Page 94 of Butcher

“And you belong with me.”

I swallowed, but the tears escaped my eyes anyway. I leaned up on my tip toes and brushed my lips over his. “I love you too much to ask you to leave.” Cupping his cheek, I gave him a wavering smile. “This family is too important to leave it.”

I couldn’t take much more. It was either burst out into sobs in front of him or get busy packing. I chose the latter.

CHAPTER 32

Butcher

Stepping into the doorway of our bedroom, I watched as Isla packed up her clothes. Murder was sitting on the floor next to her also watching what she was doing. Anger had me narrowing my eyes. I turned around without a word and walked into the dining room area. I wasn’t used to having so much space, but Priest had said that Lock was letting us keep this apartment. Maybe Toxic’s stripper had done us a favor by pissing in my closet. My woman wasn’t going to want to stay in a dorm style room forever.

This was so damn confusing. And stupid. I didn’t know what motivated people, but I was pretty sure that it wasn’t some damn deal with Lock that was making her do this. I’d have to confirm with Toxic later, but I was guessing it had something to do with fear. She was afraid to stay and let people in. Because we might disappoint her.

She’d said that I was the only one who had ever loved her. That was a clue. I was sure of it. Maybe she was afraid that I’d leave her?That the others would insist she go? She was cutting and bailing before we had a chance to do so first.

If that was what was going on here the only way I could prove it to her was one day at a time, showing up and being present. In order to dothat,I needed to convince her to stay.

I grabbed one of the wooden chairs that was tucked into the dining room table and brought it with me. Isla turned as she heard me set the chair down inside the bedroom.

“What’re you doing?” she asked, cocking her head as I walked past her.

It only took me a moment to find what I needed inside the new, larger, closet. Her eyes widened when she saw what I was holding.

“Wait!” Realizing I wasn’t waiting, or stopping, she tried to bolt.

She was a kick ass assassin and possessed skills many men would die for, but I was still faster. Ignoring the stab of pain in my side, I grabbed her and hauled her back against my body. I still hadn’t spoken. I was too pissed. And I needed to secure her first. Before she knew what was happening I had her tied back up on the chair.

“Seriously?” she asked.

“You’re trying to leave,” I growled. “Not happening.”

“Butcher-”

I turned and walked away, not bothering to listen to whatever stupid girly worries she’d made up in her mind. She needed reassurance that I loved her and wanted her to stay? That the others loved her and wanted her to stay? She was going to get them.

My luck held true as I stepped out into the hallway and saw Lockout walking toward me. I didn’t explain, just grabbed my president by the cut and dragged him into my apartment. It was a testament to his patience that he wasn’t bellowing at me right now. I was too pissed and seeing red to explain much. I shoved him in front of where I had Isla tied up. “The two of you need to talk.”

I left again, with both of their gazes boring into my back, but this was something she needed to talk over with him. She had it in her head that Lock didn’t want her here. That he wasn’t going to let herstay. Fucking stupid conclusion. She’d helped save my life. Helped save theirs, more than once. She’d helped make sure the threat to our families was gone. And I fucking loved her. Lock wasn’t going to make her go anyway. He just hadn’t extended the invitation to stay, because that was my job. And I’d done it, but she understood hierarchy and until she heard it from the prez, she wasn’t going to trust it.

Once she accepted his invitation, then we could work on proving that she was loved by all of us. That we all would be hurt if she tried to leave.

Needing air, I stomped down the stairs into the lower section of the clubhouse.

“Hey, Butcher.”

I froze, glaring at Lockout as he stood there holding a coffee mug. “What the fuck?”

“What?” he asked, looking confused.

“Goddamn useless twin,” I muttered. “At least Ricochet had the decency to have a female twin.”

Lock’s frown deepened. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

“Not you, Prez. Your twin,” I growled. “Come with me.” It wasn’t like I gave him much choice. I was dragging him, much like I’d just dragged Idaho a few minutes ago. Lockout seemed to realize that I was pissed and somehow pieced together what was happening enough to come along with me, even though he could have told me to fuck off.

When we walked into the apartment together, I heard Idaho’s voice coming from the bedroom.

“The whole point is to leverage other people’s money and other people’s time, freeing up your most valuable and creative hours to scale up and branch out. When your time is bogged down in the admin, you’re stuck. It’s not about how much you save, rather it’s how much more you can make when free from the bullshit. With Randal gone there’s a vacuum in the whole industry, just ripe for expansion.”

---