Page 54 of Wicked Devotion
That’s what I get for tryingto be nice.
Max leaves the bathroom, still dripping wet, and with a shake of my head, I start to undress.
When I step out of the shower half an hour later, smelling of Red’s luxurious body wash, my beard finally in shape again, Max is already splayed out on the kingsize bed. Half asleep, his hand lingering on the tattoo I put on him after I fucked him for the first time. A bullet, the letters L.C. tattooed with red ink, so that whoever tries to get in his pants immediately knows who Max belongs to. Not that I would let anyone come near him, but I prefer to mark what belongs to me.
I tell him to get his ass over to his side of the bed, and he barely moves two inches. I should ask Red for a second room. Should force Max to sleep far away from me because with every night we spend together, I’m getting worse.
He’s like a sickness. Spreads in my body, clawing its way into every cell. Tendrils of the thing he calls love force themselves inside every molecule of my being, and I hate myself for wishing he feels the same. That I’ve possessed him just like he possessed me.
I try to push him away, and Max gives me the finger, resting his head in the crook of my neck. Always making way for himself. In my bed, in my mind, in my heart, like it’s his fucking birthright.
“I can’t stand you.”
“I can’t stand you either,” he replies, putting his hand in mine.
20
LOGAN
Like so often, I find myself envying Max’s ability to sleep. To drift off in minutes without nightmares haunting him. Blissfully and concerningly unaware of his surroundings, no matter if we’re on base, in a sketchy motel, or in an active warzone. As long as I’m by his side, he’s out like a light.
He lets out a grumpy whine when I get up, followed by slapping his hand on my side of the mattress. I pause and wait for him to form a substitute Logan out of the blanket before I grab some clothes and leave the bedroom.
Even though it’s well past midnight, the lights inside the house are still on. Red’s business never sleeps, and neither do the men who constantly roam around his property. The hallway is quiet, apart from the sound of me putting on my clothes, and once I’m dressed, I check if Sam and Rockwell are still awake. They aren’t, if the lack of noise coming from their rooms is anything to go by.
I round the corner and make my way over to Red’s office. Oil paintings line the blood-red walls of the hallway, unnecessarily lavish and probably expensive as hell. His tastein art is worse than Ruby’s, but at least his ego keeps local artists in business.
Just like I expected, he’s still awake. The wooden doors leading to his balcony are open, knocking against the walls when a gust of wind blows through the room as I step inside.
The sound of my footsteps is enough for him to recognize me, and he calls me over, telling me to bring a second set of cushions for the patio chair.
With a tired sigh, I sit down, and the old teak creaks under my weight as I prop my feet up on the railing. For a while, we just sit next to each other in peaceful silence.
“All good between you and your boy?” Red asks, handing me a beer.
“Always.”
“Didn’t sound like it earlier, but if you say so,” he mumbles, sipping on his beer. “Any idea what’s wrong with Rocky? He and Sam are fucking cranky, briefed me about the job, stole some of my cigars, and off they were.”
“Lots of stuff going on at base,” I say absentmindedly while I reach for my phone to check the teddy cam.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see how Red’s brows furrow in confusion. For years, I refused to get a phone. If someone wanted to talk to me, they had to find me first, and now I’m glued to the damn thing, refreshing the surveillance app over and over. However, all it shows is a pitch-black screen.
“Logan?”
“Checking on our girl,” I say. “Need more cameras.”
u okay ?
The message I sent Lily stays unread, and Red clears his throat.
“Look at the time. She’s probably asleep.”
Probablyisn’t enough for me, so I text Charlie.
where’s Lily
“That Sanders’ guy is still making things complicated, eh?” Red asks in an attempt to distract me.
