“Oh, my god, you guys,” I cried as they gathered around me, each of them hugging me gently. “This is crazy.”
“Mina!” A girl of about ten squealed, rushing toward her and hugging her. Mina hugged her back and then looked at me.
“Go play with your friends, honey. We’ve got time.”
Mina looked up at Jekyll. “Are you staying?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded and ran off with her friends while Jekyll wheeled me up to one of the sofas. “Gonna park you here for now. You hungry?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Be back.”
Brianna came running over to me, hugging me gently. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good, honey. How are you doing?”
“Bellamy yelled at my principal, so I’m doing online school until they investigate.”
I sighed. “Well, I’m sure Bellamy didn’t mean to yell at your principal. I’ll talk to her.”
“No, don’t,” Brianna said, grinning. “I like online school. I get more done in less time. I kind of want to do this all the time.”
“Well, let’s not make any rash decisions. We can talk about it more when I’m not on drugs.”
“Okay.” She grinned. “Can I come stay with you?”
“Let’s see how things go over the next few weeks, honey,” I said. “But when I’m up and moving around, I think a sleepover would be fun.”
She clapped her hands. “Yes. Awesome.” She hugged me again. “I’m gonna go get a cupcake.”
“Okay, baby.”
Brianna walked away just as Bellamy flopped on the sofa as close to me as she could and smiled. “Your man’s guys left no stone unturned. The place looks better than it did before.”
“I see that.”
“You freaking out?” she whispered, and I faced her.
“So fucking much, Bell. So fucking much.”
“Deep breaths, honey.” She grinned. “It’s probably good you’re in that chair.”
“Rude,” I retorted. “Why would you say that?”
“’Cause now you can’t run away.”
“I hate you.”
She laughed. “I know. You’re welcome.”
Before I could rain down insults on my best friend, Jekyll walked back to me holding a plate full of food.
“Are we sharing?” I asked.
He grinned. “Wasn’t planning on it.”
“I can’t eat all that.”
He hunkered down in front of me, setting the plate on my lap. “Hopin’ you’ll try.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“As a heart attack.”
“A heart attack is what I’ll suffer if I eat all this food.”
I raised an eyebrow and sighed, picking up a chip and popping it in my mouth. He smiled again. “Good start. I’m gonna grab something for me.”
“Can you make sure Mina eats, please?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said gruffly, walking away.
“He’s warming to kids, I see,” Bellamy whispered.
I sighed, popping another chip into my mouth. “She’s chosen him, so…”
“Kids know the real thing when they see it.”
“Right?” I breathed out. “I just hope he doesn’t run.”
“Babe, you’re beat to shit, needing help to wipe your ass and he’s still here. I don’t think he’s going to run.”
“Can I remind you that he is not the one who’s going to be wiping my ass?”
She rolled her eyes. “With how much you pee, I bought a big box of gloves.”
“Rude.”
“But accurate.”
I shrugged. “True story.”
I could actually wipe my own ass, but I appreciated my best friend’s commitment to my well-being.
She chuckled and I watched as Jekyll led Mina to the table laden with food, hunkering down beside her to talk to her.
“Oh my god,” Bellamy whispered.
I bit back tears. “Right?”
“He so loves kids.”
“Yep,” I agreed.
“You guys are gonna have the cutest babies,” she continued.
“Okay, slow your roll there, mistress from hell.”
“They’re gonna be so cute,” she squeaked. “It’ll be like Ed Sheeran had a baby with BTS.”
God, my bestie was obsessed with BTS. I, myself, would rather have my eyeballs plucked out by crows than be forced to listen to that crap.
“They’re K-Pop,” I droned.
“They’re beautiful,” she breathed out.
“You know the K in K-Pop stands for Korean, right?” I challenged.
“Whatever. You know I don’t see color.” She grinned, knowing my trigger and using it anyway.
“Or know basic geography, apparently,” I retorted.
