Page 67 of Thick as Thieves
Kellen plucks me from the bed and carries me into the bathroom. He slides me into the bath and gets in behind me. Xan stays out to help wash me. I can hardly pick my own arms up, I feel so tired. I think I’ve been running on adrenaline since the park.
“Do you think it will be fine, really?” I ask them both quietly. I sound so dejected. They both nod, their faces serious. Concern is pouring from them both.
Xander tells me, “It will eventually. It might not be pretty while we get there, but it will get better.” His eyes are telling me how much he loves me.
“We might become really boring, so they leave us alone,” says Kellen.
I raise my eyebrows at him and we all start to laugh.
“Nice try, Kell,” I say. “You could not be boring if you tried.”
They put me in bed and get in on either side. Xan has slept a bit this week, so he’s fine. I can hear them talking about the gig, security leaving me here. They both have their hands on me, some or all of their bodies touching me. I fall asleep first and dream of black tents, blue eyes, green eyes, all smiling at me. And I sleep, waiting for the morning.
27
Evie
I hearthe noise of children. Xander is up, and as usual he gets the breakfasts sorted.
“Evie, do you want to feed them here this morning?” He’s come into the bedroom, where Kell is still asleep at the side of me, and I shake my head.
“I’ll come through, let him sleep a bit more,” I whisper back and slip out of bed, putting on a robe. I feel confident, and rested. Ready to take on the new day. The boys' noise level goes up when they see me.
Xan’s smile of love at them makes my heart bloom. “Is it Mummy? Yes, she loves you,” he coos at Sorley as he brings the boy over to me.
I get comfy in the chair as Valentina brings over Lochi, nodding and smiling at me. Their beautiful grey eyes lock on me. Sorley puts his hands near my collar bone, his little fingers stroking my skin. Xander kisses their heads, smiling at me, then kissing me. He loves this time in the morning, watching the boys, watching me with them.
“I think I’ll stay here,” I tell him, “and not come to the gig. It’s easier than carting all the stuff, especially if we need to make a quick getaway. We’re not that quick or invisible these days.”
He nods at me. “We can get there, do the gig, and then come straight back. Do you think you’ll be fine?”
I nod positively, bolstered by my confidence this morning.
“Yep.” I mull over things whilst the boys are feeding. “Where do you think the information came from in the UK?” I ask. “Have you seen it? What was said?” Curiosity is killing me.
“No, I haven’t had a chance. But we should see a bit today.”
Kell’s phone is on the worktop, buzzing and lighting up constantly. Xan looks at it and laughs out. “Rowena,” he says. “That’ll please him. She’s probably seen the papers. She never bothered ringing before.” He shakes his head. “Maybe it’s time to help her find another hobby, other than Marcus. A husband maybe?” He’s laughing at that.
“Who needs a new hobby?” Kell comes out of the bedroom, rumpled hair, PJ bottoms hanging low on his hips, his tattoos on show, muscles on show. Both Xander and I go quiet. He stops dead and glances at us both staring at him. He smirks and pushes his hands more through his hair, mussing it up into the bad boy look. Then he stretches his arms above his head, clasping his fingers together and stretching out, elongating his body so the bottoms drop even lower.
I look up at Xan, who is looking at Kell with total lust.
I lean back and bite Xan’s ear and say, “Do it for me.”
Xander looks down at me, desire in his eyes. I nod at both the boys and whisper to him, “Come back and tell me.”
I know this will wind him up even more. His pupils blow open wider, and Kell stands smirking at him before turning and strutting back into the bedroom. Checking where Valentina is before pushing his bottoms lower on his arse so only we can see his very toned arse cheeks. The cheeky git even wiggles it a bit.
Xan kisses me and moves after him down the corridor, slamming the door shut.
Valentina appears in the kitchen, looks over at me. I shrug at her and she giggles, “Magnifico.”
“Si,” I agree with her.
Texas knocksat the door a bit later. “Can I help with anything this morning, Evie? Buen dia, Valentina.” She smiles at us all.
“Buen dia.”
