Or, I could stay in. I could continue with the Delta team and I could continue being gone for months on end, never knowing when I would have to leave and when I’d be coming back.
She looked at me, her eyes soft and knowing. “You’re not getting out of Delta because of me or the babies,” she told me bluntly. “You need to get out because you want to. Because it’s your time to get out. Because that’s where you see our life moving toward. If you’re thinking on getting out because of me or the babies, don’t. I survived the last few months without you, and I think I can do it again. Will it be tough? Sure. Will I like it? No. Will I live? Yes.”
I pulled her to me and sank my face into the soft curve of her neck.
The position was awkward, being hunched over her, but the way she threw her arms around my neck made me want to stay there forever.
After a few long moments of standing there, I pulled my head back up and dropped a kiss onto her mouth. A kiss that quickly went from chaste to erotic in about two seconds flat.
It turns out that both of us were quite overexcited, and let’s just say that she was lucky that she came in about two seconds flat because I went in four.
Chapter 20
There are times I contemplate the cost/benefit ratio of shooting a man in cold blood.
-Text from Hoax to Pru
Hoax
Dropping her off the next morning was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do.
I wanted her to remain in my arms, snuggled under the most comfortable comforter ever, and stay there until our stomachs drove us from bed. And only then, I wanted to order a pizza and only put pants on long enough for me to pay and grab the pizza before I returned to the bed.
Being clean, and in my woman’s arms, was literally the only thing that I’d thought about when I wasn’t focusing on the mission.
Now that I had it back, I didn’t want to let it go.
Unfortunately, she had to go to work.
I also had a date. With her dad.
After our family dinner last night with her parents, uncles, multiple cousins, and grandfather, I’d gotten a summons from her father to meet him at his office once I’d dropped Pru off.
“It’ll be all right,” she pressed into me, her belly and her mouth the only thing touching me.
I pulled her in closer, loving the baby bump that pressed between us.
I’d never really given much thought to being a father.
I’d always assumed I would be, at some point in time, but I hadn’t really given much thought as to when I’d like this to happen. Seeing my teammates getting married slowly over the last few years, and then starting to have children, had really started to ease me into the idea of having that life for myself.
So when I’d found out from Pru that I was going to be a father, I hadn’t been nearly as freaked out as I would have been only a few years ago.
Her smile was big as she pulled away from my embrace.
“I really have to go,” she sighed. “I don’t want him to have a reason.”
We both knew who the ‘him’ was, and I didn’t like it one bit.
I hated that she had to work with that man, and that would be the first thing I brought up with her father—because I knew damn well and good that he didn’t like his wife nor his daughter working with the piece of shit.
“It’ll be okay,” she whispered, her nose coming back to touch mine. “Be good today. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled her back in for one more devastating kiss, and then relinquished her to Conleigh, who was waiting by the front entrance for her.
I waved at Conleigh, who waved back, and turned back to my truck.
Instead of driving back home to get my bike, I chose to drive my truck straight to her dad’s place.
Taking the turn out of the parking lot and onto the main road that would lead me all the way out of town and to the compound-like place that Free called home, I’d just started to accelerate when a familiar car took the corner to the hospital’s road on two wheels.
I braked hard due to the fact that he’d creeped into my lane as he’d lost control of his turn, and got a close up of Kelley flipping me off as he rushed by.
I gritted my teeth and clenched the muscles in my jaw, counting to ten before I started forward once again.
I would not kill him.
I would not kill him.
I would not kill him.
I kept repeating that mantra to myself as I drove, and was still saying it ten minutes later when I pulled into Free.
The gate was unlocked, and Jack waved me in and pointed to a building.
I drove to the building and parked, feeling out of place amongst all the motorcycles.
Wishing I had my bike, but glad that I didn’t since Kelley would’ve probably clobbered me to death this morning if I’d had it, I walked inside and stopped short when I saw all the people inside the building.
If I’d taken more time to pay attention to the bikes, I would’ve realized that the motorcycles were familiar ones.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t paid any attention, meaning I was blindsided when not just the men of Free were of attendance, but so were the men of the Bear Bottom Guardians.
Oh, and Carl.
I frowned. “What the fuck, Carl? Isn’t your wife looking forward to having you home?”
Carl grinned. “Actually, yes. I brought her with me. She’s currently scoping out the mall, buying shit we don’t need, and charging it on my credit card.”
