Wind Therapy - A.J. Downey Page 0,47

of his knife in a shallow but clean cut across Fen’s stomach.

“Awww!” Fen straightened, his upper body going rigid, his head thrown back as his breath heaved. He dropped his chin to his chest and with a grin asked Reaver, “Best two out of three?”

I felt my heart plummet from my throat to my toes as the crowd went wild and Maverick laughed beside me. I let my breath out in a shuddering sigh.

I couldn’t take anymore even if I wanted to. My hands shook, and I just wanted to be anywhere but here. I smiled up at Mav, hoping it wasn’t too forced and said, “I’m really tired. Can I go to bed?”

“Sure thing, baby,” he said, eyes a bit glassy with his buzz. He kissed me and I kissed him back.

“Cipher!” he called out and Cipher looked up from where he was a few men down from us. “Walk Marisol back to our room for me, would yah?”

“Sure, I gotta tap a kidney anyhow. C’mon, chick.”

“Thanks.” I smiled at Cipher and Maverick let me go.

“You good?” Cipher asked me when we’d drifted a ways from the crowd.

“Yeah,” I said with a nod. “Just don’t think my heart could take anymore.”

“Aww!” He winked at me. “It’s nice to know you care.”

I was shocked a little to realize that I did… I really did.

When had that happened?

Chapter Thirteen

Maverick…

“She good?” I asked my secretary when he got back.

Cipher nodded, handed me a fresh beer and said, “Yeah, she’s good. I think she was actually worried about our boy out there. Got to be a little too much for her.”

Really now? I filed that away, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t put a smile on my face to hear it.

“What’s that?” Fen asked, walking up. Tic-Tac handed him a towel and Cipher handed him a beer which he downed greedily while patting at the sweat and blood on his chest.

“Marisol was worried about you. Couldn’t take anymore,” I said. Fen grinned savagely and sniffed.

“She’s a good girl,” he said, and I smiled and nodded.

“That she is. Need stitches?” I asked.

“Nah, don’t think so,” he said.

“Better have the doc look at you anyway.”

“I’m good.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry you took that as a suggestion instead of the order it was,” I said dryly.

Fen laughed and said, “Alright, Mom.”

I laughed back and said, “Fuck you.” He went over to the mother chapter’s damn doctor, who was set up at a table under a white easy up tent with a red cross painted on it, though.

“He held his own, your man,” Dragon called over.

“That he did,” I agreed and saluted the national pres with my beer.

“Come on over here, let’s settle up,” he said. I hadn’t placed a wager, so I knew he meant to finish talking about Eastern Washington. Sounded like some decisions had been made and forewarned was indeed forearmed.

I went over and we drank while we talked.

The national president had a thing for tequila which wasn’t always friendly when it came to me. Still, when the National P. told you to join him for a drink, you did just that. That shit fucked me up, though. Vodka was my usual go-to. I’d learned a long time ago tequila rhymed a little too close with to kill yah so I couldn’t tell you if the result of those drinks was entirely my fault but it was about to shed a fuck of a lot of light into some dark corners.

By the time our talk concluded, I was pretty well wasted. Pleased at the result of said talks but wasted, it was time to take my ass to fuckin’ bed.

Halfway back to the lodge I got an idea, lips curling into an evil grin as I dug the room key out of my front jeans pocket.

I slipped into the room I was sharing with Marisol and paused. She was asleep on her back, one hand resting on the pillow beside her head, the other by her hip and my cock was instantly hard.

I wanted to fuck her, and I mean down and dirty. I undid my belt and opened the front of my jeans, stroking myself as I looked down at her in the dim light through the window. I threw back the blankets and she was so out, she didn’t even stir.

I didn’t want her making a commotion, so I put my hand over her mouth. I mean, shit, she was safe. It was me. She inhaled sharply, those