Page 3 of Xactly What She Needs

I shake my head no and step back. “Nah, I’m good.”

“Didn’t you just say that she’s the reason you’re here?” Edge questions.

I nod my head. “Yeah, but with the way my day is going. The second she’s in my arms, she’s gonna somehowmanageto puke and shit all over me. And I’ve smelled what comes out of that tiny ass. It’s not a chance I’m willing to take.” Seriously though, how something so small can smell so bad is beyond me.

“I’d say you’re bein’ ridiculous, but the way your day has gone, you might be right,” Edge says as he takes Mikkey fromMarrow'sarms. “But it would be so funny for the rest of us, yes it would," hetells her in an insane voice that has every single one of us looking at him like he’s lost his damn mind. Gone is the man who could terrify people with one look. This one speaking in a baby voice couldn’t threaten a twig. Jesus, how the mighty have fallen.

“Yeah, anyway…,” I say just to clear the awkward as hell air. “I need to talk to you about somethin’.”

“What’s up?" heasks while never talking his eyes off of his daughter. Fucker is enamored with her. Not that I blame him. Luckily, she looks exactly like Kea and is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Thankfully, she won’t have to walk around lookin’ like his ugly mug.

I take a seat in one of thechairs, caddycorner from dumb and dumber on the couch. “I need your help getting an office manager since a certain someone,” I glare mildly at Cadie who just rolls her eyes, “refuses to see the wisdom of leaving your ass and coming to work for me.”

“You’re getting rid of Jen?” Marrow sucks in a sharp breath as his eyes narrow. The poor girl really has become a sister to us all.

“No, we plan to keep her as long as possible. But Jax and I need someone to run the office. And Jen will be going to college next year, which means she’ll still only be able to work part-time, as long as she stays close.”

“She’s so sweet. I hope she doesn’t decide to go to an out of state college,” Cadie says.

I glare over at her. “You could be working with her every day,” I huff.

She puts her hands on her hips and gives me a scowl, that would be more threatening if she wasn’t barely eye level with me sitting down. “Will you give it a restalready?growls like a kitten, though I’m sure she was hopingfor a lion. “I would end up killing you within the first week. And then where would that leave poor Jax? He would be stuck dealing with everything.”

“Poor Jax,” I scoff. “Like he isn’t a grown ass man.”

“Well, someone out of the two of you had to be,” she states blandly.

I lean back in the chair and cross my legs. “Ya, know number two, it would be awful if all those aprons you love so much met with an unfortunate accident.” Apparently, it’s some weird gifts that Marrow gives her. Instead of jewelry or something else normal, he buys her aprons that she collects and treasures like diamonds.

The growl that comes out of her as she stalks towards me is a lot more impressive. She stops inches away from my face and points her index finger between my eyes. “Even think about touching my aprons and I’ll make your life miserable,” she hisses. “I’ll make today look like a positive day full of nice happenings, you hear me?”

My eyes flick behind her to see Marrow and Edge wearing proud smirks. Truthfully, all of us guys get unusually proud whenever her and Kealy stand up to any of us considering their pasts. Not that I can just let her get away with it so easily. “How do you plan on doin’ that?” I snort. “Your hobbit ass wouldn’t be able to reach anything that would make me miserable.”

Her head turns around like that chick from theExorcistwhen she hears the series of suspicious coughs before turning back around to glare at me. “Don’t think for a second thatmy hobbit assisn’t the perfect height to shoulder you in the balls anytime I see you. I would probably be doing the world a favor making sure you don’t reproduce.”

I slowly lean forward, making sure not to spook her just in case, and get nose to nose with her. “Keep talkin’ like that and when you’re not home, I’ll switch out all of the sugar for salt. No one will trust anything you bake after that.”

“Hey, hey, hey, this is starting to affect the rest of us now,” JT whines.

“Back to your separate corners children,” Edge chuckles.

Cadie hisses at me before walking over to Marrow, who immediately wraps his arms around her while shaking his head wearing a smirk. “And you really think it’s a good idea for her to work for you?" heasks me.

I throw up my hands. “I need someone I can trust not to screw us over when it comes to our money. She may bedemon-likebut at least she’s honest.” I point to the woman still giving me a dirty look that looks less hostile towards the end of my sentence.

“I see your point,” Edge nods. “We’re not exactly the most trusting group.”

We all just stare at him in silence until Blaze speaks up. “You literally take people off the street.”

“That was only once.” Referring to him taking in JT off the street when he was sixteen.

“Nah, Xander is right though, especially with my business right next to his. He needs someone who isn’t sketchy,” Marrow states.

“Why don’t you just place an ad online?” A tiny, feminine voice questions from the reception desk.

I look over and see Briella standing there trying to make herself look as small as possible. It fucking guts me every time I see her do that. I noticed her as soon as I walked in. It’s hard not to when the woman is a fucking stunner. A body that doesn’t quit, long brown hair, golden eyes, lips that look bee stung on a face that should be a model. Yeah, I’ve noticed her every time I’ve ever seen her. But that’s where it ends. She always looks so terrified that I make a conscious effort to stay away from her so that she doesn’t feel threatened. I’m a large man covered in tattoos who rides a bike and wears a cut. I’m sure I don’t exactly give off warm and fuzzy vibes for her.

“We’ve tried that before,” I say, as I scratch the side of my face and grimace. “It didn’t really work out too well.” I keep my voice low and even.

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