I snorted and offered him my hand, following it up with Pru’s father and grandfather.
I received back slaps from a few of the others, but the rest of the MC hadn’t bothered to stand up when I’d arrived, choosing instead to eat the donuts and pastries that were in the middle of the large table that they were surrounding.
“Don’t say hi or anything,” I told them all.
Bayou shrugged, taking another bite of the pastry in his hand. “They’re good.”
Grinning, I looked over to Sam.
“I take it we’re not letting this go any longer?” I asked hopefully.
Sam grunted. “We’re not letting this go any longer.”
Chapter 21
Can February March? No, but April May.
-Text from Carl to Pru
Pru
“This was a good idea,” Conleigh said as we walked with each other to our cars. “Now we just need to finagle it so that we’re on the same shift.”
I grinned. “I know the girl that makes the schedules.”
She snorted and stopped at her truck door. “How long do you think he’ll let you drive that thing? Does it even have seatbelts?”
I looked at my car.
She was right.
It was old, and the seatbelts were all lap belts. There was nowhere to put a car seat in here unless I moved them to the front seat. Something I wouldn’t be doing.
“I have a feeling I’ll be making use of his truck soon,” I admitted. “He made the comment today as he dropped me off.”
She dropped her backpack into the back seat and slammed the door shut, then opened her door and climbed halfway in. “I’ll see you at the party tomorrow?”
The party was a club party that was being thrown in honor of Hoax making it back all in one piece. Honestly, I thought that the club wanted a reason to drink and be merry, and Hoax was as good excuse as any.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I’ll be there with bells on.”
She snickered. “Be safe.”
I dropped down into my own car and started it up, getting my seatbelt situated and putting it in reverse.
She backed out of her parking spot, and I followed her shortly after, taking a left when she took a right.
Normally I would’ve followed her all the way home, but today I was stopping by McDonald’s to get a ten-piece nugget meal. I’d been dreaming about it since lunchtime, and I had to have it.
And, since Hoax had informed me that he’d already had something to eat at the house, I felt no such compunction in eating what the hell I wanted.
Even if it was horrible for me.
Then again, if you couldn’t eat what the hell you wanted when you were pregnant, when could you?
I’d just taken the turn onto the side street that was nearly always deserted when I came to a halt.
She looked at me, her eyes soft and knowing. “You’re not getting out of Delta because of me or the babies,” she told me bluntly. “You need to get out because you want to. Because it’s your time to get out. Because that’s where you see our life moving toward. If you’re thinking on getting out because of me or the babies, don’t. I survived the last few months without you, and I think I can do it again. Will it be tough? Sure. Will I like it? No. Will I live? Yes.”
I pulled her to me and sank my face into the soft curve of her neck.
The position was awkward, being hunched over her, but the way she threw her arms around my neck made me want to stay there forever.
After a few long moments of standing there, I pulled my head back up and dropped a kiss onto her mouth. A kiss that quickly went from chaste to erotic in about two seconds flat.
It turns out that both of us were quite overexcited, and let’s just say that she was lucky that she came in about two seconds flat because I went in four.
Chapter 20
There are times I contemplate the cost/benefit ratio of shooting a man in cold blood.
-Text from Hoax to Pru
Hoax
Dropping her off the next morning was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do.
I wanted her to remain in my arms, snuggled under the most comfortable comforter ever, and stay there until our stomachs drove us from bed. And only then, I wanted to order a pizza and only put pants on long enough for me to pay and grab the pizza before I returned to the bed.
Being clean, and in my woman’s arms, was literally the only thing that I’d thought about when I wasn’t focusing on the mission.
Now that I had it back, I didn’t want to let it go.
Unfortunately, she had to go to work.
I also had a date. With her dad.
After our family dinner last night with her parents, uncles, multiple cousins, and grandfather, I’d gotten a summons from her father to meet him at his office once I’d dropped Pru off.
“It’ll be all right,” she pressed into me, her belly and her mouth the only thing touching me.
I pulled her in closer, loving the baby bump that pressed between us.
I’d never really given much thought to being a father.
I’d always assumed I would be, at some point in time, but I hadn’t really given much thought as to when I’d like this to happen. Seeing my teammates getting married slowly over the last few years, and then starting to have children, had really started to ease me into the idea of having that life for myself.
So when I’d found out from Pru that I was going to be a father, I hadn’t been nearly as freaked out as I would have been only a few years ago.
