I reached over to thread my fingers through his beard, tugging him closer. When his lips were pressed to mine, I spoke softly against them. “I didn’t plan on you either, but I love you just the same.”
When we broke apart, I knew I needed answers to something. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he replied.
“Is there anything going on between you and Raiven? Or was there?” My heart raced as I waited. Part of me didn’t really want the answer, but I needed to know.
His eyes fell shut and for a moment, I wanted to tell him not to answer. When they opened, I nearly drown in their bright blue depths.
“No. There was never anything between us. At one time I really believed I had feelings for her.” He paused, and my heart ached at his words. “I’ve come to realize what I felt for her was merely infatuation brought on by the trauma we shared. I think I latched onto her because she was a tie to my brother when he went missing. She became my reason to exist when I thought we’d never find him.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I voiced what everyone had to have noticed. “We look like we could be sisters. Is that why you love me?”
“Fuck,” he whispered as he closed his eyes. When he next looked at me, those beautiful blues were filled with pleading. “I’m not going to lie. At first it was a big draw. Back then I thought I loved her but she belonged to my brother.”
His words hurt. I swallowed hard. “And now?”
“Baby, she doesn’t hold a candle to you. While you may have similarities, I barely notice them anymore. No one can compare to you. You’re one of a kind. You’re mine. I love you because you’re you.”
A tear slipped down my cheek that he caught with a fingertip. “I’m so sorry. Don’t cry, baby,” he begged, voice hoarse.
“No. Don’t be. They’re happy tears. I love you, Jaxon.”
Relief in his eyes, he leaned in. First, he kissed the trail of my tears. Then, he brushed over my lips. I tilted my head to grant him access, as my hand caressed his jaw.
Filled with hope for our future, we kissed longingly as our son batted at our chins.
I was nervous as fuck. What if I’d fucked up?
“You ready to go?” I poked my head in Tristan’s bedroom. He still had a few boxes we needed to unpack, but it could wait. We’d only moved into our new home a week ago.
“Yeah. I’m getting Tristan’s clothes changed. Can you grab his bag?” She looked over her shoulder from where she leaned over into the crib.
“Da!” Tristan yelled as he flailed arms that Avery was trying to get into his shirt. I chuckled. He would be a year old next month and he was turning out to be a little hellion like I was. His cute looks got him out of a lot of trouble too. Mom was quick to point out that the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
After I’d grabbed the bag, I turned to see Tristan walking down the hall with his chubby hands held in his mother’s. “Da!”
“Hey, little man!” I crouched down when they were within a few feet of me. Avery worked her fingers free, and I held my hands out. He stood there uncertainly for a moment. Then he reached out his hands and leaned toward me. When he realized I was slightly out of reach, he took a tentative step, then dove for me.
“He walked!” I said excitedly. Avery laughed.
“Not quite, but he’s trying,” she said through her smile.
“Hmpf! Don’t listen to Mommy,” I said in his ear as I scooped him up. “I saw you walking.”
He slapped my cheeks and pressed an open-mouthed, slobbery kiss on my mouth. Then he shouted “Da!” again.
“Let’s go, you two,” she said with a giggle and went into the garage to get in her SUV. She’d bought it after her first paycheck. Granted, she wasn’t making a killing working for the state, but it wasn’t chump change either. I was so fucking proud of her. Now I was back in school finishing up my paramedic studies. Thankfully, I’d gotten an EMT position that allowed me to go to school while I worked. They were even paying for the training, though I could’ve afforded it.
I buckled Tristan in, gave him a kiss, then ruffled his hair. Once he was settled, I went to her door.
“Meet me at the clubhouse?” I leaned in to steal a kiss, and she moaned. As I broke free, I chuckled. “I’m gonna tear that ass up tonight.”
“Promise?” She gave me a smirk that promised it was going to be a good night. I hoped my surprise didn’t change that.
“Promise,” I said, then went out the garage door to get on my bike. I backed out of the driveway and waited for her to back out and close the garage door before I headed out. Periodically, I checked to be sure she was safely behind me. Though I tried not to smother her, I worried when she was out of my sight.
Thankfully, Leon, also known as Rebound, had died in the building he’d meant to blow us up in. It didn’t mean I didn’t still worry about her, because we still didn’t know who all he may have been working with. Maybe no one, but that wasn’t a chance I was willing to take with my family.
When I pulled up and parked at the end of the long line of bikes, I looked up to watch Avery park. I saw the surprised look on her face when she saw how many bikes were there. Fortifying myself for what I knew was going to happen, I got off my bike and went to help her.
“Who’s here?” she asked as she climbed out. I was already unbuckling Tristan.
“Some of the brothers from down south,” I said vaguely. She frowned a moment, but I kissed her to distract her. “Come on, babe, let’s go inside. Everyone’s waiting.”
