddling a chair in his living room while he worked on removing the remaining sutures from my back.
Three weeks had passed since the flagellation, and the lacerations were healing nicely.
I’d stayed here the entire time so Wentworth could help me to keep things clean.
Staying with him, Rhyner, and Moriarty wasn’t as chaotic as I’d expected.
They were gone a lot, either training or working out, and when they were around, it was a lot like the brotherhood I used to have at Saint James.
I felt a tug on my upper back as Wentworth pulled at the suture. Some of them had grown in, and this seemed to be one of them.
“Those scars are gonna be gnarly, man,” Michael T. “Shotgun” McCord commented from the sofa, where he was violently punching buttons on a controller. He cussed when Moriarty, who sat next to him, shot his figure. Even though Shotgun didn’t live here, he was around a lot.
Yeah, I was aware of the scars. The lacerations were all over my back, sort of in a messy crisscross pattern. Hopefully they wouldn’t scare off Harley, or remind her of what Fuller had put her through. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
Harley. She’d spent the two nights in the hospital with me and visited me here every day after that. Tonight I’d make my move. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this nervous.
“All done,” Wentworth said. “Let me wrap you. I have a feeling you’ll need an extra layer of protection for your plans.”
I stood and raised my arms in the air so he could wrap a bandage around my torso.
A wide grin split Shotgun’s face. His eyebrows were naturally shaped in a frown, making him look downright malicious. “You mean besides the other kind of protection?”
“Too late for that,” Wentworth said around a cough.
I would have given him a look had he not been behind me. Not that Harley’s pregnancy was a secret. I just felt the need to protect her.
Shotgun’s gaze snapped to me. “She’s pregnant? Dang.”
“Congrats,” Moriarty said. This was the first word I heard from him today. He was even quieter than Brother Aurelius.
“Thanks.”
The right corner of Shotgun’s mouth tugged up into a smirk. “In that case protection won’t be necessary.”
Usually I would’ve ignored his comment. Shotgun was a lot like Keaton used to be, and trying to explain my values to a guy like that was like talking to a wall. Something prompted me to share anyway. “It won’t be necessary because we aren’t being intimate. Not until we’re married.”
“Kinda late for that, don’t you think?”
“No, it’s never too late to try and do better.
” Harley and I had agreed on holding off till we’d spoken our vows.
It was hard, to say the least. To make sure we didn’t get any stupid ideas, we always met in public or some place with people present.
So far it had worked well, and I prayed we could keep the streak.
Shotgun nodded. “Respect the heck out of that. I don’t know how you do it.”
“With God’s help.” Time for a topic change. “Have you guys heard back from the brass?”
“No.” Rhyner strode into the living room with a rifle in hand. He set it on the dining table and started disassembling it.
“I don’t get it.” My arms burned from holding them over my head. “You guys saved our lives and caught Fuller. What’s there to decide?”
“Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. We aren’t allowed to execute the law unless authorized by Congress or the President himself. The reason for our actions doesn’t matter.”
Not exactly fair. “How did you guys even know where we were?”
Rhyner checked his watch, then refocused on his rifle. “We’ve been keeping an eye on Fuller.”
Interesting.
My arms were about to fall off when Wentworth finally told me he was done.
I thanked him, then headed to my room and got dressed in black slacks, a white dress shirt, and Santoni leather Oxfords.
Harley was still staying with Rome, so that’s where I headed.
During the one and a half hour drive I prayed for our future—that our actions would honor the Lord, that He would guide us, and that He would strengthen us in the seasons of hardship. Then I was there.
My chest tightened when I climbed the marble steps to Rome’s mansion. Not that I expected a rejection from Harley. It was just a big moment, and I didn’t want to mess up.
I hadn’t even rung the bell when the door was ripped open, revealing a beaming Giuliana. “Brother Sam—I mean, Kingsley!” She threw herself into my arms and squeezed. Hard.
