Page 36 of Demon

“Thanks again,” I say earnestly.

Wanting to keep Sammy busy, I turn to the women in the kitchen. “Is there a computer I could use? I’d like to print some learning material for Sammy.”

Sophie motions me to follow her. “Come to my room. Use my laptop—it connects directly to the printer downstairs.”

Grinning, I gaze down at Sammy. “Come on, kiddo. Time to do some work.”

* * *

After lunch,I’m busy with washing and putting clothes away and getting my work clothes ready for tomorrow. I talked my way into washing Jett’s clothes. Most men would jump at the idea of a woman doing their washing. He didn’t care much either way, but it’s the least I could do for him. I slowly step inside his room, holding a basket of his clothes. I feel like I’m invading his space, but I’m doing a nice thing for him.

On Jett’s bed, next to the teddy bear, is yet another toy Sammy has added to his collection. The doll, with its pink uniform and blond hair, makes me cackle. She’s definitely adding color to his room. For a second I wonder if the doll crosses a line, but he let her color his back in purple marker, so I don’t think he’ll care. He seems to be content in making Sammy happy, even at his own demise.

Once I’m almost finished putting his clothes away, I grab his last black cotton shirt, which has the War Brothers emblem on the back, and bring it to my nose and breathe in. His fresh-scented cologne lingers even though the shirt’s been washed. I hang it on a coat hanger and make my way down the stairs.

I briefly check around the house, then pop my head into the living room, where Mercedez is sitting on Twitch’s lap. Sitting beside them are Dolly and Trixie, and on the other lounge chair is Elena on Axle’s lap.

“Hey, have any of you seen Sammy?”

Axle chuckles. “She’s working out with the guys and Sophie.”

I cock my head. “What do you mean?”

“Go check out the gym. It’s just at the rear of the house,” he says.

Curious, I go outside, where I hear a whizzing sound and smacking. I step inside a room to see a line of treadmills and ellipticals. Sophie is running on a treadmill. Farther toward the weights, Sammy is beside Viper and Jett, copying them doing bicep curls. It’s so adorable.

I stare at Jett, entranced, watching the movement. A light sheen of sweat mists his forehead and his inked arms. He looks up as if he senses my presence, so I make my way to them. Sammy’s eyes grow wide when she notices me, and she puts the small dumbbell on the ground, then raises her arm, flexing her bicep. “Mom, look how big my muscle is.”

“Wow...” I overexaggerate. “It’s so big.” I turn to Viper and Jett. “Is she okay in here?” Then I peer at the back to see Rage. He’s wearing shorts and moving fluidly around a punching bag, striking with precision and power. The ripple of his muscles and his confidence in boxing are hard to miss.

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Viper answers with a big, goofy grin.

“Okay. I’m going to go find Ava to see if she needs help with dinner.”

“No need,” Viper casually says. “We have pizza when the fights are on.”

“What fights?” I’m quick to ask.

“The fights that are held in the warehouse,” Jett replies, reminding me of our conversation last night.

“Do you still fight in them?” I ask Jett.

Viper barks out a laugh. “No sane person would be game enough to fight him, and we need to make money from it.”

A sliver of relief hits my chest.

“Can I go?” Sammy asks.

I scoff. “I don’t think so, young lady. We’ll be staying here.”

“We’ll all be gone in an hour or so,” says Viper. “Twitch and the ladies will be here with you.”

“I’ll stay with you too,” Jett says, making Viper raise his brow at him.

“Yessss,” Sammy cheers. I’m happy Jett’s staying too.

I go back into the living room and take a seat beside Trixie. She and Dolly both give me warm smiles. I’m curious about their arrangement within the MC. Mercedez seems to be with Twitch. I lean in closer to Trixie. “So, do you have a partner here?”

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