“Morning. You don’t need to be embarrassed, Lex. I’ve got no problem with you being here.”
“Okay.”
Devil looked over the paperwork, knowing he’d need to see the house before he even thought about buying it. “I want to check it out.”
“I’ll get Phoebe to organize a viewing.” Vincent stood and left them alone.
“What was that all about?” Lexie asked. She poured them both a coffee.
“I’ll have cream and sugar,” he said.
He liked the way she followed his orders adding what he asked for. Devil watched her, liking the domestic feeling she inspired within him. He stayed in one place only going on the necessary runs, and he could have this for the rest of his life. After their time in the pool he’d not even bothered with a condom. They were a waste of time anyway.
Liar, you just like the feel of her na**d against you.
“Do you want me to go to the pharmacy today?” she asked, sitting down in Vincent’s vacant chair.
“Why?” She wasn’t wearing a bra, and he was getting a little distracted by her na**d br**sts on display that were only covered by a shirt.
“For the morning after pill?”
“No, you don’t need it. We’ll deal with whatever happens.”
“I don’t want kids yet,” she said, blowing on her coffee.
He knew she was being reasonable while he didn’t feel the slightest bit reasonable.
“I’ll use rubbers, but you’re not taking the morning after pill. That’s final.” He stood up, going into the bedroom to grab his jacket. “We’re going to look at a house today. I’ll be up at the main house. Come to me when you’re ready.”
He left the pool house heading toward the main house. Phoebe was bundling the kids into the car as he approached. She smiled at him. “Where’s your other half?”
“Pissing me off. Vincent inside?” he asked.
“Yeah, your viewing is at ten. Be sure to be there. I’m taking Simon for the ride. We’ll be back later.”
Heading inside he found Vincent going over some paperwork. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing, just going through the paperwork for the club. Here, check it out.”
Devil took the folder and checked through the numbers. He didn’t see anything wrong. “Business is going good?”
“Yeah, my concern at the moment is with Rob. He’s a young f**king punk who doesn’t know when to bow down.” Vincent removed the glasses he’d been wearing.
Thinking about Rob made Devil’s anger spike. He had enough of hearing about the f**king bastard who used young girls.
“It’s f**king wrong what he’s doing,” Devil said. “I’ll put the bastard in the f**king ground.”
“I got a call. Jerry wants to meet with you,” Vincent said.
“Who the f**k is Jerry?” Devil was growing tired of all the names. Is this what Tiny had to put up with? He’d only been in town a day and already was on the bad side of a pimp and another wanted a meeting.
“He’s a pimp but a fair one. He owns a private club that is pretty much a whore house.”
“What’s the difference between this f**ker and Rob?” Devil asked.
“Jerry keeps his girls safe. None of them are on the street, and he’s one of the big leagues. Owns a house a couple down from the one you’re going to view. He’s got a wife and a couple kids. A mistress, too.” Vincent tapped his hand on the table. “You’d be best meeting with him.”
“Fine. You coming with me to view the house?”
“I can if you want me there,” Vincent said.
“Yeah, I want you there.” The sound of the back door opening drew him up short. “She doesn’t need to know what we’re going on a meeting about.”
Lexie rounded the corner and smiled at them.
Fuck, the smile on her face felt like a f**king kick to the gut. Devil knew he was feeling something a lot more than liking. There was no f**king way he loved Lexie. He didn’t do love, and for a long time, he’d cut himself off from all emotion. Having a gun pressed against his head reminded him he needed to keep love at bay.
“Come on, let’s go,” he said, heading out of the house.
She didn’t say anything, simply climbed into the back of the car as he went to view a house.
Three hours later, Devil signed along the dotted line. He loved the look and feel of the place. It was five beds with a pool and plenty of garden space to host a couple of barbeques. His life was moving along.
Glancing down at his cell he saw nothing new from Tiny. It was only going to be a matter of time before his friend got in touch. He felt it in his blood.
Taking Lexie with him to Jerry’s house, he saw the bastard was loaded. For the next hour he talked business with the biggest pimp of Piston County. Even though the f**ker sold women to make a living Devil couldn’t help but like him.
Life was looking interesting. The biggest problem he had was what to do with Lexie. The bitch was getting under his skin, and they’d not known each other all that f**king long.
Chapter Eight
One week later Lexie stood in the kitchen of Devil’s new house. Most of his men were stood out in the garden nursing beers as he cooked food at the barbeque. She was amazed at what the man could accomplish in a matter of a week. He’d purchased this luxury house, reorganized building work on his clubhouse, and tidied up the strip club. The man was a machine.
At night he joined her in bed awakening her body in the way only he seemed to know.
“What are you thinking about?” Devil asked, appearing behind her. They were the only two in the kitchen. Glancing toward the barbeque she saw Ripper flipping burgers.
“Nothing much.”
“Come on, share them. We’ve not gotten chance to talk all week.” His hand banded around her waist, drawing her back against him.
Judi had moved in with them the same week. Devil wanted her to finish school, and every time Lexie thought she hated the sight of him, he always did something that made her like him a little bit more. The young girl had been forced to grow up too fast. Lexie knew the feeling, but she also knew she hadn’t been through what Judi had.
The girl was strong, and looking out at the garden Lexie saw her reading one of the course books that had been sent by the school. Judi needed to pass an exam to get back into school to finish her last two years.
“You’re not who I thought you was.”