by V. Theia
“Wait here,” he told them.
Sitting on the side of his bed, he pressed his lips to Roux’s forehead. “Baby, wake up for me.” She stirred and it took a few more turns at rousing her before her violet eyes flickered open. She started to smile and then it dropped. He knew the moment she remembered everything and her breathing increased. “Shhh, baby. Everything is fine.” His lips moved over her cheek, holding her behind the head, he calmed her as best as he could, but she was tough and slowed her breathing. “I thought it was a dream.”
“It will be over time. Come on, your dad is here to see you.”
Her eyes flared. Panicked. “He’s here? In your house? And it’s still standing?”
Butcher chuckled. “Stranger things have happened.” When she didn’t make a move to get up, he put a knuckle under her chin. “Let’s get you up, baby, he needs to see his girl is okay.”
“He knows everything?”
“Yes.”
“He’s gonna be pissed.”
“Not likely, he’s happy you’re okay.”
She snorted and moved her cheek against his hand. Butcher’s chest flamed with feeling. Wanting nothing more than to keep her safe and protected. “That would be a first.” And then, her eyes sought his and he read hesitancy. “Is he disappointed with me?”
“Not even a little.” He assured.
Her voice strained as she slid out of bed. “I just want to sleep. I don’t remember it when I’m sleeping.”
He’d seen this before. Most recently with Zara. Survivors guilt. Using sleep as a way to protect the mind from trauma.
“I’ll bring you right back to bed once you’ve seen your dad.”
She smiled at him and touched his arm. He couldn’t stop himself, he had to touch her. He took her face in his hands, tipping it up so he could see the color of her eyes. The bruise was coming out on the side of her cheek and if that fucker wasn’t already dead, Butcher would kill him for hitting her. “I promise all this will be a memory soon, Cookie. You’re gonna be okay.”
“You’ll make sure, right?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
She grinned and leaned into his hand. He kissed her forehead. “They’re in the kitchen.”
“They? You did not let Reno in your house, did you?”
If she’d been feeling 100% herself, Butcher would have spanked her little ass for that. Instead he gave her a half-grin. “Sure, Cookie. He’s drinking my coffee in my favorite chair right now.”
She huffed a laugh and play punched his stomach.
There she is, he thought.
He stayed in the bedroom while she saw her dad, but it wasn’t hard to listen in. Axel’s voice boomed at first and Butcher resisted storming into the kitchen to stop the asshole laying into Roux with a lecture on how stupid she’d been to sit at Ruiz’s gambling table. But then it got quieter.
“Swear to god, Roux. You’re turning your old man gray.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to kill anyone. I only got my knife out to warn him off. It just happened.”
“Fuck the killing. I’d murder that bastard ten times for even putting a finger on you.”
Something Butcher could agree on.
Words were low and mumbled between father and daughter.
“I’m okay, I promise.”
Hearing the upset in her voice he had to work hard not to go to her, to give her this time with Axel.
Like she’d said, it was a miracle the man was inside his house and not putting bullets in the wall.
“I want you home. Do you have stuff to get?”
Butcher’s eyes narrowed. Over his dead body.
But then his Roux spoke. “My head hurts, daddy. It might be a concussion; it’s better I stay here. Tad has medical experience.”
A grin split his mouth as he leaned on the dresser. His little con artist.
More bluster from Axel. He didn’t catch it all, but he caught the gist of him not wanting her to be around Butcher.
“Daddy, please don’t start this right now. I could have died last night. Tad took care of it; you need to be nicer to him.”
Even Butcher muffled a laugh at that shit. His girl was laying it on thick, which meant she wasn’t as lost as he initially dreaded.
“Don’t push it, girlie.” This from Chains.
“Tad, you can come out now.” she called out.
His eyes roamed over her as soon as he walked into the kitchen, ignoring the two other men at first. Her eyes were cry-red, and the tick in his jaw became tighter.
“Can you tell dad I need to rest.”
“She needs to rest.”
Roux snorted, curled in Axel’s arms. The man was glaring at Butcher like he’d eaten the last piece of bacon. Fuck him. Butcher wasn’t intimidated by the guy at all. He might have nearly killed Butcher once over, and Axel could intimidate the enemy as well as Rider could, but this was about Roux. He had a whole new set of give a fucks for anyone who got in his way.
“I meant more than that.”
“She got a nasty punch to the head. I’d prefer she was here so I can make sure it doesn’t cause any side effects. Dizziness, vomiting, loss of consciousness.”
He ignored the disagreeing grumbling from Axel so he could look at her. Smile free and so small in his clothes. He wanted her in his arms. Always.
She was a goddess in sweats and Axel didn’t know it yet, but his girl was never going to sleep under his roof again. Not permanently.
“Tomorrow.” Axel gruffed. “I’m bringing you home tomorrow, end of argument, Roux.”
“We’ll see how I feel, daddy.”
“Don’t daddy me in that little voice, it won’t work.”
Roux grinned up at him and pressed her face into his chest. “Won’t it?”
For all his faults, there was genuine love between them, Butcher watched it for ten minutes. Quiet in his own kitchen, his eyes on Roux, waiting for any sign that she might not be okay.
