ZODIAC
The Reed family was constantly together. Pax showed up for a few minutes after lunch. Rowdy and Vanessa were in and out of the house all afternoon. Clint and Ivy joined us for dinner, which was apparently a regular thing.
Keeping to myself, I spoke only when spoken to, like I did back in my foster homes. Ford made occasional small talk, but he was mostly interested in fondling his wife once Shay arrived home from work.
After dinner, Clint joined me on the deck. I felt him thinking about how much to pry into my relationship with his sister.
Finally, he said, “Rock has rounded up a few strangers hanging around town over the last few months, but Little Memphis remains quiet. Do you think we can keep it that way until the baby is born?”
“Are you asking if my snitch has given us any information?”
“No, I figured you’d have mentioned if he had. I’m asking what your gut is telling you.”
Exhaling deeply, I glanced at the house and muttered, “I think Elle needs to hide here to be safe.”
“That likely won’t happen. She has her job and likes to drive Sutter everywhere. Hiding at home doesn’t feel like an option.”
“You don’t seem to have control over your people.”
Clint smirked at my accusation and reminded me, “Your VP took off without telling you so he could woo my cousin. Let’s not pretend you have better control over your people.”
Shrugging, I grumbled, “I would have agreed with his decision to ride up here. I’m a sucker for stupid romance. You should be, too, and help me cage your sister into a safe box.”
Clint’s blue eyes flashed back toward his woman, Ivy, who spoke with Sutter.
“Elle grew up in this life and heard stories about how close our people came to dying. She still wanted to ride with me. She likes to go wild with the foxes. She enjoys protecting the women and kids at our safehouses. This is the life she has chosen, and I won’t interfere with that.”
“Aren’t you protective of her at all?”
“Sure, I tried to keep her away from you,” Clint spat out, revealing his temper. “Somehow, she managed to hook up with you in a bar full of our people. Putting Elle in a box doesn’t work. Even if it did, I don’t know if she’d be Elle anymore.”
My bad mood insisted I start an argument, so I demanded, “Why wouldn’t you want your sister to shack up with your ally?”
“Because I assumed you were only interested in her as a way to mess with me.”
“Do you think that little of your sister?”
“No, I thought that highly of your sneakiness.”
“Well, it was never about you or our alliance. Your sister is just hot.”
“Is that why you’re sleeping over?” Clint asked.
“Yes, and I want to keep an eye on my son.”
Clint had a solid poker face. He rarely gave away his mood. Right now, he might be thinking I was an idiot or hoping I married his sister. There was no way to know based on his expression.
Sutter was almost as good at hiding his mood. Though he kept eyeballing me, his face didn’t give away what he was thinking.
“Do you like being a big brain nerd?” I asked him just before dinner. “Or do you wish you were normal?”
“Being normal looks difficult. The kids my age are struggling to spell basic words, while I can read adult books. Mom says easy is better.”
“Do you think your mom wishes you were normal?”
Sutter shook his head immediately. “My mom likes me just the way I am. If I were dumb, she’d feel the same way.”
“Are you sure?”
Nodding, Sutter explained, “When we went to the summer camp, the other kids seemed anxious, like they had to do everything right. When we’d get picked up, their parents would ask how they did and if they were able to keep up.
My mom just asked if I had fun. She didn’t care if I learned anything or how I compared to the other advanced kids. She just wanted me to be happy.”
Nodding, I said, “Elle’s a good mom.”
“Is that why you made a baby with her?”
“No, that was an accident. I just like your mom.”
“She likes you, too,” Sutter said, sounding like a little kid before his gaze hardened and he suddenly looked like Ford. “Don’t make her cry.”
“No promises,” I replied like I would if his grandfather warned me. “I’m an asshole, and I refuse to change for anyone.”
“Because you grew up in foster care?”
“Sure. I didn’t have a mom who gave a shit if I was happy or safe. The only person who cared about me was me.”
“My mom cares about you.”
“For now.”
“That’s true,” Sutter said immediately and shrugged. “You should enjoy her attention while it lasts.”
I smiled at how the kid refused to sugarcoat the situation.
“Are you excited to be a brother?”
“No. I’ve never shared my mom before.”
“Are you worried my kid will be smarter than you?”
“No, because if he’s smarter, he can teach me things.”
Appearing at the back door, Elle cooed, “Aww, are you two talking about how great I am?”
“Yes,” Sutter said and walked over to her. “Did you put extra cheese in the soup?”
“Yes, babe, just like Grandpa likes.”
Elle gestured for me to follow them inside. I felt her mothering me. Nova did the same thing. Women thought I needed a mommy figure to heal the wounds left behind by my shitty upbringing.
Unlike Nova, Elle lost her motherly vibe once I was close enough to fondle. She stroked my back as I followed Sutter into the house.
“You had your chance earlier,” I taunted when she patted my ass.
Elle grinned wider. “I want to touch you, not the other way around.”
