Page 22 of Wrath’s Nightingale

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“If you’re with the Barnes, you must be good people. Come any time.”

“Fredo, can you eat with us?” I ask.

“Did you order my favorite?”

“Dessert? Of course.”

Fredo laughs. By the time we all take a seat, our appetizers have arrived. I lean in and so only Wrath can hear me.

“I’m so sorry about Aaron. He’s a dick.”

“It’s not your fault, but that was a wicked throat punch. Where did you learn that?”

“Dad enrolled me in self-defense classes after he and Mom got custody.”

“You don’t learn that in self-defense.”

“That was bad ass, sis. All that Judo paid off,” Tyler blurts out.

“I still take Judo classes three times a week,” I say.

“That’s boss, baby,” Wrath says.

I look up and realize his eyes are dilated. He’s turned on. Fuck. That’s hot. I’ve been sleeping beside him the past few nights. I know he’s being a gentleman, but tonight I’m determined to fuck his brains out. “We should spar sometime. Nay said you have a kick ass gym at the compound.”

He smiles at me. “We do, and I’d be honored to spar with you.”

“No fair,” Micah says.

“We want to see,” Tyler whined.

“You’ll have to come for a visit. We have plenty of room for you to stay. Rooms inside the clubhouse and we have townhouses on the grounds. All of you are welcome anytime.”

“Do you live at the clubhouse?” Lisa asks.

“I do. It’s an old hotel. I basically have a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor. The married brothers have builtor are building houses within the compound. I was telling Millie about my President and his ol’ ladies log cabin. I think you’d all like it,” Wrath replies.

“A log cabin in New Orleans. Now that I’ve got to see,” Dad says.

Chapter 13

Wrath

“Since you’re in construction, how come you haven’t built a home of your own?” Lisa asks.

I smile. “I was waiting to find my woman. I didn’t want to build something, then have the woman I love hate it. And honestly, crafting it for her is part of how I plan to show my love. I’ll hand-make every cabinet, counter, and piece of furniture in the house. If she’ll let me.”

I feel Millie’s hand on my leg. She gives it a squeeze. I glance over and see her looking at me with a mixture of awe and hunger. My arousal intensifies, my body responding instantly. Seeing her strike Aaron in the throat has me both aroused and intrigued. If we weren’t out with her family, I'd be tempted to explore what kind of underwear she's wearing. We chat while enjoying the appetizers. My glass of wine never dips below a quarter full. Our server effortlessly keeps everyone's glasses replenished, regardless of their chosen beverage. I brush off Aaron's earlier derogatory comments. I face prejudice far too often to let it affect me. It's disheartening that people are still judged by their skin color, but I hold on to hope for a better future.

A future where mine and Millie’s children don’t have to worry about a gun being put to their head because of their brown skin. Yeah, I’m already thinking about kids. I wonder how many she wants. They’ll be beautiful with my brown skin and their mother’s forest green eyes.

Left-over appetizers are expertly boxed and replaced with entrees and vegetables. I’m going to have to do extra cardio for a month to make up for carbs I consume in the next hour. I laugh so hard my sides and face hurt. Millie and her brothers take turns telling stories about each other. I look up to find Millie laughing so hard tears are streaming down her face.

By the time we leave, I’m so stuffed I can barely walk. It’s a good thing we have a forty-minute drive before we get back to her parents’ place. I follow Lisa and Brian, who are holding hands, holding Millie’s hand.

Micah and Tyler hurry around us, joking about something as we all head to the SUV.

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