“A word outside.” Axel rasped coolly to Butcher on their way out. He kissed Roux’s head. “I want you home, kiddo, where I can protect you.”
“I’m fine. I’m a real Tucker now that I killed someone, huh?” Her chin wobbled and tears filled her eyes. Butcher stepped forward to grab her, but Axel got there first, enfolding her in his arms. “You listen to me now. You did the right fucking thing. Always fight. You use anything you can, and you fight to live, baby. Don’t feel one ounce of guilt over it either.”
A tear dropped down her cheek. Butcher couldn’t stand it. As she released from Axel’s arms, he moved forward, made a presence of himself behind her back, putting a hand on her nape, which Axel couldn’t fail to notice.
“What if Ruiz starts something with us?”
“Over a bodyguard, I doubt it, but you don’t need to worry about that. Just stay the fuck off their radar, got it?”
Butcher followed him outside, Chains already climbed onto his bike.
“If this is another warning, you can save your breath. I remember the last one verbatim.”
Axel stared a hard look, but it wasn’t anger to come out of his mouth. “Is she really okay? It felt like she was putting on a brave face in there.”
“She’s doing better. You and me can bounce back from something like this no problem, means jackshit to us. Roux is not like us.”
“She grew up wild in this life.”
“And you protected her from the worst parts. It’s gonna stay with her for a while. Worse case, she might develop PTSD.”
“Fuck.” Axel inhaled.
Across the street one of Butcher’s neighbors was walking his dog and upped his steps when he saw them. Couldn’t blame the guy, but that sort of shit always pissed him off. He was the first one at someone’s door if he heard a ruckus.
“She’s gonna be fine.”
“It’ll change her. I didn’t want this for my girl.”
“She lived, that’s what’s important here, Axel. Now you gotta find out if the Ruiz bitc
h has said anything to her husband.”
“I’m working on it.” he turned to stride to his bike, then looked back and pointed a finger. “You remember she’s engaged.”
The burn of even those words when he knew they were fucking bullshit still put fire in his eyes. “Yeah, and where is the intended now when she’s fucking upset, huh?”
He gave Axel his back and went inside to Roux.
She came into his arms as if she’d been waiting for him and while he held her, he locked up his house.
“You’re okay, I’ve got you. I’m here, baby.”
Instantly her body loosened, he slid a hand up and down her spine then she gave a great shuddering exhale.
“Why do I feel so bad?”
“Because, my tough warrior, you have a conscience. And though you were fighting for your life, it still hurts you to know an asshole died. Your dad is right, there’s no guilt here.”
She laughed a little. “Wow. That’s probably the one and only time you two will ever agree.”
“We agree more than you think when it concerns you.”
“I don’t want to go home.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Okay. Can I go back to bed now?”
“Don’t you want something to eat first?”
“I’m not hungry.”
This bothered him, but he’d give her a few more hours of sleep yet.
He put her to bed.
“Stay.” She asked. He toed off his boots and climbed in beside her, pulling Roux into his arms. She nestled in, killing his dick with her wriggling. “Thank you, Tad.” And was asleep in minutes, back to her peace.
He ran a hand over her hip, learning by memory the curve and velvety feel of her skin. He could touch her this way forever and be satisfied. She had two dimples on her lower back he was infatuated with, framed right above the sweetest ass, and now it was all pressed up against him. Even through the thickness of the denim jeans he felt her heat burning his body. When he lowered his head, he inhaled the smell of almonds from her hair.
It was sensory overload.
Protect. Love. Shield. Fuck.
Like an injection, Roux was a drug and sometimes he didn’t know how to handle that. It felt like a lot of shit in their way from the beginning. But neither of them were unable to back off. To live without the other.
That spoke volumes.
She would have to face it eventually; she couldn’t sleep forever.
He’d be here waiting for her.
He’d always been waiting for his Roux in one way or another.
First to grow up.
Then to come to him.
It was on Butcher now to do the fighting and he wasn’t gonna lose.
NINETEEN
“Cookies don’t drown, but they do hiss and kick.” – Butcher
“Get out of bed, Cookie.”
Having tried to rouse her for ten minutes, he’d have better luck waking a zombie.
“Go away.” She only buried her head deeper into a pillow.
Butcher inhaled his patience and knew it was time for tough love.
His girl needed to eat and get out of this funk. He’d wanted her in his bed forever and now he just wanted to grab her by the ankles and yank her out of it.
“You’ve had twenty-four hours to be emotional. Now get out of that bed before I drag you out. You need to shower and eat.”
“Fuck off, I’m sleeping.”
He wrenched the blankets off her until she growled her anger. In that growl he still saw his vulnerable girl and his chest wall caved in to hide her away from everything but eventually she’d hate him for that kind of pandering.
Grabbing her by the ankles, he tugged until she was at the bottom of the bed. By this time, she’d turned into a hissing snake, cursing his name.
That was his girl.
He threw her over his shoulder, while she beat her hands on his back and carried her all the way to the bathroom.
