Own the Wind (Chaos #1)(90)

She got him, he knew when her entire face wobbled as she tried to hold back tears, then she lifted her head and pressed it into the skin of his neck when she failed.

Shy dropped his weight on her, rolled, curving his arms around her and taking her with him so they were on their sides.

She yanked her face out of his neck, took two hitched breaths and asked brokenly, “Are you… are you all right?”

“Best I’ve been in a long time, baby.”

She took another uneven breath as her eyes moved over his face. Then she nodded.

“You gave me that, Tabby,” he reminded her, and she gave him another wobbly smile she couldn’t quite pull off.

“That’s what I was goin’ for,” she told him.

He grinned at her and pulled her closer.

His grin faded and he admitted, “I was a dick again.”

“I’ll forgive you sooner this time, like, say—” her hand slid up so her fingers could stroke his jaw “—now.”

His lips twitched. “It’d help for me to know I got your forgiveness, you quit cryin’.”

She nodded, breathed deep, and got it together.

“Are you…” she hesitated “… good with the Club?”

It was Shy’s turn to nod.

“Good,” she said softly, ducked her face, and shoved it in his throat.

He dipped his chin and against her hair, murmured, “Gotta clean you up then I gotta call Lan.”

“Okay.”

He kissed her hair, rolled her to her back, moved in to kiss her chest then the underside of her jaw, then he met her eyes, gave her a smile, and rolled out of bed.

He got a washcloth and took care of his girl. He took the washcloth back, grabbed his jeans, tagged his phone, and joined her in bed.

She snuggled closer.

He called his brother.

Shy told Lan the story, not leaving anything out, which meant Tabby heard the story. She pressed closer and closer as he talked but she didn’t make a sound.

When he was done, Lan asked, “Tab’s wearin’ Mom’s earrings?”

“Yeah,” Shy answered.

“Fuck, man,” a pause then low, rough and fragmented, “f*ck.”

Shy gave him a few beats then asked low, “You okay?”

Landon cleared his throat. “Forgot about those. Totally blocked ’em out. Cannot believe you got them. Cannot believe I forgot them.” He was silent a moment then he said, “Glad you got them back, Park. Fuck me, so f**kin’ glad you got Mom and Dad back from that bitch.”

“Next time you come up, we’ll divvy them out.”

“Right, works for me.”

Neither brother spoke for a long time. They also didn’t break their connection.

Tabby burrowed closer.

Finally, Shy announced. “It’s done.”

“Done,” Lan agreed.

“Over,” Shy went on.

“Now we can move on,” Lan replied.

Shy tightened his arm around Tabby and repeated, “Now we can move on.”

“You know I love you, Parker, and that shit runs deep,” Lan told him.

“Feel the same, Landon.”

“Never forgot what we had, still miss it,” Lan shared.

“Then do what I’m doin’, Lan, and rebuild it.”

There was silence, a short chuckle, and then finally, “Not sure I’m done havin’ fun.”

Shy tipped his chin down to see the top of Tabby’s head, her profile, her eyes open staring at his throat, her hand at his chest, fingers drifting aimlessly but soothingly, giving him time with his brother but not giving him space, something at that moment he did not need.

“That’s your problem, brother, you don’t get that this side is a f**kuva lot more fun,” he returned.

“Take a little somethin’ special to convince me of that,” Lan retorted.

“God, I hope you find it,” Shy replied.

Lan was silent, then Shy got a quiet “Me too, Park.”

They let that hang, then Shy said, “Lettin’ you go.”

“Right. I’ll find some time to come up for a weekend.”

“Cool, see you then.”

“Yeah… and Park?”

“Yeah?”

“You did right, you did good, now they can rest easy.”

They can rest easy.

Shy felt his throat close so he had to force through it, “Yeah.”

“See you in a coupla weeks.”

“Later, Lan.”

“Later, brother.”

He touched his thumb to the screen, twisted just enough to throw his phone on the nightstand, then reached out to turn off the light and rolled into Tabby.

She snuggled closer, hitching her leg back over his hip, her arm winding tight around him.

“You good?” he asked into the dark.

He felt her nod then she asked, “How you feelin’, honey?”

He thought about her question and the answer was f**ked. It made no sense. He had a woman wrapped around him, trapping him to a bed. He was facing a mortgage payment. He had plans to plant babies inside her, build a family.

Still, there was only one answer and he dipped his chin, put his lips to her hair, and whispered that answer into her hair.