After a pause, I ask, “Want to know what I’ve learned from watching you and Pope together?”
She smiles faintly. “Yes, please. Give me an outside perspective.”
“That man worships the ground you walk on. If you told him to get down in front of his club brothers and kiss your feet, his big ass would rattle the floor trying to drop fast enough.”
She bursts into laughter.
“I’d say he learned from his mistake, but he’s a man, so we both know listening isn’t exactly their strongest skill set.” Birdie laughs again, shaking her head, and my eyes drift back to the twins. “To be fair, I think Pope understands something most people don’t. He knows whatever he thought he was gaining back then was never worth risking what he lost.”
“Yeah,” Birdie replies quietly.
I can see in her eyes that she gets it. She’s safe here. This place is hers. As long as that man draws breath, nothing will ever be allowed to threaten her again.
The mood lifts as we settle comfortably into our own little world, but soon the chapel doors burst open and a tide of people floods back in.
Birdie grins suddenly. “Oh my god, you’ll love this.” My attention snaps back to her instantly. “The other day I was in the laundry room folding clothes and listening to the kids in the living room,” she begins, already laughing, “and Lovelyn was saying that little rhyming thing…step on a crack, break your mama’s back. You know what I’m talking about?” I nod with a smile, and she continues on. “And then, Legend, I swear that boy is going to give me gray hair. Legend, out of the blue, starts to say, step on a stick and break your daddy’s dick. But I yelled his name right before he got the last word out.”
I choke on a laugh. “No.”
“Yes,” she cackles. “At first I thought maybe I misheard, but Lovelyn was giggling like a tiny menace, and Legend had this huge shit-eating grin that told me I absolutely did hear it right. So, I ask him where he learned that.” She pauses dramatically. “Cyanide and Pope walk in about that time, and Legend pointsat his uncle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother pale so fast,” she finishes with a huge smile.
Laughter slips out, but then I feel the weight of a stare, hot and achingly familiar. It slides over my skin like a touch I’ve known forever. My breath falters, nerves sparking before thought can catch up.
My gaze collides with his, locking for a single, electric heartbeat. There it is. That fucking look. That molten, possessive heat simmering in Tomcat’s eyes, barely leashed. Hunger flares in my stomach, a dizzy rush racing down my spine.
My knees threaten to buckle. Damn, that look undoes me every time.
A wild, reckless thrill unfurls in my chest, my body responding with humiliating enthusiasm. My muscles tense, pulse spiking, every instinct screaming to run to him and climb him like the beautifully lethal jungle gym he is.
I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.
Actually, I’m extremely confident he’d enjoy me taking a spin on his stripper pole.
Quite a lot.
Crap.
Nope.
Abort.
Those arenotfriendship thoughts. Those are very clear,Yes, Sir, thoughts, and we absolutely are not doing that right now.
I picture my brain as a windshield and my thoughts as the mess. Then I engage my mental wipers.
Swish. Swish.
Erased.
Friendship mask, engaged.
Boo.
A slow smile tugs at my lips as I give him a lazy finger-wiggle wave before turning back to Birdie.
Sort of.
Because honestly, it would be downright irresponsible not to keep him under at least a little visual surveillance.
