Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Michael

Putting my truck in park, I turn toward my pouting girl.

"You going to ignore me forever?" I tease.

Her lips twist.

"You got any more princesses?" my sweet girl mumbles.

She's worried I have someone else?

My heart fills that this bothers her, but I like her jealous, not upset.

"No."

When she remains turned toward the door, her head bowed, I grip her knees, turn her enough to pull her legs up. The skirt of her dress slips up, revealing how the pantyhose are stretched and pulled tight between her legs as she spreads wide. I groan at the sight. I pull my own knee onto the truck bench in an effort to get closer.

Hunched over, I brace my left arm on the window behind her, gripping her face with my right hand.

I force her to look at me. "You are my princess."

"And Belle."

"And Belle," I agree with a chuckle. "As are any more baby girls my brother has. Before you, that man was my whole world. That won't change."

Lara looks defeated at my words. She doesn't want to want it.

"I'm yours, but you'll have to learn to share me." Her eyes shoot up at my words, an argument on the tip of her tongue. "Daniel, his family, you, and the babies we will make are my world now. I will die for any of you. Kill for you." I growl against her cheek. "Burn the fucking world for any of you." Pulling back until our noses brush, I swear to her. "No one will love you like I'm about to, Lara Kelsey."

Tears spill out, reaching where my fingers grip her cheeks quickly. Squeezing harder, I pucker her lips, then take them with my own. My tongue is quick to taste her as I explore her mouth.

"You hear me?"

"Yes."

"Yes, sir," I correct.

Lara blinks at me for a second but finally agrees. "Yes, sir."

I dip a finger between us and rub at her covered clit, just because I can. She hisses as I touch the bruised flesh, her ass lifting off the bench.

"Let's go get some food to feed my family," I say with one final kiss.

"I don't think they have enough food here for you boys," she snarks, looking at the huge grocery store that sits just inside the Cromwell Town border.

Another family investment that panned out.

Her words make me laugh. Being with her lightens my soul, one I long thought to be black through and through.

Her hand warms mine, a feeling I like as we wander down the aisles, picking out items to cook.

"Why do you have a bat in your bedroom?" I ask.

"In case some weirdo broke in." She tuts, but I see the way her mouth tilts up for just a second. "And you mean had? Where is my bat, anyway?"

With Darrell's body.

"What bat? I have no idea what you're talking about," I say aloud, picking up a random jar and pretending to read the label.

Lara releases a breath of disbelief. Shaking her hand, she wiggles my arm. "You owe me a new one."

Placing the jar back, I turn to her. "You won't be needing one. Anyone who breaks into my house has to get through me to get to you, and we'll be at my parents' cabin most weekends." I pause, thinking about how often my family actually stays there. "Half the week, to be honest, but while we're there, you're even safer. "

Her steps falter at my words, and the corner of her lip disappears into her mouth.

"This is really fast, Michael." She breathes. "You protected me, and I will always be grateful and won't ever tell," she promises, her words coming in a low whisper. "But this is moving fast, like, really fast." Her eyes flicker nervously up and down the aisle.

Tugging her around to face me, I step closer, leaving very little space between us. Keeping hold of her hand, I raise the other, laying it in the middle of her chest. "Tell me you don't feel this," I challenge.

Lara remains silent, her gaze dropping down.

"Look at me, and tell me," I order.

Her watery eyes snap back up, and her chin quivers as she gives me a small headshake. "I can't." I barely hear her words.

"This thing between us is exactly that, between us. Fuck other people and what they think. I claimed you the minute I saw you. I was just too stubborn to admit it to myself." Pressing a light kiss to the tip of her nose, I add, "You're mine, Lara, just as much as I'm yours."

Lara takes a jittery breath, exhaling a heavy sigh. Blinking quickly, she wets her lips. At the sight of her tongue, I press my mouth to hers.

I feel the way her chest rises and falls quickly beneath my hand. I trail it up her body, loving the way she shivers. Gripping the back of her neck, I hold her still and devour her mouth, only pulling away when I feel her body go languid, the fight leaving her quickly.

Satisfied, I grab the cart again and tug her down the rest of the aisle, her taste on my lips making me want more.

Rounding the corner, we enter another aisle.

"How long are you staying there?" Lara asks, breaking the thick silence between us.

"We," I stress, "should only be there for tonight. Why?"

Lara shrugs.

We've stopped to browse the cereal; Captain Crunch seems to have her attention.

"Add it to the cart, baby."

"No," she answers in a rush.

Letting go of her hand, I move the cart to the side, not wanting to block the aisle. Stepping up behind her, I soothe my hands under my jacket that's far too big on her, and hold her hips. Breathing in her smell, I love how it's mixed with mine, and kiss the back of her neck.

"Princess," I encourage.

"It's nothing, it doesn't matter."

"Everything about you matters to me," I remind her.

Her forefinger traces the letters on the box.

"I wasn't allowed to eat these foods growing up . . . wasn't allowed to eat much, actually."

My heart seizes. Someone like Lara isn't supposed to go hungry .

"My mother married for money. She was terrified Dad would find her ugly and upgrade for a newer, younger wife. Her looks were all she had. But ugly is ugly," she insists, turning her head to me.

"It is," I agree. The thought of a small and hungry Lara makes me homicidal on a level I've never felt before.

"We all have our issues," she whispers to herself. "I stayed skinny by not eating, like I was taught to, but after I moved out, I researched and educated myself on health and fitness. I eat in moderation now, most of the time," she admits shakily. "But I have a deal with myself," she whispers like it's a secret. "I get to eat whatever I want for breakfast on weekends as long as . . ."

