Page 84 of Toxic

I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my face. They were already acting like a brother and sister might and they’d only met a couple days ago. I knew Warrant was trustworthy with her, and he was a damn good fighter and shooter. Having him backing up Isla and watching over Billie while I’d been gone had been a great idea. I’d have to thank Lock later for thinking of it.

“Since you’re here for a bit, want to help me out with the roof?” I asked Warrant.

“Sure. That’s way too much metal for this roof, Toxic.” He eyed me as he bit into a piece of bacon, then wagged it at me. “You losing your touch?”

“It’s the perfect amount for the house and barn roofs.”

He let out a hmmm in agreement.

It was almost drowned out by Billie’s gasp. “Toxic! I can’t afford that right now! Not with all the other repairs you’ve done.”

“No need to worry about that,” I told her.

“What does that mean?” she asked. “Of course I have to worry about it.”

“He’s already paid for it.”

I looked over my shoulder and scowled at Butcher as he came back in the door. I was planning to tell her that. Later. When I’d softened her up first. Billie had a lot of pride. She wasn’t going towant to take my money, even if it came in the form of corrugated metal or labor.

“What?” Billie said, looking shocked. “I can’t-”

“Just for that, you’re helping with the roofs, too,” I told Butcher.

“Shit,” he muttered. “It’s hot as balls out there.”

“Worse on the roof,” Warrant pointed out. “Gonna be a bitch to take off all those shingles.”

Butcher groaned as he sat down across from me and helped himself to food. “Not sure what’s going to be worse, the shingles or that fucking sheet metal.”

“It’s not sheet metal, genius,” Warrant said with a grin. “It’s corrugated.”

Butcher arched a brow. “It’s metal and it’s in flat sheets. It’s sheet metal.”

“Actually-” I started.

His gaze snapped over to me. “I know it’s not actually sheet metal. But that’s what I’m fucking calling it if you want my help.”

Holding up my hands, I laughed. “Call it whatever you want.” A third pair of hands was going to make the project go a hell of a lot faster.

“You need a fucking nap, Butcher? Or what?” Warrant asked.

“Or what,” I teased. “He needs to go home and spend some time with his old lady.” I was trying to be politically correct since Billie was sitting there watching us with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

“Aw,” Warrant said. “He needs some pussy. Yeah,” he nodded, “that usually puts me in a better mood too.”

Billie stared at him with her mouth dropped open.

Warrant gave her an innocent look. “What?”

“Jeez, Warrant,” she said with a soft laugh.

“You work with fucking cowboys, Billie. You can’t tell me they watch their language all the time?” he asked.

“They cuss up a storm,” she admitted. “But they don’t usually talk about… sleeping with women in front of me.”

“Oh.” He shrugged. “Well, I guess that comes from the biker half of us.”

I glanced over at Butcher. “You good? I can have one of the other guys come over for a couple days. Give you a break.”

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