Page 23 of Vengeance (Ruthless MC 4)
But my answer seems to please Hyena, not weird him out.
“See, this is why we’re perfect timing.” He pulls a remote out of a drawer inside the table as Des-E plops the chair down beside his.
“We were planning to binge the second season with Vampire. So, we can spend the next few days catching you up, then we can all watch the third season downstairs together.”
I have no plans—no plans whatsoever—to still be here at Christmas. But for some reason, the thought of that scene sets off all kinds of warm and cozy feelings in my heart.
“Sure,” I say, my voice a little weak. “New plan.”
“New plan.” He grins down at me and flips on a TV I hadn’t noticed on the far wall of the room.
But then he and Des-E debate back and forth about whether they should wait and ask Vampire if he wants to rewatch season one with them since the missing member of Vengeance is so excited about season two.
They end up choosing the Netflix version of Daredevil instead—a show they’re sure Vampire won’t be mad about them watching without him because he’s from Boston and he can’t stand shows about New Yorkers.
And before the television show starts, Des-E wordlessly hauls me out of Hyena’s lap and into his. A mountain snuggling up with his human-shaped teddy bear to watch a TV show.
Okay…
After an initial bit of stiffness, I relax into his hold and let my head rest on his huge chest. I’m thinking three things as we watch the mesmerizing red paint ooze over everything in the Daredevil intro.
I can’t imagine Vampire being excited. About anything. I think about how he cooly explained the “no fucking in private” rule to me this morning while I flew apart in Des-E’s lap.
Vengeance takes this brotherhood stuff to a whole new level. And…
I’m only pretending to be okay with this because them trusting me is crucial to the new plan. That’s the only reason.
But being held while I watch what turns out to be a better-than-average superhero show is…nice. Warm and comfortable and…just really, really nice.
I know this is simply neurology. My brain over-responding to the rare stimuli of being cuddled with a rush of serotonin and oxytocin. But I can’t help but notice how not hard playing along is as the slow, calm beat of Des-E’s heart lulls me into a peaceful state.
CHAPTER 11
DOC
Hyena and Des-E watch a few episodes of Daredevil with me, but they don’t make any further moves.
Des-E just kisses me on the forehead when I start nodding off, and Hyena lifts me out of his lap and cradles me in his arms as he carries me over to the bed.
“Good night,” he whispers after tucking me in.
And despite the fact that I’ve been taken hostage, I sleep soundly through the night.
I wake up alone in the bed the next day—but not alone in the room.
I find that out when I sit up and see Vampire in the armchair.
“Time for your cleanup before breakfast,” he says, getting up and heading toward the door to the en suite bathroom.
I notice the bath towel in his hands as he walks by the bed.
So I guess this is his way of telling me it’s time to take a bath.
Okay…
Reminding myself about the new plan, I follow him into the bathroom and find him filling up the huge spa tub. There’s a curved glass bottle with a stopper sitting on the lip of the tub. It has a simple white label that reads “LIBRARY OF FLOWERS: Willow & Water Bubble Bath.”
So I guess this is the elegant bottle to thank for when I woke up two days ago smelling so expensive.
Speaking of which, time to do more No, really, I’m fine with your insane plan to keep me here work. “Thanks, by the way.”
He turns his head toward me, his brow crinkled in confusion.
“For rescuing me from that situation back in Tennessee and, you know…fixing it.”
A beat of hard silence. Then: “Don’t thank me for that.”
I open my mouth to insist, but before I can, he points to the granite and dark wood sink on the other side of the bathroom.
“Brush your teeth while I fill the bath. That’s one of the few things you’re allowed to do yourself.”
He’s right, and I guess I should be grateful for that. But annoyed feelings swirl around my chest as I grab the electric toothbrush I unboxed after finding it yesterday morning.
There’s always been a crackling energy between Vampire and me—one both of us refused to acknowledge whenever we encountered each other at the roadhouse. And I think of how his eyes burned with anticipation before Vengeance took every single hole I have.
But this morning it feels like he hates me. What’s going on with him?
I take my time with my teeth—no rushing through the two-minute cycle for me. And after that’s done, I start to put my long extensions up on top of my head.
