Page 184 of On The Rocks

“Did Kain finally give you a Hawaiian nickname?” Lennon grinned up at me.

“I don’t know what it means, but it seems like it.”

“Probably meansjackass.” Baron’s voice was little more than a croak.

But we all laughed.

It broke some of the tension in the room.

Beckett stepped through the doorway, his Yankees hat crooked. “Can we please have a little less excitement around here?”

“God, don’t say that out loud,” Justin said from behind him. “Are you out of your mind?”

Lennon laughed and pressed her cheek into my chest. “I could go for a concert, though.”

I stroked my hand down her frayed braid. “You sure about that?”

“Not letting that woman take anything else from us. Period.”

I glanced around the room. “The boss has spoken.”

“After I sleep about eleven hours,” she mumbled into my shirt.

“I think we all could use some of that.” I looked to Baron. “You good?”

“Not really.” He got to his feet. “But I will be.”

“You’ll be here tomorrow?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Baron gave me a ghost of a smile. “Can’t get rid of me that easy again.” He gripped my arm on the way by.

The Starling emptied out. Everyone left, except Kain. He stood at the bottom of our stairs.

Elmer toddled down the stairs to the grass, peed, and came back to lean against Kain’s leg. His tongue rolled out as he smiled up at him.

“Is he really smiling at me?”

“Think it’s a pit bull thing.”

Kain crouched down to give him a good rub. “I’m glad you’re not dead. Especially you, Len.”

“Me too.” I caught a swaying Lennon against me. She gave a sleepy smile to Kain. “Enough excitement for all of us.”

“See you tomorrow,brah.”

My Hawaiian had never been good, but I was pretty sure the word he’d called me earlier had a few meanings. One of them was strength.

“Come on. Let’s go to bed, Elmer.”

He looked after Kain then he hopped up the stairs to us.

I closed the door and kissed the top of Lennon’s head. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

“Let’s not go that far.” She swayed against me.

Instead of letting her argue with me, I scooped her up. “I’m marrying you, you know.”

“You still haven’t asked.”

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