Page 54 of Salvatore

When she still won’t move, I lift her and tuck her against me.

She lifts her head, her breathing still fast as she brushes her wild hair away from her face. “That was . . .” She seems confused, her eyes glazed until she smiles. “I’m sorry, what’s my name again?”

I laugh before stamping my lips against hers, my tongue diving deep to play. No matter what, I can’t get enough of her.

Unless Aedry tells me to, I’m not going anywhere. Problem is, even if she tries to walk away, I’m not sure I can let her go. She takes care of me and my brothers, cooks for us, fusses over them, and makes sure they do their work. She hasn’t missed a single one of Gianno and Apollo’s wrestling matches, losing her mind right there beside me when they win, and covering her face when she thinks they might lose. She also listens?even though I never realized how badly I needed to be heard.

There are a lot of things I didn’t think I needed, until Aedry came into my life and proved how wrong I was.

I called her late last night and all but begged her to stop by. I didn’t feel right leaving my brothers. With the exception of the past few weeks, I’ve always made it home to my boys. No matter how late, I’m always there when they wake up. It’s my way of giving them stability. But with Vin’s screw-ups, I haven’t even been able to give them that.

Like with Aedry, I’ve barely seen my brothers all week. Aedry knew they were alone and stopped in to make them dinner. She also made sure they picked up and did their laundry. Each morning or afternoon, whenever the hell I was done cleaning up after Vin and Donnie, I’d stagger in, expecting to find the place wrecked to shit. Each time, I was wrong.

Except, as much as Aedry watched out for them, and as much as I appreciate it, they’re my responsibility. I couldn’t leave them to be with her. But I could have her here. She snuck in, but I didn’t let her sneak back out, and given how the past few hours have gone and how content she seems, I doubt she regrets it.

“I have to go,” she says again, her small nails skimming the surface of my chest.

“What if I don’t want you to?” I ask, pushing up on my side.

“I have to work,” she insists.

Pounding on the door interrupts what she has to say next. “What?” I ask, craning my neck.

Aedry scrambles beneath the sheets when Gianno throws open the door and sweeps in, followed closely Apollo.

“What the fuck?” I yell, clutching Aedry against me.

Gianno stops at the foot of my bed, more pissed than I’ve ever seen him, pointing at me. “You’re an asshole,” he snaps.

At first, I think he and Apollo are pissed, since I haven’t been around, until Apollo lets loose.

“How the fuck could you do this to Miss Aedry?” he demands.

“Wait,” I say. “What?”

Gianno lays into me. “You dragged in this whore, knowing Aedry’s been waiting on you all week,” he says, motioning to the lump in my arms. “That makes you an asshole.”

“Watch your mouth,” I warn, not because of what he’s calling me, but how he’s referring to Aedry. He doesn’t know it’s her burying her face against my chest. That doesn’t mean anyone gets to put her down.

“Fuck you,” Apollo says.

“And your whore,” Gianno adds.

I drag my hand down my face, torn between laughing my ass off and reaming my brothers out for how they’re talking. They’re protective of Aedry. I know that. The more they’re with her, the more they want her to stay. It’s good and bad. Good, because I know they love her, and bad, because . . . yeah, because they love her.

“You finally meet a good woman and this is the shit you pull?” Gianno demands.

I hold out a hand, trying to silence them as Aedry continues to squirm against me. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I start to say.

“Like hell,” Apollo snaps. “We heard you?last night and this morning!”

“Oh, God,” Aedry squeaks against me.

Apollo’s and Gianno’s scowls dissolve. They exchange confused glances. It’s not until Aedry pokes her bright red face from the mound of covers she tried to cocoon herself in that their jaws collectively drop. “Sorry,” she offers.

I crack the hell up. Apollo backs away, smacking into the wall before taking off in a sprint?like any kid would after finding his parents in bed. Gianno just stands there, watching Aedry cover her flaming face as I laugh my ass off.

“Ah, sorry I called you a whore,” he says. He starts toward my bathroom before realizing where he’s headed. He quickly turns around and heads out to the living room, slamming the door behind him.

---