“Will you please just let me have my fantasy?” she whined.
“Jin Sheeran,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Got it.”
“Yes,” she hissed, clapping her hands.
I rolled my eyes. “You just get worse with time.”
She waggled her eyebrows at me. “You’re welcome.”
I chuckled just as Jekyll walked Mina over to me.
“She won’t eat anything I put on her plate,” he complained.
I smiled gently, reaching my hand out to Mina. She took it and I pulled her forward. “Baby, there are lots of options. What kinds of things do you like to eat?”
She shrugged, staring at her feet.
“We weren’t allowed to ask for things,” a quiet voice said from behind me. Tessa moved to Mina and leaned down to meet her eyes. “We’re safe now. You can have whatever you want.”
Tessa was twelve and had been with Mina since the day she’d been sold to the traffickers. Tessa had been in that hell hole for almost a year, but her ordeal didn’t seem to have taken away her sweetness. She was still wary, but with her ‘sisters,’ as she referred to the other girls, she was all love.
“Definitely,” I said. “Anything, baby. And if you eat some dinner, I know there’s ice cream in the freezer.”
Her head whipped up and she bit her lip. “Really?”
“Yep. Promise,” I said.
“Do you want me to take you to get food?” Tessa asked.
Mina shook her head. “Ekyll.”
“How about you and Tessa go and see what’s on the table, then Jekyll can help you put it on a plate?” I suggested, and Tessa took Mina’s hand, leading her away. I reached up and tugged on Jekyll’s vest and he leaned down, his hands landing on my wheelchair arms, so he was eye-to-eye with me. “You just have to be patient. And if she can’t tell you what she wants, just put a bunch of things on a plate and let her pick at it.”
He sighed. “It’s that easy, huh?”
I stroked his beard. “You’re doing great, honey. You got this.”
His eyes closed briefly, then he leaned down close to my ear and whispered, “Love that, GoGo. You keep callin’ me honey, and I’ll keep tryin’.”
He kissed my cheek and I grinned. “I can do that…honey.”
He kissed my mouth quickly, then went back to Mina.
“I need a biker,” Bellamy whispered.
“Oh, yeah, you definitely need a biker. One that will bring you to heel.”
She raised an eyebrow at me and then we both busted into laughter.
Two hours later, my body was burning in pain, and I was close to tears when Jekyll spun my wheelchair around and pushed me out of the building.
“What are you doing?” I rasped.
“Baby, your face is beet red,” he said hunkering down in front of me, and I burst into tears.
“Oh my god, Hyde, I feel like my leg’s on fire.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?” he growled, standing, and grabbing my purse. “You need to take your meds.”
“Don’t yell at me,” I sniffed, and he sighed sliding his knuckles gently over my cheek.
“Don’t like seein’ you in pa
in, GoGo.”
I nodded, tears streaming down my face so bad, I couldn’t see. I pushed my purse at him. “I need you to find the stuff.”
He unzipped my purse just as the worried voice of Mina called out, “Ekyll?”
“Indy?” Bellamy added as she carried Mina over to us. “Hey, you okay?”
“She needs her meds,” Jekyll said, pulling out my prescription bottle and handing me a pill.
“I’ll grab water,” Bellamy said, setting Mina down. “Be right back.”
Mina came over and settled her hand in mine. “Are your booboos bad?”
“Yeah, baby. But I’ll be okay,” I breathed out. “How are you doing?”
“I like mint chip ice cream.”
I chuckled. “Yeah?”
She bobbed her head up and down.
“I bet we can talk Jekyll into buying that and some other flavors so we can taste test this week. What do you think?”
Her head whipped so quickly, I thought it might fly off her neck as she stared up at Jekyll.
He rolled his eyes but managed to paste a smile on his lips as he nodded. “I can do that.”
Mina gasped and she could barely keep the excitement off her face as she leaned her head against my shoulder. Bellamy returned with my water, and I took my meds, trying really hard not to completely break down.
