The Princess And The Criminal

18

SAWYER

I woke up early, smiling at a sleeping Noah beside me till my alarm rang.

I had been spending every night with Noah since Morgan gave birth so I had eventually brought a few clothes over. There were only so many new clothes I could steal from Forrest.

I showered and dressed quickly, planning to sneak out and not wake Noah, but she was already awake when I got out of the bathroom, Rascal on her lap.

She smiled sleepily up at me as she scratched the rabbit's ear.

"You're leaving?"

I nodded. "Yeah but I'll be back by noon." I bent down and kissed her slowly. "I love you."

Noah smiled against my lips. "I love you too."

I brewed some coffee and held Noah to my body. The rabbit was asleep on her bed as we swayed together. Surrounded by silence.

"I'm going to call Cedrick and tell him about last night."

I nodded as I washed my mug. "Yeah that's a good idea."

I gave her one long closed mouth kiss again before leaving. Smiling at her as she smiled even brighter at me.

Caesar was waiting for me in front of the apartment complex. He was in a red subaru.

"Dibs on Betsy?" I asked as I slid into the passenger seat.

Caesar hummed and started the car. "Hunter took it out of town last night."

I nodded and sat back. Ever since I got out of prison I hadn't had any time to just sit and breathe, and now that had happened I was feeling itchy.

"When's your next parole visit?" Caesar asked is his quiet deep voice, turning the car into traffic.

"In two weeks. Once a month."

Caesar smiled. "I remember my parole officer."

"Didn't that woman hate you?"

Caesar laughed. "Oh not her. She was evil. My second parole officer. He was really lax."

I laughed with him and the car settled into silence again.

I tried playing a game on my phone but it quickly lost my interest and the restless feeling returned.

"You've been really busy since you got out."

I looked at Caesar but he was paying attention to the road. "Well yeah the world moved on without me and I needed to catch up."

Caesar shook his head softly. "Nothing moved on without you Sawyer. You are back with your girlfriend, you're working in the shop and carpentry like you never left. Most of the social media and technology advancements barely interest you. You've basically just picked up where you left off."

I frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Caesar sighed as he began to park the car. "I love you Sawyer, so I'm not going to sugar coat it. I understand prison has done some stuff to you, and that may have something to do with you not slowing down since you got out or maybe not. But if you don't slow down or at least try to now it's going to wreck something you have now."

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.

"I'm going to go get a puppy... you can stay in the car and think about it."

I sighed and put my head against my car seat while he walked into the door.

I hadn't been properly working out and my left wrist had a sprain from over working in both the repair shop and carpentry. But I didn't have any time to go to the hospital.

I didn't want to sit in a stale hospital room for god knew how long... doing nothing.

"Fuck." Ceasar was fucking right.

Caesar returned with a little black german-shepherd. I smiled at the energetic puppy in it's cage.

"Can you stop at a sex shop?"

Caesar wrinkled his nose but nodded.

When we got to the shop, Caesar unlocked the puppy's cage and tenderly scratched its ear. "Sawyer."

I hummed and leaned down through the opened door.

"Just because you settled back easily doesn't mean you don't deserve to. I'm so happy you and Noah got back together... but remember what I told you... Slow down man."

I sighed and nodded.

Caesar didn't like to talk much, but when he had something to say he said it all and then some.

When I walked into the dark shop a scantily clad receptionist beamed at me.

"Welcome to ropes and sexy chains."

An hour later I blinked standing outside the shop with several bags in my hands. I had come to just get a strapon and had ended up with way too much stuff. A lot I had never used. Some sets of ropes I had no idea how to entangle.

But picturing Noah with all of them fried my brain and before I knew it I was nodding at every weird contraption the receptionist thrust into my face.

Caesar lifted an eyebrow at the bags but said nothing.

He handed me the puppy and began the drive home. We stopped at a food truck and ate some burgers before continuing.

"Oh yeah I just remembered. There's gonna be some people following everyone around. Probably in suits, there's some stuff going on and a... an acquaintance is providing some... protection."

Caesar hummed. "You joined a gang?"

I blinked slowly. "Uh... I did but that's not what this is about. It'l hopefully be over soon."

Caesar laughed as he pulled up to Noah's apartment complex. "I was joking. You joined a gang?"

I scratched my head and chuckled. "Uh... I was fucking some gang princess in prison, she offered protection but I had to officially join."

Caesar shook his head smiling. "You and Walker. That's how he joined Shinny's biker gang."

I laughed. "Runs in the family I guess."

I stopped before walking towards the apartment complex. "Thanks Caesar. I needed that talk."

Caesar smiled. "Anytime sis."