He expected her to spit and claw at him when he dumped her under the hot spray of the shower. His wild thing didn’t disappoint. Hair soaked to her naked skin, animalistic in the eyes, she pushed against his chest as he stepped out. “You had no right waking me up. I was sleeping, asshole.”
Butcher grinned. He loved seeing her feral. It was better than the comatose version of Roux he’d fucking fretted over for a full day.
She wouldn’t eat and that was his finish.
“You’re sexy when you’re dripping. Get clean and come to the kitchen.” He winked at her and slid the shower door closed, leaving her cursing his name to the devil himself.
Chains dropped clothes off for her last night. Butcher left them on the bathroom counter for her then started on the food he’d force down her throat if need be.
The coffee brewed. Cheesy egg quiche Paige dropped off was heated, sliced and ready on the rectangle table in his kitchen. Toast popped out of the machine and the bacon crisped to perfection and his girl was still not out of the shower. He set eyes to the hallway, intent on dragging her out of there too when he spotted her shuffling along.
Fuck, she was gorgeous. Beauty in every sense of the word. Piercings, no make-up, dressed in simple leggings and a racerback tank top. He saw the sweet pink pebbles of her nipples poking through the white cotton material and his mouth flooded.
She paused and looked at him with those incredible violet eyes. Her hair damp and braided over one shoulder. She looked so young and if he had any kind of conscience in him, he’d let someone like Reno claim her. He felt too old some days. But give her up? Not happening. They’d come too far, been through too much separation already.
When she didn’t advance, he cocked his head, unsure if she was gearing up for another hissing fit.
He smiled slowly. Beckoning her in.
Having her here in his house felt about the most real thing he’d ever wanted.
“Do you want to come and give me a kiss?”
She huffed and came in.
“You can kiss me on the cheek. I’m still pissed you yanked me out of bed.” She sidled over, offered the side of her face up to him. Butcher grinned, cheeky little devil, and he knuckled under her chin, pressing his lips to hers. “I only kiss lips.”
She purred, softening against him enough that he slid an arm around her waist and got her closer, smelling her hair before he kissed her neck.
“I need you to eat everything or you’ll get sick.”
Thank fuck she had an appetite and went through two plates of food until he had her curled sated on his lap in the living room.
“It feels weird being here without sneaking in.”
“Good weird?” The flat of his palm traveled down her back, giving her hip a squeeze just so her eyes flickered with enjoyment. Over the years he’d memorized every inch of her body and where her weaknesses were. She loved him gripping her hard by the hips when he was fucking her.
“It’s nice. I like your house, Tad, and your bed.”
Then stay in it forever.
It would be her house soon if he got his way.
Instead of divulging that secret, he went with another.
“I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“I saw you on my security feed. A little criminal trying to break my lock. I turned off the alarm and waited for you each time.”
“W-what?”
“I let you break in, Roux.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think? I wanted to fucking see you. Needed you to come to me.”
Her pout lip was fucking adorable. “I thought I was being sneaky.”
“You were. I loved it.”
He enjoyed seeing the little frown between her eyes. Kissing it, he put his forehead to hers. “I wanted you here more than anything, Roux.”
“Yeah?” Her smiles always kicked a surge through his body. With so many levels to his Roux, it was a game peeling them back, revealing the workings of his woman inside and out.
Smart, funny,
sarcastic, sour, bitchy, sassy, loving, loveable.
Sometimes he felt like he was hooked up with multiple women, and what the hell was wrong with that?
Her fingertips roamed over his face, touching his unshaven cheeks, across his lips and into his hair. She tugged a little and he groaned so the teasing wretch did it again. “There goes my master criminal career. Both times you were awake and let me crawl all over you?”
He grinned wide and she yanked his hair again. If she thought that was punishment, then his growing dick under her hip had a story for her.
“My dirty woman breaking in to use my dick. I fucking loved it.”
All she replied was a hum as her exploration of his face continued.
He watched her closely too. Searching out signs that she’s not okay. If the death was plaguing her mind.
He didn’t want her to suffer or feel guilty. But he didn’t know if he could convince her she’d done the right thing.
He was wickedly over the moon that someone was dead. Who knows how that situation would have turned out. Because if he knew his Roux even a little bit, she never would have handed over the money.
He’d die without her.
Even being so far away from her, living on sporadic meetings that sometimes only lasted hours. It was better than nothing. It was everything to Butcher.
She was alive and she’d done it in a brutal way. He was fucking glad.
She remained petting him and his scalp began to tingle. He didn’t know how much more he could take. He was a man horny for his woman and he was trying to care for her, not turn into a rutting dog by mounting her.
“Roux.” He growled.
“Mmhm?” Delicate fingers played over his lips, then skimmed to the hammering pulse in his neck. Her pupils were dilated with arousal. Her inhales so shallow and jagged as she squirmed on his lap and made them both moan.
“You know what happens when you’re being a hot little tease, Roux. You’ve always known, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she husked. Twin color rushed over her cheeks and he fucking loved knowing it was because of him—because of the heat they created between them.
It’s almost been impossible to be near each other, even casually, without arousal filling the air, coating them in an unquenched need.