“I need to get Indigo home,” Jekyll said.
“I’ll follow,” Bellamy said. “Are you good to come with me, Mina?”
She shook her head. “Ekyll.”
“It’s fine. She can come with us,” I said. “Mina’s good at taking care of me and I’m sure Jekyll can use some help.”
Mina smiled and nodded as she patted my arm gently.
“I’m gonna get you into the car, then Mina,” Jekyll said.
“I can get Mina in,” Bellamy said. “I’ll do final checks here and should be at your place in less than an hour.”
“Thanks,” I said, and Jekyll lifted me into my car, buckling me in while Bellamy took care of Mina.
We drove home where he tried to force me to go to bed, but I reminded him he could not be alone with Mina, so that was a no-go.
“When’s Bellamy gettin’ here?” he growled.
“Soon,” I said, taking a deep breath as I shifted in my recliner.
“You still in pain?”
“Just tired, honey. You’re gonna be released from all of this soon.”
He frowned, hunkering down in front of me and settling his hand over mine. “Don’t want to be released, GoGo. Just want you to go to bed and heal.”
“I will—”
I couldn’t finish my sentence as I heard the key in the lock and Bellamy walked in. “You’re still awake?” she said, sounding annoyed.
“Jekyll can’t be alone with Mina, Bell.”
“Oh, right. Shit. Sorry,” she said, dropping her keys into her purse. “Where is she?”
“In the spare room checking out all the toys Jekyll bought her.”
Bellamy grinned. “You so like kids, big man. Don’t even try to hide it.”
Jekyll didn’t respond as he held his hands out to me. “Up. You’re going to bed.”
“I need to actually get ready for bed, Hyde. Bellamy’s gonna need to help me with that.”
He let out a low growl and Bellamy chuckled. “He just wants to see you naked. Have you told him I’m the one who’s gonna be sleeping with you tonight?” Jekyll scowled at her which just made her laugh louder as she walked around him and held her hands out to me. “Come on. I’ll wheel you to your room.”
“I have Barbies!” Mina squealed, carrying her dolls out to the living room. “Three of them.”
“I see that,” Bellamy said, kneeling beside her. “What else did Jekyll bring?”
“Lots of stuff,” she said excitedly. “Wanna see?”
“Absolutely. I just have to help Indigo get ready for bed.”
“I’ve got that,” Jekyll countered.
Bellamy glanced at me, and I sighed. “Fine.”
“Will you read me a story, Ekyll?” Mina asked.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“He sure will,” I said, and he raised an eyebrow at me in challenge. I smiled serenely as Mina took Bellamy’s hand and led her away.
Jekyll leaned down and lifted me off the sofa. “When you’re feelin’ better, I’m gonna punish you for that.”
“Bring it,” I sassed.
“You trust me to carry you, or do you want your chair?”
“Help me walk?”
“I can do that,” he said, wrapping his arm around my waist. “But we’re gonna go slow.”
I gripped his vest as we hobbled down the hallway and by the time he set me on the edge of my bed, I was breathing heavily.
He knelt in front of me. “What do you typically sleep in?”
“T-shirt and underwear.”
“You wanna do that tonight?”
“I think it’ll be easier,” I said with a nod.
“Okay, baby. Pants first.”
I closed my eyes, feeling heat cover my cheeks.
“Why are you blushing?” he asked.
“Because this is embarrassing.”
“How so?”
“I typically like to gussie up a little before getting naked for the first time with a guy. Not a great way to give you a good first impression,” I rasped.
“Baby, I’m in. I’m not goin’ anywhere. First impression has already been given and it’s a good one.” He slid his hands under my armpits. “Up.”
Lifting me, he slid my sweatpants down my legs, setting me back on the bed as he pulled them completely off. Once that was done, he unzipped my hoodie which left me in a T-shirt.
“Now what?”
