Page 15 of Dancin' with Demons

“OoO,” she says with a huge grin, “that’s pretty, too.”

Chucklin’, I adjust her on my arm and walk to the bed of the truck and grab all three of their bags in my free hand. “Raylynn, get my keys out of my left pocket, please. I have the in-law suite.” Raylynn is hesitant but comes over and fishes my keys out anyway. “Hey.” I wait until she looks up at me. “Smile for me, little love, please.”

Shakin’ her head, she smirks and rolls her eyes, and my face lights up. Raylynn was so broken when I first found her that I didn’t get to experience her smile often or her laughter, and now, I want both as often as possible. As she walks away, I turn to my president. “Can you do me a favor?”

Catacomb puts his arm around Sandra’s shoulders, and they step closer. “What’s up, brother?”

“Find me a movin’ company that can box up Raylynn’s apartment and bring everythin’ here. Just the personal shit. Leave the furniture, dishes, all of it. She ain’t gonna need it.”

Catacomb’s eyebrows lift as he stares at me. “You ain’t plannin’ on lettin’ her go, are you?”

“Not if I can help it,” I say before noddin’ to him and turnin’ to head inside. Raylynn is standin’ outside the front door but opened it so I can walk in first. Movin’ past her, I step into the livin’ room and set their bags inside the door. “Get in here, Raylynn, so I can give ya the tour.”

Slowly, Raylynn comes inside and shuts the door behind her. She and Savior both look around the room, bitin’ their bottom lips—like mother like daughteris evident in these two. “Renegade . . .”

“So, this is the livin’ room. Sectional, TV. Kitchen is over there.” I point to the doorway and move toward it, pausin’ so they can peek inside. “This room over here is for you, little one, and that’s the Master bedroom. There’s a bathroom here, next to the second bedroom, and an en-suite in the other bedroom.” Turnin’, I step into the second bedroom to let Savior look around, but after a second, she turns her head and buries her face in my shoulder. Confused, I shrug, tryin’ to get her to sit up. “Hey, what’s wrong, little one?”

Savior shakes her head against my shoulder and refuses to sit up.

“Savior?” Raylynn takes a step toward us, but I hold my finger up to stop her.

“Sweetie,” I say, restin’ my hand on Savior’s back, “whatever’s wrong, you can tell me.”

Savior keeps her head on my shoulder but turns it enough that I can see her face. “You have a nice house.”

Bringin’ my hand up, I smooth her hair against her head. “Why’s that make you sad?”

“Because Mommy and I can’t stay forever,” she whispers.

I glance at Raylynn, and she’s coverin’ her mouth with her hand, tears in her eyes. Turnin’ my attention back to Savior, I shrug again, and this time she sits up. “Savior, listen to me carefully, okay. You and your mom are never gonna struggle again. Understand? I won’t let you, ever.”

Savior whips her little body against me and wraps her arms around my neck, and squeezes, and all I can do is hug her to me. Raylynn turns away, and I know it’s so I don’t catch her cryin’. Damn this beautiful fuckin’ woman and her amazin’ little girl. She better get ready because I have three years to make up for, and I mean it— they ain’t never gonna want for another fuckin’ thing as long as I’m breathin’, and I’ll make damn sure that even in the event of my death, they’re well fuckin’ taken care of.

Headin’ back to the livin’ room, I grab the remote off the table and turn on the television, brinin’ up the Disney Plus app. “Okay, little one, what movie do you want to start with?” Savior sits up and turns toward the screen just as I click on the link that brings up all the princess movies. Steppin’ closer to the screen, Savior leans forward and taps the TV for the one she wants to watch. “This one.”

Clickin’ it, I chuckle. “Good choice.Moanais an islander like me.”

“An islander?” Savior’s little brows come together, and I swear, she looks like a mini-version of Raylynn.

“Yep. Born on an island. It’s a whole different way of life.”

“What island are you from?” Savior asks as I turn to the couch and lean down to set her on it.

“Hawai’i,” I say with a wink before turnin’ and grabbin’ her blankie from the top of one of the bags. “I’ll take you and your mom there one day. Beautiful water with great waves. Amazin’ people and the best food you’ll ever eat.”

As soon as the music on the TV starts, Savior stares at it, sittin’ with her legs crossed like a pretzel as she leans forward, entranced by the movie already with her blanket clutched in her hands. Turnin’ toward Raylynn, I gesture toward the kitchen and wait to let her go first. As soon as we’re out of Savior’s view, Raylynn turns to face me and opens her mouth, but whatever she has to say, it can wait.

Closin’ the distance between us, I roughly grab the side of her neck and crash my lips into hers. She tenses for a second, and then her lips part as she moans and melts into me. I don’t know what I have to do to make it happen, but I ain’t leavin’ Nags Head without Raylynn and her daughter comin’ with me.

Chapter 6

Raylynn

This is a terrible idea, like one or both of us is going to get emotionally destroyed, and with my luck, it’s going to be me. Even knowing that doesn’t stop me from stepping closer to Renegade as he bends his knees and grabs my ass with both hands. His tongue never stops dancing with mine, not even as he lifts me, and I have to wrap my arms around his shoulders for balance until he plops my ass on the kitchen counter. I never really noticed the height difference between us when I was around him before. But Renegade is damn near a foot taller than me. The kitchen countertop balances it out, though, and everything in me doesn’t want to tell Renegade to stop as his lips move from mine to my neck, one of his hands coming up to cup the side of my face while his other hand presses against my lower back and pulls me forward until my crotch is firmly fitted against him.

“Renegade!” Catacomb’s deep voice echoes through the house.

“Shh, Mister Phoenix,” Savior says with all the little girl attitude she holds, “Moana is about to make it over the waves with her little boat thing!”

---