Page 43 of The Crowing of Hell

By five o’clock, we had two very drunk women, and the rest were very excited, judging by the way they jumped their men as they came to collect them. By the time Rooster rolled in with Chance, Bear, and Diesel, I was beyond shell-shocked and had downed half a bottle of wine myself.

Rooster looked amused as Chance picked Clio up, slung her over his shoulder and marched straight out. Clio let out a war cry and stuck her hands in the air.

Bear collected Thalia, who was babbling a mile a minute despite being sober. Thalia sent me a dirty grin, and then Rooster a foul glare, no pun intended, and left.

Diesel took one look at Alice, crooked a finger, and Alice melted. Diesel waved goodbye with Alice tucked under his arm.

“Okay?” Rooster asked, studying me closely.

I opened my mouth, and a whimper escaped. Shit, I wasn’t even aware I could produce a noise like that.

“Guess you kinda survived intact, which is more than the most do,” Rooster replied, sounding proud. “And just think most were sober.”

A second moan left me as I closed my eyes and massaged my temples.

“Kenny, I’ll go warm dinner up. At least they cooked. By the way, if the kids ain’t home, running down my hallway stark naked is a great way to greet me!” Rooster said.

My eyes flew open as an ‘Eeeep’ came out of my mouth this time. I caught sight of Rooster’s smirk before he disappeared his fine ass into the kitchen.

Groaning, I yanked a cushion out from behind me and buried my head in it. The embarrassment would die down sometime this year.

Rooster

Kenny had looked adorable, Rooster decided when his words shocked her. Although they surprised him just as much. He’d ditched Chance and Bear and walked the compound for an hour, getting his muddled thoughts straight. Rooster first admitted he was attracted to Kenny and had been since he pulled her wounded from the accident. He adored Kenny’s strength and ability to roll with the blows.

Rooster had discovered that nothing phased her, and Kenny was highly adaptable to any unforeseen circumstance. Such as the old ladies descending. Rooster also knew she was a fighter. Blue wouldn’t be living the love-filled life he was now if not for Kendara risking everything, leading to the fact she was fiercely loyal. Kenny was literally the perfect wife.

She also was beautiful, funny, honourable and, by all accounts, a shark in court. Rooster had asked Phoe about her and had been informed Kenny had gained a reputation for her no-hold-bars, leave-no-stone-unturned attitude in court. A lot of her peers dreadedfacing her.

And Kenny’s body called to him like a siren’s song. Large breasts, small waist, a plump butt, with slightly thick thighs and long legs. Rooster had trouble controlling his dick every time she bent over in jeans. Plus, his boys fuckin’ adored her. It was Kenny this, Kenny that.

Brax was convinced she was his angel, and she was here to stay, and Kit and Finn were also gravitating towards her. Their eyes followed Kenny when she was in their presence, and he knew they were falling for her just as he was. Now the question was, what did he do about it?

Kenny hadn’t seen his amputation, and he didn’t want the first time to be when they were in bed. Nothing like a passion killer than a woman recoiling from you. Rooster detoured from the kitchen and headed upstairs. He opened a chest of drawers and stared at the contents for a while before taking a deep breath and pulling a pair of shorts out.

Better to know now than later.

Kendara

I was nodding off, worn out from this afternoon, when I heard footsteps. Rooster had called the boys in to clean up five minutes ago. I opened my eyes and froze.

Rooster stood in the doorway, expressionless. Immediately, I recognised his walls were up in full,but Rooster’s eyes were alive with emotion.

As Rooster intended, I let my gaze wander to down his body. I couldn’t stop the involuntary lick of my lips when I noticed the tight tee moulded to his muscles and his cut-off shorts. They came to his knees, and I saw his amputation was just below it. The prosthetic looked different from what I expected.

“That looks like something out of Robocop,” I said, and Rooster laughed.

“Not quite as clunky, and it’s slimmed down a lot, but it’s the latest version of a bionic leg. It’s the newest technology out, which connects my muscles on the stump to sensors in my brain, which react with a neuroprosthetic interface.

“The muscles receive commands from my brain, and the neuroprosthetic interface, and it makes the leg move like a normal one. The signals calculate things like how much to bend the bionic ankle and how much power to deliver. So, if I believe I’m walking, then the bionic leg responds. It’s all beyond me and complicated, but basically, the information from nerves is communicated to the leg and resembles the way a real leg works.”

Curiously, I peered closer.

“Does it attach or screw on?”

“I have a special socket, and once my leg is inside it, all the electronics connect, and I walk normally,” Rooster said.

I was fully aware of him, closely studying my reaction.