Chapter Thirty-Seven
JAX
MASON AND I throw our bags into the back of the sleek, black SUV sitting in front of the house. Marley and Sloane are standing side by side on the little gravel sidewalk watching us. Sloane’s hand is resting on her rapidly growing belly.
With five of my t-shirts and one pair of sweats on Marley’s bed, I’ll need to go shopping before we cross the border. But I don’t care. If it makes her feel comforted to wear my clothes when I’m not with her, I’ll give her all my fucking clothes.
When I asked her if she just wanted to keep my bottle of cologne in her room, she took the cap off and sniffed it. With a smile she said, ‘it’s still missing you’.
This woman is going to kill me.
Taking her hand, I lead her to the front of the SUV, and I lean against it and pull her to me. “I’ll be back in no time.”
After a little more crying in her room before we came down, her eyes are still a little red-rimmed, but she looks up at me with her brilliant smile. “I know. Don’t forget to send me at least one text, to help me sleep.”
Cupping her head, I dip my head closer to hers. “Maybe I can steal Callum’s phone.”
Her hands are fisted in my shirt. “I love you.”
“Oh, baby, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that to me.” I only meant to give her a warm, chaste kiss, but it turned deeper and I heard Mason clear his throat at the back of the SUV. Ignoring him, I touch my forehead to hers. “I love you, too, lepa.”
She meets Sloane back on the sidewalk as we climb into the SUV. As we drive away, they loop their arms together and Marley lays her head on Sloane’s shoulder and Sloane lays her head on Marley’s.
When I turn to look at Mason, he’s glaring at me. My eyes go wide. “What?”
“Don’t forget that she’s my sister and I can kick your ass.” His eyes cut to the front of the SUV to look out the front window.
I stare at his profile for a few seconds. “I asked her to marry me. She said yes.”
His head swivels so fast I’m surprised it didn’t spin off. He stares at me. “You’re fucking serious.”
“Yeah, I’m fucking serious. I’ve worked my ass off to win her over, I’m not waiting any longer to make it official.”
His head is nodding, and his eyes are looking somewhere over my shoulder. “And she said yes.” It’s not a question, more like a mumbled revelation.
My eyebrows come together. “Don’t sound so surprised.”
“Why not? You used to be the man whore of every county.”
“Well, pot meet fucking kettle.”
He huffs a breath and looks out the window. “At least tell me I don’t have to worry about you ever hurting her.”
“Hey, Mason?” He turns his head to look at me, and I throw a right jab at his jaw.
“Fucker.” He throws a left jab at my nose. Fuck! I forget he hits as well with his left as he does with his right.
He rubs his jaw, and I wipe the blood from my nose as we stare at each other.
“Did you at least get her a ring?” he barks, his eyebrows pulled together.
“Of fucking course I got her a ring, I bought it months ago. It’s at my apartment, I have to go get it when we get back.”
The tension in the cab is stifling as we sit in silence, looking out our windows, rubbing our wounds that hurt our egos more than our flesh.
“Just humor me and tell me you won’t hurt her.” He says, his jaw still cupped in his hand.
My nose is swelling, so I sound nasally. “I shouldn’t have to tell you, but to humor you, I will tell you she will always have more love and protection than she needs.”
Without looking in my direction, he holds his hand out for me to take, which I do without looking at him.
“Congratulations, brother. I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you.”
A few more miles slip by before he turns to me and says, “I guess we’re really going to be brothers now.”
I turn to him and nod. “Yep.”
We smile at each other and go back to looking out our windows.
The next week or two is going to suck.