"Seven miles every day, no excuses," I finish for her.

"You really were watching."

"Protecting," I correct, with a playful nip at her neck.

Lara sighs. "When I moved away to college, I picked one close to home in California, but when I heard about Hampstock College opening and how they were offering huge discounts for students willing to transfer in, well, I couldn't wait to get farther away." She turns to face me fully, her eyes pleading. "Does that make me a bad daughter?"

My hands frame her face. "No, baby." I shake my head. "That makes you human." I bring her mouth to mine, kissing her like it can fix the damage her mother did.

Fuck, I love her.

Although I had been happy for Daniel, a part of me never really understood how he fell for Charlie so completely with just one look. Now I do.

I meant every word in that truck. God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

Lara moans into my mouth, earning us a scandalized look from a passing woman.

"Are you sore?" I ask, already knowing the answer. "I need you, come on. We're leaving, and Captain is coming with us. We'll work off the calories another way."

I reach over her shoulder, grabbing a box.

"It'll go to waste."

"How? You can take the rest to your dorm, or they can stay at mine for when we're there."

Yeah, baby, there's no escaping now.

Her cheeks flush. She can deny it all she wants, but her body will always be truthful.

No one had better be in that cabin when we get there. I'm not waiting until tonight to get my girl alone.

"Daddy, look."

A child's voice grabs my attention, but I don't know why. Instinct maybe. I turn to see a small girl, around five or six, pointing at something out of view. A large man stands beside her, pushing their cart. He glances into the aisle .

That saying it takes one to know one is one hundred percent true. My eyes roll over the man in our aisle, assessing and deliberate.

His gaze turns to me. It's empty, void.

My whole body reacts. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and my muscles vibrate with energy.

His baseball cap sits low, making it hard to see his face, but he's around my age, maybe a little older. He nods in my direction.

He knows.

His left hand reaches out to rest on the top of his daughter's head.

A message.

His daughter is off-limits to killers like us.

His face morphs into a smile, his whole face transforming as he lovingly looks down at her. The child grins up at him, giggling as he tickles her chin with the end of her braid.

Catching his gaze again, I nod. Reaching out, I wrap Lara's braid around my hand, using it to pull her close. A message returned.

His family is safe if my family is safe.

"Let's go, princess."

Head tilted back in my tight grip, she finds my eyes for a second before I look away, needing to keep him in sight. "Can we get your mom some flowers?"

"Baby, if you can get it within two minutes, you can have anything you want. "

"There's a joke about you somewhere in there." My cheeky girl grins.

"Your ass is going to pay for that later," I warn her, releasing her braid.

I steer her to the other end of the aisle, not wanting to get too close.

Time for us to leave.

Lara snags a pretty bunch of flowers on our way to check out. We're in the queue for ten minutes, and it's ten minutes too long. I can feel my skin crawling. The idea of another killer being this close to my girl tests every bit of my control.

My eyes track him as he checks out a few tills down. His eyes are glued to his daughter, and it helps ease me slightly. He wants to keep her safe, so he wouldn't risk anything with her here.

I wouldn't hurt a child, but he doesn't know that. The same way I can't know that he wouldn't try to hurt Lara.

"You okay?" Lara asks.

"Of course. I'm sorry, princess. I'm just tired. We didn't sleep much last night." It was both the right and wrong thing to say.

Lara's smile drops, her throat bobbing. She pulls away from me emotionally, but at least now she's just as eager to leave as I am.

My head turns from left to right, taking everyone in as we leave, descending the steps quickly.

A commotion to my left draws everyone's attention. I immediately step around Lara, putting myself between the two.

The man I spotted in the store rushes over to his little girl, who is on the floor crying. A woman kneels in front of her, wiping away her tears. By the time he reaches them, the tears have stopped and been replaced by a smile.

Keeping a sound grip on Lara's hand, I keep us moving. Adrenaline courses through me. My girl remains completely oblivious.

Thankfully.

The woman in front of the girl tilts her head up with a bright smile ready for a killer.

Lulu!

I recognize her. She's Samantha's friend, they went to school together.

The man crouches, joining the two girls.

Lulu's stepdad interrupts the conversation, his hand violent as it rips her away from the small family.

My feet stop.

"Michael?" Lara questions, confused.

She searches the parking lot, just as I had. Maybe she was paying attention. "I'm scared."

My head snaps to her, and my left hand tilts her head back. "You never have to be afraid with me. Anyone who wants to get to you will have to go through me first."

Watery eyes peer up at me. "You'll protect me?"

"Until my last breath," I swear.

I kiss her forehead, sealing the promise .

Satisfied, she lets me lead her to my truck.

I glance back at the steps once she's safely tucked away inside, the groceries on the bench beside her.

He's still standing there, the girl now on his hip.

Our eyes meet as I return the cart. He turns to look at where Lulu sits crying in the back of a beat-up Ford.

His eyes find me again. It takes me a second to realize . . . he's asking for permission.

I frown. Lulu is a good girl, stuck in a situation my brothers and I meant to take care of two years ago.

He looks at the car again, but it's not Lulu that he glares at. It's the two in the front.

He wants her parents.

That I can oblige.

I give a discreet nod but then give a quick shake of my head, my gaze zeroing in on Lulu.

Them he can have, her he can't.

A smile spreads across his face.

And with that, we go our separate ways.

My phone is out before I'm even in the truck. My family needs to get to the cabin quicker than tonight.

There's a killer in town, one that doesn't carry the Cromwell name.

He should be busy enough with those two, but who knows when he'll strike. When it comes to family, you can never be too safe.

And there's power in numbers.

Our lucky number is three.

Daniel, Kaleb, and I.