Chapter Nine #3
Before she could voice all the reasons why they couldn’t be together, even though she’d just admitted she belonged to him, he went into the bedroom and opened a drawer.
“Lana went shopping for you. She owns a fashion label, really popular, so she knows sizes and clothes. I told her what you liked to wear, and she brought a few things for you. You don’t like anything, we’ll exchange it. ”
She leaned on the doorjamb, regarding him with her vivid green eyes. “You didn’t tell me what you meant when you said Miles was easy pickings.”
“I told you I’m in a club, Wildfire. Torpedo Ink. I know you’ve been ill, but catch up.”
“I’m well aware you’re in a club. What does that have to do with Miles?”
“You’re my woman. He and his friends attacked you. That makes it club business because you’re mine. They attacked me. That makes it club business because I’m Torpedo Ink.”
Keys handed her the stack of clothes. “Shirt, underwear, jeans. I don’t know how she found vintage blue the way you like them, but she managed.”
Lyric took the clothes and moved back into the bathroom out of his sight.
He followed her. They weren’t going to have distance between them.
Not again. She flicked him a quick glance under her long lashes and faint color stole up her cheeks, but she slid on the tiny black lace panties and matching bra.
“Don’t like you covering up, but that is some seriously sexy underwear. I’m going to be thinking about you looking like this for the rest of the day.”
She gave him that flash of a smile that lit up his world and pulled on the jeans. “Your friend Lana managed to get the perfect fit for me, which, trust me, is extremely difficult.” She smoothed her hand down the thighs of the ice-blue denim. “This pair of jeans is even softer than my old ones.”
“Lana has a good eye.”
She pulled the blue ombre tank over her head. “You had to tell her what I like because she’s never met me.”
“I pay very close attention to every detail when it comes to you. I know your preferences.”
Her smile stayed a little longer. “Well, you’ll have to thank her. I like the clothes.”
“You’ll have a chance to meet her soon enough and tell her yourself.” He led the way through the bedroom, down the hall to the kitchen.
The silence behind him told him she wasn’t looking forward to the meeting. She still didn’t believe they were going to stay together. He could see that clearly in the way her gaze avoided his.
“Torpedo Ink owns a few buildings in Caspar. I thought, if you feel like getting out of here for a short period of time, we could take the bike, get some air, and you could look over a couple of the spaces that are empty.”
He went straight to the refrigerator and peered inside.
The women in Torpedo Ink had been ensuring there was plenty of food from the first moment Keys had returned with Lyric.
They weren’t the only ones. Preacher was very good friends with Hannah Drake Harrington, a local woman who was extraordinary at mixing homeopathic medicines.
Hannah just happened to be the wife of Jonas Harrington, the local sheriff.
Hannah had sent baskets of food, medicine and oils to help with Lyric’s recovery.
Keys stood in front of the open refrigerator staring at the contents when it hit him.
He had a family. Solid. Steady. He counted on them.
He hadn’t thought that he did, but when he was in trouble, he knew they would come.
From the time they were young children, eighteen of them, the core of Torpedo Ink, had killed to stay alive.
“What is it, Keys?” Lyric’s soft voice slipped inside. Wrapped around his heart.
Keys indicated the contents of the refrigerator.
“This. Look at this. I always associated the strong bonds I have with Torpedo Ink with violence. But it’s so much more than that.
I knew they’d come for us because that’s what we do.
I knew Steele would heal you because he’s that good, and we’ve always helped each other with our gifts.
But this…” Again, he gestured toward the contents.
“The food?” She struggled to understand.
Keys turned to her and wrapped her in his arms, dragging her as close as possible. He wanted to share her skin. Crawl inside her. He kissed the top of her head.
“This is another gift you’re giving me, Lyric.
The realization that I have a family and they care.
Not just demonstrating it through violence but actual caring.
Enough for Lana to find you the perfect clothes.
Enough that the wives of the club members filled our fridge with food. I couldn’t see it.”
He hadn’t been capable of seeing the depths of caring surrounding him until he had Lyric.
He tipped her face up to his and took her mouth.
He was gentle, stroking caresses with his tongue, building the fire as slowly as he knew how.
He wasn’t so good at gentle, but he felt that way toward her, his thumb sliding back and forth along her jaw.
He lifted his head slowly, looking down into her dazed, jeweled eyes. “You gave that to me, Wildfire. It may have been there all the time, that caring for me, but I was unable to see it. You’ve given me a different perspective on everything.”
There was no way to miss the little tremors moving through her. Lyric wasn’t convinced he wasn’t going to tear out her heart, but she was willing to try with him, or at least to give him this time.
“I don’t deserve you, Lyric, but I’m taking you anyway. You’ve become the air I need to breathe, so it isn’t like I can just let you run off.”
He didn’t understand why her reaction shocked him. He was pouring out his heart, maybe his soul, and she laughed. It was low. Soft, but it was still laughter.
“Keys, I’m the one who fixates on everything, not you.
You have to stay grounded so I can freak out whenever I need to.
I love that you think I’m someone special, but I’m not a saint.
I don’t have wings and never will. Whenever you begin to think I’m a saintly woman, think about me attacking men with a blow-dryer.
It’s kind of second nature to huck things when I’m royally angry.
And if there’s one person on the face of this earth who has the capability of making me lose my temper, it’s you when you’re being your bossy self. ”
It took a moment to realize she was struggling not to cry.
Lyric didn’t cry and she would be horribly embarrassed if she was caught.
The things he’d told her meant the world to her, but she couldn’t deal with the overwhelming emotion, struggling to comprehend that he believed he felt those things about her—and for her.
Lyric didn’t have a family. She hadn’t been wanted for whatever idiotic reason her parents and brother had conjured up. To have Keys making declarations, when she was so uncertain of the two of them, was clearly difficult for her.
He grinned at her. “I’d forgotten that I’m the sane one in our relationship.
Thanks for the reminder. You do get overwrought and emotional, and you have that nasty little temper and foul mouth when you lose it.
” He let the smile fade and narrowed his eyes at her.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten the time you lost your mind and swore at me. ”
She burst out laughing. “One time. I swore at you one time. It didn’t have the desired effect, so it probably won’t happen again. If I had money for all the disgusting words that come out of your mouth, I’d be a millionaire.”