20. Suffocating Lovers #2
Sophie looked back at Jax, who was waiting impatiently for her to get to the point. “Remember how I used to hold him too tightly because I wanted to protect him and keep him safe. Because I loved him so much.”
Jax sighed. “Sophie-”
“Remember when he suffocated because I didn't realize I was hurting him?” she continued. “I didn't have to give up Mr. Bugsy. I just needed to give him some breathing room.” Sophie affectionately kissed Jax’s fingers with a pert smile. “Be good to my sister. I love her almost as much as you do.”
“You ready to go, Sophie?” Esme asked, peeking her head outside.
“Almost!” Sophie smiled, turning to Caleb. “Oh! I told Deja about Jamie.”
Caleb’s eyes widened. “That wasn't your information to tell!"
Sophie shrugged. “You love her, don't you? Then, you should be honest with her. Reapers don’t lie.”
Keith snorted. “We lie all the time.”
“Not to each other,” Sophie said, looking at Jax. “Right, big brother?”
Jax’s jaw tensed watching Sophie step back into the house. “I forgot how much of a menace she was...” Caleb muttered.
Jax groaned. “I didn’t...”
“I just don't understand how we're running low on each organism,” Deja said exasperated while breastfeeding Chloe. “I picked them all out myself.”
“I'm sorry, Ms. Louis. Much has changed in your absence. We don't really have much weight against the corporations that took over the site you negotiated for,” her assistant said from her laptop screen.
“I thought there was legislation to protect those sites.”
Her assistant sighed. “Politicians can be bought too...”
Deja grumbled irritably. “Fine. I'll figure it out.”
“Is there anything I can do to assist?”
“Just keep me updated on further changes,” Deja said.
Her assistant nodded before the video call ended.
Deja groaned over how increasingly difficult her job had become.
Why was creating an environmentally sufficient and economically sustainable future becoming so difficult?
Why were so many people getting in her way?
Reviewing the passive-aggressive email threads with vendors reminded Deja that negotiating was never her forte.
She could build relationships with farmers, agriculturalists, and other scientists.
But when it came to working with entrepreneurs, investors, and legislators, the passion that fueled her dream was perceived as a nuisance.
Hearing Chloe coughing, she peeled her from her breast to lay her over her shoulder and burp her.
She winced at how sore and damaged her nipples felt.
Standing from the bed, Deja approached the dresser, glancing over the array of lotions and hair products the guys had recently bombarded her with.
She wasn't sure what convinced them to buy all those products, but she was grateful. Even if it was overkill.
Searching the crowded dresser, she jumped, startled when the door abruptly swung open. “Sorry. Did I startle you?” Jax asked.
Deja sighed wearily. “No, I'm just a little on edge after my last call.”
Jax looked at the dresser. “What are you looking for?”
“Um, the nipple balm. I’m a little sore.”
Jax tilted his head. “Sit.”
Keeping her eyes on Jax, Deja sat back on the bed.
He easily found the cream from the dresser and approached her.
Jax waited for Deja to lay Chloe down in her bassinet before he pushed Deja back onto the pillow.
She stared up at him as he squeezed the cream onto his thumb and gently massaged it into her bruised nipple.
Deja’s breathing shortened at his gentle touch.
His tenderness towards her reminded her of how things used to be between them.
Before she discovered what he was. She wondered if the way her body responded to his touch was because of how long she had gone without sexual activity. Or if she possibly craved him.
She couldn’t imagine the latter.
Jax caught the way her breathing escalated, and his jaw shifted. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m trying to give you time to recover...”
Deja instinctively averted her gaze as she felt Jax’s fingers caress her bosom before grazing down her sternum with such lightness it was as if he intended to ensure she reacted to his touch.
His eyes lingered on her stomach as his fingers traced the light-colored stretchmarks that contrasted beautifully with her dark skin, spiraling around her belly button like a web.
He didn’t know why they turned him on so much.
Why the raised texture aroused him. Why the soft dimples in her skin made him harden.
Biting his lip, he quickly retracted his hand before he reached the point of no return.
“I have a few errands to run today,” he said, standing from the bed and picking up his daughter. “I’ll be taking Chloe with me.”
“Why?” Deja asked, concerned. “What are you doing? Why do you need her?”
“Family matters,” Jax said vaguely. “And I figured you could use the break, since you refuse to stop working.”
