Chapter 9
Rose
“Rose!” cries Erin, coming out of the taxi and running to me with open arms. I giggle and welcome her at the steps of our house, ignoring the strange looks from passengers on the sidewalk.
Erin is a thing of beauty and grace. Long jet-black hair with a mesmerizing silhouette, she makes heads turn, and surely faces crack after Shadow sees it.
Her skin is as pale as snow, and she’s often dressed in dark green, thin fabrics that melt over her body.
She’s a bit taller than me, made even more so by the knee-high black boots she wears.
We often laugh about the fact that we are polar opposites, and still, we can’t get along better.
She’s the butter to my bread, she likes to sign.
Because she’s learning ASL, and that’s the greatest act of friendship I could ever receive.
We hug for a long time while Shadow shakes Vox’s hand, his other hand on his shoulder.
“VP.”
“Shadow.”
“C’mon in, guys, it’s freezing,” Vox says before smiling at Erin and motioning me to get in the house. My man and his fear of me getting sick. We both rush inside as Shadow and Vox unpack the trunk of the taxi, and I glance behind as we pass the doorway.
“Um, I know, right?” Erin grins. I frown. “We’re lucky gals,” she says, and this time I nod because yes, we’re always taken care of and that’s something I’ll never take for granted.
She removes her long burgundy wool coat, revealing a tight black dress above dark tights.
“You’re so pretty,” I sign slowly, seeing if she catches it, and she smiles.
“Thank you, hon.”
“You must be thirsty. How was the flight? Do you want a cup of tea?”
“Wait,” she says out loud, “too fast, do it again, please,” she asks and focuses on my fingers.
I tend to sign a bit fast when I’m excited, and even from time to time, Vox will ask me to repeat myself to make sure he catches my meaning.
I sign again, this time detaching each sign for her to understand, and she nods every second, connecting each movement with its meaning.
“The flight was awful, and yes, a cup of tea would be perfect.” I grin and wave at her to follow me into the kitchen while I make tea and coffee, then remove the glass jar that was keeping my chocolate cake protected.
“Can I?” she asks, and I nod, giving her little napkins with bows, the ones Vox bought yesterday.
“I love it here, seriously, each time we come, I’m always in awe.
This house is…so cosy. And the garden,” she gasps, spinning on the stool she’s on and looking over my little piece of heaven, almost frozen by the winter frost.
“Have you been gardening a bit?” I sign.
“Gardening? No, I’m head over heels under knitting projects. Mia is trying to teach me, but…I’m a hopeless case.”
I smile then quickly sign, “What are you working on then?”
“Working…project? Oh yes, you mean what project am I working on?” I nod.
“I’m trying to make a sweater for Shadow, but I keep messing up the sleeves.
Anyway, what about you? Gardening? Work?
Tell me everything. Oh, and thank you, love, by the way, for the lovely picture of the skating rink this morning, you looked so cute with your big scarf. ”
“Notebook,” I sign, then grab my notebook and write for her, which happens when I don’t want to impose signing on people who aren’t quite fluent yet.
I tell her about my gardening project, about work with Olga at the shop, and how I’m improving my bouquet skills, about the class I’m currently following, and the little bit of anxiety that’s been blooming in my belly since this morning.
“Um…” she taps her finger on her lips, “sadly, I think there’s nothing you can do. Can’t think a bride in the world didn’t feel like this the day before.”
“I know, I know… The thing is…I’m scared he won’t like the dress.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s…a bit daring.”
“My my, Rosy Rosy, what have you done?” I shake my head, blushing, as Vox and Shadow enter with the bags. Erin gets quiet, keeping my little secret tucked in her pocket.
“You guys alright?” Vox asks, zeroing in on me, and I nod, knowing he can read me like a book.
“Guest bedroom over there,” he says to Shadow, and they both go to the bedroom on the first floor, while ours is on the second floor. My gaze follows Vox as I notice his biceps flexing under the weight of the bag. Erin’s hand lands softly on my shoulder.
