Page 66 of This Reckless Home

“We will.” She presses a kiss to my cheek, then steps away, stopping in front of Ant.

“Well come on lad, I’m too old to climb you like this one.” She jerks her thumb in my direction and I laugh and blush while Ant bends down and she wraps her arms tightly around him. “Stay safe.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he agrees, his eyes closing briefly when his arms come around her and he squeezes back.

She releases him, then steps up to Steele, and looks up. “My goodness you are a big boy.” He chuckles and he too bends, more than Ant had to, and wraps his large arms around her. “Are you this big all over?”

“Tina!” I hiss at the same time as Steele replies, “Yes.”

She gives a dirty chuckle. “Lucky girl.”

“He’s not as big as me,” Nox declares, sweeping her into his arms as soon as Steele lets her go.

“If I was ten years younger…” she tells him with an affectionate pat on his cheek as they pull apart. “I’d give you a run for your money.”

“I’ve no doubt,” Nox replies, all of us smiling and some of the tension for what we’re about to do dissipating.

“Okay, off with you all,” she grumbles, wiping under her eyes. “Don’t get caught.”

With that, she leaves the room.

“Let’s go,” I sigh, heading over to the internal garage door. We’ve not had to use it before, and I suddenly feel bad for not showing them the other cars I have that are housed in the garage. They’re in a different part than Steele sometimes works on their truck in.

“You’ve been holding out on us, Petal,” Nox states as they walk through the door and see the rows of cars.

“I’m sorry I didn’t show these to you before, I kind of forget about them not driving myself,” I tell them, nibbling my lower lip. “And you’ve been having to share rides, urgh, I’m the worst.”

“Hey,” Ant takes my face in his gloved hands, the leather creaking slightly. “You are so far from the worst, baby.” He kisses me on the lips, but doesn’t linger. “Which one are we taking?”

“The black Escalade over there, with the Nevada plates,” I tell him, and his brows raise, but he doesn’t ask the question I can see in his eyes. Why would I have a car with Nevada plates when we live in Virginia?

Nox of course always asks. “Why do you have a car with out of state plates?”

I turn to look at him, Ant’s hands falling away. “It’s untraceable.”

"You have an untraceable car just... sitting in your garage?" Nox questions slowly. I take a breath, knowing that I need to tell them the truth, even if part of me has carried it alone for so long.

“Noah's not the first kid I've had to buy back.” I switch focus between the three of them. Their faces don’t give much away, and nerves make my stomach clench. “And Henry will take care of it after. He always does.”

Steele's expression shifts, respect maybe, filling his dark brown eyes. Or recognition of a person just doing what they must. “You've done this before.”

“Yes. Twice. It’s why I know this will work.”

“Twice?” Ant repeats, and I turn to look back up at him.

“Can we get driving and I’ll tell you everything? Please? I don’t want Noah to have to wait any longer than necessary.”

His blue eyes soften, like the sky when the sun comes out. “Of course, Bloom.”

We make our way to the car, Ant getting in the front driver’s side, Steele in the front passenger with the bag of money still gripped tightly in his hands, while Nox and I get in the back.

We’ve left the garage and are heading down the drive when I start to speak.

“Mia was the first, three years ago. She was eight. Her mother was selling her to pay off drug debts.” Nox takes my trembling hand in his, giving it a squeeze and it helps to settle the dark memories of what would have happened to Mia had I not done this. “I paid the mother fifty thousand and got Mia out. She's eleven now, living with her grandmother in Florida. The poor woman didn't even know Mia existed until I found her.”

“Jesus, Bloom. You went by yourself? That’s so fucking dangerous.” Ant looks at me in the rearview, his hands tightening around the steering wheel until the leather of his gloves creak.

“It was the only way,” I whisper, and Nox shuffles closer, wrapping his other arm around me.