Page 87 of Always Yours

“I love you so much, Derek,” I say softly as my eyes start to close.

I feel him pull a blanket over us. “I love you too, baby. Always have. Always will.”

I sleep peacefully for the first time in months.

Everything feels so right.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lily

A couple of weeks have passed, but everything is slowly coming together, and people are starting to relax again.

So far, there haven’t been any threats. I’m not crazy to think they will never happen again, but this is the life. There is at least some time for us to settle back into our roles and get the club running back to normal.

Tonight, we are having a big night. The kids in the club are having a big sleepover. The rooms have been renovated around us and there are a bunch of bunk beds. We have set everything up in the bunker so I can keep an eye on all of them at the same time. I had made sure everyone has their own set of new pyjamas. There is also a basket of goodies for each of them placed on each bed.

Once I have that all set, I make sure that a couple of the brothers had bought enough junk food and takeout for an army.

We are having a movie night. Even the little ones are coming. Sasha, Bear, and Nick have also decided to join us.

“Wow, the kids are going to love this,” Nick says, walking into the room.

“I think they enjoy these nights as much as we do. Plus, this gives the parents a night off,” Derek tells him.

“It’s perfect. Far different from the way we grew up. That’s what I love about it,” Nick says taking a seat on one of the beds as we wait for the children.

It doesn’t take long before we hear the noise of a million little feet running in our direction.

A smile comes over my face as all our club kids come running in with their parents right behind them. I throw a hand up in the air.

“Stop. No parents allowed,” I say in the sternest voice I can muster.

“But you are a parent,” Krista says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Alright,” I say clearing my throat. “No one between the ages of sixteen and fifty are allowed in here.”

They all laugh but put their hands up in the air.

“Alright, they are all yours,” I hear a few voices say.

The kids come running in and the parents leave to do whatever they want to do.

Hale walks up, looking pretty serious as he takes everything in.

“It has been a long time, but everyone missed this,” he states.

“They sure did. How are you doing with everything?” I ask him.

“I’m better now that we have grandpa. How is grandpa?” he asks me.

I put my arm around him. “He’s getting better every day,” I tell him.

“There was a moment that I thought I might never see him again, but I knew my grandma wouldn’t let that happen,” he says to me.

“No, I would go to the end of the earth and burn it all down to find your grandpa,” I tell him honestly.

“One day, I hope someone loves me that much,” he says quietly.

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