“So, bachelorette night, uh? Want to hear what I planned?”
Vox
Something’s churning in my girl’s head, and I wish I could dig into it, find the answers needed to appease myself.
Tomorrow, she’ll have a piece of metal on her dainty finger, binding her body and soul to me forever.
Is it necessary? No. Am I obsessed with the world knowing she’s mine?
Hell yeah. Don’t think she’s having second thoughts, but until she’s in her white dress saying yes, I won’t be a hundred percent sure.
After all, Rose is everything and more, and I’m…
just a guy whose hands won’t ever get clean no matter how hard I try to wash them.
She’s an angel fallen from heaven into the arms of a beast like me, and I guess I’ll never stop wondering why I got so lucky to even share the same air as her in the first place.
When sleep gets hard to attain at night, Rose likes to kiss the hurt away, drawing letters on my chest, telling me she loves me, that she’ll always stay.
I won’t complain, ’cause it doesn’t hurt to hear.
And because her drawing letters on my skin is still very much my favourite thing in the world, along with her laughter.
This silent melody, I swear, only I can hear.
“That’ll do?” I ask Shadow once we settle his and Erin's bags in our guest bedroom. It’s quite large, with a cottage feel thanks to Rose’s touches, the quilt on the bed, the tartan curtains, and the wooden beams. There’s also a small bathroom with a shower, so they should be alright here for the night.
One night only, ’cause tomorrow Rose and I are starting this marriage alone in our house.
No way I’m having guests on our wedding night.
My mind drifts to dangerous waters when Shadow snaps me out of it.
“Yeah, perfect. What’s the plan? We let them stay home and get a few beers?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Are they…?” He scratches the back of his neck.
“Safe?”
“I’m just not really into Jameson expanding in the West. Makes me wonder if he’ll target our women if we’re not here.”
“I’ve dealt with him. If he even crosses eyes with our families, he’ll lose half the block near the docks,” I assure him, knowing I also called reinforcement on our block just for the day. You can never be too careful.
“Yeah, Ares told me you settled an agreement with them.”
“They stay on their turf, we stay on ours. If they break the agreement, hell will unleash, and for now, they’re clearly outnumbered.” I pat his shoulder. “The girls are safe here. I have alarms, cameras, and Rose has a GPS on her at all times, so we’re set.”
“Tracking her phone?” he scoffs. “You know that’s the first thing they get rid of during kidnappings.”
“Necklace,” I deadpan.
“Smart.”
“You?”
“Bracelet. Erin says it doesn’t matter ’cause she’d become such a nightmare they’d release her after a few hours.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, she can hold her weight. No doubt ’bout that.”
“Alright, let’s get out of their way before we get accused of fucking up their bachelorette plans.” Shadow chuckles.
“Wait,” I clear my throat, “Rose… Um, she made a cake for you guys.”
“Look at you playing husband and all, eating cakes like a fucking civilised guy.”
I shake my head. “Just eat the fucking cake.”
He chuckles as he exits. “If Ares was here-”
“What? I heard Mia and him are getting along just fine.”
“Just fine? More like gasoline and fire, but yeah, they’re alright.
” We stop our banter and find the girls.
Erin is sitting on the stool talking to Rose about nail stuff, and my girl listens quietly with a knife in hand, ready to cut the cake she spent an hour making this morning.
Can’t lie, I love seeing her like that. All womanly and all mine, doing wifey stuff with her long blond hair bouncing on her shoulders, begging me to twist it in my fist. My imagination darkens and I stop myself from gawking at her.
“Who wants a slice?” she signs.
Shadow answers awkwardly but still signs back, “Me, please,” and I grin because watching my girl evolve in my world makes my chest sit high, and my heart squeeze tighter.
Don’t know if it was his way of apologizing, but Ares told everyone to get their shit together and put in the work to learn a few signs so Rose would never feel left out.
He even learned enough to make small talk with her, which is huge, ’cause first, Ares learning anything for a woman who isn’t his is monumental, and second, because the man loathes small talk.
