"I have to go back Kai." I say gently.
Kai starts to say something but Levi interrupts.
"I do not like this, not at all.” He starts.
I open my mouth to reply but Levi holds his hand up making me pause.
"But I can't force you to stay. You haven't known us for very long. However I do ask that, for our own peace of mind you let us put our numbers in your phone along with a specially developed app that means all you have to do is tap and hold one of the buttons on your password lock screen and it will immediately call one of us, the app allows you to override the lock screen.” He continues. “All we want to do is keep you safe."
I think it over. The app isn’t invasive at all and it would make me feel safer.
"Ok, I can deal with that.” I agree.
“Thank you, Darling.”
I can tell that none of them are pleased that I'm going back to that house, but they feel better now that I've agreed to the app. Even Kai's tense posture has relaxed slightly.
"Actually, I can't agree to that," I say as something occurs to me.
They all start protesting loudly and I shout over the top of them, "I don't have a phone!"
Silence falls and they look at me.
"You don't have a phone?" Hunter repeats.
I shake my head.
"No problem we keep spares that are already loaded with the app. Someone," Levi shoots a glance towards Jax, "breaks his on a daily basis."
Jax’s cheeks turn pink, "they hate me, it's a conspiracy.” He offers by way of an explanation and I giggle.
His face lights up at the sound and I look at him confused.
I think about arguing about them giving me a phone but from the looks on their faces I would lose and I did agree to their safety measure. I sigh and nod my head at Levi and he smiles his lazy, beautiful grin back at me then runs up the stairs to grab me a phone.
"Can you stay for dinner? You're late anyway." Kai asks hopefully.
He's right, I am late anyway and if I wait long enough, I might get lucky and she might have drunk herself to sleep again. Plus, I haven't had a hot meal in what feels like forever.
"Yes, I should be ok. What are we having?"
Kai grins widely at me and gently slings his arm around my shoulder. Maverick comes up on the other side and takes my hand bringing it to his lips, placing a small kiss on the back. The electric sparks buzz through me and Maverick's eye widen.
"Damn, so those are the sparks," he says to Kai who just grins and shrugs.
We follow Hunter and Jax into the kitchen.
Jax hands me a glass of water and some more painkillers, my others definitely have worn off now, so I take them gratefully. I get an idea. They have helped me so much and are going to do more, making sure that my mother can't hurt me and that I have help if she does. I want to do something for them.
"Can I cook?" I ask, nerves fluttering through my stomach.
They all turn to me studying my features. They must see that this means something to me because they all nod and smile. Well Hunter smiles his teeny tiny smile that he thinks counts. I vow to myself, then and there, that I will get Hunter to smile properly one day. I have a feeling it will be breath-taking.I grin at them all. I love cooking and I haven't had a chance to cook properly in so long.
"Are you sure your ribs are going to be ok with you standing up forthat long?" Levi questions cominginto the kitchen.
"Yes, I'll be fine, the pain meds are kicking in now and if I need to, I'll sit down or ask for help." I smile at him and he nods in response.
"Does anyone not like anything?" I question, not wanting to feed any of them something they won't like.