I stifled a groan. Despite the fire ripping across my back, I held her close. “ Come stai, ragazza? ”
She laughed. “That was horrible.”
“Giuli!” Rome materialized in the hallway, spouting rapid-fire Italian. He wore gym shorts and a tank top, his tan skin gleaming with sweat.
Giuliana let me go, eyes wide. “I’m so sorry. I totally forgot about your back.”
“No worries.” Underlining my words with a smile, I tugged at one of her braids. “How are you?”
“I’m being treated like a caged animal.” She shot a glare at Rome.
“Because you behave like one.”
“Me? You’re the animal here. Just look at how you eat.”
I followed their banter a while longer, thanking God that Rome took good care of Giuliana. Maybe he wasn’t the best role model for her, not to mention he was hard on her. But he could definitely teach her a thing or two about life.
“I’m guessing you’re here for Harley,” he finally said. “She should be ready in a minute. Want to come inside?”
A moment later, we sat on the leather sofas in the living room.
“You got big plans or something?” Rome nodded at my hands. I’d apparently subconsciously rubbed my sweaty palms on my slacks. The guy was way too perceptive.
I nodded. “Or something.”
“Well, I guess congratulations are in order.” Rome slapped my shoulder with a fat grin.
“Congratulations for what?”
Harley’s voice drew me around. She stood at the top of the curved stairs, the indigo dress she wore hugging her curves and flowing beautifully at the same time. I couldn’t help but watch her every move as she glided down the steps.
Rome punched me in the arm. “You’re drooling, my man.”
No, I wasn’t. My mouth was as dry as if I’d chugged a bucket of sand. She was . . . breathtaking. Hopefully my plans wouldn’t ruin her dress beyond repair.
I rose from the sofa and met her at the foot of the stairs with my hand outstretched to help her down the last few steps.
She placed hers in mine with a smile. “Thank you.”
Over the past couple weeks, I’d always felt self-conscious about showing affection to her when we had an audience, the bitter taste of doing something forbidden still lingering.
For some reason, today was different. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her in.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
I can’t believe I get to call you mine.”
She laughed, her hazel eyes glowing. “Most beautiful woman?”
“Yes.” I leaned in and claimed her lips, and though I wanted to show her that I meant every single word, I kept the kiss chaste for Giuliana’s sake. Maybe having an audience wasn’t so bad after all—it kept us in check.
When I let Harley go, she took in my black slacks and white dress shirt. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
The fact that she approved pleased me more than it should. “Are you ready to go?”
“Am I? I mean, since you don’t want to tell me where we’re going, I just assume I am.”
I couldn’t help the smile. “Patience, Sweetheart.”
“Well, excuse me if I have the patience of a five-year-old.”
Her mock exasperation made me grin even harder. “I can work with that. Great practice for what’s to come.”
“Smooth as always.” Harley placed a hand on her still very flat stomach. “I can’t wait.”
A rush of emotions hit me, hard and overwhelming. I cleared my throat. “Me either.”
We said our goodbyes to Rome and Giuliana, then I escorted Harley to Keaton’s TRX. It didn’t take her long to realize where we were headed.
“Really?” she asked, watching the jungle only illuminated by the headlights roll by. “Saint James?”
I nodded.
“Have you seen them since you left?” Her question oozed compassion.
“Only Father Cruz. We met in the city the other day.” To talk about tonight.
Saying going back didn’t have me on edge was a lie. My hands were so clammy I could hardly grip the steering wheel. At the same time it felt right to replace the sinful memories with new ones that weren’t tainted.
A warm hand covered mine. “It’ll be okay,” Harley said.
The fact that she sensed my unease and was here to support me . . . If I hadn’t already had plans to marry this woman, I would’ve made them now.
By the time we’d made it up the mountain, my shirt was plastered to my chest. I got out of the TRX and stalked around it to get Harley’s door. Lord, I know this is Your will. Give me the strength and courage to execute it accordingly.