Page 174 of Seizing Control: Part Two

“She’s magnificent when she’s ragin’ at me. Eyes flashin’, tits heavin’.” Apparently, stress makes Slash act like he’s mainlined an eight-ball of coke. He moves from foot to foot, and I ball my hands into fists while I breathe through the urge to knock him out. Despite laying our resentments to rest yesterday, the dumbarse is getting on my last nerve this morning. “The last time I really pissed her off, she punched me in the nose and kneed me in the balls... wasn’t optimal, but her arse in those leather pants when she strutted away from me—” Slash brings his fingers to his lips and noisily kisses the tips. “—It’s better than her disappearin’ for two months. Now, that shit...” Sobering, he looks at me with his eyebrows raised. “Really gets under my skin.”

“Imagine how she feels when you do it to her?” Hunter muses sarcastically. I turn around to discover that my protégé, Meeyal, and Cub have crossed the grass that separates the two houses. Scowling, I scan the area to find my consigliere hiding in the shadows with Toker of all people while the younger Hudson brother drives home his point with a sharply worded question, “How many times have you disappeared on her so far... three? Or is it four times?”

“Shut the fuck up.” The heat lacing Slash’s voice catches me by surprise. I’m aware that he’s left Lily twice. Now it seems like I might be missing some of the story. As he makes a move toward Hunter, I fist the back of his cut to stop him. Jabbing the air, he snaps, “You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, so I’d advise ya shut ya mouth before I shut it for ya.”

“Calm down,” I order.

Hunter heeds my command immediately. Snapping to attention, the only sign he shows that he regrets antagonising his brother in front of me is the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallows. I lift my chin to subtly tell him that I’m not annoyed—with him, at least.

My supposed ally just snorts as he pounds his fist on the door twice. “Duchess.”

The rear door could be unlocked for all we know, but since I don’t plan on upsetting her any more than we already have today, I refrain from trying the handle. The glorious video of her reaction to the bracelet charm and the note we left was spectacular. I glimpsed the spitfire that she’s carefully hiding from the world. It calmed my fear that the distance she’s demanding will become permanent.

Of course, my relief was only temporary because the façade Lily habitually wears was quickly replaced by a smile as she went to tend to Garrett. Like an addict, I’d spent the hour before sunrise watching her on the monitor, all the while wishing I was there to take part in the little man’s morning routine with her.

My sweet thing is a natural mother.

She always has been.

Her struggle is in trusting me.

“Good morning,” Nadia greets us. The strain dulling the typically mischievous light in her eyes is my first sign that we’re walking into a trap. My intuition is confirmed when she murmurs, “Welcome to the Twilight Zone... where the patients run the asylum, and no one emerges unscathed.”

“What’s going on?” Slash steps in front of me to enter first after Nadia moves out of the way to let us inside. I block Nadia’s retreat, forcing her to stop and look at me as I demand, “Tell me what’s happened.”

“She had questions about the bed.”

“Fuck.” The slow nod I receive in return freezes the blood in my veins. “We messed with her last night, did she say anything about it?” Lily’s best friend snorts and shakes her head. She follows my gaze when I glance in Slash’s direction. “Guess that’s what I get for listening to that idiot.”

“He has his strengths,” she remarks. Pursing her lips, she grins. “Thinking straight when it comes to his wife is not one of them.”

In the wake of her accurate assessment, we lapse into silence.

I use the reprieve observe the interaction between my woman and her husband. On the surface, everything is pleasant if stilted. Although she’s busy feeding Garrett, Lily allows him to hug her in greeting, then smiles when Slash makes the little man giggle by aeroplaning his breakfast to him. The glee on her face is genuine when Garrett laughs too hard and splutters organic rice cereal all over his father.

Every one of the Moscato & Monet club girls titter at his predicament.

The prospects tidying up the kitchen after the breakfast feast that Crystal prepared for everyone do their best not to laugh when Slash shoves them out of the way so he can rinse his face in the sink. Wyatt passes his president a hand towel. I am starving after settling for a cup of two-minute noodles, so I grab a plate and pile it high with waffles, fruit salad, whipped cream, and Maple syrup.

“Put that down,” Crystal orders. She slaps my hand when I don’t immediately comply. “Chan eil dad air do shon gus an socraich thu rudan leis an ulaidh bheag agam.”

Her decree that Slash and I are cut off from her cooking until we fix things with her little treasure is a cruel and unusual punishment. The loyalty that my sweet thing inspires in the people around her is one of the reasons I love her. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t irritate the fuck out of me when I find myself relegated to the outside of her inner circle. But I know better than to take my aggravation out on Crystal, so I return the plate to the counter and meet her judgemental gaze head on.

“Tha mi a' feuchainn.”

The older woman scoffs, “Try harder.”

I’m not sure if her derision is aimed at my futile excuse or my terrible Gaelic. Knowing that the iron-willed woman hides her titanium will behind her apron and her soft hug, it’s both.

“I appreciate your support,” Lily tells her mother-in-law. She gives Crystal a side hug, then meets my eyes for the first time since she evicted me yesterday. I scan her face, cataloguing her beauty at the same time as I note clues to her mood. My sweet thing is playing her cards close to her chest, however, I quickly recognise her game when she says, “But you don’t need to starve them for me... they more useful to me well-fed and healthy.”

“Harrumph,” Crystal grumbles. “Useless as tits on a bull, the pair of ’em.” She returns my breakfast to me with a scowl on her face. “But I’ll feed ’em if you want me to.”

“You’re the best.” Lily kisses Crystal’s cheek. “Would you mind watching the little man while we meet with the twins doctor?”

“Of course... I’ll make sure he’s properly fed.” The laser-eyed look she aims at her son would be funny if it wasn’t turned on me a heartbeat later. “Don’t let these two push their way back in until you’re ready.”

The madness I’m keeping at bay creeps a little closer when Lily replies, “Wouldn’t dream of it.” She pushes her hair away from her eyes. The charms hanging on the bracelet circling her wrist clink together from the movement, drawing my gaze. I spy the bident that I made last night. My sweet things smiles sweetly when she sees what’s caught my attention. “Lazarus. Slash. We should go... don’t want to keep anyone waiting.”

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