We stepped inside, and there was a chorus of shouts that went out in greeting. My eyes locked on the president of the chapter visiting. His light-colored eyes held mine steadily. Avery took Tristan and went to go see the other ol’ ladies.
I greeted my brothers, with Lock being last. “You sure this was the way to do this?” he asked in my ear.
Stepping back, I ran a nervous hand through my hair. “No, but too late now.”
He raised his brows and bit his lip. I rolled my eyes.
Everyone visited for a bit, then we got our plates. I helped Avery get hers since she was getting Tristan situated in a highchair at the end of the table we were sitting at. Once she sat down, I sat next to her and set our plates down. She gave me an odd look, because I usually sat across from her.
She’d taken a bite of her fried chicken when Morte sat across from her. His light eyes studied her, and she fidgeted. “Do I know you?” she finally asked with a curious smile.
“No.” His answer was short, but he cleared his throat. “I’m Morte—president of the chapter in the valley.”
“Hello, Morte, I’m Avery, Jax, uh… Gunny’s ol’ lady.” She’d taken to calling me Jax or Jaxon unless we were around the club, so she briefly stuttered over my name. I thought it was cute; she blushed.
He took a deep breath and pushed his salt and pepper hair out of his eyes. “Your mama was Claudine, went by Cici. Right?”
Avery froze. Her fork was partway to her mouth, and her eyes were downcast. She set the fork down without taking the bite, but her eyes remained downcast. “How do you know my mother?” she whispered as her nostrils flared.
“Maybe it’s not important how I knew her, but rather what I never knew.” His answer was evasive, and I held my breath as he huffed out a heavy one.
“What does that mean?” Her eyes shot to his. He rubbed a hand nervously across his mouth, then dropped it to the table to fidget with his fork. I’d never seen the man as anything but a beast. To see him nervous was mind blowing.
“Avery, I have reason to believe I’m your father,” he finally said in a low voice. She immediately went to jump up. I placed a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to sit back down.
“Hear him out, baby. Please?” I pleaded with her.
She took a stuttering breath. “Say what you have to say. But don’t expect it to change anything. You didn’t want me, and my life was fucking hell with that woman. She was finally arrested for meth
and prostitution, but I was terrorized by the raid on my home. I was six years old. I still have nightmares from it. Then I went through a different kind of hell in foster care thanks to the people who were supposed to be protecting me. I won’t even tell you the unspeakable things I’ve endured throughout my life. So you deciding to pop into my life now that I’m grown isn’t going to change anything.” Her jaw clenched when she was done.
He winced and swallowed hard. “I didn’t know about you.”
She started to protest, and I placed a comforting hand on her forearm.
“Your mother came to the club claiming she was pregnant. She, uh, used to hang out there a lot,” he started.
“You mean she was a club whore, right?” was her no-nonsense response.
“I—well, yes, but…” he sighed. “Anyway, she wanted money. When our president at the time told her he wasn’t giving her a penny until he knew the baby was one of ours, she lost her shit and started going crazy. Broke shit, screaming—nuts. She told him to fuck off and that she was having an abortion and that I’d have to deal with it the rest of my life. I wasn’t there. I was on an out-of-state run. When I got back, she had disappeared, and so Rocky, the prez at the time, didn’t want to cause trouble. He didn’t say anything. I was only nineteen. He thought it would drive me crazy since he couldn’t find your mother and she’d said she was aborting you anyway. Turns out she had given us a fake name when she hung out at the club, because she was underage and knew we didn’t condone that. Anyway, I’m rambling. The fact of the matter is, I didn’t know about any of it until your ol’ man here started looking into everything for you after he found out your father was a Demented Son. Rocky is retired now, but he verified everything when Gunny started looking into it. There are several chapters down there, so he had some digging to do. Not a lot of the current members were around when she came in that day, so no one knew but Rocky and Bull, the VP. Bull is in Louisiana now. Basically, it was a giant fucking mess.”
He paused, looking uncomfortable as fuck. Avery was breathing heavily and clutching her napkin tight in her hand. Finally, she stiltedly asked, “So you didn’t know about me at all?”
“On my padre’s soul, I didn’t know. I know this has to be a lot to take in, trust me, it was for me too. All the years I missed—the things I could’ve prevented. I’ll take a paternity test if you want, but you look so much like my sister….” If I was a betting man, I’d say tears hovered in his eyes before he blinked them away. “Anyway, I’d like to get to know you. And the bebé, if you’ll let me.”
Silence reigned for a long time, until Tristan threw peas and they landed in Morte’s beard. Against all of our wills, laughter snuck out. Avery quickly sobered. Then she looked up at the man she now knew was her father.
“I have an aunt?” she whispered, then bit her lip and sniffled. I entwined my fingers with hers.
“Yes. And five uncles and a grandmother,” he softly replied.
