Page 19 of Draco

“Then why doesn’t she know that?” Avy demands.

“Uh, because I like my balls where they are, and I was working up to telling her that I’d claimed her. I told her last night she was my woman and that I wanted her as my Old Lady, but we’ve only just moved on from her not wanting to kill me all the time. Then I had to come here so I haven’t had time to talk to her properly about it yet and let her know she wasn’t just my woman.”

My eyes widened when I heard his answer that he had claimed me a long time ago. Thinking back, our arguing had taken on a different tone around June.

“Well, you don’t have to have that conversation anymore, so your balls are safe,” Avy enlightens him cheerfully. “She’s sitting here listening to you, looking a little shell-shocked. But don’t worry, we’ll take care of her for you.” With that, Avy leans forward and hits the end call button on the phone.

“There you go,” Julia says, waving her hand at me as if that was that. “All sorted.”

“Okay then,” I mumble. Then it hits me that they want me to talk about my idea in Church and I panic slightly. “Wait,” I say loudly, “I don't have a business plan or anything, so how do we know if it’s viable?”

“Don’t worry, Molly. Bren and I will help you with that,” Bella informs me. “We’ve had lots of practice lately. We’ll come over tomorrow and go and have a look.”

“Okie doke, kiddo,” I agree, not without some relief. I wouldn’t have the first clue where to start putting together a plan for a campsite, beer I knew, camping not so much.

Not long after that they all get up to leave and it’s another flurry of hugs and goodbyes before they make it out the door. I stand in the open doorway and wave until their taillights disappear down the road. I’m just about to close the door when Navy appears from around the corner of the house.

“Everything okay?” I asked him as he walked in. I closed and locked the door behind us.

“All good, Molls. You can head to bed. I'm going to stay up a while yet so I’ll clean-up for you.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” he said with a grin as we headed into the kitchen.

“Okay, Navy. Thanks.”

Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, I walk upstairs just as my phone pings, notifying me that a message has come in.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I glance at it and smile when I read the messages Draco’s left me.

Firecracker, stoked that you now know you are my Old Lady. Love you and I’ll see you tomorrow xxx

I’m also glad my balls were far away when you found out xxx

I burst into laughter at his second message. I send him a good night with kisses back.

I grab my pyjamas and change, before crawling into our bed and snuggling down burying my head in Draco’s pillow and I’m out like a light. It feels like I’ve just closed my eyes when there’s someone knocking on my bedroom door. I groan but call out, “Yeah,” my voice still thick with sleep.

“It’s me, Molls,” Navy answers, pushing my door open. Sitting up, I reach for the lamp next to me and switch it on.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as my eyes rake over Navy’s face.

“Caught someone sneaking around the brewery. Can you come down and check things out?”

I jump out of bed at his words and reach for the jeans I’d discarded on the chair in the corner of my room earlier this evening.

“Let’s go,” I tell him as I rush past him to the stairs.

“Slow down, Molly. Bond has him and he’s not going anywhere.”

I don’t say anything as I shove my feet into my boots and grab a jacket from the hooks by the door, only realising as I swing it around my shoulders it’s Draco’s hoodie. I calm as his scent envelopes me and wait for Navy to reach me.

Together we head to the brewery, where I see Bond waiting by the open door with a lump lying on the ground by his feet. As we get closer, I notice it’s a man about thirty years of age, skinny as a rake. His hands and feet are tied up, and he has a gag around his mouth. The whites of his eyes are showing as he frantically looks around. His gaze fastens on me, and I see relief in his. I guess he thinks that me being here will be making his life easier.

‘Not bloody likely!’I thought. He was fucking with my livelihood.

I stop near his feet and look at Bond.