Page 109 of Mommy

Back then, she had busied herself with puppies too, but I had been blind to the reason. I had thought she loved spending time with the little fluff balls, but now I know better.

Ivory is doing this for one reason and one reason only: Because she loves the mom.

Posie is curled into a ball inside her box, her low breathing indicating that she fell asleep.

She’s adorable when she sleeps. There’s still a smile on her face, except this one isn’t brave, it’s grateful. Her chaps are pulled upwards unmistakable in what Ez always calls the Pitty-smile.

It’s more than I would’ve ever thought a dog could offer me.

I get why Ivory cried yesterday. I get why her anger forced tears into her eyes and fear made her bottom lip tremble.

If I’m being honest, I felt the exact same way. Scared and angry. Except, it showed differently in my body than it did in hers. Where Ivory cried and sobbed, I raged and slammed doors.

The anger she cried out of her body left my own with the loud bang of a car door that got shut with too much force.

Finally seeing how all these dogs end up in the ring? Understanding how Ez and I had not even realized it for so long? And worst of all, knowing that there isn’t much we can really do about it right now?

All that has mine, Ez’, Rosemary’s and Ivy’s blood boiling with icy cold rage.

How the fuck are we supposed to be catching people that are not really getting their hands dirty. Looking back at it, it’s a wonder Ezekiel even got a decent glimpse into the last set up they had for the mommas.

To think that if we would’ve had a better idea we might have been able to stop all of this months ago… Had I given him better instruction, Ezekiel would’ve been able to set up a real trap. We would’ve had time to involve the police and we would’ve brought down the whole organization. Now all we have is a bitchy girl with big demands that might know something.

Abigail isn’t exactly what I would call a reliable helping hand in all of this. She is way too focused on getting the most out of it to really be helping us. She’s only doing this for her own fucking benefit, and that just rubs me the wrong way. No matter what intel she has, the fact that she wants something in exchange for every hint she gives us makes me not want to work with her.

But what other choice do we even have, unless we…

Letting my gaze return to Ivory, I see her blue eyes are fixed on me. There’s a small smile hiding in her cheeks even though she has her lips folded between her teeth. Seeing it has a kind of shame wash through me.

Ivory wouldn’t approve of the direction my thoughts just went.

She would yell at me and curse me, I’m sure of that. If she could read my mind right now? She would get angry. I have no doubt of that, and yet… something inside of me wants to tell her about it. Not because I want her to be angry, but because I need someone to talk this idea through with. And she might even understand me.

Out of all the people in my life, Ivory has been the one to understand me best. I’m certain that if I explain it to her calmly, she will get on board.

We’ve been in this together from the start, and no one sees me clearer than she does. She’s been living with me for weeks and over that time, she has slowly lifted the veil of perfection in which I’ve cocooned myself like a caterpillar not ready to turn into a butterfly yet.

“Where did your mind go, handsome?”

Her small hands curve around my waist from behind, her slim frame melting against my back like my personal bit of heaven.

My mind was so far gone, so busy with finding a way to offer her my solution without her pushing me away, I didn’t even register her getting up.

The way she started using nicknames today paints my lips in a satisfied grin. I knew that if I kept it up for long enough, she would match my energy.

Now all I have to do is start calling her wifey so she’ll call me hubby in exchange.

Mine.

If she ever says that, I’ll be fucking her senseless.

Mine, mine, mine, mine.

The thought of her saying it is enough to have my cock harden against my jeans.

I’ll be breeding her until she is overflowing and fucking pregnant with my child.

“How good you’d look 40 weeks in.”