Page 77 of Hold Me Down
“I know who we can call.” I turn my head to stare up at Damien’s piercing face. “But I’m not sure how much you’ll like it.”
“Whatever keeps you protected, we’ll do it.” His voice is absolute.
I grimace.
“Are you sure about that?”
His eyes narrow at my question, but it’s too late to take it back now. I know by him giving me as much power as he has, that it’s just part of his love language. Whathedoesn’t understand is the absolute menace he’s created. I know that if this even remotely sounds like a good idea to him, all I have to do is bat my eyelashes and he’ll give in. I would never use that in a bad situation, but he’s taught me to fight for what I think is right, and to trust my judgement. It just also sucks for him that he taught me that.
Chapter 27
Damien
The Next Day
‘Circle With Me’ - Spiritbox
Viking is abigmotherfucker. He barely fits in the back seat, and it was almost comical watching him crawl in after Grease. I could’ve let him sit in the front, but there was no way I was making my twenty-eight-week pregnant wife struggle to get in and out of our car.
But shehasto do this, doesn’t she?
This plan still pisses me off.
Carter and Zeke are ahead of us, and Alex is pulling up from behind. That way, if anyone is watching the cameras, they’ll be looking at Alex as he comes in the entry gate, while Ashia and the guys get out to walk through the front. When Carter checked the cameras earlier, mostly everyone was in the training area.So, it should be smooth sailing for her as long as she gets inside without Satori noticing. Grease and Viking are just for protection. I would’ve paid Grease to do it, because he’s already done enough for us, but Viking?
That motherfucker owes us.
The bulletproof vest Zeke had for Ashia is too small to fit over her belly, and that makes me even more nervous. There’s no way I’ll let anyone get close enough to her with a gun to make us miss it, anyway, but she can always use more protection. If it were up to me, I’d walk her in surrounded by a bulletproof glass bubble, but apparently they don’t make those. We also can’t call the ‘First Lady’ protocol prior to our arrival like we normally do, otherwise, it would alert Satori. So, she knows that the moment she steps into the Batcave to lock it and fucking stay there.
But I also know how stubborn my wife is.
That’s exactly why Grease and I had our own little talk before we left the house. I don’t believe he would let anything happen to my wife regardless, but I had to make sure he understood. Somehow, he and Ashia got close while I was away, and I’m shocked by how much more I respect Grease because of it.
Viking? Not so much.
My heart rate spikes the moment we pull up to the entry gate behind Zeke and Carter. I adjust my hold on my wife’s stomach, practically creating another seatbelt with my arm, and take a deep breath to try and settle my nerves. My gaze moves over to her, and the worry on her face is like a gunshot to the chest.
“You don’t have to do this. I can just walk right in there and shoot him in the face.”
That makes her giggle, but I’m sure she knows that I’m completely fucking serious.
“The moment you step inside looking all angry, Damien, he’s going to know something is up. It’s okay. We can’t let him do anything that would jeopardize the men’s safety. I’m justworried about you. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you got hurt.” She rakes her nails on the back of my hand in random patterns and looks down to watch herself. I grip her chin in my hand and force her gaze back to me, not willing to let her hide from me.
“I’ll be okay. Nothing is going to keep me from youeveragain. You got that?” I stare deeply into her eyes, feeling a piece of me crack the moment she nods back. “Maybe I should give you a gun…”
“They’ve each got one, if not two, and…” She moves her sweater to the side to unveil the strapped knife on her thigh—the same one I gave her a few months ago for the Dust party. “Small but deadly, remember?” She fucking winks at me, and I think that one look just healed whatever tried to break.
“Fuck, I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She reaches across the middle console to kiss me in soft, yet urgent affection, like she’s been wanting to do it then entire ride over.
I mentally curse myself when I have to pull back to keep driving, but I also swear that willnotbe the last time I kiss her. That will not be the last time I tell her I love her. Wewillmake it out of this on the other side, and then she’ll do nothing but spend her days with her feet propped up and watching movies until her perfect little body can’t hold our little girl anymore.
When we pull just far away enough from Alex entering the gate, I stop the car and kiss her another time, desperate to feel her again before she ultimately gets out of the car. She steps out, already looking much stronger than me. Even at only five-foot-four, she looks so tall and sure standing off to the side, waiting for her bodyguards to exit the car.
“Keep your fucking phone on you,” I demand, realizing how damn dumb that sounds. Of course she’s going to keep herphone on her. I can’t help but say it anyway, knowing I’ll have no other way to keep tabs on her.
“You got it, babe.” She blows me a soft kiss and turns to walk inside.
