Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Midas
The next morning, I take Legs shopping despite her protests, leaving Powers in charge of Au once more.
She pouts whenever I drag her into another clothing store, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult not to bite that lip and bend her over.
“Last one, then I’ll get you both fed,” I tell her. She looks up at me with a relieved smile as I hold open the door to a maternity boutique Sunshine recommended.
Legs looks around. “I’m not sure what to get. I guess things that will grow with me?” She ends it as a question, biting her lip.
“You’re not dressing to impress or entice anyone. You gotta dress for you.”
“You don’t want me to entice you?”
“Legs, if you’re breathing, I’m enticed. Don’t matter to me if you’re in lingerie or a burlap sack.”
Her mouth drops open in surprise. A woman in her late thirties approaches with a welcoming smile. “Can I help you folks with anything?”
“Um…” Legs glances around again before I wrap my arm around her.
“She’s looking for a few things that will grow with her. She’s pretty small right now, but I have a feeling she’s gonna pop a little more later.” I place my hand on her stomach, looking forward to seeing her bigger.
“I can certainly help with that. Style-wise, do you know what you want?”
Legs blows out a little breath before pointing to a red calf-length dress with white polka dots all over it. It has straps and a little tie at the top of the elastic bodice. It kind of gives off a pin-up vibe, but without the thousand puffy layers underneath the skirt. “That’s pretty.”
“Do you want to try it on and see if you like it? We can build your style around a few key pieces and see what we come up with.”
“That would be great, thank you.”
“No problem. Dad, do you want to join us?”
The word Dad jolts me. My eyes fly to Legs, who winces like she’s waiting for me to lash out. She has no idea how bittersweet it is to be called that. A wave of possession washes over me. I don’t care whose DNA helped make the kid, that baby is mine.
“Absolutely,” I reply. “Lead the way.”
I see the sheen of tears in Legs’s eyes as I take her hand and kiss her knuckles, leading her to the changing rooms. I take a seat and watch her disappear behind one of the wooden doors with the assistant.
I pull out my cell and check my messages when I hear a chime before realizing it’s not my cell phone—it’s Legs’s.
“You’ve got a message, Legs. Want me to bring your phone to you?” I call out.
“Can you just see who it is for me?”
I reach into her bag and rummage around until I find it and look at the screen. “It’s from Amity. She wants to know if it’s okay for her, Tink, and Lil to visit later.”
She’s quiet for a minute before she calls out. “Text back and say yes. I’ll let her know when we’re back.”
I do as she asks. The assistant leaves the room and heads off to grab a few things. When her phone chimes again, I flip it over to see Amity’s response, only to see a message from her boss.
He dead yet? I need to know in advance, as I don’t have any suitable funeral attire.
I grit my teeth and resist the urge to text back fuck off. I don’t know what it is about this woman that rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it’s because she wants Legs back as much as I want her to stay, and I’m not sure right now which one of us is more important to her.
The phone chimes in my hand. This time, it’s a thumbs-up emoji from Amity, so I put the phone back in her bag and wait for Legs to step out.
When she opens the door, I suck in a sharp breath. I’ve seen Legs in millions of different outfits and naked more times than that. I know every inch of her body inside and out, but fucking hell, I’ve never seen her look like this.
“You look beautiful, Legs.”
A blush steals over her cheeks as she turns to check herself out in the mirror. “You think? It’s not my usual style.”
“It should be. You’d rock the shit out of it.”
“Oh, that looks lovely, and I have the perfect things here to complete the look,” the assistant says with a smile.
She holds out a cropped leather jacket for Legs to slip on and a little headscarf that matches the dress.
After asking permission to touch her, she helps tie the scarf before stepping back.
“Add some chunky boots and sunglasses, and you got the perfect Rockabilly style.”
Legs grins. “I love it.”
“Yeah? Let me grab a few more things, and we’ll put together a capsule wardrobe for you so you can mix and match.”
“That would be perfect. Thank you so much.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure.” She heads off as I stand up and walk over to Legs, watching her as she scrutinizes her reflection.
I wrap my arms around her and cup her stomach gently with both hands. “It’s impossible to keep my hands off you when you look like this. It’s as if you stepped right out of my fantasy.”
“So biker chick isn’t your type?” she teases.
“My type is you, period.”
She shuts up at that, but her eyes never leave mine as she searches for the truth in my words. We stay like that until the assistant comes back with an armful of clothes.
“Sorry to get in the way, but these are heavy,” she apologizes.
