Page 55 of One Love

I sigh and prepare myself for whatever shit show is about to ensue, pushing aside the twinge of pain from hearing Murphy’s surname on someone else. “What do you want?”

“And this is why you don’t deserve that girl in your care. No manners, whatsoever. Just like your parents.” His deep voice is grating on me and I want to kill him.

“What. Do. You. Want?” I won’t apologize. These people had me beaten, shot, then stole my little girl from me at her father’s funeral. They deserve nothing but my complete and total ire.

“I’m just calling to let you know that we know Hallie has been speaking to you.” My heart drops to my stomach. I don’t want her to get into trouble. “We’re allowing it because she’s being pliant, for now. But mark my words, if she becomes difficult, all contact will stop. Do you understand me, Jordyn?”

Fuck youwould be my usual response to this kind of threat. Fucking try me is my usual stance on these matters. But this is my thirteen-year-old kid’s happiness on the line.

“I understand.” And I do. All too well. I understand that I need to get her out of that situation as soon as physically possible.

“Good.” The line goes dead and I pull my phone away from my ear, staring at it as though I could reach through it and rip Mr. Gallagher’s fucking head off.

“Little Demon, we’ll fix it. I already have access to the surveillance around her school and their home. And I’m working on finding something on them. There’s no way they haven’t messed up somewhere and I’m telling you I’ll find it. Now…” He pauses and leans in to kiss my forehead. “Eat that kolache while it’s still warm, then you can teach me how to ride a damn motorcycle. I’m thinking of getting one so we can go on roadtrips with Hallie.” He wags his brows and my mind is whirring at a thousand miles per hour from pretty much everything he just said.

That dangerous grin I’ve grown to love stretches across his stubbled face, the scar over his eye crinkling in a way I can picture with my eyes closed, and I open my mouth to question, well, everything. There’s a kolache between my lips before I can speak and Dmitry laughs as I growl at him and narrow my eyes again, biting into the doughy softness.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

I chew on the soft lemon curd pastry, which has become my new obsession, before swallowing it down. “What do you mean you already have access to surveillance? And why?” I’ll address the motorcycle lesson once I know his reasoning for this. I’m surprisingly not mad that he’s taken it upon himself to get involved, because of course my own personal stalker knows everything going on in my life.

“Because it’s important to you.” That’s it. That’s all he says as he begins munching on his own blueberry kolache. As if it’s that easy.

But why can’t it be that easy?

Life has been nothing but an everlasting rollercoaster, rolling in all the directions, and I’ve just been along for the ride. Dmitry seems to hold the key to getting off, to making things seem much simpler than they’ve ever been. There’s no guilt, no secrets between us, and I have to admit to having more than a few feelings for this man who slid into my life as easily as his dick slides into my cunt.

“Okay. Update me when you have something.” I catch his eye and he grins again, giving a small head tilt of acknowledgment as I pick up the rest of my own breakfast.

“I did a thing.”

Fuck, I hate it when people start off with this type of warning, especially Dmitry since he’s the king of over-the-top.

“You do a lot of things.” My gaze follows his every move, weary and expecting some crazy shit to happen in the next few seconds.

“I do. I’m happy you’ve noticed.” His arm reaches up and behind his head as he fists the cotton of his shirt then pulls his entire T-shirt right off, giving me the best morning view possible: his naked, tattooed chest. The clear cut of muscles and the swirl of colorful tattoos make my mouth water and just when I’m about to help myself to a little dessert, I register a brand new tat, right there in the middle of his sternum, assaulting every one of my brain cells.

“Is that…?” No words.

“Yup. Didn’t want to waste the perfect opportunity to show, not tell.” With those words, I’m able to rip my stare from his chest and look him straight in the eyes.

“Show what, exactly?” I think I know, but holy shit.

“Every fool on this planet who’s ever been in love has had some kind of verbal declaration.” He shrugs, then continues. “I’m showing you the only way I know how that you’re it for me, J.” It’s like those words just come so easily to him.

“So, tattooing the letter J on your chest is your way of showing me you love me?” Fucking hell, this man.

“To be fair, you carved it with your knife, I just made it permanent.”

So what does that say about me?

Having Dmitry on the back of my motorcycle with his arms wrapped around my waist and his dick sticking into mylower back feels kinda symbolic, especially after that weird-yet-meaningful little conversation from earlier. I know the Sons of Khaos motorcycle gang that we sometimes have dealings with would say this means Dmitry’s officially my old man—not that they generally have female members—but I’d probably rip their tongues out if they tried to say anything of the sort.

Teaching him to ride this afternoon didn’t happen, mainly because I don’t trust a newbie on my baby. I don’t give a fuck that he had it fixed for me, he can learn on something else. He pouted, but we found a dealer with something we can use and we’ve just dropped it off in the van to Crank for a check over.

Dmitry insisted we stop and have a celebratory drink on the way back to my apartment, so that’s why I pull up in the parking lot of a random dive bar twenty minutes from home.

Until I have more information on Ronan or Hallie’s grandparents, right now I’m kind of at a loss with what to do. There are no bodies to clean up, and I’m itching to do something. Anything.

---