Page 45 of Adrian

I look around. The space runs the length of the closet. Probably eight feet by four feet. It would be claustrophobic if anyone had to spend very much time in here. It’s well stocked, though. Shelves on the interior wall are stacked with water, protein bars, flashlights, a few electronics I don’t recognize, blankets, and pillows.

Adrian points at the bottom shelf. “That’s an air mattress. It self-inflates when you open it. And over there…” He nods toward a second door. “Small bathroom. I added that recently. I wouldn’t want you in here for very long, pregnant or with kids, and not have a toilet.”

I study the shelves. This man is a survivalist. He’s prepared for anything. I glance at him. “Weapons?”

He points toward a box on the top shelf. “Also opens with a thumbprint. Do you know how to fire a gun, baby?”

“No.”

“I’ll teach you.”

I shudder. I don’t really want to know how to use a gun, but this is a remote homestead. I didn’t think about it before, but how the fuck did I imagine I was going to protect myself without a weapon? It might not even be a human who threatens me. What about a bear? I doubt I could kill a bear with a handgun, but I could at least chase them off. Or piss them off…

“I have weapons in several locations. All of them are in safe boxes. I will never ever leave a gun out, or even take one out, around our kids until they’re old enough to learn gun safety.”

That’s good to know.

He shuts the door. “The light can be turned off with a switch, but hopefully you’d never be in here long enough to need to sleep. There’s a backup generator, so if the electricity is cut, it will seamlessly switch over. The room is fireproof, waterproof, and bulletproof. It’s basically indestructible. If you’re in here without me, do not come out or open the door for any reason. I will get to you as fast as I can. Don’t take any risks.”

He’s in full bossy mode, but this shit is important to him, and I won’t make light of it. “Okay.”

He guides me out, shuts the door, and then leads me from the closet to one of the other rooms in the cabin. It’s his home office. I’ve been in it a few times. It’s filled with computers and monitors. It looks like NASA. It’s hard for me to grasp that he works here alone, and he has an even more impressive office space in the main house. Wild.

Ten minutes later, he has my thumbprint programmed for the safe room and the gun boxes. Two minutes after that, he holds me by the hips, and he’s backing me out of his office and down the hall to the master bedroom. And then my clothes are on the floor.

Sixteen

Adrian

* * *

It takes my wife a full half hour to sweet-talk me into joining the rest of the family in the main house for dinner. We got married twenty-six hours ago. I think we should stay sequestered in our cabin for a few days at least. Hide out. Stay naked a lot. Feed each other grapes. Take baths together. Lie in bed. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

But Blair wants to get to know my family, and I can’t blame her. So I agreed to one hour with them. Not a minute more. In exchange, she has agreed to spend the rest of the evening wearing one of the pieces of lingerie I bought yesterday morning. I invested in several. I think I’ll choose the red tonight. I’m feeling spicy.

As soon as we step inside, my sisters-in-law surround her, and they quickly corral my new wife, intent on rushing off to the kitchen for what they call girl-talk.

I could growl, but Asher and Emma are here, and he’s not growling, so I smile, kiss my wife on the temple, and tell her to have fun. And then I watch her ass in those fucking sexy jeans as she sashays. I think it’s intentional.

“So, how’s married life?” Adam asks, smirking.

“It was great until we got dragged to family dinner,” I grumble, though I’m also grinning, because how could I not be? I’m married, and my wife is a gem.

“You love it, and you know it,” Aaric says. “I’m glad she’s so open to our giant family. Did you say she’s an only child?”

“Yep. I think she was probably lonely, so this is a blessing for her.”

Andrew’s brows are furrowed, and he glances toward the kitchen area, where the women are leaning around the island, before quietly asking, “What have you heard from her family?”

“Nothing since what I texted you earlier. I don’t have a clue what to expect, but Blair is convinced someone will show up with the intention of dragging her back to New York. I assume they will be condescending, as if she’s a foolish child who ran away from home, instead of a grown-ass adult with a master’s degree.” I’m seething as I try to keep my voice down.

“Well, she’s married to you now, so they can’t have her,” Aaron points out.

Asher smirks. “She’s probably pregnant, too.”

I double his smirk. If that’s a thing. I hope she is, but it doesn’t matter. It changes nothing. Blair is mine. I’m feeling pretty fucking possessive and combative. I hope I don’t have to throw any punches, but I will if needed.

“We’re all taking turns watching the monitors. We’ll have a warning when a vehicle heads onto our property,” Aaric says.