Chapter 65 Bram
brAM
We spent most of the day with Maeve, avoiding the subject of our impending assault on Todd’s compound in an effort to keep Maeve from worrying. But it was there under the surface of the day anyway.
Maeve cooked a big breakfast and we played one of the video games she liked, fucked on the sofa again, ate lunch, fucked some more, and fell asleep in Poe’s bed.
Then there had been no more time to fuck around — no pun intended — because Rafe, Nolan, and Jude were expecting us and we still had gear to prep.
Maeve did a bunch of nervous cooking even though the fridge and freezer were already overflowing with Christmas leftovers, and we went through the gear in the living room, counting Kevlar, checking the weapons, making sure we had enough ammo.
Then Poe loaded everything into to the Hummer and we ate leftover turkey sandwiches with Maeve at the dining room table, the Christmas lights casting a glow over the room.
When we finished eating, we gathered the last of our gear and turned to Maeve, who was standing by the top of the stairs with her arms folded over her chest.
I’d set the knife she’d given me for Christmas on the dining room table, and I picked it up to take with me.
I hoped I got to use it. Rafe and his friends had high-powered weapons — and we had a few of those too — but it would be fitting to end the man who’d caused Maeve so much pain with the knife.
I was surprised when she took it from my hands and pressed the blade against her palm.
“No.” I held onto her wrist to stop her. “We bleed for you.”
She sliced the knife across her palm. Blood rushed to the surface of her skin and she lifted her hand to smear it on my cheek.
“I bleed for you too.”
Her blood was warm on my face as she did the same to Poe and Remy, wiping her blood on one of their cheeks, kissing the other.
She wiped the blade of the knife on her sweatshirt and handed it back to me.
I took it and pulled her into my arms. “We’ll be back.”
“You better.”
We left her at the top of the stairs. I could feel her gaze as we disappeared into the shadows of the first floor.
I didn’t look back.