Chapter 29
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
BamBam
“We’ll take out the trash,” Rio says. “Go be with your woman.”
“I need to get his address. Livy left a lot of her things behind that I want to get for her,” I reply, looking at the piece of shit who hasn’t stopped whining and crying since we moved him from the barn to the soundproofed room we use for interrogations.
“I’ll get it out of him,” Gopher promises. “Then we’ll go and get her shit. Do you know if there’s anything in particular she wanted?”
I chuckle even as I start nodding. “Yeah, there’s a cast iron skillet that was her mother’s that she wants, plus, she said there were a couple of boxes of her parents’ belongings she had to leave behind.
They’re in the closet of the spare room.
Not sure about clothes, but honestly, anything that looks like it’s for a woman or a baby?
Box it up and bring it back. She can sort through and decide what she wants to do with it then. ”
“Works for me,” Gopher states.
As I head to the first aid building, satisfied that Jasper will no longer be an issue for Livy, I finally take a deep breath.
Getting the text from Mongrel and then finding her after our frantic search took at least ten years off of my life.
Still, pride rises up inside when I remember how bad Jasper looked before we got our hands on him.
She used what she had available and took care of herself until we could get there.
If nothing else, she fought for her life today, because I have no doubt in my mind that if Jasper had been successful in getting her off the ranch, he would’ve killed her and not thought twice about it.
Walking inside, I see Marge cradling Theo, who is sound asleep, as Doc cleans the cut on Livy’s face. “Gonna have one helluva shiner, sweetheart,” I say, leaning in and kissing her forehead.
“Not the first one I’ve had,” she replies, shrugging.
“But it is the last one you’ll ever receive at the hands of that man, or any other man,” I warn. “Because I have no problem whatsoever when it comes to teaching them a lesson.”
“Caveman,” she teases.
“Your caveman, Livy,” I assert. Looking over my shoulder I ask, “She okay, Doc? What about her ribs?”
“They’re just bruised, BamBam. No cracks or breaks. Seems your woman is made of some pretty hardy stuff,” he replies as he puts another butterfly strip on Livy’s lower lip. “Probably could’ve put some stitches in,” he muses looking at his handiwork.
“Nope, I’m not letting you stick a ginormous needle in my lip to numb it up,” Livy states. “I’m a fast healer so I should be good in a few days.”
The look she gives me sets fire in my blood. What we’ve been dancing around since the day we met is finally coming to fruition. I know she’s most likely got to heal more, but based on her comment in the barn, I think she’s okay as far as a relationship goes.
She jumps off the table and holds her hands out to take Theo from Marge, who glares at her while holding him closer. “Marge, I need to hold him,” Livy hisses, stomping her foot. “He’s the reason I kept fighting so hard. Well, him and BamBam,” she shyly adds, glancing up at me.
“How so?” I question, curiosity now roused.
“Because I’ve spent months digging through the detritus of what Jasper did to me.
You’ve been by my side the whole time, even when I was staying at Hope House.
I always knew all I had to do was call or send you a text if I needed something.
You showed me more care and concern the first day I met you than he ever did, BamBam,” she clarifies.
“Even the first day, when I was so beaten down, I found you attractive and wished I had met someone like you before.”
“Well, you have me now,” I tell her. “You’re my ol’ lady, and when you’re ready, you’re going to be tied to me legally. I’m also going to adopt Theo, since as far as I’m concerned, he’s mine.”
By now, tears are leaking from her eyes.
I know I’ve explained my intentions before, but I suspect she didn’t really believe me.
Today, however, for some reason, she does, which is evident when she throws her arms around me and nestles her head into my chest. Of course, my cock takes notice, thickening in my jeans, but I do my best to ignore the fact that just her mere touch has me reacting and wrap my arms around her for a hug.
Leaning close, I whisper, “I’ve got you, Livy. I’ll always find you if you’re lost. You’re not alone anymore.”
“Good to know. Do you think it would be okay for me to get a snowclone with this lip?”
Marge pipes up and asks, “Why not? It’s cold so it might help the swelling.”
“Then let’s go get you one before we watch Issy do a dressage exhibition,” I state.
“Can… will you stay with me tonight?” she asks as we enter her apartment.
Theo is passed out in my arms, completely worn out from the exciting day he had.
We walked around for a bit, Marge by our sides, and when she saw that Issy had set up a ball pit for the babies to play in, we sat for quite some time watching him roll around and giggle with another little boy.
Gage’s son. Of course, Icer was nearby, glowering at anyone who came too close to him or Indiana’s little girl, Elodie.
When he saw Livy’s face, his face became thunderous, until I pulled him aside and assured him that the threat had been neutralized.
“Are you sure?” I query as I lock the door and arm the alarm.
“Positive. I don’t… I don’t want to be by myself tonight.”
“Then I’ll stay.”
Even if no sex is involved, I need to be near her and hold her close while she sleeps.
I was going to suggest it, but she beat me to it, thank God.
Life has been inherently better since I found her on the side of the road; she’s definitely gone through some shit, but my goal is to make sure her life is nothing but beauty from here on out.
“Okay. Here, let me take him and put him down,” she says, holding out her hands. “Make yourself comfortable, I need to take a shower and wash today away.”
“Take your time, sweetheart,” I encourage. “I’ll just watch some tv.”
“Don’t you dare watch Ghosts without me!” she exclaims. “I know you’ve already seen it, but I haven’t, and I don’t want to miss an episode.”
“I’ll just watch one of the sports channels then,” I reply.
Having the woman I want more than my next breath curled up next to me on the couch is fucking heaven, that’s for sure. The smell of her shampoo and body wash is enticing and I wonder if she tastes as sweet as my imagination thinks she does. “Livy?” I ask.
“Hmm?” Her voice is drowsy as she turns her gaze to mine.
“It’s been an eventful day, how about we get some sleep?” I question.
“Sounds good to me,” she replies, maneuvering her body so she can stand up.
“You go in and get in bed, I’m going to run down and grab my stuff from the truck, make sure everything’s locked up tight, then grab a shower,” I tell her.
“Okay, BamBam.”
It doesn’t take me long to get everything done, and soon, I’m crawling between the sheets next to Livy. Her pulse is racing, and I reach over and pull her into my arms. “Not until you’re ready, remember?” I murmur.
“I know. It’s just the first time I’ve been in bed with someone else in a while,” she softly replies. “Those memories are trying to rear their ugly heads.”
“Well, soon, they’ll be replaced,” I promise her. “But for tonight, we’re going to sleep, okay?”
“M’kay,” she whispers, snuggling up to me. “I know you probably can’t tell me, but what happened with him?”
I love that she isn’t bringing his name into our space. “I can’t tell you everything, but I will say that he’s never going to bother you again. Not only that, but your things will be here tomorrow.”
“Really?” Shock fills her tone as she twists her head to look at me. “I thought… I thought it was all just going to be gone.”
“No, sweetheart. Gopher and Mongrel were taking Jasper home and they’re going to pack up all of your things, plus grab the boxes of your parents’ belongings. Oh, and your cast iron skillet.”
She giggles and I have to bite back a moan when her full breasts bounce against my bare chest. In deference to her, I have a pair of sleep pants on, but since I usually sleep naked, I couldn’t make myself wear a T-shirt.
“The best thing that ever happened to me was when you stopped on the side of the road and picked me up,” she says.
“Gotta say, I tend to agree with you.” Kissing her temple, I instruct, “Now, sleep, Livy. Theo might be wiped out, but I’m sure he’ll be up bright and early wanting to be fed and changed.”