Chapter 7
Vex
Irun my hand over my beard, missing my mouth so as not to wipe away the memory of Loyal’s lips on mine.
Never in a million years did I think she would do that and yet my brave woman did.
The woman who revealed to me that she will never have children of her own, and yet here she is, cooing over two six-year-olds with haunted looks on their faces.
“You must be Loyal?” Mama Debs asks, curiously looking at the woman who has always had a piece of my heart since before I knew what love even was.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! Yes, I’m Loyal. I, aw, sorry, I just didn’t see you there.” Loyal has her hands on her cheeks, looking horrified.
“Kotiro, you were busy giving these babies love. Ain’t no shame in that.”
Loyal nods, still looking sheepish.
“I’m Debs but everyone calls me Mama Debs.”
“Loyal. Loyal Blessing.”
“Yes, you are,” Mama Debs says, a soft look on her face before turning to me. “Are you gonna come give your Mama Debs a hug or just gonna stand there staring?” Mama Debs ribs me.
I roll my eyes and hold my arms wide open.
Mama Debs slides out of the car, then walks into me, throwing her strong arms around my waist and squeezing tightly.
I don’t know what it is about this woman, but she just feels like a mom.
Like my mom before she passed away. It’s familiar and comforting and I thank every day that my sister found the DRMC and in turn they found us.
“Good to see you, baby. How’s the new chapter?”
I give Mama Debs one last hard squeeze before releasing her and stepping back. “It’s good. And interesting. We have a new prospect. I think he might give Rider a run for his money.”
Her eyes grow wide. “Do NOT introduce that boy to Rider. We can’t handle more than one of him, heka ma!
” Mama Debs walks to the trunk of the SUV and starts to rummage around.
“Right, show me to the kitchen while Loyal gets to know those two little angels.” She hands me a huge tray of cookies before poking her head into the open car door.
“Babies, I’m going to the kitchen with Vex.
Loyal is the nice lady I said would keep you safe and loved, remember? ”
Two curly copper heads bob up and down and Mama Debs smiles wide, blowing a kiss before spinning on her heel and clapping her hands at me.
“OK, OK, right this way. Sheesh, how does Pops put up with all your demands?” I tease as I carry the cookies into the common room.
“Puhlease,” Mama Debs snorts. “That man loves when I take control.”
“No! No, we are not listening to that!” Tav growls, jabbing a finger in Mama Debs’ direction.
“Why? You jealous that I got a woman who likes to call the shots both in bed and out of it?” Pops smirks, waggling his bushy, grey brows.
“I’m not listening!” Tav spins to his wife, looking for support but my sister is too busy laughing her ass off.
“Who are these people?” Jason asks, stepping up beside me.
“They’re my family.”
Jason stares wide eyed before a grin starts to grow on his face.
“I like them.” He wanders off, toward his daughter who seems to have gravitated toward the Big Littles and Judge’s twins.
Annie-Bella and Jax I’d trust her with. The Big Littles?
Maybe not. Not unless Jason is in the market for a loose cannon.
I place Mama Debs’ cookies on the kitchen counter and move to head back out to Loyal when Mama Debs calls out.
“There’s food packed in the car for you, your woman and the twins. Feed those babies and love on them, you hear me? They need it.” I walk to the closest thing to a mother I’ve had in a long time and drop a kiss on her soft cheek.
“Thanks, Mama, I will do all those things.”
“You better, or I’ll send Sid after ya.” She swats me with a dish towel and winks.
I laugh and head out to the common room. I’m not needed for the rest of the night, so I say goodnight and wave to my brothers on my way out the door. I’d much rather be spending time with Loyal getting to know the kids, getting a gauge on all they will need to feel safe.
Stepping outside I notice the inside car light is on and Loyal is sitting between the two kids, a soft smile on her face as they all look at something in her hands.
My chest aches knowing that for a short time, she will get to be a mom.
Maybe, once I make her mine we can look into adoption or something.
I huff to myself. One kiss and I’m planning our entire future.
Moving closer to the open door, I knock on the SUV roof, so as not to frighten Loyal or the kids. “Hey, how’s it all going in here?” I ask gently.
“Kids, this is Vex. He’s my, um, -”
“I’m her man,” I blurt out before I’ve even thought about it. Fuck it, it’s out and I’m not taking it back. I stare into Loyal’s bright blue eyes and even in the low light I know she’s blushing fiercely. “And who might you two princesses be?”
