Page 96 of Butcher

Standing in the doorway of the apartment, I leaned against the frame. A flood of children swarmed past me. Felt like six hundred of them. I swear more of them showed up every day. There were joyous screams as the kids flooded past me and into my bedroom. “Aunt Isla! Ah ha ha, you’re tied up.” I wasn’t sure who was talking.

“I can get out of that, betcha I could.” That was Taylor, and I was betting she was right.

Making my way back to the bedroom, I watched as the swarm roved over her in excitement, and probably picked her pockets, before I chased them off. Despite still being tied up, she was glowing. “They’ll be devastated if you leave.”

“That’s playing dirty,” she told me.

I shrugged. “I don’t play fair, I play to win.” Left alone with Isla, I scowled back at her. “If I let you loose, are you going to run?”

“You really want me here?” she asked.

There was that hope again and it was killing me. “Yes, Woman. I want you to stay. I’m claiming you. I want to marry you. Even better, you’re going to be my old lady. I fucking love you, Terror.”

“Okay,” she said, though she looked a little afraid. She was battling demons that only she could fight. I’d help as much as I could, but she had to do the brunt of the work.

“Okay?”

“Just one more thing.”

“What’s that?” I asked, amused with her response to my declaration of love.

“I don’t share, Butcher.”

Frowning, I shook my head. “What?”

“I won’t allow you to claim me, to marry me, if it means you sleeping with other women.”

“Wh-” I gave her a confused look. “Okay,” I said instead of blowing up. “I haven’t slept with another woman since I met you. Since before I met you,” I admitted. “And once I claim you neither of us are sleeping with anyone else. Ever. Got it?”

She grinned and wiggled on the chair, fighting the restraints. “Let me go so I can kiss you,” she demanded.

I chuckled and cut her loose, careful to keep my knife out of reach so she didn’t get cut as she tossed herself into my arms. I caught her beneath the ass with one arm as she wrapped those strong legs around my waist and locked her lips to mine.

“I love you, too, Butcher,” she breathed against my lips. “I accept your claim.”

“Of course you do,” I growled, tossing the knife aside and wrapping both arms around her so I could squeeze her against me. I wasn’t fucking ever letting her go anywhere again. She was all mine.

We settleddown as Lock came into the room. He’d called church so we could go over everything that had happened while we’d been in Belize.

Idaho looked over at me as he sat down across the table. “She staying?”

“Yes,” I replied, feeling smug and satisfied.

“Who?” Toxic asked, then looked at me in shock. “Wait, your girl tried to leave?”

“Again?” Hellfire added.

I glared at him. “She thought she had to leave.”

“Why?” Hush asked, looking confused.

“Because women.” I said, as if that explained everything. Most of the men looked like my words made sense to them.

“Let’s rehash this later,” Lock said. “We worked through it, she knows she’s welcome here and she’s staying.” He looked over at me. “Which is good. Keep her happy and keep her here with us.”

“Will do, Prez.”

“Okay,” Lock said. “Who wants to go through this?”

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