Yes. Maybe it was quicker and less gory than usual, but this should send those fuckers a message loud and clear.
Turning my back on Gilbert, I turn the volume back down on his TV and make my way to the front door to open it again, wanting to leave the house open, like I found it when I came in.
If no one stumbles upon Gilly, then the stench will reach the street to alert the neighbours soon enough.
As soon as I have the front door open, I hear the sounds of a scuffle outside, and I can’t help myself. I take a peek.
In the shadows just outside Gilbert’s house are two guys. One on the ground being held by the scruff of his shirt, while the other beats the living crap out of him.
What makes this so intriguing to watch is that the guythrowing the punches is extremely familiar to me. The broad shoulders. The menacing stance. The shadowed silhouette of a man with passion, heart, and a helluva lot of fight.
“You tell Monty that if he lays another hand on my mum, or even tries to fuck her again, I’ll do worse than this to him,” he rasps, his tone laced with a promising danger that ignites heat deep in my core.
Asher.
He sneers in the guy’s face, shoving his head hard to the concrete path with a sickening crunch before stepping over his still form, and without a second glance, Asher strides off down the street.
Well, fuck. Not only is Lily salivating for that man, but the Crimson Angel just fell in love.
CHAPTER 28
ASHER
Ididn’t return to Lily’s bedroom when I snuck back in. I was still shaking with rage and didn’t want to upset her even more, so I crept upstairs and sat on the floor of the shower for about an hour before falling into the single bed in Ronan’s room.
Easter Monday is quiet. I sleep in, not rising until after ten, only to find Lily still asleep. I watch her for a few minutes, the torment that was contorting her face the night before gone in this relaxed state.
She really does look beautiful. It’s tempting to just slip in under the covers with her, but before the blowup with Alex and the twins yesterday, things weren’t right with us, so I leave her in bed to give her some space.
I’m not exactly sure why Lily didn’t tell the twins that they had a sister, but by her reaction, she thought she was doing the right thing.
I don’t know how she does the whole parenting thing. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be responsible for another human. Let alone two. Lily has done an amazing job of raising her sons, and I guess me, too. She’s only human. She’s not perfect and bound to make mistakes, and I know for a fact that parenting was made ten times harder for her because of Alexander.
By the time Lily rises, it’s a little after noon. I’ve been in the kitchen for a while searching the internet on how to make eggy bread. Not hard, by all means, but since I only ever used to help Lily with dipping the bread in the egg mix when I was younger, I have no idea what goes into the mix.
My first attempt is pretty fucking good, if I do say so myself.
“Something smells good.” Lily forces a smile in my direction as she enters, her voice husky. Probably from all the crying she did last night.
“My first attempt at eggy bread.” I slide a plate of what I cooked across the counter towards her, and she stops it with her hand, glancing over the food.
“Well, it looks and smells mouth-watering.” This time, when she looks at me, her smile is real.
Fuck, I’ve missed seeing that.
“Eat,” I insist, shooting her a playful wink and smirk, and she nods, rounding the bench to sit on one of the barstools.
I finish plating up my serving and take the seat next to Lily, where we both eat in silence. Well, except for the sound of Lily moaning around mouthfuls every now and then.
It makes me hard instantly.
When we’ve both finished eating, we sit in silence for a long time. It’s not an awkward silence. More like the kind of silence that comes from reflecting, or having your mind consumed with thoughts.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.” Lily’s regretful voice breaks the silence. “And the night before.”
Frowning, I turn on the barstool to face her.
“You don’t need to apologise for anything. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to get Alexander out of here sooner. You and the twins don’t deserve the chaos he’s brought.”
