Page 65 of Simply You & Me

Wyatt

The women here look at me like I might kill them or fuck them. Their husbands eye me like I'm going to steal their money and their wives. I want to laugh, to wink and to taunt, but the reason I'm here is no reason to smile.

Addie's too afraid to leave her apartment to get herself groceries. I don't blame her, nor do I want her out in public until everything is settled and Cadell is six feet in the ground.

My finger dents the apple in my hand; my frustration getting the best of me. It's not as simple as killing Cadell and his team, though. There's more going on and I have no idea what the fuck it is. I have theories and ideas, but those aren't facts that will help me keep my girls and family safe.

Sighing, I put the apple in the plastic bag and grab some more. She must be eating two a day since I just went grocery shopping for them on Saturday. Zach was furious when he called and explained to me what was happening. God forbid a pregnant woman eats some chocolate frosting.

Last night when Zach called, he gave me another list of groceries to pick up. He knew it was the perfect job for me, seeing as I can't bring myself to be around Addie. I want to see her, to hold her so badly. I want to rip my bleeding heart out of my chest and gift it to her. That's why I haven't been to see her and force my way into her space like Zach and Tate have been doing. These feelings, they’re more than I thought I could ever feel. They’re overwhelming. Guilt, rage, and self-loathing war with love, hurt, and need. Need to make sure she's taken care of, to provide for her and ensure she wants for nothing.

Pausing in the hair care aisle, I swipe through my phone to find the picture of Addie's conditioner that Zach sent me. Honestly, how he hasn't been kicked out and thrown to the curb is beyond me. He's being so fucking invasive; I can only imagine the backlash he's receiving. I'm not sure what the dynamic is over there, but if I know my baby girl like I think I do, there's no way in hell she's asking for these things. The big fucker is for sure snooping through her shit every day to see if something’s empty or needs to be restocked. He even sent me a picture of the razor in her fucking shower, saying he couldn't find any more unused ones.

My cart makes me look like a family man, and I don't mind one bit. This is me doing something. Something she needs that nobody else is doing. So as the checkout kid scans each item, I don't feel embarrassed by the girly razors or bright yellow conditioner bottle that he scans. Nor do I feel silly for the tub of vanilla ice cream and chocolate frosting that Zach is going to throw a fit over. The obscene amount of taco ingredients makes it look like I'm feeding a small army, and I might as well be if Tate and Zach are going to stay after they make the girls enchiladas for Taco Tuesday tonight. This cartful of taco ingredients is to restock after their fancy ass meal tonight so Addie never runs out of the things she wants to eat. Either way, Addie won't go hungry and if she needs something else tomorrow, then I'll gladly run out for more.

Tucking the bags in the back of our family SUV, I run through everything I needed to get and mentally pat myself on the back when I think I got everything in one trip. We don't normally go grocery shopping, we usually get it delivered, but we can't risk it right now, which leaves me to fumble my way through the grocery store looking like I've never shopped before in my life. Well, okay, I haven't for a really long time. Probably not since I was a lonely teen with parents who were never home. I figured out how to take care of myself real damn fast.

Slamming the trunk on the groceries and those thoughts, I round the car, only to be shoved back a step. The air whooshes out of my mouth as my body doubles over, finally registering the pain in my stomach. I grunt, my abs contracting to force my body upright again. Just as I lock eyes with the man we've been looking for, his meaty fist collides with my jaw, the crack sounding through my head makes my ears rings. The force of the blow sends me crashing to my ass and elbow. The scape and tear of my skin is minor compared to the throbbing from my chin to my fucking temple.

Groaning, my palm pushes against the concrete to stand a second too late. Hands grip me under the armpits and drag me around my SUV and the blacked-out truck next to it. Fuck, parked in the back of the lot. Nobody will see a goddamn thing unless I scream, and I refuse to bring another innocent human being into this.

"You've gone stupid, Moody," Johnathan taunts, kneeling and digging his knee into the soft center of my hip.

I buck, but one of his lackeys shoves my shoulders into the ground, making my shoulder blades grind into the sharp concrete. The other fucktard snags my legs in his tree trunk arms and holds me down. Fuck, this really isn't good. I'm not full of muscle like Zach is, or fast and lethal like Julian. I don't have half of Tate's cunning. I'm just the fucking computer guy who can throw down a bit and shoot a gun.

"Really, Moody?" He lifts an eyebrow. His use of my last name again has me snapping my teeth at him like an animal. "Calm down, I'm not going to kill you."

Shifting his weight, I clench my jaw to hold in my shout of pain when his knee increases its pressure between my hip bone and groin.

His pretty boy face twists in a smirk at the agony he must see in my eyes. Fuck, fuck, fuck. It feels like he's going to push straight through my muscle and into the ground.

"I have something so much better planned for you. Honestly, nobody gives a shit if you live or die, any of you. They just ordered us to make your life a living hell." He leans forward, narrowing his eyes into beady little slits that I wouldn't mind ripping the eyeballs out of. "I know just how to ruin you. Say, how is my little slut?"

"Fuck you!" I spit. Uncontrollable rage dims the pain in my skull and hip, my inner monster rearing its ugly head in vengeance for our woman.

Johnathan tsks me as his fuck buddies chuckle. "Wyatt, come on man, her pussy ain’t that good." I roar and writhe beneath him, red coating my vision in a haze of murder. "Christ, you're a sad piece of shit, you know that? The old you wouldn't be panting over used pussy. You'd be demanding answers from me."

I still at his words, but my body vibrates with the need to kill him, kill all three of them. My hip spasms, something moving out of the way of his boney knee as he twists and digs it further.

Cadell sighs like I’m a petulant child, shaking his head and eyeing me with disappointment. "Pathetic," he murmurs, leaning back, making my hip scream in protest. "Tell Ads how excited I am to see her again."

Just as I thrash and kick out with everything I have, he uppercuts me, my nose exploding in fiery pain and blood. The blow stuns me for precious minutes. Stars dancing between my eyelids and vomit threatening to drown me as I lay prone on my back. Screeching tires and dark laughter close out the soundtrack of my failure.

I failed Addie, Rory, and my guys. Again.

Chapter Forty-Four

Adelyn

If I admit how fucking fire these enchiladas are, does that make me weak? Does it mean I'm giving in too easily? Fuck, does having them make me the most amazing food every damn day make me weak?

I feel weak physically. Growing a human is hard. And honestly, all my focus has been on Bean and Rory. Tate and Zach are helping with that. I swear I've never spent this much time with Rory. Ever.

My moan of appreciation decides for me, though. Tate and Zach's head whip up from cleaning in the kitchen. My cheeks flame, but I can't look away from their heated stares, nor can I not put another bite in my mouth. This time. I close my eyes to savor the flavor and not moan like a fucking porn star.

When I open my eyes again, I find Zach hunched over Tate as he does the dishes. Whatever Zach whispers in Tate's ear has the blond man leaning back into his chest and exposing his throat. Jesus. The enchiladas aren't that spicy and I'm a little cold, so the flush that runs through my body is complete lust.

"Mom?"

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