Deja wanted to argue with him and protest the kidnapping of their child to do whatever nefarious deeds he had planned. But her eyes fell. She desperately needed a break.
“I already prepared a few of her bottles with your milk,” Jax said, holding Chloe out towards her mother. Deja looked at Chloe reluctantly before she leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek. Jax’s mouth twisted at the distant look in Deja's eyes and pulled Chloe back to his chest. “Deja...”
Deja looked up to meet his gaze, and his brow furrowed further. “If you need me… call me,” he advised. Deja nodded as Jax leaned down to kiss her before he left her alone.
She sat on her bed in silence, lost in her thoughts, before she leaned over and grabbed Roselyn’s Memoir, opening to the last page she bookmarked with a piece of paper.
She had started taking notes. Trying to connect what Caleb had told her, to what the Donovans had told her, to what Renee had told her.
It felt like a web of conspiracies and manic theories. Yet, it still seemed to make sense.
Deja hypothesized that the Society were polytheists who believed in multiple gods that created various planets.
And although the god of their world was known as the god of death in their religion, the deity that had their focus and that gave them purpose…
was Roselyn . A god who made it clear that death, this natural process that had been normalized on their planet, was the only way to save their world from the virus that was humanity .
Deja closed the book with a shake of her head. This was why she could only read a few pages at a time. It often was too much. She convinced herself that she wasn’t reading because she believed in any of this crazy bullshit. But because she was curious .
If anything, she hoped it would help her to better understand these murderous men who held her captive with their obsession.
Hooking her purse over her shoulder, Deja walked out of the bedroom and headed for the exit.
“Where are we going?” Keith asked, abruptly sidling up next to her.
Deja jumped, startled, not having noticed him. “Um, I am running to the local garden center to pick up some stuff for my work.”
Keith nodded. “Sounds boring as fuck. I'll take you,” he said, grabbing his keys.
“I can go by myself, Keith. I don't need security,” Deja said.
Keith chuckled, amused. “Baby girl, do you not remember getting attacked by Reapers? You're not leaving this cabin alone.”
Deja rolled her eyes in resignation. “I thought you would be with your brothers.”
“Hmm… Suffer my annoying-ass brothers or feed my addiction by daring to touch you again? Hard to choose,” Keith smirked while holding the door open for her.
Deja shook her head. “Fine. But you have to promise me that you won't kill anyone.”
“Sorry, baby girl. I can’t make a promise I can’t keep,” Keith shrugged.
“Keith!”
“Baby, the whole point of my tagging along, other than ogling your fine ass, is to protect you. If someone tries to hurt you, it should be expected I might tear off some faces and rip off some heads,” Keith said, casually twirling his switchblade.
Deja ran her hand over her face in exasperation. “You can’t defend me without killing anyone?”
Keith sighed. “Asking me not to kill is like asking you to stop being so goddamn sexy. It’s impossible. Like, what do you want from me?”
“I want you to promise me not to kill anyone on a simple trip to a Garden Center !” Deja snapped.
Keith rolled his eyes. “I promise not to kill anyone… in front of you.”
“God, I can’t stand you,” she muttered, walking out the door.
After Keith parked outside the Garden Center, Deja approached the door before turning around to look up at him.
His dirty blonde hair had grown longer and shaggier, curtaining his chiseled face.
Her eyes roamed his muscular physique, covered in tattoos and scars barely hidden by his sleeveless leather vest, as he towered over her.
“Maybe you should wait in the car,” she suggested.
“Maybe you should ride my dick,” he smirked.
“Keith!” she snapped. “I’m serious.”
“Not a chance,” he said. “I can’t murk a bitch from in the car.”
“You shouldn’t be murking anyone!”
“Well, if everyone behaves, then I won’t,” he shrugged. “Why is this so hard for you to grasp?”
Deja shook her head. “You just... I don’t want you scaring anyone, okay?"
Keith tilted his head with a grin as he leaned over her and possessively grabbed her waist. “...why, baby girl? Do I still scare you?”
Deja scoffed, pushing her hand against his chest. “No.”
Keith grabbed her hand before she could pull away and affectionately kissed her fingers as he held her gaze. “...good...”
Deja tore her eyes away from his penetrative gaze before she headed into the store, with Keith trailing closely behind her.
He tried to give Deja some distance as she roamed the aisles, but his eyes were glued to her ass.
