Page 131 of I am Dressed in Sin (Death by Daybreak MC 2)
Also, best part: he doesn’t leave.
At least not right away. Sin curls up beside me, using his body as a shield for mine as he strokes my hair back with strong fingers. I’m not asleep though. I can’t fall asleep, not after all that.
So I just cuddle—cuddle? ew—closer to him until eventually, there’s a soft knock on the door.
“Shit.” Sin sits up looking disoriented, casting a glance down at me before he collects his joggers and gun, slipping the items back on before answering the door. “Beast.”
The two men stare at each other for a moment, my future husband’s eyes sliding back to my nakedness. I’m unashamed, lying there with the blankets tangled around my ankles, my head pillowed on my hands.
“Cat is starting to wonder what the hell happened to you,” Beast says, and my newly committed lover cringes.
“Fuck, okay. I gave her the phone, by the way.” Sin glances back at me. “You can thank me and Grainger for convincing these other assholes to go along with it.”
He moves back over to the bed, giving me a lingering kiss that tingles and makes me shiver.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promises, and then he’s snatching up his shirt and boots and heading for the door.
“You better,” I grumble. “Because the next pact you idiots make about me behind my back leads solely to castration.”
The door closes behind him, but I swear, I can hear him laughing as he heads down the stairs.
Then … it’s just me and Beast.
“Had to convince you to give me a phone, huh?” I ask, looking up at him as he moves over to the bed and covers me with the blankets. Like a gentleman. Like an asshole. Like some douche who wants to wait for his wedding night.
An excited thrill traces over my well-loved skin.
“You have a tendency to get yourself into trouble,” is all he says, looking like a Norse god or something in the flickering light.
Beast closes and locks the doors that lead to the balcony before taking his spot in the chair in the corner. For all that’s happened tonight, I know I’m going to be plagued with insomnia. Having a gorgeous, blond, tattooed, pierced, badass sitting close to me, but refusing to give it up, only makes things harder.
I take the phone from my pants pocket on the floor and crawl under the blankets to power it on.
The guys have programmed their numbers in already.
There’s one number, however, that isn’t there. One that I want. One that I programmed into my brain since I didn’t have a phone when I needed it.
Grey’s number.
Provided he still has his phone or was able to get a new one with the same number. We did that for each other, memorized all the important things. Emails, social media handles, phone numbers. While none of those things are permanent, it gives us several ways to contact one another.
I’m struggling. Not just with the club stuff. With everything.
I send that, and then I hold my breath, waiting. Sometimes, I miss lying in that bed beside Grey and talking to him. My guys, they’re not exactly extending the same invitation. There’s still a barrier between us that I want to break down so desperately I can taste it. What happened with Sin tonight was a good start at least.
Me, too. Me, too, Gidge.
The response comes much more quickly than I expect, and I feel my eyes prick with tears.
We can do this for Queenie and Kian, can’t we? I ask him, my hands shaking as I type out the words to Grey with my thumbs. Make some sort of tentative peace?
This time, he takes so damn long to respond that I almost fall asleep. My eyes get heavy, the phone nearly falls from my hands and hits me in the face.
We can.
Another long pause before Grey responds again.
But it’s going to hurt. Are you ready to hurt, Gidge? I’m willing to sacrifice everyone and everything. Except for you. There’s a bit of a break there before he adds, and Reba. Not the sort of friend I ever thought you’d keep, but I like her. A lot.
Don’t hurt my men, I tell him, sending the messages one sentence at a time. Don’t hurt Reba or my mom. Everyone else is fair game. Everyone.
Another pause.
And your brother?
I bite my lip and think for a minute before responding.
How involved is he, exactly? What did he want with Reba?
It’s a non-answer, sure, but Grey is the only one who can fill in the blanks. Even Grainger begrudgingly asked if Grey might be able to help. Also, I really do owe him and Sin big-time for getting me this phone. It’s another weapon in my arsenal, a thread that connects me to Grey, to the world.
Anything he felt like wanting. Your brother likes to feel appreciated, useful. He doesn’t feel that way in the club, so my father suggested I give him something nice.
