Anger starts to boil out all of the hormones raging through my body. Leaning forward, I rest my forearms on my thighs and stare at the dude’s face as he’s being whipped. He’s so focused, so much intensity rests in his face.
I turn my attention to the woman whipping him. She’s as focused as he is. Suddenly, she pauses, leaning in to whisper something in the guy’s ear. He nods his head and that’s when she looks out in my direction. I’m sure she can’t see me.
From what John said, this room is one of many that can view the scenes below. Then there are the people that are on the main floor. However, it feels like she’s looking me right in the eyes.
There’s a fire and fierceness in her eyes. Strength that I recognize deep down in my soul. I’m thrown back in time.
“When will you understand the power, you have been born into?”
“Daddy, I—”
“Silence. You will do as I say, Roni. They treat you as princess, you let them. But what you let them see is the ruthless woman they will get if they cross you. You are a P—”
“Roni, Roni.”
I shake my head as John calls me out of the memory. I focus and his golden eyes come into view. He looks pissed off.
“We’re leaving.”
“Why?” I say as I stand.
“I’m not in the mood to be here anymore. I should take you back.”
I don’t respond. Instead I watch him closely as he ushers me out. Something has changed and not from that call alone. The way he shields me protectively as we walk is more possessive than it had been before.
It’s the first thing I pick up on as we walk out. If I didn’t know better, looking from the outside in, I’d think I belonged to him.
Get a grip, Roni. You don’t belong to no one. Listen to your father, you’re a ruthless savage and that’s how you’ll survive.
It’s the truth, my friend is still out there, and she needs me. I’m not giving up and I need to be ready when I find her. That’s when I’ll release the demons living inside me.
Let John and his problems have him. That’s not for you.
Chapter 27
All My Life
Cassy
“For fucks sake, Joe,” I huff as I slap the bed with my palm. “I feel like we’re failing our boys. Am I a bad, mum?”
My husband groans. Turning to look at him, he has his arms behind his head, his muscles bulging. His dark brown hair is a sleep mess atop his head, the natural golden highlights catching the light from the window. I ignore the looks of the fine lad I’ve come to love in ways I’ve never imagined possible.
If you would have told me that I would fall for a big hairy Scot when I was a girl, I would have tossed you the finger. I had a thing for green eyes and red hair before I locked eyes with Joe Black.
“I’m serious, Joe. I want to see them happy.”
“Tell me something, love. When did they tell ye they weren’t happy?”
I hear his tone. His accent slips a little. He’s annoyed. “Joe.”
“No, be truthful with yourself. Which one of them told you that they’re not happy. They come to talk to you when they need to. So, which one?”
I glare at him. “They don’t have to say it. Toby has been getting more irritable lately. For the life of me I can’t put my finger on what’s going on with him.”
Joe grunts. I narrow my eyes. Does he know what’s going on with that little shit? The look that crosses my husband’s face happens so fast; I think I may have imagined it.
He reaches out and slips a hand under the covers to place on my thigh. His palm is heavy and warm to the touch. It’s a distraction to me thoughts as he starts to caress my bare skin.
“Give him time to figure himself out,” Joe murmurs, closing his eyes, his long lashes fanning his cheeks.
And this is why I worry about me boys. They’re as gorgeous as their father. The world eats from their palms.
I refuse to raise a bunch of entitled little fucks, but the way the world yields to them makes my job that much harder. It’s one of the reasons Ryan is a brat. I snort.
“What?” Joe sighs.
“Ryan walks around with his head in the clouds. He needs to grow up. He’s twenty-three, the pain in the ass,” I mutter and fold my arms over my chest.
My husband grunts again as he squeezes my thigh. I wiggle beneath the sheets a little, turning to glare at him. His face is expressionless as if he hasn’t a clue how he’s affecting me. I call bullshit, I tell ye. Bullshit it is.
“Ryan will become the man he needs to be when the time comes,” he replies. “He hasn’t met the right challenge yet. Ye remember how carefree I was when we met.”
“Aye, I do. Don’t know why I married ye,” I tease.
He opens his eyes and pins me with those golden eyes I fell in love with at first sight. They’re as intense now as they were back then. He quirks a brow.
“Shall I show ye?”
I grin. “Brax is going to get his heart broken, chasing after Heather. It will take a lion to tame her heart and all the other things going on with her,” I say, ignoring his words.
He releases a deep breath and closes his eyes again. While keeping his fingers dancing against my skin, he nods. I don’t think he’s going to respond at first.
“I remember when Braxton was born. Head full of red hair. He came out hollering and kicking. If she needs a lion, she has one. I’ve watched the two together. Brax is not sniffing up a tree he can’t climb, believe me.”
“Aye, ye have an answer for everything this morning.”
He peeks an eye open as he runs the back of a single finger up my inner thigh. “Aye, lass. I do. I’m just waiting for ye to get this all out yer system. Ye have yer own lion in yer bed ready to pounce.”
I laugh and slap his broad shoulder. He flexes his muscles at me. Joe looks every bit of a man that works out nonstop. He’s as fit as his sons. He’ll still box one of them up if need be.
I bite my lip as I think of last night. I’m almost tempted to say let me boys figure their shit out on their own, but then I think of my oldest babe. He doesn’t even know he’s going to be a father.
“Wyatt will be fine. She’s doing the right thing. He needs to focus on the mission he’s on. If Nellie tells him about the baby, he’ll be home before she can get the words out,” he says, reading my thoughts as always.
“Ye think ye know me so well.”
“Aye, I do.” In one swift move, he plucks me up and brings me to settle over his waist. “You’re worried Noah is going to break Bean’s heart. The answer to that is never. He’d take his own life before allowing any harm to come to the lass. Felix will see his way through the challenges he’s taken on.”
With that, he rises and takes me lips in a searing kiss. My thoughts scatter as he pushes his fingers into my hair. Tugging my head back with a tight grip on my roots, he starts a trail of kisses down my neck.
A gasp leaves me lips. Joe has as much of an appetite for sex as he did when I first met him. I give all my boys shit, but I know where they get it from.
“Joe,” I moan, when he drops one hand to my bum and drags my heat into his rock-hard erection.