Page 70 of Chaos
She doesn’t understand yet. I’m sure it won’t take her long.
Putting Maeve down on the floor with her collection of brightly colored toys, Jax beelines towards us.
“I have to work this morning for a few hours. Are you at the restaurant today?”
“No, today is my day off.” Crossing my legs, I sit on the rug next to Maeve.
“Good. I’ll be back in a few hours. You’ll both be here, right?”
I eye him suspiciously. That look on his face tells me he is up to something.
“We will.”
He stops as he’s leaving with his palm resting on the handle. “Good. I’ll see my girls soon.”
My stomach flutters. My girls.
That is something I could get used to.
THIRTY-SIX
JAX
“Where the fuck is ‘slot F’?” I grumble as I dig through the pile of pieces on the floor. One wooden dowel and a slab sit closest, but neither of them matches the drawing in the instructions. Painting the wall pink was the easy part.
The driveway alarm on my phone dings. Swiping to bring up the camera, a blacked out Range Rover pulls into view.
I’m just about ready to jump up and rush to the door when I see Nikolai step out of the driver’s side, and Alexei from the passenger.
Pushing the mic button on my screen, I can talk to them through the speaker. “I need help!”
Frustrated, I toss my cell aside and pick up the diagram again.
A loud slam reverberates through my house as they rush in.
Nikolai carries a rifle, and Alexei two ivory-gripped pistols. Both have wild eyes and are panting, swinging their barrels around the room.
“What the hell, Jax?” Nikolai drops the end of his gun to point at the floor, his blue eyes narrowing.
Helplessly, I hold up the creased paper and shrug my shoulders. “I can’t figure this shit out. I know you have a kid, so thought you would know.”
Alexei slides his Colts into the empty holsters under his arm. “You called us here for furniture?” He rolls his ‘r’ in his thick accent. Shaking his head, he steps over to the kitchen and digs through my cabinets until he finds a bottle of vodka.
“Let’s hope we never have to build children things for you, Alexei,” Nikolai grumbles as he tosses his AK on the couch. “Fine, Jax. We will prepare your house for your malysh.” His thick legs fold under him and he snatches the directions out of my hand.
Alexei slumps into an overstuffed chair across from us with the bottle propped on his thigh. “This is so much trouble. Now, you’ll be like Niki. Boring.” He lifts the liquor and takes a long swallow.
“I think I’d like that,” I admit quietly.
Nikolai looks at me from the side, his lips purse slightly as he gives me a small nod. “It’s good.” He drops the pamphlet on his lap and picks up an oblong shape and threads it into a long rectangular one.
“No, I don’t think—” I hold my hand out to stop him, but shut my mouth when I see him join the two pieces to match the drawing perfectly.
“See? Women are a distraction. Once the novelty wears off, some of the blood leaves your dick and you’ll be able to think again.” He holds out the base of the crib to me. “Put the screw in those holes. I know you can do that, or we wouldn’t be building baby things.” The corner of his lip turns up in a wry smile.
“Ha. Ha.” I hate that he’s right. Obediently, I work on fastening everything together that he gives me.
“Alexei, put that swing together.” Nikolai points to the long metal bars leaning against the wall.