Her smile was big as she pulled away from my embrace.
“I really have to go,” she sighed. “I don’t want him to have a reason.”
We both knew who the ‘him’ was, and I didn’t like it one bit.
I hated that she had to work with that man, and that would be the first thing I brought up with her father—because I knew damn well and good that he didn’t like his wife nor his daughter working with the piece of shit.
“It’ll be okay,” she whispered, her nose coming back to touch mine. “Be good today. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled her back in for one more devastating kiss, and then relinquished her to Conleigh, who was waiting by the front entrance for her.
I waved at Conleigh, who waved back, and turned back to my truck.
Instead of driving back home to get my bike, I chose to drive my truck straight to her dad’s place.
Taking the turn out of the parking lot and onto the main road that would lead me all the way out of town and to the compound-like place that Free called home, I’d just started to accelerate when a familiar car took the corner to the hospital’s road on two wheels.
I braked hard due to the fact that he’d creeped into my lane as he’d lost control of his turn, and got a close up of Kelley flipping me off as he rushed by.
I gritted my teeth and clenched the muscles in my jaw, counting to ten before I started forward once again.
I would not kill him.
I would not kill him.
I would not kill him.
I kept repeating that mantra to myself as I drove, and was still saying it ten minutes later when I pulled into Free.
The gate was unlocked, and Jack waved me in and pointed to a building.
I drove to the building and parked, feeling out of place amongst all the motorcycles.
Wishing I had my bike, but glad that I didn’t since Kelley would’ve probably clobbered me to death this morning if I’d had it, I walked inside and stopped short when I saw all the people inside the building.
If I’d taken more time to pay attention to the bikes, I would’ve realized that the motorcycles were familiar ones.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t paid any attention, meaning I was blindsided when not just the men of Free were of attendance, but so were the men of the Bear Bottom Guardians.
Oh, and Carl.
I frowned. “What the fuck, Carl? Isn’t your wife looking forward to having you home?”
Carl grinned. “Actually, yes. I brought her with me. She’s currently scoping out the mall, buying shit we don’t need, and charging it on my credit card.”
I snorted and offered him my hand, following it up with Pru’s father and grandfather.
I received back slaps from a few of the others, but the rest of the MC hadn’t bothered to stand up when I’d arrived, choosing instead to eat the donuts and pastries that were in the middle of the large table that they were surrounding.
“Don’t say hi or anything,” I told them all.
Bayou shrugged, taking another bite of the pastry in his hand. “They’re good.”
Grinning, I looked over to Sam.
“I take it we’re not letting this go any longer?” I asked hopefully.
Sam grunted. “We’re not letting this go any longer.”
Chapter 21
Can February March? No, but April May.
-Text from Carl to Pru
Pru
“This was a good idea,” Conleigh said as we walked with each other to our cars. “Now we just need to finagle it so that we’re on the same shift.”
I grinned. “I know the girl that makes the schedules.”
She snorted and stopped at her truck door. “How long do you think he’ll let you drive that thing? Does it even have seatbelts?”
I looked at my car.
She was right.
It was old, and the seatbelts were all lap belts. There was nowhere to put a car seat in here unless I moved them to the front seat. Something I wouldn’t be doing.
“I have a feeling I’ll be making use of his truck soon,” I admitted. “He made the comment today as he dropped me off.”
She dropped her backpack into the back seat and slammed the door shut, then opened her door and climbed halfway in. “I’ll see you at the party tomorrow?”
The party was a club party that was being thrown in honor of Hoax making it back all in one piece. Honestly, I thought that the club wanted a reason to drink and be merry, and Hoax was as good excuse as any.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I’ll be there with bells on.”
She snickered. “Be safe.”
I dropped down into my own car and started it up, getting my seatbelt situated and putting it in reverse.
She backed out of her parking spot, and I followed her shortly after, taking a left when she took a right.
Normally I would’ve followed her all the way home, but today I was stopping by McDonald’s to get a ten-piece nugget meal. I’d been dreaming about it since lunchtime, and I had to have it.
And, since Hoax had informed me that he’d already had something to eat at the house, I felt no such compunction in eating what the hell I wanted.
Even if it was horrible for me.
Then again, if you couldn’t eat what the hell you wanted when you were pregnant, when could you?
I’d just taken the turn onto the side street that was nearly always deserted when I came to a halt.
