Chapter Fourteen
Memphis
Istare at the food and clothes in the trunk and slide a look over at my brother. He’s got a big goofy grin on his face that normally would make me laugh.
“Seems like you two plan to stay a while.”
“Come on, Memphis. You know it’s better to have another gun, a second pair of eyes and hands to help out.” He pulls on the back of his flannel button-up to show me his gun. “Besides, you saw the girls and how happy they were to be together.”
Damn him. I did see how big a smile Waverly had on her face when she looked at Sadie and how she ran to her. My shoulders sag with defeat, and I heave out a heavy sigh.
“Fine.” The little pecker stain gives me a knowing smirk that is too familiar because it's reflected back at me every time I look in the mirror, and I want to wipe it right off his face.
I think one of the reasons I’m so mad they are here is because I was really looking forward to having Waverly all to myself.
Now, I’m going to have to compete with her best friend.
It doesn’t take us long to bring everything inside and have it straightened out before showing the girls the room they will be staying in while me and Boston will be in the other one.
Both rooms have a big king-sized bed in them now, but there used to be bunk beds in one of them.
The girls rumble around the kitchen while me and Boston put new sheets on the beds so they'll be ready.
When we come back out, the girls have made a salad and baked potatoes for dinner and have it ready for us.
We all sit and eat together while the girls catch up and amuse us with stories about people on campus.
After we eat, we all go into the living room to watch a movie until I look over to find it’s all catching up with Waverly.
I nudge Sadie to get her attention before I stand and tell everyone I’m exhausted and need to go to sleep.
Sadie is quick to jump up and say the same thing, causing Waverly to do the same.
She follows her to their bedroom without a qualm.
Before I go into the bedroom, I make sure all the doors are locked and all the alarms are set- even the ones the girls aren't aware of. I check the silent alarms that have been activated since we got here. There’s a room in the little cabin that has monitors for all the cameras that have been set up on the property, among other things.
I take the ammo box Dad sent me and put it with the rest of the armory that makes up one side of the wall.
Dad wanted a place to relax, but he never wanted to be unprepared either. Thankfully.
I make my way out of the room my brothers and sisters always called the War Room and linger in front of the bedroom the girls are staying in.
I push the door open and find only one lump in the bed.
If there had been two, I would have quietly shut the door and gone on to the bedroom Boston and I are sharing.
I step forward, moving closer to the bed until I confirm what I suspected.
Boston and Sadie have gone somewhere else and left my baby girl by herself.
I’m sure Sadie waited. Hell, she might have even been asleep.
But Boston came for her. I silently pull up an overstuffed armchair closer to the bed and sit in it much like I did when she was in the hospital.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, my eyes are opening to find Waverly flailing around in the bed. I’m on my feet instantly.
“It’s alright, baby girl. I’m here.”
I gently take the arm in the cast on and pin it to the bed, so she doesn’t end up hurting herself. I take her other wrist and pin it down also and stare down at her face twisting in terror even while her eyes remain closed.
“It’s going to be okay, Waverly.”
Even when I use her name, it doesn’t calm her down or take the nightmare from her.
If she keeps flailing around, she’s going to hurt herself.
She jerks her good hand out of my grasp and tries to pull the other one free, and my resistance melts like an ice cube in the bright light of the sun.
I wrap my hand around her neck so I can spread my fingers along her jaw line and move her head easily.
She’s so tiny my hand engulfs the fragile column of her neck like a living, breathing collar.
I run my thumb over that plump bottom lip; a habit I have come to realize I really like doing. I take my time and really indulge in the softness before I turn her head. Leaning forward, I brush my lips against the cute little shell of her ear and talk to her.
“I’m right here, sweetheart, and nothing is going to hurt you as long as I’m here. Not anyone.”
She stops moving and whispers my name, “Memphis?”
“That’s right, baby. I’m right here ready to kill someone to keep you safe.” And every word is not only true but a promise.
Her body relaxes, and her breathing becomes calmer, deeper.
I ease back slowly and drop a kiss on her waiting lips that curve in a secret little smile when I pull back and look down on her sleeping face.
Her dark lashes fan out across her cheeks and make her look like an angel even though the things I want to do to her are anything but angelic.
I turn and walk away this time before I end up in the damned bed with her.
It’s already hard enough seeing that silky little top that barely covers anything.
It leaves just enough to my feverish imagination to make me want to take a peek, and it doesn’t help that I had her pinned down at one point.
If things had just been different…if she hadn’t been scared, or asleep, since I’m not going to take something she isn’t explicitly offering.
I very much want to look into those wide green eyes when I take her.
I quietly walk out, leaving the door open enough that I can hear her if she starts crying out again.
It doesn’t take long before Sadie is back, flushed and giddy.
She looks around when she sees the door half opened but I am well hidden and poor Sadie doesn’t really have great situational awareness, so she doesn’t find me.
I wait a few minutes to make sure they are okay before I go back to the room.
Boston still hasn’t come to bed. I’m sure he’ll be along soon.
The stillness gives me time to think, to plot and plan. Not only do I have to find out how to keep my girl safe, but also how to make her fall in love with me. Something tells me she’s not going to make it easy on me. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!