Page 46 of Rescue Us

“When have we ever lied to you?” Sara asked. “That’s my husband. Catch thinks he’s being funny but usually, he’s not.”

“I’m bigger than him, so now I can just kick his ass,” I pointed out.

“I heard that,” a deep voice yelled from the hallway.

We laughed.

“I’m going to get changed,” I said, when I saw the time. I had to pick Ainsley up in a half hour. Not waiting for the ladies to respond, I rushed to the bathroom.

A soft knock sounded on the door as I was doing up the tie. Satisfied with how I looked, I opened the door. “What do you think?”

Eve stared up at me. “I...” Her eyes welled.

“Shit, don’t cry.” I pulled her in for a hug because I didn’t know what else to do. “Is it that bad? I can find something else to wear.”

A muffled laugh left her.

Sara and Zillah came up behind her.

“You look like your father,” Zillah whispered.

My throat closed up. “Oh.”

“It’s true.” Sara’s hand fluttered to her throat. “I didn’t know your parents, but I’ve seen pictures. You look like your dad so much right now, it’s unreal.”

“You look like Butcher did on their wedding day,” Zillah added. “Tray showed me pictures and, Cyrus, you could be your dad’s twin.”

“Whoa, ladies. I like her but I’m not proposing anytime soon.” I laughed but the idea of putting my ring on Ainsley’s finger didn’t actually sound so bad. Although, I would rather have my collar around her throat first. I imagined holding the end of a leash while she crawled on the ground for me. A hot shiver raced down my spine. Clearing my throat, I gave myself a shake. “Anyway, you sure this looks okay?”

“Yes.” Zillah sighed dramatically. “But we do need more babies around here. So hurry up and make this girl fall in love with you.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. Zillah and Tray had a grandson but with them living so far away, they didn’t see them as much as they would have liked. Jaron, Piper, and Brynlee didn’t come by much either even though they definitely tried to.

While Sara and Zillah talked about babies and plans for my future love life that I didn’t know about, I looked at Eve. She stood off to the side, wringing her hands in front of her.

“Is this okay?” I asked her gently, looking down at myself. I loved them all. They took on the role of being mothers to me and Sammy without even needing to, but Eve was who I looked to for guidance most. She was there when my mother died. She was there for it all. My mom saved her and Jaron. She sacrificed her life for them, and I found because of that very reason, it brought us closer somehow.

I never usually cared what I looked like, knowing the woman wouldn’t be seeing my face for long anyway. It was an asshole trait of mine and one I wasn’t proud of but most of the females I had slept with only got my dick. That was it. Not my gentle touches, my kind words, or my need to wine and dine them. These traits, they were all for Ainsley. There was something special about her and while I didn’t know what it was, I went in with open arms, hoping to one day find out.

Eve shook herself, a shuddered breath leaving her before she gave me a wide smile. “It’s perfect, Cyrus.” She came up to me and grabbed my hand, leading me to a floor-length mirror in the corner of the room. She stopped us in front of it and leaned her head against my shoulder, meeting my gaze in the reflection of the mirror. “They’re right you know. I saw your dad in a suit once. He took your mom out on a date. She insisted that he didn’t need to dress up for her. You want to know where they went?”

I nodded quickly.

“To the backyard.” Eve laughed lightly. “The guys did up the yard for them and everything. Greyson and I even let them use the little house in the backyard so it could feel like they were at a hotel in a way. It was so romantic. The guys teased your dad and said they would have to up their game.”

My heart swelled at the image she was painting for me. I hated asking about our parents, knowing it hurt to talk about them, but every time I got a piece of information, I soaked it up. Sammy on the other hand, would leave. He didn’t want to hear it. He was pissed that they left us even though it wasn’t their fault. At all.

“Where were Sammy and I?” I asked as Zillah and Sara came up on my right.

“You were with Greyson and me. I was still pregnant with Jaron at the time. We spent the night watching movies and both of you fell asleep on your blankets and pillows you had on the floor. You don’t remember that? You would have been around eight I think.”

“Mom died shortly after, didn’t she?” The air suddenly became thick around us.

“Yeah, she did.” Eve turned me toward her, straightening my tie. “I loved your mom. She took me under her wing and helped me through one of the darkest times of my life. She saved Jaron and me. I know...” Her chin wobbled. “I know I’ve said it before, but I am sorry for the shit I brought here. If it wasn’t for me, your mom—”

“Stop.” I pulled her into my arms. “It’s not your fault. Everything happens for a reason.” Neither Sammy nor I blamed Eve for her ex killing our mom. That thought never even crossed our minds.

“You be good to this girl.” Eve pulled out of my arms and straightened my jacket. “I don’t know what’s going on with your brother but I’m sure we’ll find out in time. Whatever it is, I know he’ll come around. He’s just...he’s sad right now and is using his anger to mask that but I think there’s a lady in his life and it’s driving him crazy because he doesn’t know how to deal with these feelings.”

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