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“It’s nothing bad, but as you can tell by today, the club is really protective. It’s not a bid to control you, but we always travel in packs. If you decide you want to go shopping, you won’t do so alone. There’s no running to town to get a coffee with a wave and saying you’ll be back in an hour.”
“Like right now while we figure out what’s going to happen with Keres or—”
“Like ever,” he’s quick to say. “Our jobs are dangerous, and there’s no shortage of people that we upset. We take down trafficking rings, and that shuts down not only money but people’s connections to the sex trade. It angers a lot of people. Retaliation is very real and could happen at any moment.” His jaw clenches as if he’s thinking of something very specific right now.
“We need everyone safe, and that means always being vigilant and protective. For some it might seem smothering. There are people in town who think we’re some sort of cult.”
“I imagine people don’t have a lot of folks that care about them, and they find it hard to fathom what that would look like.”
“Maybe, but I just wanted you to know in case you felt like you were getting weird stares if we go out in town together.”
I take a deep breath, grateful that he’s letting me know but also a little apprehensive.
“Tell me about this corn field,” I say rather than getting lost focusing on something that hasn’t come to pass yet.
I haven’t been around long, but I haven’t gotten a bad vibe off of anyone I’ve met at the clubhouse either. It might be jealousy or simple misunderstanding that would make a group of people dislike Cerberus, but I doubt anyone who knows them would think that way.
Vincent chuckles. “The guys seem to think they’re going to be able to grow this massive patch of corn.”
“And they’re planning to make it a maze for the kids?”
“They’ve already planted it, and in their wisdom, they did so in a maze pattern. That way they don’t have to go in and cut anything down. Forward thinking.” That’s what Boomer called it.
“And while they were doing all this thinking, did they consider what they were going to do with the actual corn?”
His smile is quick. “Em mentioned giving it to the local shelters, but she also mentioned adding it to our food storages.”
“Storages?”
His cheeks go pink.
“My explanation isn’t going to make us sound less cultish.”
I chuckle, reading between the lines that Cerberus probably has a lot of food in storage.
“I’d like to spend some time together when we get back. I think it would benefit us if we got to know each other better.”
I nod in agreement, licking my lips with just how we can get to know each other.
“That might be hard to do considering the three responsibilities we have back at the clubhouse.”
“That’s where our village comes in that we talked about. They know that alone time is just as important as time with the kids is.” His eyes kick over to mine quickly. “It’s healthy to spend time doing adult things.”
My cheeks instantly blush, the heat rising up from my neck.
It’s my turn to shift in my seat, but then he does it too. I feel so much better knowing that I’m not alone in my attraction.
When we get back to the clubhouse, I feel like we’ve been set up.
First, Kincaid tells Vincent that he and the other guys can handle all the unloading. We took measurements with Em yesterday under the supervision of Kincaid so we knew what would work in the space I’m being provided. Kincaid knows exactly where everything needs to go.
Secondly, Vincent shows me the app on his phone connected to the nursery. Sutton is fast asleep, her little fist holding the hand of a baby doll.
“I’m just going to put these in my bedroom,” I tell him, holding the handle of the bag I carried out of the store earlier.
He nods, holding the front door of the clubhouse open for me. I feel the heat of his eyes on my back, but the distance between us doesn’t grow. He’s slowly following behind me, and I know exactly what will happen if we end up someplace alone.
I wouldn’t be able to resist him if I tried.