The twins are identical from what I can tell, although they are wearing different colored shirts so I’m hoping that’s something they do all the time.
“I’m Aubrey, she’s Adalyn,” the twin in the pink top says, pointing to her sister.
“Most people call us Bree and Addy,” the purple shirt sister says softly.
Watching them I can already tell that Bree is the outgoing one, and the one more likely to take charge while Addy is shyer.
“Nice to meet you, ladies.” Bree snorts while Addy looks at Loyal who gives her a smile. “Well, shall I drive us to where we’ll be staying? How does that sound? Then we can grab a little something to eat, get to know each other and spend our first night in a new place, together.”
The kids look to Loyal before looking back at me and nodding. Loyal’s head is tilted down and I can see the corners of her lush lips are tipped up.
“Alright then. Lets get a hustle on, huh?” I say, shutting the door gently.
Moving to the driver’s side, I slide in, starting the car and pointing it in the direction of the little home that used to belong to my father.
It’s had a deep clean and a full renovation since Blanche went in like a hurricane and got rid of him.
The prospects have spent the past two days getting it family ready so I have no issues moving in there for however long we need to be there.
That was never my home anyway. After our mom died it’s where our father, the Prophet, would bring his young wives.
I shudder at the memory of the first woman he took as his bride.
Hopeful was my age, mousy and quiet. To know that your father was marrying your childhood friend was not great.
Finding out that he was marrying another woman, even younger than Hopeful, then another and another, well, that’s when I started to look at my father and the elders in a different light.
“What is this place?” Addy’s soft voice asks from the backseat.
“This is The Keep. Loyal and I grew up here.”
“Hey! There’s a playground!” Bree points out to her sister.
“Yup. You just let us know when you want to play there and Loyal or myself will take you.” My eyes flick to the rear view where the kids are busy looking out of the windows, Loyal’s eyes meet mine in the mirror and she gives me a brave smile.
I know being with the girls and knowing why they’re here is breaking her heart.
She may be all take charge ballbuster when taking care of the rescues and getting them to where they need to be, but I’ve heard her sniffles from her office when she reads through their files.
I know that whatever baggage these little girls are carrying is something that will break Loyal’s heart.
And I’ll be there to put it back together again.
Loyal
We pull up to the Prophet’s old house and I brace myself to walk through those doors.
I saw the mess that was left behind when Blanche and the DRMC men came through.
I mean, they cleaned up as best they could, but sometimes there is no getting rid of the smell of blood once it permeates through soft furnishings. I know.
Shaking off my thoughts I look to the two little girls sitting either side of me.
I have a feeling that whatever they went through will affect them for years to come.
They may be somewhat relaxed now, but I know that trauma will show up when they least expect it.
When it does I’ll be there to soothe their fears and Vex will be there to fight their demons.
“OK my lovely ladies in the back. This is us. Just let me unlock and then I’ll show you around.” Vex says, smiling over his shoulder before getting out of the car. I watch as his jeans mold to his backside as he walks away from us.
“Wait, why do you need showing around? Don’t you live here?” Bree asks. Of the two she is more outgoing I’ve noticed.
“Usually Vex and I stay in the rooms at the big house. But because we have you two little ladies to take care of, we’re going to live here. Is that alright with you?”
Two sets of dark eyes stare at me for a beat. “Will you be our new mommy and daddy?” Addy’s soft voice asks, almost a whisper.
“Oh sweetheart, come here.” I throw my arms around the girls, squeezing them into me, one on each side.
“While we are keeping you safe, we will pretend to be your mommy and your daddy. We’ll make sure you’re fed and warm and safe and sound.
You don’t have to call us that at all, unless we are out in public.
But that is to keep you safe. Does that make sense? ”
“Yeah. Mama Debs said that we had to pretend. We’re good at pretending, right Addy?” Bree says, peeking around me at her sister.
“Yeah. We pretended to be sleeping when mommy was being hurt,” Addy whispers, her bottom lip trembling.
“Yeah. But we weren’t.” Bree frowns.
Vex clears his throat, gaining the girls’ attention. “If you would allow me to escort m’ladies into the castle?” Vex sweeps his arm through the air before performing a low bow.