“Still no word from Wolf?”he asks, joking aside.There’s a hardness that comes over him now.He’s all business, and I see the old demons he carries enter into his face.I hate that he has the memories he has, I fucking hate that he had to live through that shit and I couldn’t get to him sooner.I want to kill that motherfucking Wolf for that reason alone.

“Not a one.Not since he questioned one of the nuns.”

“It’s not really his M.O.Fuck man, I don’t know.Maybe he spotted me and got spooked?”

“If he saw you, he’s plotting for a way to get to you.He won’t run until he thinks he’s close to getting trapped.This motherfucker is as arrogant as they come.He likes dancing along the edge,” Devil replies, sounding completely confident.“Wolf will wait around to find a weakness and then the bastard will find the best way to exploit it.

“That means I need to keep a closer eye on Ellie then, because that’s the only weakness I have.”

“It might not be a bad idea,” Devil says, rubbing the back of his neck.“I still can’t believe you and Ellie are back together,” he says and this time he’s studying me.I can’t help the satisfied smile that spreads over my lips.

“He looks fucking satisfied about it, too,” Rebel says with a laugh.

“You have no idea,” I respond, not even bothering to deny it.

“I’m happy for you, man.I know how losing Ellie cut you up.”

“It nearly destroyed me.I’m not letting her go again.”We stare at each other for a minute, not talking, but we understand each other.I know he can see in my face more than I feel comfortable telling him in words.Devil knows how much losing Ellie shook me.“How long have you been here?”

“Just got in.Came to the church first, because I knew that’s where you’d be.”

“Then let’s go get you—” I stop when my phone rings.When I see Ellie’s name on the ID, I answer it, holding up my finger toward my brothers.“Give me just a second.What’s up, Ice?”

“Just checking on you, Stud.Was afraid you’d fall asleep after the way I left you worn out yesterday.”

“Think you got that backwards, baby,” I murmur, my head dropping down with a smile as I replay making love to her this morning in my mind.

“I just wanted to tell you that I love you, Liam.”

“Love you, too, Ice.”

“I love you, too, Eleanor!”Devil calls out.

“Oh my God!Is that Devil?”Ellie squeals in my ear.

“Yeah, baby.That’s Devil.He and Rebel just showed up.I was about to take them and get them settled in a hotel and then maybe finding lunch?—”

“No way!If you do that, Charles Liam Maverick, I’ll never talk to you again.I’ve got three spare bedrooms.Take them to the house.”

“Ice—”

“Don’t you Ice me.”

“Okay, Ellie, but if you start bitching, saying I can’t fuck you because they might hear, you and I are going to have problems,” I growl.The guys instantly start laughing, but I ignore them.

“You’ll just have to get inventive on ways to keep me from crying out,” she sasses.

“Oh, I can do that.”

“Don’t be so sure,” she cautions.

“You can’t scream when you’re choking on my cock,” I tell her.

“I can’t believe you just said that in front of them.”

“If that embarrasses you?—”

“I didn’t say I was embarrassed, just that I can’t believe you.I got to get off of here, Harvey is giving me mean looks.Take the boys to the house, got it?”