A gasp escaped her, and tears dripped from her expressive stormy eyes.
A slow, small smile began to emerge through her tears.
“I don’t expect you to call me Dad, since I’ve probably lost that right, but I pray one day you may call me friend,” he offered. She didn’t reply, just nodded. Then my wonderful, amazing woman reached across the table to lay her free hand on his that still clutched his fork.
I grinned and nodded. “Let’s eat.”
Avery rolled her eyes at me and sniffled as she began to eat too.
“Da!” Tristan shouted. I looked up in time to catch a pea in the eye.
“Tristan!” I growled. His eyes went wide, and he looked to Avery.
“Ma-ma!” he shouted.
Avery’s eyes went wide, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. “He said Mama,” she gasped.
“Little shit knows how to wrap women around his finger already,” I muttered.
Everyone laughed.
“Like father, like son,” said Avery in my ear before she kissed my cheek.
The End
I pray I didn’t disappoint you with Gunny! The Demented Sons Texas has come to its conclusion. Okay, for now. Shhhh! Stay tuned for updates. I have a new series coming up for those of you who love a good sports romance. I’m also working on Voodoo, my contribution to the Royal Bastards MC world.
Kristine’s Street Team! Here’s your shout out! Y’all mother-freaking rock! Especially my top promoters, Whynter Raven, Pam Schultz and Stracey Ishwar. You ladies go above and beyond for my books and cannot thank you enough. All the love to you!
To the incredible authors in my circle, you have been lifesavers and that’s why I dedicated this book to you. For all the moments I stole from you with my questions—I thank you. You are AMAZING! I’ve been so very blessed to have you all in my tribe.
Olivia, as always, you are amazing. Even though you’ve ruined reading for me, I love you to pieces! Thank you for calling me on my crap, questioning my words, and then taking those words and polishing them until they shine. My books wouldn’t be what they are by the time they hit the readers’ hands without you!
Penny. My beautiful forever friend. Thank you for always believing in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. <3 Every time I tell you how good things are going and you tell me you’re not surprised, I want to cry. Your faith in me is humbling.
Lisa and Brenda, y’all are the bomb and I cannot thank you enough for your support, advice, and friendship. To think it all started with a lunch born from the love of books. 2020 Book Signing Events, here we come!
Clarise Tan, once again, you’ve created a masterpiece! All I have to do is describe what my vision is, and you make it happen. With the help of Marcus Sjöfjord’s fantastic image of himself, we made magic. Marcus, thank you for blessing me with your beautiful image for this cover! I still can’t believe you agreed to it. ☺
Stacey of Champagne Book Designs, I continue to stand by my assessment—you are a goddess. You make my books stunning once the reader cracks the pages. Every single time, you amaze me with your beautiful formatting. Thanks bunches, and one day we’re having champagne on the beach! Maybe at Shameless this year?
Ladies of Kristine’s Krazy Fangirls, you guys are a riot! I thank you for your comments, your support, and your love of books. Come join us if you’re not part of the group www.facebook.com/groups/kristineskrazyfangirls
As I often do, I have found a way to spin the military into the storyline. I feel compelled to do this often because the military has had such a huge impact on my life. From being a military brat to a military spouse and working as a nurse in the military system. With that being said, my last-but-never-least is a massive thank you to America’s servicemen and women who protect our freedom on a daily basis. They do their duty, leaving their families for weeks, months, and years at a time, without asking for praise or thanks. I would also like to remind the readers that not all combat injuries are visible, nor do they heal easily. These silent, wicked injuries wreak havoc on their minds and hearts while we go about our days completely oblivious. Thank you all for your service.
Demented Sons Series—Iowa
Colton’s Salvation
Mason’s Resolution
Erik’s Absolution
Kayde’s Temptation
Straight Wicked Series
Make Music With Me
Snare My Heart
No Treble Allowed
String Me Up
Demented Sons Series—Texas
Lock and Load
Styx and Stones
Smoke and Mirrors
Jax and Jokers
Coming Soon!
The Iced Series
Voodoo: Royal Bastards Ankeny Chapter (June 9, 2020)
Kristine Allen lives in beautiful Central Texas with her adoring husband. They have four brilliant, wacky, and wonderful children. She is surrounded by twenty-six acres, where her five horses, four dogs, and five cats run the place. Kristine realized her dream of becoming a contemporary romanc
e author after years of reading books like they were going out of style and having her own stories running rampant through her head. She works as a night shift nurse, but in stolen moments, taps out ideas and storylines until they culminate in characters and plots that pull her readers in and keep them entranced for hours.
If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review on the sales channel of your choice, www.goodreads.com, allauthor.com, bookbub.com, or your review platform of choice, to share your experience with other interested readers. Thank you! <3
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Jax and Jokers: A Demented Sons MC Texas Novel Page 24