Page 78 of They Will Burn

“Oh, we definitely are, Little Menace.” He pushes himself to his feet and straightens without wincing. It’s been a little over a week since he was shot, but he’s recovering by leaps and bounds.

“Crew, you got shot a week ago. For fuck’s sake, please tell me you understand how dangerous this could be for you.”

“Bishop is organizing a security team for us. But this is not something we can miss. If I’m missing, the families will take that as weakness. You should know that.”

“I don’t really give a fuck right now. What I care about is making sure you recover before getting yourself shot again.”

“Little Menace, please see reason here.”

“Me see reason?” she growls. “If I was shot in the chest a week ago, would you let me out to go to a rowdy warehouse for a brutal fight night full of criminals?”

“That’s different, and you know it.”

“Is it?” Her brows rise in challenge. “Tell me exactly how that’s different.”

He stares at her for a long moment as he realizes he’s backed himself into a corner, and the smirk that tips up the corners of her lips only makes me chuckle.

“That’s what I thought,” she says smugly.

“I’m still going, Camilla. And so are you. Bishop has an outfit laid out on your bed.”

“There’s no way I’m stepping foot in that place. I currently have at least two people who want me dead. I don’t plan on helping them get me to the other side tonight.”

“Camilla,” he rumbles.

“Crew,” she challenges.

“You’re the most infuriating woman I’ve ever fucking met.”

“I wish I could say you’re the most infuriating man, but you know as well as I do that I have four of you that like to wrestle for first place of that title.”

I bark out a laugh, and they turn their attention to me like they’d completely forgotten I was here. There’s a sense of normalcy that has settled over us since we brought them home, and each day that passes, I grow more and more addicted to the feeling.

Waking up with Camilla curled up against me, seeing her laugh and smile with my family, watching her do a little dance anytime she eats something she likes, I’m fucking hooked on it, and I’m hooked on how happy the guys and I are. Even after being shot, Crew’s the happiest I think I’ve ever seen him.

“Can you back me up here instead of laughing at us?” she snaps.

“No can do, Princess. Unfortunately daddy Crew is correct. We all have to show our faces.”

Camilla snickers at the same time he sighs. “Not you too.” The nickname Kovu gave him years ago has been a constant source of amusement over the years, but he’s always hated it.

Her eyes turn mischievous, and I bite down on my cheek to stop myself from laughing as I watch her carefully slide her hand down his chest. “You don’t like being called daddy, Crew?” she purrs.

He groans for a whole other reason, and I shake my head. She’s been holding out on him since they came home, and the guy is struggling despite us all agreeing sex should be off the table until he can walk to the bathroom and back without getting out of breath. “It sounds much prettier on your lips, Little Menace,” he rumbles.

Camilla sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and looks up at Crew through her long lashes. “Maybe if you agree to stay home with me tonight, I’ll show you just how good a girl I can be, daddy.”

A groan escapes from both our throats, and I hate to admit that my cock flares to life at the term of endearment, but I’m having way too much fun observing this to do anything about it.

“Camilla,” he warns.

“What?” she asks innocently. Her fingers trail down his chest, not pausing until her tiny hand wraps around his cock. “I know you’ve been aching, and I thought I could help to take the edge off.”

“You play dirty, Princess.” I chuckle.

She throws a smile over her shoulder at me before meeting Crew’s gaze again. “What’s it gonna be, daddy?”

A growl escapes from his throat a moment before his hand threads into her hair and tugs her head back. “You seem to be mistaken about who calls the shots around here, Little Menace. But I’m more than happy to remind you any fucking time you need it.”

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