“So, how’s life in Seattle?” Erin asks me. I give her a clipped nod, making my way to my girl and resting a hand on the small of her back, Shadow and Erin facing us from the other side of the island.
“Pretty great. The club is expanding fast here and Rose is finding her footing, alright.”
“A job and a degree all at once, that’s a hell of a move,” Shadow says to Rose.
“And a cat,” she signs with a smile, the orange, chubby thing making its way to us, surely smelling the chocolate cake.
“Speaking of the devil,” I say, motioning my chin to the fluff ball.
“I want one so bad,” Erin admits.
Shadow huffs. “Over my dead body.”
“Why? He won’t bother you and I’ll have someone to keep me company when you’re away.”
“Nah, I don’t like those things.”
“I didn’t want it either,” I add.
“But Rose got you all twisted around her finger, so…” Erin grins.
She isn’t wrong. Rose saw it wandering alone in the backyard, all scruffy and thin, and decided to adopt it a few months ago.
Now the thing is as fat as a stick of butter and sleeps until noon.
But as long as it puts a smile on Rose’s sweet face, yeah, it can stay.
“Rose likes it so…yeah, we kept it,” I groan, and Rose giggles.
“What have you guys planned tonight?” Shadow asks Erin. “Strippers with shots of vodka on their belly button?” He grins, and she stares at him with a challenging look.
“Maybe,” she baits, and he falls right into the trap.
“Like hell.”
“Um, what do you think, Rose? I wouldn’t mind a tall, oily stripper on me.
It also happens that I have lots of singles to get rid of in my wallet, so…
” Rose turns red, and I flex my hand because even if the lie is as big as a truck, I can’t help but feel protective over my girl.
Her innocence belongs in my hands only, where it’s cherished and taken care of the right way.
“Erin…” Shadow taunts, and she breaks into laughter.
“Ice cream, making our nails, and watching a romantic movie, that’s the plan. Don’t you worry, if a stripper comes by, we’ll give him a scoop of ice cream, and he’ll do his nails with us.” Shadow shakes his head, looking at me with a wide smile.
“See what I have to put up with?” We all laugh, eating Rose’s cake.
“Delicious, babe,” I tell her, kissing her hair. “We’re gonna go. You okay?” I search her eyes for any warning sign.
She nods, signing, “Don’t forget to come back.”
“Like that could ever happen.” I sign back.
“What are you guys…planning?” she signs as Erin and Shadow discuss the pros and cons of having a cat, Shadow running a palm down his face as Erin gestures, counting her arguments on her long, black-painted fingers.
Rose’s mouth ticks and I notice a slight trembling of her lower lip. My thumb runs smoothly over it.
“Nothing to write home about, sweetheart. Just a couple of beers.”
“No…strippers?” she signs the word with each letter, worry hanging like a cloud above her.
“Hey,” she lifts her chin to meet my gaze, “none of that, Angel. I don’t do that sort of stuff, you know that.”
“But…in movies…bachelor nights, they do all sorts of things and—”
“Only this isn’t a movie, and it’s us. I got everything I need at home waiting for me.
It’ll just be a couple of drinks, I promise.
Is that why you were worried when they arrived?
” She nods, blushing, and I realize I failed her by not seeing it sooner.
Rose only entered our world this year. There’s lots still scaring her shitless, especially things she thinks could take me away from her.
“You never have to worry about those things, Angel. Never. I love you. Next time you worry like that, just tell me. You’re all I think about, Rose, when I’m with you and when I’m not.
There’s no room and no want for anything else. ”
“Okay,” she mouths, and I steal her a quick kiss ’cause we’ve got company.
“Shadow?” I arch a brow.
“Yep, ready,” he nods, leaving the stool. “Have fun, guys, but not too much fun.” He winks at Erin, and she half-whispers, half-yells, “We’re gonna get a cat!” Rose laughs and I kiss her one more time before leaving them for the rest of the day.