35. Talon
Talon
Cin falls asleep not long after my semi confession. I know two orgasms won’t make anything right, but it feels like a barrier broke for both of us tonight, and for once in my life, I want to work for something that I know I don’t deserve.
I want to earn her love.
But first, I need to make another confession and then figure out what the fuck we’re going to do about her father.
Letting her sleep until dinner, I take the time to watch her. The sounds she makes while sleeping make me feel like she’s reliving her worst moments, but I don’t dare wake her up. Instead, I run my hand down her hair, kiss her forehead, and hold her tighter.
Dinner is in about ten minutes, and I know she’ll want to be there. So, I shake her arms and run my feet down her calves, murmuring to her that it’s time to wake up.
Her eyes crack open, and her smile fills all the cracks in my blackened soul.
“I have to confess something,” I say, “but before I do, I need to know that you won't change your mind about giving me a chance.”
She rolls her eyes, “just spit it out, Talon.”
“I put cameras up in your dorm room.”
She laughs, and I sit up, staring down at her as she clutches her sides and laughs harder. “I’m sorry,” she holds up her hands, but continues laughing so hard she begins to wheeze.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“Talon, you’ve got to be kidding me if you think I didn’t know,” she stops laughing long enough to see my face, “oh, you– you really thought I didn’t know.”
“How could you know?”
“I’m the daughter of an FBI agent,” her eyes search my face. “Talon, why do you think I changed everyday in the closet, or bathroom? That I never let Cody get further than touching me over my clothes?”
“I assumed you were just a prude about windows, and weren’t all that into Cody. Guys a douche anyway, and I don’t trust him,” I grumble.
“I let you see what I wanted you to see,” she smirks.
“You…” I can’t seem to form words. She knew, and let the cameras stay? She sputters a laugh, and I straddle her. Poking her sides and making her gasp with laughter.
“Stop,” she hiccups out between laughs.
“The more I learn about you, Cin Morgan,” I shake my head and dip down to give her a kiss when a knock sounds on the door.
“Muffin,” her mother’s voice calls out, and I smile at her, leaping up and toward the door.
“Talon…” Cin warns, jumping up to intercept me.
“Yes, Mama?” She says, pushing me up against the wall. I could move her if I wanted to, but I’m enjoying her alarm.
“Dinner’s ready, we’re waiting,” she calls out. We wait for her footsteps to walk away but she doesn’t move, “and tell Talon he’s wanted too.” Her mom yells.
I chuckle at Cin’s face as it turns pink, and she says okay, letting her mother know that we’d be there in a few. She smacks my chest, “oh my God.”
“What will they think?” I mock, injecting a feminine pitch to my voice, earning a scathing side eye as she goes to find her leggings. She smirks as she pulls them up her legs, sans underwear and I groan.
“I know what I’m thinking.” I say as I bite my lip.
She shakes her head and throws her hair up into a bun. It’s disheveled enough from her nap, and I guess she didn’t feel like giving anyone more reason to believe we’re fucking.
We walk out into the hall, leaving the room, and I get a sense that tonight's dinner won't be as family-friendly as Fern would like it.
The table is set with lasagna and bread, buttered with garlic, and it smells fantastic. I take my normal seat beside Toby and Banks. Henry is all the way at the end with Luca on one side, Fern at the head, and the other dads on the other side.
Gran sits beside Toby, eyeing me from her chair, and I smile. Gran isn’t my biggest fan. Cin, Mack, and Lori sit on the opposite side, splitting Candy and Manson. Fern’s brother is a psychiatrist, and the only time we really see him anymore is at dinner.
Which he never misses, or else Fern will lose her shit.
And Creed will castrate him if he makes her cry, brother or not.
Creed says grace, and we all serve ourselves from the four dishes of lasagna Chef prepared. I watch Cin grab a small chunk of the Italian cake and raise my brow.
“You can eat as much as you want,” I say, breaking the music of clattering silverware and chewing.
Everyone looks at me, and I shrug. Toby bumps my arm under the table, but I ignore him.
“Cin, how are your bruises feeling?” Gran asks around a fork full of meat sauce and cheese. She always takes the noodles out.
Cin covers her mouth with her napkin to respond, “sore, but I’ll live. Thank you for all of your help.”
