Page 29 of Saving Helena

“Ok, and then what?” I prodded.

“When they went outside to look for us, we took his bologna sandwich out and slid the toad under the cheese.” Pike smacked his hands together. “Just like that. Toad sandwich.”

I clasped my hands over my mouth. “Oh my god, you did not.”

“We did.” The rumble came from over the shoulder, and a finger gently nudged one little dinosaur. I didn’t even have to turn to know that it was Maddox. Pike’s eyes remained fixed on the dinosaur as it swung. “Should have seen the kid’s face when he realized it and bit into that crunchy dried toad.”

“It was awesome,” Pike agreed.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Maddox

Tonight was more about practicing restraint. Making sure I could keep my distance while Helena flitted to and fro like a butterfly as she served drinks with Jillian and the brothers. It was absolute hell on my nerves with the Cobras at the Open Road.

“What the fuck has you jumpier than a flee?” Dimitri has asked.

I’d been making the rounds, shaking hands, clapping shoulders, doing all the stupid shit I was supposed to. All I wanted to do was have my woman on my lap where she belonged. Every time I looked, she was out in the bar area serving some other fucker a drink … and laughing or smiling at them. My teeth would be ground to nubs by this time next Tuesday.

Then she was sitting over by Pike, listening to that fucker tell stories about our poor old childhood. He had been watching Helena like she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, which, of course, she was. I wanted to punch him in the face all over again.

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” I answered Dimitri.

“Sure,” he smirked knowingly.

“It’s fine. She can handle herself.” The words were more for me than anything—to remind me that she could handle herself if needed. Helena shone like a flame on the floor, her natural beauty a beacon. Her father always worried that her appeal would drive someone to do something stupid. I snorted if only he’d known.

She was a beauty—always had been—but now that she’d grown into her looks, she was even more beautiful. Her crazy earring choices and wacky nail polish just made her more enticing.

“She can handle her shit. Just look at how well she managed that crap with her work. She took all that evidence with her as she left. That was impressive. If she can’t do things alone, though, we’ll take care of it,” Dimitri’s voice was cold and hard but admiring.

I never thought Dimitri would reach this point, but it just showed that I misjudged him. You could knock me over with a feather right now; I was so surprised.

“She came through for those women and children—those people. We’ll come through for her,” he added. We’ll protect her from Makarovich and anyone else.” He shrugged, eyeing the floor carefully, then shoulder-bumped me with a smirk. “I will have a very good time watching you twist yourself into knots while you try to lock that down.”

“I don’t know whether to say thank you or tell you I hate you.”

He snorted and refilled my whiskey glass. “I hate you too, buddy.”

Fucker didn’t even care that I was suffering. He laughed and went on his way, leaving me to eyeball Helena as she finished. I had difficulty focusing, and everyone knew it, especially Dimitri and Pike.

When the evening was buttoned up, and the Cobras were gone, I could finally head back to Helena’s room. I would be lying if I said I didn’t plan to pick up where we left off in the hallway this morning. I was going to feast on her all night if she’d let me. I shouldn’t. Indeed, I was not the man she deserved, but now that she came back to Haverboro, there was no way I’d ever let her go.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Helena

It wasn’t until after the party, when I had long been in bed, and the Cobras had gone that I got a knock at my door. I’d left hours earlier after several more stories from Pike about scrapes that he and Maddox had gotten into—not all as fun-filled. They were an interesting dynamic that I’d like to figure out, but it was obvious that their friendship was fraught with a lot of baggage.

“Who is it?” I asked just to be sure.

“It’s me,” Maddox’s voice sounded on the other side of the door. Unlatching the lock, I opened the door, returned to my bed, and tucked the comforter around me.

“Hey, everything get handled?” I’d stayed long enough to ensure the basics were under control, but they’d been doing this for years without my help. There was no need for me to butt into the club business. The best I could do was be another hand on the floor. Not that I was going to be a club girl. They’d hired some of the girls from the strip club for those chores. I thought I saw enough cock tonight to tide me over for a while. I even thought I saw Rabbit’s dick, which I could have done without. Gross.

“Yeah, everything went smoothly. They’re gone,” Maddox replied, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He looked tired, the strain of the evening evident in the lines of his face and the weariness in his eyes.

“That’s Good to hear,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the weight of the conversation I knew we needed to have. The last thing I wanted to do was add another item to his plate, but he had asked me to look into it.

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