“Texas, something doesn’t feel right,” I said.
“Trust me, if something was up, I’d already know about it,” he said.
“What if Jett doesn’t bring her back?”
Texas’ nostrils flared. “If he doesn’t, he’ll be on the run for the rest of his life. Because the entirety of the crew will be after him. For good.”
The fact that Texas looked worried didn’t help at all. In fact, it only reinforced the worry that bubbled in my gut. I looked at the clock just as it struck seven before I dashed over to the window. I peeked out from beyond the curtain, looking up and down the road for any sign of her. Any sign of Jett and Keva.
But I didn’t even hear so much as his fucking engine roaring.
“Texas,” I breathed.
“I’m calling Stone right now,” he said.
Tears crested my eyes as he stepped out of the kitchen. I unlocked the door and threw it open. Consequences be damned. I didn’t know if I had fucking hickies on my neck or anything like that. All I wanted was my daughter back in my arms. My stomach rolled over in on itself. My hands shook. I heard Texas murmuring down the hallway and I wanted to scream at him to tell me what in God’s great creation was going on.
Then, I felt his hand come down onto my shoulder.
“Stone says they’re two miles out. Headed this way now. According to Bronx, they sat in Jett’s car to eat ice cream instead of driving while eating it,” he said.
I could have cried tears of joy the second I heard Jett’s car revving off in the distance.
“That’s them!” I exclaimed.
I tore away from Texas’ hand and went dashing out into the driveway. I wanted to scoop Keva into my arms and bring her back inside as quickly as possible. I didn’t give a damn about the ice cream. About the sugar rush I’d have to deal with. All I cared about was getting my daughter back in one piece.
And when I heard that sweet voice of my daughter’s hit my ears, every part of me relaxed instantly.
“Mommy! Guess what? Daddy took me to the zoo, and we saw ‘pudgins,’” Keva said.
“She can’t say ‘puffins,’” Jett said.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m so glad you’re home. Did you have a good time?” I asked.
“Daddy let me have ice cream, too,” Keva said.
“Didn’t have time to feed her. We stayed too long at the zebra exhibit,” Jett said.
I held her close as Jett approached me. I saw Texas posture on the porch, his hands clenching at his sides. Jett stepped in front of me, blocking my view of that man on the porch. And his kind smile turned sinister as Keva dug herself into the crook of my neck.
“I don’t appreciate having a gaggle of goons on my tail the whole time,” he murmured.
I glared at him as I clung to Keva tighter.
“But it won’t be like that forever. So, don’t worry about it,” he whispered.
“What did Daddy say?” Keva asked.
“He said he really enjoyed his day with you and that he loves you,” I said breathlessly.
Jett’s smile was positively maniacal. It made me sick to my stomach. He ripped his door open and dipped into his car, then squealed out of my driveway. I shook in the middle of my driveway as he rushed off. I looked up the street and saw the glimmer of my brother’s chrome-laced bike. In the shadows, I saw the outline of his body. I’d gotten used to searching for it for the better part of my adult life. He nodded at me before he struck up his bike, then rode off in the direction Jett took.
But Jett’s words swirled through my mind.
It won’t be like that forever.
What did he mean by that?
“Are you okay, Ella?” Texas asked.
“Tex!” Keva exclaimed.
She launched her body at him, and he caught her as chuckles fell from his lips.
“Looks like someone’s had dessert before dinner,” Texas said.
“Daddy said I could.”
“Well, how about we get in here and get you some real food, yeah?” he asked.
“Will you eat, too?” Keva asked.
“Oh, I’m always eating. You don’t have to worry about that,” he said.
“I meant ‘wif’ me, silly billy.”
“My name’s Billy now?” he asked.
I giggled as him and my daughter went back and forth. He carried her into the house and set her down at the kitchen table before he went to work in the kitchen. Keva curled up at my side as Texas threw together breakfast for dinner. He cooked up bacon and pancakes. He chopped up some fruit and scrambled some eggs. He put extra cheese in them just for Keva, then started a pot of coffee for myself and him.
We all sat and ate as a family. And it was the first time in years, I’d actually enjoyed that dynamic.
I cleaned up from dinner while Keva dragged Texas into her bathroom. I heard him drawing her a bath and splashing around in the bubbles. I heard him making up some song to calm her down while he washed her hair. I even heard him arguing with her playfully on which pajamas would be the warmest for her to wear. I inched my way down the hallway and peeked in to look upon the scene. Texas picked my daughter up and tossed her into bed, her blonde curls bouncing and flying away as she laughed out loud. He tucked her in tight and even read her a bedtime story, keeping her close and being the protective man, I was coming to know him to be.
The entire scene warmed my heart as Keva fell asleep against him.
He looked up at me and smiled before he inched his way out of her bed. He kissed Keva’s forehead and put the book on her bedside table, then slid out into the hallway. He closed the door and looked down at me, his eyes dancing between mine.
“Are you okay, Ella?” he asked.
“I am now,” I whispered.
