Page 33 of Dancin' with Demons

He sighs as he moves his arm from my shoulder and takes both my hands in his. “Promise me one thing before we leave here, okay?” My brows furrow together as I slowly nod. “Just promise me you’ll talk to me about things, about everythin’— promise me you won’t run again.”

A small smile spreads across my lips. “I promise I won’t run this time, Renegade. I trust you, and so does Savior.”

Chapter 11

Renegade

Leanin’ across the table and settin’ the slices of Hawaiian ham in a casserole dish in the center of the table, I catch the chuckle that leaves Miss Irene's lips. There’s no doubt she’s amused by my apron, which Savior picked out this mornin’ when she went with me to the store. We needed groceries and a few odds and ends, and she spotted this apron, which has Maui from Moana on the front, and it says, “Thank the Chef.”

I’m fully aware that Savior has me wrapped around her finger, and I don’t give a shit.

Takin’ the apron off, I toss it onto the counter before sittin’ in my normal seat at the head of the table. Miss Irene is across the table from me, Savior to my left, Raylynn to my right— and food fillin’ the space in between. I spent most of the afternoon cookin’ sides and puttin’ together a salad while the ham baked. Miss Irene came over early as fuck and spent the day with us. I’m well aware of the fact she was watchin’ me like a hawk today. And I didn’t do shit different. I played with Savior, spoiled her, loved on Raylynn as much as she’d let me, and handled shit with my club in privacy, just like I would any other time.

Once I’m sittin’, Raylynn fills everyone’s plates, and Savior does a little happy dance in her seat before diggin’ into her chicken and sides. This little girl is probably the happiest kid I’ve ever met no matter what she’s doin’, and bein’ the reason she and Raylynn smile lately is my entire reason for livin’ at this point. I won’t admit it out loud, especially to the club, but I’d walk away from it all to spend the rest of my life with ‘em.

“After spendin’ the day here,” Miss Irene says gettin’ mine and Raylynn’s attention, “and seein’ how good you treat my girls and how happy you make ‘em, I think I’d like to take you up on your offer, Renegade.”

My eyes go wide as I stare at the old woman for a moment and then I smile. “I’m glad to hear that, Irene.”

“What offer?” Raylynn’s voice is tight, her eyes bouncin’ between me and her former neighbor.

Miss Irene starts cuttin’ her chicken with an air of nonchalance about her. “Well, when Renegade and Savior came to visit me the other day, he said he didn’t want to take you both away from me, and honestly, I don’t want to lose you girls. So, he offered to move me to Tennessee with you when you go, set me up in a place, make sure I’m okay. That way, I can still spend time with you and Savior. “

Raylynn’s head turns in my direction, her mouth pressed closed tightly, her eyes slightly narrow. “Can I speak with you in private for a second?” Before I can answer, she gently pushes away from the table and stands. Takin’ a deep breath, I get up and follow her, not sure exactly why she’s mad at me this time, but knowin’ her, she’s gonna let me fuckin’ have it as soon as we’re out of earshot of Savior and Miss Irene.

Steppin’ into our bedroom, I quietly close the door and slide my hands into my pockets and lean back against the door. Raylynn turns around and steps so there’s very little room between us, her head tilted back so she can look me in the face.

“Raylynn, lis—” She launches forward and wraps her arms around my neck, crashin’ her lips to mine faster than I can process, and I freeze for all of half a second before pullin’ my hands out of my pockets and wrappin’ ‘em around her waist.

My cock Is rock hard the instant her tongue swipes across my bottom lip, and I groan, my arms tightenin’ around her as I lift. Raylynn gasps as she wraps her legs around my waist, and I turn, pressin’ her back against the door as my hard-on presses against her core through our clothes. As I move my lips down her neck, she laces her fingers in my hair, royally fuckin’ up my ponytail as she fists my hair and moans softly, her legs tightenin’ as I grind into her. For the next five or so minutes, we’re all tongues and hands, and I think I might come in my damn jeans if she rocks against me one more fuckin’ time.

Pullin’ back, I grab the front of her throat just rough enough to make her sigh in a sexy way. It’s not a sound I’ve ever heard her make, and I love it. I want to hear that moan every night until I fuckin’ die. Fuck, I don’t think I’ve been this turned on in forever.

“Put on the brakes, little love,” I say out of breath as she sucks in air and pants, loosenin’ her hands from my hair. Lettin’ my eyes roam over her face, she gently pulls the elastic band from my hair and runs her fingers through it.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and I tighten my grip on her just a little. “Makin’ sure Savior and I don’t lose Irene is probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Steppin’ back, I let Raylynn unwrap her legs from my waist to stand in front of me, and bring my hand up to cup the side of her face, rubbin’ my thumb back and forth across her bottom lip. “There’s nothin’ I won’t do for you, Raylynn, or for Savior. All you have to do is ask, and it’s yours.”

Raylynn closes her eyes and leans into my touch as she lets out a soft chuckle. “This is part of what terrified me when I first met you.”

My brows pull together because I never realized I scared her at all back then. I certainly tried my damnedest not to. “What do you mean?”

She opens her eyes again, but keeps ‘em on my chest instead of lookin’ me in the eye. “I knew it’d be way too easy to fall for you, Renegade, and after everythin’ I’d gone through, that scared the shit out of me.”

“Damn, little love,” I say on a breath as I tilt her chin up so her eyes meet mine. “I think I started fallin’ for you before I ever got you off that table. The moment I looked in your eyes that first time, everythin’ in me wanted to keep you and protect you for as long as I could.” Tears well in the bottom of her eyes, and lean down to kiss her forehead. “Let’s get back to dinner before Miss Irene changes her mind about thinkin’ I’m good for you.”

Raylynn lets out a loud bark of a laugh as she brings her hands up to wipe under her eyes. “I don’t think that’s possible. She seems quite impressed so far.”

Puttin’ my arm around Raylynn’s shoulders, I open the bedroom door and guide us back to the kitchen. After assurin’ Savior and Miss Irene that everythin’ is perfectly fine, we continue with dinner as if the woman next to me didn’t just bring all my damn feelin’s right to the fuckin’ surface. I ain’t soft by any means. There isn’t a brother in the club that would describe me a emotional, mushy, sentimental, or weak. But I was raised by a single mother, and one thing she taught all of us was that there is strength in emotions. It takes more to tell someone and show ‘em how much they mean to you than it does to hide it.

Roughly twenty minutes later, I hide my cheesy smile as Raylynn gets up and starts clearin’ the table but stops to kiss the top of my head as she walk by. Irene gets up to help her, and I decide to take Savior in the livin’ room and let her play with toys. She gets out the stack of colorin’ books I got her the other day and the huge pack of a hundred and sixty four crayons, and sits on the floor at the coffee table before askin’ me to turn Moana on for what I think is the thousandth time. She knows almost every song now, and happily hums to the music or sings as she watches it.

Raylynn and Irene’s laughter from the kitchen is interrupted by a knock at the front door. Pushin’ off the couch, I head over and open the door to find Catacomb standin’ on the porch. Turnin’ to the side, I let him come in and appreciate that the first thing he does is stop next to the table and talk to Savior.

“Hey, princess,” he says in a gentle tone. “That’s a pretty picture you’re colorin’.”

Savior stops and looks up at him with a big ol’ grin on her face. “Do you want it when I’m done, Mr. Phoenix? You can hang it on your fridge!”

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