Page 81 of Released

“I–it c–can’t be—” Julian mutters, his face pale as he looks at her smiling face. “–you’re dead.”

“Am I?” she asks, taking a step closer, that serene smile still on her lips. “I don’t feel dead.” She laughs then, like this is all a big joke, and the beautiful sound is so at odds with the conversation that tingles race up my spine.

Jax comes around the other side of her, his forehead creased, standing close enough to jump in if Julian tries anything. But as I look back at the man in front of us, he just stands there, slack-jawed, and his eyes dart all over her, clearly trying to work out what the fuck is going on.

“H–how?” he questions, narrowing his eyes in a way that makes me take a step closer to her, standing on her other side.

“How does anything happen, Julian?” she volleys back, and I watch her with wide eyes as she takes on our biggest adversary with an ease that fucking astounds me and makes my dick hard. “Ah, just in time.”

I look beyond Julian to see more cars have pulled up, official-looking ones, and my mouth drops as federal officers step out of the vehicles, all heading our way. They have ‘FBI’ emblazoned in yellow letters on their vests and jackets.

“Julian Vanderbilt?” an older officer asks as Julian finally turns around to see what is happening. Lilly takes a few steps to the side too, and Jax and I follow her so that we all have a perfect view of Julian’s face.

“Yes, who are you?” the man in question demands, still an arrogant prick.

“I’m Special Agent Sawers, and you are under arrest for the murder of Lilly Vanderbilt. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

Another officer grabs Julian’s wrists and cuffs them behind his back before Julian can even formulate a sentence.

Fuck. I did not see that coming.

I glance over at Lilly who looks smug as fuck, kissing the top of Violet’s soft hair as she looks over the scene before us.

“She’s right there!” Julian screams, struggling against his cuffs as he’s led away. They don’t even pause, dragging him to one of the cars and roughly shoving him inside.

“Care to share what the fuck that was all about, Princess?” Ash asks, arms crossed and a scowl on his face as we watch the cars drive away. Though, even I can see a small tilt of his lips, and respect shining in his eyes.

“Fingerprints on the murder weapon will really screw a guy over, don’t you think?” she sasses Ash, stepping towards him after handing Violet to Jax, and placing a soft kiss on Ash’s cheek.

“You had this planned all along, didn’t you, Pretty Girl?” I question, stepping behind her so that she’s sandwiched between Ash and I. I grin as her body shivers.

“Ryan suggested it,” she tells us, her voice breathy and hitching when I push her hair aside and begin to nuzzle her neck. “When we faked my, well, you know. Better to be prepared and all that.”

“What happens when he tries to pay them off again?” Kai asks from the side, and I glance over at him, his forehead creased as he tries to think all of the options through.Sometimes he’s cute as fuck.

“He’s not the only one with friends in high places,” Lilly murmurs, and I look down to see Ash kneading her waist.

“Harold,” Ash guesses, saying Lilly’s grandfather’s name as a statement more than a question.

“Yes, Harold,” she answers, tipping her neck to the side so that I can access it more. I oblige by sucking a mark into her peachy skin, and she moans, the sound going straight to my dick.

“We best get back, Violet will be hungry soon,” Jax interrupts, and just like that we all sigh. I love our baby, fiercely, but damn if my dick doesn’t miss the opportunity to just bury itself inside our girl anytime we want.

“I’ll feed her before we set off again,” Lilly says, stepping from between Ash and I and taking Violet off Jax to go and give her a feed in the bus.

I look at my brothers and see matching looks of sheer fucking awe on their faces that I know is reflected in mine.

She’s a queen alright, and we best not forget it.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN

LILLY

“Idon't see why I'm coming to Enzo’s with you. I can hardly do a proper workout so soon after birth, and as far as I know, Enzo doesn’t offer any kind of post-natal program,” I grumble, Violet snoozing in the back while I ride up front, Jax in the driver’s seat of his minivan.

I like to call it the sunshine bus, and much to Jax’s annoyance but to my delight, Loki paid some kid—Jude Taylor I think his name was—to cover the outside with suns, rainbows, and unicorns one night. Jax was so pissed when he saw it in the morning I thought he was going to strangle Loki until I begged him not to as I loved it. I also may have burst into tears at the idea of it being painted over, so here we are, driving in the sunshine bus, complete with motherfucking unicorns.

“Trust us, Sweetheart, it's a surprise,” Kai tells me from behind, and I look to see Loki and him holding hands and snuggling in the middle seats. It makes my heart warm to see them openly sharing affection. Plus you know, they always let me join in, and fucking hell, watching them fuck each other, feeling them fuck me at the same time as each other, is something I am here for always.

---