I reached up and cupped his cheek, his stubble raking across my palm. He nuzzled into my hand before wrapping his grip around my wrist, then turned and kissed my skin. Goosebumps fled down my arm as my body came alive again, like I hadn’t just spent hours indulging every divot and swell of his body.
“Goodnight,” he murmured.
And with an aching heart, I watched him walk into the guest bedroom.
Tears rushed my eyes as he closed the door. My gut clenched when the sound of the lock flipping occurred, too. I stumbled into my bedroom, my entire body shaking as the weariness of the day finally broke my dam. I managed to get my door closed before I fell to the floor, collapsing in a fit of sobs.
I pressed my hands into my face to muffle them so I wouldn’t bother Texas.
I wanted him with me. I wanted him in my bed. I wanted him as Keva’s father instead of that asshole I had married. I had ruined my life. I had ruined my daughter’s. And I felt like I was ruining Texas’. He was stuck in some house with some girl he had to protect that wasn’t even his.
That couldn't be his.
“Oh, God,” I breathed through my sobs.
I drew in a shaky breath as I laid down onto the floor, curling up and letting the tears flow freely. I had no idea when shit had gotten so complicated, but I was ready for it all to be over.
I was ready for Jett to be gone so I could live my life without looking over my shoulder. I was ready for Texas to be gone so I wouldn't be constantly reminded of a life I couldn't have. I wanted the crew to be off my ass so I could piece myself back together and I wanted Stone to stop sticking his nose in every little damn thing I did with my world.
I just wanted it all to stop.
No matter how it all got stopped.
18
Texas
I sighed as I sat out on the porch waiting for Stone. After tucking Keva in and forcing myself to pull away from Ella, I paged Stone to figure out what the fuck was going on. And I didn’t like what he had to stay. After dropping Keva off, Jett apparently went back to the storage unit. So, Stone got to break in and look around himself. He shot me pictures of things that had appeared since I’d last been there. A pick-axe. More bottles of bleach. A canister of lye and another
body bag.
I didn’t like how this was panning out.
So, once we both knew the girls were out for the night, I stepped out onto the porch to wait for him. I had two beers waiting for us to drink while we figured out what the fuck we were supposed to be doing about all this. Now that the court date had come and gone and we knew the authorities wouldn't step it, it was time for us to take matters into our own hands.
Like the Lost Boys always did when the authorities couldn't.
I heard the roar of Stone’s motorcycle come around the corner. I saw him riding down the road as he eased off the gas. His motor puttered as he coasted into the driveway, then turned everything off. He eyed me hotly as he slid his helmet off. His leather jacket practically screamed for mercy as it pulled against the muscles, I knew he’d been blasting in the fucking gym trying to let all this pent-up stress out.
I could only hope he never figured out how I was relieving my stress.
“That for me?” he asked.
I handed him the glass bottle silently before he fell into the chair next to me. He put the bottle between his teeth and snapped the metal cap off, then spat it out into his hand. I grimaced as I took a swig from mine. I had no idea how the fuck Stone did that shit with his mouth and still managed to have a gleaming white smile.
I could only imagine how large his dental bills were.
“The girls asleep?” he asked.
“Fast asleep for three hours now,” I said.
“You sure?”
I slowly panned my eyes over to him. “Yeah, Stone. I’m sure.”
“How? You go creepin’ into their rooms?”
“I’m gonna wring your fucking neck if—”
He held up his hand, stopping my sentence in its tracks. I took another long pull from my beer and let Stone have his little fun yanking me around in his damn chain. I rocked slowly in the chair, staring out into the road. Keeping my ears peeled for any sounds that could denote that someone was at the house. In the backyard. Out in the woods and looking in.
I was always on alert when it came to Ella and Keva.
“We can’t wait around for Jett to do something,” I said.
“My sentiments exactly,” Stone grumbled.
“He’s building a fucking arsenal. And I don’t like the fact that he’s got two body bags now.”
“I should’ve laid them out side by side for you.”
“Why?”
Stone’s eyes finally met mine, and there was nothing but darkness in his eye sockets.
“One’s smaller than the other,” he said flatly.
My skin crawled. “You’re fuckin’ with me.”
“I wish I was.”
“Stone, this is out of control. He’s got the damn courts in his pockets. They aren’t gonna do anything,” I said.
“I know.”
“We have to find a way to get rid of Jett. Permanently.”
And finally, I saw that grin bloom on Stone’s face. I was talking his language, and he loved it.
“Whatcha got in mind?” he asked.
“Not what you’ve got in mind, obviously.”
“You’re not fun.”
“I mean we could put him away. Use irrefutable evidence that would slam him behind bars. Like planting drugs in his house or implicating him in a murder. I mean, hell, he’s got the damn storage locker to send him away for years,” I said.
“That would grant Ella full custody. No man in prison can have custody of his kid,” he said.
“We just have to figure out how to set him up.”
Stone drained his beer before shaking his head.
“What? What does hell does that mean?” I asked.
