My girl’s all worn out. I love watching her sleep. Not in a creepy way. In an I-can’t-believe-she’s-finally-mine way. Having the cast off is newfound freedom. I haven’t gotten through half the positions I’ve been planning to fuck her in yet.
Time for fucking around with our relationship is over.
I slip out the door, making sure to close it as quietly as possible.
Trin’s been nervous since I told her I’m making my announcement. Tough. She’s had plenty of time to get used to the idea.
“Can we talk?” I ask when I find Rock.
He nods, and we step into the war room.
“Door open or closed?” he asks and I shrug.
“I’m making my announcement at church.”
His face breaks into a huge grin. First time I’ve seen him smile since Hope left. “Thank fuck.”
He pulls me in for quick hug, slapping my back.
“I’m sorry. I know with you and Hope, it’s shit timing.”
“Brother, it’s a long fucking time coming. I’m happy for both of you.” And I know he genuinely means it.
“Thanks. I want to announce it in front of everyone, then take a vote.”
He doesn’t need me to explain why. “You got it.”
His phone buzzes and his face undergoes a major transformation as he reads the text.
“Everything okay?”
He swallows hard. “It’s Hope. She wants to see me.”
The optimism in his eyes tells me all I need to know.
“Go bring her home, brother.”
He slaps me on the shoulder and is out the door. I barely make it out of the war room before I hear his bike roar to life.
Z walks in shaking his head. “Where’s he off to in such a fuckin’ hurry?”
“Hope’s”
“About fuckin’ time.”
Trinity meets us in the living room. All groggy and messy-haired from sleep, she’s fuckin’ beautiful. “Hope’s coming back?”
“If not, we all better steer clear of him.” No one laughs at my joke.
Trinity’s face screws up. “I’m gonna get dressed and run down to Ward’s to grab a few things so we can celebrate.”
“Take Hoot with you,” I say.
“You got it.” She leans up and presses a kiss on my cheek.
“Christ, it will be nice to get back to normal,” Z says as he throws himself on the couch.
“What’s normal around here?”
He shrugs and smirks at the same time. “I dunno. Worrying about dead bodies gettin’ pulled out of the Hudson?”
“That ain’t funny, bro. I gotta give Whisper a call and see if anyone’s ID’d that body yet.”
“Yeah, it’d be nice to find out which fuckin’ Viper, so we know if it’s our problem or not.”
“Amen to that, brother.”
Murphy thunders down the stairs. “What’s up?”
“Nothin’,” Z answers. “I gotta take care of a few things. You good?” he asks me.
“Yeah.”
Z disappears into our office.
Not much later, Rock returns with his girl.
“First lady!” Murphy shouts as soon as he sees her. “You’re back,” he says as he picks her up. Rock’s so happy he’s not even breaking Murphy’s arms for touching his woman like that.
“I am,” she answers through happy giggles.
She turns her big green eyes on me, and I’ll admit, I’m happy to see her. “Missed you, sugar,” I say as I drop a kiss on her head.
She gives me a curious look. Whatever she was going to say vanishes. “Your cast is finally off!” she shouts.
“Yup.”
I’m stunned when she throws her arms around me for a fierce hug.
Teller pops in out of nowhere. “Glad to see you, Hope. Prez has been miserable without you.”
“Fuck off,” Rock growls at him.
I should probably feel a little guilty about that whole set up.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Z calls as he steps out of the office. They share a hug and Z whispers something in her ear.
“Where’s Trinity?” she asks, looking around the room.
Avoiding you. “She ran out for some supplies. She was hoping she’d be back before you got here.”
Hope glances at Rock.
“I wasn’t fucking around. You were coming back with me one way or another.”
“I guess so.”
He leans own to whisper in her ear and her cheeks flame pink.
“For fuck’s sake, take her upstairs already. We don’t need to see this,” Z groans.
Rock glares at him. “Prospects should be back with her stuff soon. Tell them to leave it outside our door.”
I didn’t miss the way he said “our door.”
“Got it.”
Trinity pulls up maybe five minutes after Rock and Hope go upstairs.
“Well?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
“They’re upstairs. Can guarantee we won’t see them for the rest of the night,” Z says with a snicker.
“Oh.”
I can tell Trinity’s a mixture of disappointed and relieved. Not sure how that will play out tomorrow.
We all decide to use the grill out back and barbecue hamburgers for dinner. Not even the scent of burning meat outside his window lures Rock downstairs.
I find Trinity sitting by herself at the edge of the patio staring at her phone.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
“Nothing.” She shakes her head. “I’m not sure what to say to her.”
I’m about to ask who, when I realize she’s talking about Hope. “Tell her you’ve still been planning the engagement party.”
The corners of her mouth turn up. “Yeah.”
I sit next to her on the low stone wall that surrounds the property. “Tell her,” I wrap my arms around her, dragging her into my lap. “If she wants you to be in the wedding, you have to wear a sexy fucking dress I can rip off you later.” I punctuate my silliness by growling against her neck until she’s giggling and pushing me away.
“That’s more like it,” I tease as I help her sit up. “Now, I’m starving. Go grab me a burger before Z burns them all.”
She huffs and pushes me away. “You’re so sweet and then ruin it by being all bossy.”
“Yeah, but you love it.”