“Your cuts seem to be healing well already. That’s a good sign,” Gran smiles and slides her eyes to me. I wink, and she narrows her eyes but continues eating.
Fern and Creed share a secret smile, and although I’ve decided not to be too much of an asshole to Cin, that never included everyone else.
“I have toast,” I warn, and Fern giggles under her breath along with my brothers.
“Throw it, and I’ll have to beat your ass in front of your girlfriend,” Creed challenges, and I startle for a second because we never discussed that, and by the shock on her face, she’s also feeling some way about it.
“You could try, old man,” I try to redirect, but I can feel my brothers’ eyes on me. Henry’s fork is halfway to his mouth, Banks is choking on his food, and I realize it’s because I didn’t deny Creed’s girlfriend comment.
“For fuck’s sake, drink some water,” I holler and shake my head, “whatever Cin and I are is no one’s business.”
Fern clasps her hands together and tucks them under her chin. “I disagree, and I think her mother would also like some sort of explanation. However, the dinner table is not the appropriate setting,” she eyes her husband across the table, and he relents.
“Fern’s right,” Creed says and eyes Mack, who's been suspiciously quiet.
My eyes land on Cin, and I wish I could read her, but her eyes are carefully watching everyone else, that blush splotching her neck under the bruises. I find her foot under the table and knock it slightly, causing her to jump, and I curse myself for scaring her.
She looks at me then and her shoulders shrug, “what about my dad? Is that an acceptable conversation?”
Everyone stops then. All of their eyes find her, but she doesn’t shrink away. Instead, she sits up a little taller, and hell, it’s one of the hottest things about her-her ability to face all of her challenges head-on.
“Muffin,” her mom starts, but Cin shuts it down with a look.
“I need to know what we’re going to do. I can’t live in fear of a man I’ve never met,” she argues, and I see Fern out of the corner of my eye smiling. She likes Cin and boy, that takes a weight off my chest that I didn’t know was there.
“You don’t have to be afraid of him,” Mack says, leaning up in his chair to look around her mother.
“Do you know where he is? What about the other man that kidnapped me? Have you found them both?”
Mack looks to where Creed sits, and I can tell they haven’t, “we’re…”
“Do. Not. Lie. To. Her.” I grit out through my teeth.
Everyone at the table looks at me, but I don’t care. Let them stare. I have nothing to hide, not from my family.
“We’re still making calls,” Creed says, “but we’ll find him.”
“I can’t stay here for however long it takes you to find him. I have school, and I’d like to go back when the break is over.”
Fuck, school. That’s gonna be an interesting conversation.
“Griffin will be going back with you, and I’m sure the boys will help when they can,” Mack speaks, and I want to throat punch him when he smirks at me.
“Your father won't be able to get to you on campus, Muffin.” Her mother’s false sense of security really makes me wonder what secrets she’s hiding. As an agent, she should have access to anything to help locate him unless she’s already asked and they’ve dismissed her from the case.
The rest of dinner is filled with wedding talk. I overhear Manson telling Cin that if she ever needs to talk about what happened, Fern can give her his number, and she can call any time, and he’ll help her.
When dinner is over, everyone splits off into whatever it is they were doing before. I follow Fern into the kitchen when Cin retreats to my room.
“What the hell, Fern? I thought you were on my side?” I ask under my breath.
“You’re a kid, Talon, and I love you, so I’ll be as gentle as I can when I say this. Don’t think you can fuck around with the girl you tormented for months, and everything will be okay,” she lights into me, despite her comment about being gentle.
“You think I don’t know that?” I whisper-shout, “Cin and I, what we do is none of your business, and it sure as shit isn’t your decision on whether she forgives me.”
“Watch your tone when you speak to me, Tal,” she demands, “sex doesn’t heal all wounds, and if I’m being honest, she shouldn’t even entertain the idea of you two after what you’ve done to her.”
“Ouch,” I say, retreating into my shield of assholery.
She sighs and looks down for a minute, and I turn to leave.
“Talon,” she pulls me back into the kitchen and holds my hand as if she needs to make sure I’m listening to her. “What I’m saying is you’re young, and I know how protective you are of your heart. Just don’t forget she also has one to protect too, okay?”