“After this last court case, I know he’s got friends in the justice department. We set him up for something, he gets off somehow. I don’t know if he’s payin’ ‘em or blowin’ ‘em, but he’s doing something. We had plenty enough evidence for at least a temporary restraining order last week. The fact that he still got off blows my fucking mind,” Stone said.
“It’s still worth a shot.”
“Not if Jett takes that shit and turns around to implicate one of us, it isn’t.”
Shit. I hadn’t even thought about that.
“What if I did it?” I asked.
“Did what?”
“What if I planted the shit on Jett and made a pact to take the fall if he tried to turn it around on us?” I asked.
Stone furrowed his brow. “Why the hell you willing to risk prison for Ella for?”
I had the perfect opening to tell him everything. To finally be honest with the man I called my brother and meant it. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to fill him in on the fact that I was falling for his sister. But I didn’t know how Stone would react, and this family had enough going on. They didn’t need me throwing in some pathetic bone into an already fiery mix of bullshit.
Plus, I didn’t know how Ella felt. For all I knew, she was only using me as an outlet for all this stress. I mean women had hookups, too. They had needs they went out and fulfilled. For all I knew, I was a means to an end for her as well.
And after all this was done, then we were done.
Was all that worth blowing up my friendship with Stone?
I shrugged. “Just worried about all this shit. You need someone to take the fall, that’s why I’m the V.P.”
Stone didn’t say anything for a minute. He simply ran his eyes along my body before leaning back into his chair. He rocked back and forth for a moment, sighing and gathering his thoughts.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall of his mind right now.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure out a way to protect Ella and Keva that doesn't involve any of us going to jail,” Stone said.
“Well, we need to do something. And soon. Because this shit is getting out of control and someone’s going to get hurt.”
“The only one getting hurt is Jett. Once I can get a plan in place, we’ll call church.”
And with that, he pushed out of his chair and started for his bike.
I sat there on the porch and waited until he was gone. Down the road. Out of sight. I drew in a few deep breaths before picking up the two beer bottles, then I pushed my way back into the house.
And I found Ella standing in the kitchen. Right next to the doorway.
I closed the door behind me as she looked up at me. Her eyes danced between mine as I tossed the beer bottles into the trash can. She had this look of curiosity and understanding. Like a revelation had hit her and she wasn’t sure what to do with it. I tried to ignore it as I locked the front door. I turned off the porch light and even the kitchen light to try and signal that it was time for us to get back to bed.
And in the silent darkness, Ella began asking questions.
“Why is a man like you single, Texas?”
I froze, feeling her hand pressing against my arm. Willing me to stay. Begging me to, in fact.
“Just am,” I said.
“You’ve never been interested in anyone? At all?” she asked.
I snickered. “I have, but it usually never works out.”
“Why not?”
I shrugged. “Just doesn’t. I’m usually passed over, like I was in the foster care system. Plus, I haven’t found the right woman for me yet. I don’t want to settle down with just anyone, and I’m not willing to settle until I find it.”
She paused. “Have you ever thought about having a family? Or kids of your own, maybe?”
“I’d love to have kids sometime. When the time is right.”
“Is it…?”
She cut off her question, and I knew exactly what she was doing. What was going on in her mind. She had heard the conversation outside, and she was trying to figure out the same thing Stone was. Her hand tightened around my arm, like she just knew I was about to walk away from her. I bristled in all the right ways because of it. The warmth of her hand had me by my balls and the insistent softness of her questions had my mind swirli
ng. What did she think of the conversation? Did she like it?
Did she like the idea of me protecting her?
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“I’m just… worried about the future,” Ella said.
“There’s no reason for you to worry about something like that. I’m going to make sure you and Keva are safe. No matter what that means for me.”
“But… why?”
The question was so soft, I almost didn’t hear it. Her words were so breathless that the darkness almost swallowed them whole. I slipped away from her grasp and took her hand within mine. I pulled her into my body, then wrapped my arms around her and held her close. I kissed the top of her head, feeling her melt into me. Her cheek sank into my chest and her fingers curled into my back, holding me as close as she could get me.
“Because you’re special, Ella. You and Keva both are,” I murmured.
I crooked my finger underneath her chin and slowly pulled her gaze up to meet mine. All I saw in the darkness of her kitchen was that beautiful, bold stare of hers. A tear dripped from her jawline to my hand, so I slid my knuckles softly against her skin. I felt her flinch, and that one soft motion was enough to fill me with the bluntest anger I’d ever swallowed in my entire life.
Jett had scared her, but no more.
This wasn’t happening any longer in her world.
“I’ll always keep you safe,” I whispered.
I led her lips to mine and felt those soft pillows of hers fall into me. Her body shivered as her arms threaded around my neck and I let my hands slide down her sides. The soft kiss tilted her head to the side and her tongue slid across my lips. Begging me to let her in. Needing me to let her in.
And that’s exactly what I did.
I cupped her ass cheeks and backed her through the kitchen. I fisted them and picked her up before walking down the hallway. I walked by the bullshit door of the guest bedroom and headed straight for her room as her lips kissed down my cheek.
Down my neck.
The Lost Boys MC Series: Books 1-4 Page 12