During dinner, Elle continued touching me under the table. Her cheeseburger soup was tasty. When everyone kept praising it, I sensed she had only recently started cooking.
“This is Nova’s recipe,” Elle told me. “But Ford wanted more cheese.”
“I need the calcium,” her father replied, making Shay snicker.
That was how dinner went. One person said something. Another person replied with an inside joke. Someone else laughed. I felt like an outsider, but Elle’s hand on my thigh kept me from getting pissed off.
The best part of dinner was when Sutter talked about his special nerd camp in Pennsylvania.
I had never loved learning like he did, but I wasn’t a bad student.
My goal in school was to learn enough to survive and stay out of trouble.
I accepted early on how I had zero power as a kid.
To be in charge, I needed to survive to adulthood.
With my kid, I probably should have hoped for more than survival. After dinner, when everyone went outside, I kept an eye on Sutter. He was a healthy, happy kid. That came from his family, not his big brain. My kid could be the same way, even if he ended up dumber than a box of rocks.
Once the sun went down, Elle and Sutter headed downstairs for the night. They made roasted chickpeas for their evening snack. Never would I eat this shit on my own, but it tasted good. Even if it didn’t, I wanted to know what the life would be like for my son when he lived here.
While eating their snack, Sutter put on a science documentary. Elle sat next to him on the couch, but I wasn’t sure how much she was paying attention to the TV. She seemed to be daydreaming. She occasionally smiled at me, but I sensed she was tired.
At eight, they ditched me so Sutter could take a shower in the little bathroom between his and Megatron’s rooms. I walked around the living room and kitchenette, imagining a little version of me living here.
The cat remained in hiding, but the tan-and-white dog now sat near the bathroom.
Hobbs eyed me warily, likely realizing how perfectly he’d fit under my boot.
The dog followed Sutter into his room as he prepared for bed. Once Elle got her boy settled, she shut his door and focused on me.
“You look grumpy,” she said.
“You look tired.”
“I am tired.”
“I’m willing to be satisfied with a quick blowjob.”
Elle broke into a stunning smile. “You’re always so charming. I don’t know how my knees don’t buckle.”
I trailed her into her bedroom, where she stripped out of her clothes and walked into the bathroom.
“There’s probably room for both of us in the shower,” she said without looking back at me. “I might be able to give you a happy ending, as long as you stay still and let me work my magic.”
Rather than words, I answered by unbuttoning my shirt and dropping my pants. Elle glanced over her bare shoulder and smiled.
“Such a pretty man from the top of your poofy hair to the tips of your manly toes.”
“I’ll let the poofy hair thing go since you’re planning to get me off.”
Elle glanced at herself in the long mirror hanging on the wall. “My belly has gotten bigger much faster this time around.”
I rested my hand on her small bump. “I own this.”
“You’re only leasing it,” Elle said and wrapped her fingers around my cock. “Like I’m leasing this.”
Leaning down, I covered Elle’s lips with mine and finally got a taste.
My entire body unclenched at the feel of her in my arms. We already shared a familiarity between us after a single night together.
I knew how to touch her and make her eyes do that horny fluttering thing.
Elle knew how to get me off under the hot water after soaping me up.
As much as I wanted to have more fun, Elle’s yawning forced me to behave. Well, no, I forced myself to put her fatigue before my dick. That might have been an easy move for a guy like Exile or Clint. But I’d long struggled to focus on someone else’s needs beyond my own.
Elle didn’t make my battle any easier when she crawled into bed and rested on her belly. Her T-shirt pulled up to reveal her bare ass.
“Should you sleep on your stomach?” I asked, pacing around to dry my body before joining her in bed.
“I won’t have this option for much longer. Let me enjoy my usual sleep position.”
“I don’t want you to squish my critter.”
“Can you stop talking about your son like he’s a squirrel, Zodiac?” Elle murmured and closed her eyes.
Grinning at her question, I crawled onto the mattress next to her. Elle’s eyes remained closed. Her breathing was soft. I sensed she would be asleep soon if I left her alone.
I’d been waiting all day to get Elle alone. I missed her paying attention to only me. Now, I could force her to give me attention. Or I could pull the blanket over her sexy body and let her sleep.
Yanking the red comforter over us both, I rested on my back and thought about my day at the Reed house.
I didn’t know what I was doing anymore. For months, I had believed I could keep Elle as a pretty thing I enjoyed from time to time here in Little Memphis.
Then, she showed up at my place and refused to get scared off.
Restless, I grabbed my phone and brought up the movie that had offered me the inside track with Elle.
I’d seen “In the Mouth of Madness” once, finding it fun but a little goofy.
This time, I watched it with more interest. I smiled whenever the name “Sutter Cane” was mentioned.
I couldn’t believe Elle named her baby after the movie’s bad guy.
By the time, the horror flick was over, I was ready to sleep, Elle was curled up against me, and I’d come up with a name for my son.