Page 43 of Stripping Keys
“Your ol’ lady is crazy,” I tell him. “Mine’s just a different kinda crazy.” I didn’t tell him she wasn’t my ol’ lady. I didn’t deny it. I couldn’t. This woman was mine in every way, including being my ol’ lady.
“Ol’ lady?”
The way Marla’s brows furrowed, and the words slipped from her lips, she wasn’t expecting it.
“Yeah, baby.” I hook an arm around her waist. “My ol’ lady. Now, if we’re doing this, you need to fill us in on your plan.” I didn’t like it, but we followed her this far. She came prepared. Now, it’s time to see what the hell she’s got up her sleeve.
I glance at my brothers and find them all nodding.
“The others are on the way,” Blow grunts and looks to Marla. “Tell us.”
Smiling, Marla does as we tell her. Giving us what she’s planned. I gotta admit it’s a damn good one even if I don’t like the fact it involves her. She’s the key to it.
“Right, once everyone else gets here, we’ll follow through with it,” Blow states, nodding as he looks between the two of us. “Until then, you two make sure your shit is tight. We’ll take a look at these to make sure we all have what we need.”
Fuck.
Here I thought he wouldn’t bring up . . .
Fuck it. She and I will hash this out here.
Taking her hand, I tug her to the front of her car and wrap my arms around her waist. “You asked me a question earlier, and I fucked up and left you without answering it.”
“You did,” she mutters, eyes going blank.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “For that, I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have done that. But it triggered something in me.”
“Triggered what?” That got her curious.
Letting out a breath, I pull her tighter. “Now isn’t the time to talk about it, but it triggered my past. I don’t talk about it, but you should know, I get you more than you know. Our traumas are different, but the same in some ways, however, mine was worse than you can imagine.”
Marla’s brows draw together, and she looks confused more than anything.
Taking another breath, I decide to give her a rundown. “My mother sold me to those who could pay. I was used and abused sexually until I was able to escape. After you asked me the question, it triggered me. That’s where I went when I left. It’s where my brothers came and got me. It’s also where I remember something from my past that I’d forgotten. These men we are going up against. They’re the ones my mother worked for. They’re just a few of the ones who?—”
“You don’t have to finish that,” she says, her eyes shimmering with tears. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this woman with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I wish it hadn’t, but that’s in the past now. You can leave it there and not talk about it again. Though you should let yourself heal from it. Just like you having me tell you about mine has helped me.”
Fuck me.
I don’t deserve this woman, but no way am I letting her get away from me.
Fuck that.
“Now, let’s get ready and go finish this once and for all,” she says, sliding her hands up my chest to wrap around my neck.
“Once and for all,” I agree and dip my head down and claim her lips with mine.
This ends today.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MARLA
My blood is pumping. The excitement of what we’re about to do thrills me. My body hums with the need to spill the enemy’s blood.
I shouldn’t be like this. I shouldn’t think about it as thrilling. I can’t help it. I simply can’t. This is the type of thing I live for. Okay, so it’s not this type of thing I usually do, but when Calyx would let me in on missions similar, it always made me giddy.
I love the feel of a weapon in my hand. It didn’t matter if it was a knife, gun, or even a grenade.