The pregnancy weight she had gained made him want to rip her clothes off.
Keith impatiently waited for the day he could finally fuck his girl again.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Deja asked, abruptly pulling him from his thoughts.
Keith raised a brow. “Do you really wanna know?”
“Actually, no,” Deja said, turning around to look at more plants.
“I’m imagining fucking you against those peonies,” Keith said.
“I said 'no'.”
“Or eating your pussy against that rose bush.”
“Keith-”
“I’m dying for you to sit on my face-”
“Keith!” Deja slapped her hand across his mouth. “Can you stop?”
“Not really,” he mumbled behind her palm, and she instinctively burst into laughter. Keith smiled, his cheeks flushing. He was addicted to that sound.
Grabbing several seed packets and tools, Deja approached the counter. “I was looking for krythnoids. Do you guys not have any?” she asked the cashier.
The cashier eyed her. “We keep them in a case. But they’re reserved for certain customers,” he advised.
“Like?” she asked.
“Scientists. Educators… and people who can afford them,” he said.
“Oh! Well, that’s fantastic. I’m all of the above. Can I buy a pack?” she asked.
He snorted. “No. But I'll ring you up for these,” he said, scanning her items.
Deja looked at him, confused. “I’m sorry? Why won’t you sell me the krythnoids? I just told you that I’m a scientist-”
“And I’m the President,” he said flatly. “That’ll be 72.99.”
Deja held onto her card. “Sir, I would appreciate it if you sold me the krythnoids. I need it for my work. If you need my ID-”
“I don’t need your fake ID," he said curtly.
Deja scoffed, offended when she felt Keith press up behind her. “Something wrong, baby girl?”
“Nope,” Deja said. “I’ve got it, Keith. Sir, here’s my ID from McIntosh Research Center.” The cashier looked from Keith to Deja before grabbing her card. Inspecting it, he flicked it back.
Keith tilted his head. “Did he just flick your card?”
“Keith, stop." Deja tried not to show signs of annoyance with the cashier for fear of what it would unleash in the unhinged, blond-haired Reaper. “Is there something wrong, sir?”
“It looks fake,” the cashier accused.
“Did he just- Here, I have something better,” Keith threatened, leaning over the counter. “Come here for a second. I’ll show you my ID.”
Deja quickly grabbed Keith, pulling him off the counter. “I need you to put it away,” she whispered.
“Put what away?” Keith asked, feigning innocence.
“The blade in your pocket.”
Keith smirked. “I was just going to sever his thyroid-”
“Keith, you can’t kill people for being jerks!” Deja said, exasperated.
“Baby, he’s not a jerk. He’s a fucking asshole . There are tiers to this, and I feel like he at least needs to be maimed,” Keith shrugged.
“No! Being an asshole is not grounds for murder!” she snapped.
“At least an eyeball? His finger? An ear?” Keith negotiated. “Baby girl, you’re torturing me. Either I can't fuck you, or I can’t kill for you. You have to choose one. It can't be both.”
Deja rubbed her temples. “Just wait, okay?” She turned around to face the cashier and grimaced. “I'll just pay for these items.”
The cashier snatched her credit card. “I need some real ID?”
Deja looked up in exasperation as she slid over her driver's license. Her emotions were on fire, but the last thing she wanted to do was provoke Keith to do something she’d regret.
“That’s it?” Keith asked as she headed for the door.
“Yes. See how civil that was?” she smiled.
Keith sucked his teeth as he grabbed the bag for her and led her to the car. Opening the car door, Deja sat in the passenger seat and grabbed the bag when Keith pulled back. “Actually, I think I want some gum,” Keith said suddenly.
“It's a garden center. They don't sell gum,” Deja reminded him.
“I'll check to make sure,” Keith said, heading back towards the store. “Be right back.”
“Keith!” Deja shouted, but he had already disappeared. She groaned in frustration as she impatiently tapped her foot, waiting for Keith to return. She almost got out of the car when Keith walked back outside. He whistled as he playfully swung a full plastic bag and hopped into the car.
“There you go,” he said, handing her the bag.
Deja looked at the bag, confused. “What is this?”
“Your… krthymons or whatever. We had a chat, man-to-man, and he changed his mind,” Keith said, starting the car.
Deja’s face fell. “Keith… Please don't tell me you killed him?”
Keith kissed her cheek. “As promised, I didn't kill him… in front of you ..."