“Brush my teeth, wash my face.” I wrinkled my nose. “Pee.”
“Got it.”
I grabbed his arm. “Please, Hyde. Get Bellamy for this part, okay? I’m not ready.”
He sighed, cupping my face gently and running his thumb over my bottom lip. “Okay, baby. I get it.”
I closed my eyes and nodded just as he kissed me gently. He released me and walked out of the room, and I took a deep breath in an effort to stop the shiver running through me.
Bellamy walked in a few minutes later and helped me run through my routine while Jekyll read to Mina. Once I was done, Jekyll made me take more pain killers before helping me into bed.
“I’ll be close,” he said, kissing me again, and turning off my light.
I noticed he left my door open, and I smiled as I fell into a pain free oblivion.
Jekyll
I walked into the living room to find Bellamy pouring a glass of wine. She handed me a bottle of beer with a grin. “I think you’ve earned this.”
I chuckled, taking it from her and twisting off the top. “Thanks.”
“How’s Indy?”
“Okay, I think,” I said, sitting in the recliner by the window.
Bellamy sat on the sofa, pulling a blanket over her legs. “You really like her, right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Because if you hurt her, I will maim you, but also, you’re going to have to figure out your aversion to kids, because she has about twenty and only wants more.”
I took a swig of my beer. “I already got that.”
“Are you going to do the classes?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before focusing back on her. “Have you ever considered interrogation as a career path?”
She grinned. “Have you signed up already? It can take a bit to get in, but I have contact—”
“I’m already signed up, Bellamy. First class is on Monday.”
“No way,” she breathed out. “That’s a brand-new session. How did you get in? There’s a waiting list.”
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
She let out a quiet snort, then chuckled. “Oh, okay, whatever. No, really, how did you get in?”
I t
ook another swig of beer and smiled. “Not tellin’ you that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not gonna give you information before Indigo has the chance to ask.”
“Awwww, you really do like her.”
“Yeah, already said that.”
She nodded, finishing her wine. “Okay. I’m gonna trust you for the moment. I’ll grab you a pillow and a blanket. I’m going to crash.”
“Okay, sweetheart, thanks.”
She rinsed her glass out in the sink, then pulled blankets and a fresh pillow from the closet, obviously at home in her best friend’s space. Admittedly, I couldn’t wait to move as freely. I couldn’t wait to be as close to Indigo as Bellamy was. I just had to make sure I didn’t fuck it up.
Bellamy left me with the bedding, then closed herself in with Indigo. I took off my boots and cut, checking on a sleeping Mina before stretching out on the sofa. This precious little girl was breaking down my defenses and I found my heart softening toward her.
I wanted to fight against it, and I might have, had it not been for the woman who was also breaking down my defenses. My heart wasn’t just softening toward her, however, it was falling.
Hard.
This part freaked me the fuck out, but I decided to take a leap of faith and trust in my ability to read people. I only hoped it didn’t bite me in the ass.
* * *
Indigo
I cried out as pain shot through my leg, and I blinked my eyes open as I came out of a deep sleep.
I heard a noise, then a “Shit,” before Jekyll rushed into my room. “What’s wrong?”
“Shh,” I hissed. “Bellamy’s asleep.”
“I’m awake,” she said sleepily. “What’s going on?”
“It’s okay,” I lied. “I just need meds.”
“You’re supposed to be monitoring her,” Jekyll growled.
“My alarm is set, Yogi Bear,” Bellamy sassed back. “She’s not due for meds.”
“She was due for meds two hours ago.”
“Bullshit,” Bellamy argued.
“I turned off her alarm,” I admitted.
“Why the fuck would you do that?” Jekyll snapped at the same time Bellamy cried out, “Why?”
“I thought I could deal,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Oh my god, bitch, I’m going to cut you. I knew you were up to something when you offered to charge my phone on your side of the bed,” Bellamy growled.
Primal Fury (Primal Howlers MC Book 5) Page 12