“It’s fine.” I kiss Legs on the temple. “I’m going to step outside and call Havoc to see if they’ve had any ideas about your situation.” I keep my words vague. She’ll understand me, regardless.
“Okay.”
I look at the assistant. “She’ll try and be frugal. Ignore her. I’ll pay for everything you think suits her and anything else she might need.”
“You got it.” She grins as Legs tries to protest.
“Let me spoil you a little. You deserve this.”
She sighs but gives in as I turn and leave.
I wait for her to lock herself back in her cubical before slipping her phone from her bag and taking it outside with me.
I add her boss’s contact information to my phone before scrolling through the messages between them.
I’m invading Legs’s privacy here, but I know fuck-all about this woman.
Considering she’s become a huge part of Legs’s life, I feel like I should.
I scowl at the messages because she clearly has no love for me, though I try to remain objective.
Legs deserves to have someone in her corner, even if it’s at my expense.
I slide her phone into my pocket, pull up Havoc’s number on my phone, and hit dial.
“Tell me you’ve not been arrested again.”
“I wasn’t arrested the first time. I was taken in for questioning.”
A woman scoots past me with an uncomfortable look, making me snort.
“What can I do for you then? Looking for someone new to stalk?”
“Oh, he’s got jokes, but what’s the saying? Motherfuckers who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Wasn’t that long ago you kidnapped Tink, if my memory is correct.”
“I didn’t kidnap her, I borrowed her.”
“And I didn’t stalk Legs, I watched over her.”
He doesn’t argue with me. We’re both full of shit, and we know it.
“I’m just checking in to see if the girls remembered anything else or if anything else has gone down.”
“You’re worried how this asshole will react now we’ve removed his targets?”
“Exactly. Need to make sure Amity and Tink are clued in, just in case.”
“Yeah, already ahead of you. Nothing new to report yet. Lil’s not working today, so there’s that. As far as I know, the other girls are sticking close.”
“Alright. Is G around? I wanna ask him something.”
“What am I, your fucking secretary?” he grumbles, but I can hear him calling G in the background. I grin down at the sidewalk, getting a perverse pleasure out of annoying the guy.
“Yo.” G’s voice comes over the phone. “Whatcha need, Midas?”
“Gotta a number I want you to see if you can trace. Don’t have a last name. First name’s Del.” I reel off her number from my screen before looking over my shoulder to make sure I’m still alone.
“This woman is Legs’s boss. Or was her boss. They’re pretty pally-pally, so I want her checked out.”
“You have anything else?”
“Yeah, the diner Legs worked at is called Deli’s Diner. It’s over in Greyshot. I’m unsure if her boss is the manager or the owner, but she lives above the place. I’m thinking owner.”
“I’ll get on it after I’ve finished the job I’m currently on.”
“No rush. Legs is at my place now anyway. I’m just being cautious.”
“Nothing wrong with that unless you’re jealous, of course. It’s not a secret that Legs has been known to swing both ways.”
“It’s not about that.”
It’s definitely about that.
“Right,” he drags the word out before he hands the phone back to Havoc.
“Care to fill me in?”
“Just a little recon because I’m a nosy bastard.”
“Whatever. Nevaeh says she’s coming to Au later to see Legs?”
“Yeah, I’ll stick close, and I have Powers here, so whoever rides over with them can head out once he’s dropped them off. I’ll get Powers to ride back with them.”
“Fine by me. Later.”
He hangs up, so I put my phone away and head inside just as Legs and the assistant walk out. “You good?”
“Yeah, I have what I need. More than what I need.”
I look at the assistant, who chuckles. “A couple of things were needed in different sizes so I can order them. If you give me an address, I can have them delivered for you.”
“That works.” I walk over and pay with my card before giving her my address. I take the bagged items from her and look to Legs. “Hungry?”
“Starving, actually,” she admits.
“Good. Let’s put these in the truck, and we’ll grab some food.”
“Okay.” She follows me out to the truck and waits as I put the bags in the back.
“What do you fancy to eat?”
She looks around, her eyes falling on the diner.
“Burger?”
“I never say no to burgers.”
I take her hand, walk her across the street, and push the door open. The bell jingles, making everyone turn our way. I spot a couple of familiar faces and head over, tightening my grip on Legs’s hand when she tenses after spotting Toot and Mac.
Toot gets to his feet, and once we’re close, he reaches over and gives Legs a hug, though I keep hold of her hand.
“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”