Page 57 of Worth

I’m gaping. “You saved them?”

“No,” she answers simply. “I raised them. They’d both been robbed of mother figures, and abused in atrocious ways. They were still young; Aiden was only sixteen and Zander was twenty. Neither had been out in the world as a child, let alone an adult. They needed a parent—someone to come to when they needed something. And they took to me for that, and still do. It’s why Zander called me today.”

I watch the soft look on her face as she seems to be reminiscing. It makes me a little envious of the guys, that they have this mother-figure who has their back. “Do you have your own children?” I ask, trying to divert the subject.

Claire holds perfectly still, except for her eyes, which dart to me. “I have one child.”

“Where is he?”

She hesitates. “With his father,” she says after a moment.

“But why—”

Grabbing my hand, Claire squeezes firmly. “I can’t talk about my son, bumblebee. My biggest regret and failure, all rolled up in one, is how I was forced to leave him and I didn’t fight harder.”

Guilt thrums through me for upsetting her. “I’m sorry.”

She blows out a breath. “Me too.” She forces a smile to her face. “Are you wanting to go get some rest now?”

The second I nod, she helps me up onto somewhat steadier legs. The stairs are a struggle, but when we finally make it to the second story and she leads me into my bedroom, I feel a spike of anxiety.

“I don’t want the door closed,” I say uneasily.

“I’ll make sure that Zander knows to leave it open.”

Her reassurance helps settle me enough to make me climb into bed, nestling into the softness of the pillow. Within a breath or two, I’m so drained that I’m drifting off.

“Thank you,” I murmur, eyes fluttering closed as Claire comfort and cares for me.

Sleep overtakes me, but not before I hear her say:

“Give them hell, bumblebee.”

Chapter 19

I’m grinning as I speed down the road to the house. Bubbles of glee fizz in my veins, and I feel my anxiousness to be with Kitten; to hold her and kiss her and tell her what I didforher.

I had gotten the idea…shit, I don’t know how long it’s been. Time does that sometimes. Anyway. While I had been sitting with Kitten when she ate breakfast, after Zander had covered her in cum…

Fuck. My thoughts immediately stray to the way she looked, kneeling in front of him, painted with cum like some sort of goddess. It had almost been hotter than the first day we met, when she had been splattered with blood.

Almost.

“It’s the way you love me,” I belt out with the music I have on. “It’s a feeling like this. It’s centrifugal motion. It’s perpetual bliss. It’s that pivotal moment. It’s ahhhh impossible. This kiss! This KISS!”

My lips tingle with the memories of her kisses. I grin wider as I see the house come into view, desperate to feel Kitten against me, regardless of whether or not we get naked right away. I wonder if Zander has ungrounded her yet.

I slide to a stop in front of the house, not bothering to park where I’m supposed to. The engine of Redd dies as I scramble out and head for the front door, all but skipping.

The first thing I’m going to do is pin her against the wall and kiss the fuck out of her. Maybe I’ll even sing a little Faith Hill for her. I—

The front door opens before I can make it there. Zander scans me head-to-toe, looking upset. I try to push past him, intent on getting to Kitten, but he stops me, throwing an arm across my path through the door.

“Where have you been, Aiden?” Zander asks, and I can’t quite place his tone.

Impatiently, I shove at his arm, trying to get into the house. “I was working on a project,” I answer, exasperated when he snags the door handle and closes the door. His frame blocks it completely as he crosses his arms.

“You’ve been gone for nine days. I’ve called you at least a hundred times in the last two,” he tells me. “Where. Were. You?”

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