Page 110 of Apex of the Curve

“I should hope so,” I murmured. “I’m your woman and you only deserve the best.”

His blue eyes flickered up to mine, and I saw some surprise in them, then a warmth flooded them that made me smile like some sort of madwoman, and maybe I was? I mean, I’d just seriously stood up to the cops out there. Yikes.

Tic was in one of the two bathrooms, running cold water over his hand and looking at himself in the mirror. I leaned against the doorway and sighed asking, “Can I get you an icepack?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding and solemn.

“Need more than one?”

“No.”

I went and made him up an ice pack and brought it to him.

“Thanks,” he said tersely, and I nodded.

“You’re welcome. This does not make us friends.”

At that, he cracked the first smile in my direction that wasn’t shitty or a sneer.

“You’re alright,” he said with a nod.

I smiled but didn’t say anything. I just went back to Fen. The pizza was delivered just a few minutes later.

There wasn’t a whole lot to the rest of the evening. Eventually all the guys started leaving by ones and twos. Some with girls, some by themselves or with each other until it was just me, Fen, Maverick, and Momma Kat, who was going around cleaning up the place like some sort of den mother.

“Hey, Mav,” Fen said.

“Yeah, what’s up man?”

“Got some sticky legal shit I wanna ask you for my little leaf on the wind, here.”

“Shoot,” he said.

Fenris asked about the divorce and liquidating my shop, then asked about my mom’s house and the half of my brother’s inheritance.

“Shit, I’d need to see some things. Like the wills, and your lease, that sort of shit to get it all sorted out. Can you get a hold of those things?” he asked.

“Of course,” I said.

“Would you mind me having a look at ‘em?”

“I don’t see why not,” I said with a shrug.

“Good deal. As soon as I have all the documentation, I’ll look over everything and let you know what I can come up with.”

“Thanks,” I said softly.

“Thank you,” he said. “You did real good under a tense situation out there with the cops.”

“I don’t feel like I did anything to be honest,” I said with a laugh.

“You did plenty, trust me. Now if you ever encounter any cop for any reason, them’s the magic words,” he said.

“I don’t answer questions?” I guessed.

“Those are the ones.”

I smiled, he smiled, and with a nod at Fen he hoisted himself to his feet.

“I’m about to get back to my girl and get myself laid,” he said.

“I’m going to take him home and probably do the same,” I said with a grin and Maverick laughed out loud.

“We’ll make you one of us, yet,” he said.

Fenris smiled at me and I smiled back.

“I told you so,” my man declared and it warmed me down to my toes.

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