by T. O. Smith
Red went off the deep end, and he brought shit on this club all for power and money, almost got our father locked up. He even had a hand in killing our mother. Only for my dad, I hadn’t killed him, no matter how badly I wanted to.
Even though he was in the car with the drunk driver that hit our mom as she was crossing the street to the supermarket, dad found it in him to forgive Red.
But I couldn’t. I was a bit less bitter about it as time went on, but I could never forgive him for that shit.
After a moment, Adelaide was led over to a clear bassinet that literally looked like a fucking clear tote where a baby in a blue hat was swaddled in a hospital blanket. The nurse said something, and Adelaide nodded. She reached in and grabbed the little boy, cradling him against her chest, a small smile tilting her lips as she looked down at him.
A small smile twitched at my own lips.
Fuck, I couldn’t wait to see her holding our own kid.
Adelaide made a fucking stunning mother. It was a sight that would warm any cold man’s heart.
She stepped out of the nursery and walked over to us, the baby still cradled in her arms. His lips were slightly parted, his eyes closed as he slept peacefully in her arms. “Guys, meet Axel King Boris,” Adelaide announced, smiling down at the baby as she adjusted him to one arm, reaching up to rub her finger over his soft, chubby cheek.
Red shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve signed the necessary documents for you all to be given temporary custody of him. I’ll have a lawyer draw up the necessary documentation so you two can adopt him.”
I nodded at him, watching as he sauntered off back down the hallway, his back stiff. Adelaide watched him for a moment before she turned those beautiful, brown eyes to me, stepping closer to me as she did so. “Do you want to hold him?” She asked me softly.
I slowly reached out and took Axel from her, surprised at how light he was. I’d honestly never held a baby before, and I was almost thirty.
“The nurse said that he’s a little underweight, but otherwise he’s perfectly healthy, and we can take him home whenever we’re ready.” She informed me as she reached out to run her fingertips over his chubby cheeks.
He was perfect. I never thought that I would say that about anything that was a part of Red, but this little boy, with all of his little innocence – he was absolutely perfect.
Red had done the best thing for him by walking away. He would be raised in a loving family with a gentle, soothing mother.
I looked back down at Axel, blowing out a soft breath. Looks like I had a lot of shopping ahead of me – starting with a car seat – and a car for Adelaide.
■ ■ ■
Tristan and Jesup were gone when we got back to the clubhouse, and Sam informed me that they would be in touch to set up our first exchange. Good thing they were gone, too, because I didn’t want Adelaide having the added stress of them being here while she was trying to handle taking care of a newborn while still preparing for our own kid.
Tristan was toxic for her. But forcing her to never speak to him again – yeah, that was a fight that would not only cause her to walk away from me, but it would be a pointless one.
When she had gotten settled in with Axel, I had left Adelaide in the clubhouse with him with strict instructions to come get me out of the garage if she needed me, and now, four hours later, I was fucking tired, and I just wanted a hot shower and to crawl in bed with my woman.
As soon as I stepped into my room, I smiled at the sight in front of me. Adelaide was asleep on the bed, propped up the slightest bit on the pillows with Axel resting on his stomach on her chest, her arms protectively wrapped around him as they both peacefully slept.
That was an image I could definitely get used to seeing. Seeing Adelaide being a mom – fuck, it was a sexy as hell sight. I could watch her take care of Axel all day. She was a natural at it. Anyone looking at them would never even think Adelaide wasn’t his biological mother.
Turning on the lamp on my dresser, I cast the room in a soft orange glow, breathing a slight sigh of relief as Adelaide and Axel continued to sleep – not stirring the slightest bit.
Someone knocked softly on the door, and I yanked it open to find Reina on the other side, a baby bottle in her hand. Reina was a new girl to the club. She’d come to me, begging for sanctuary, saying someone from the bar had sent her here. So, I’d welcomed her in, though I knew that I made her nervous.
“Adelaide asked me to bring a bottle when it got to nine.” She explained, swallowing hard as she cast her eyes from me in submission.
Reina was new to the club still, and I knew that I intimidated her. In fact, I was pretty sure that this was the first time she had ever actually spoken to me outside of me laying down the ground rules for her when she first came to me for help, and I welcomed her into the club.
Something had happened to the woman, but I didn’t pry in people’s personal shit. All I did was offer protection and make sure no one harmed her again.
I took the bottle from her with a gruff thanks, remembering that Axel needed to eat every couple of hours since he was a newborn. I softly shut the door behind me, setting Axel’s bottle on the dresser, deciding to feed him after I got a quick shower so that Adelaide could continue to sleep.
Taking the quickest shower that I had in history, I quickly yanked on a pair of sweat pants before I quickly strode over to the bed. I grabbed the bottle off of the dresser on my way to the bed, preparing myself to wake Adelaide up. I gently shook her awake, not wanting to alarm her by trying to slide Axel out of her arms.
It hadn’t even been a full twelve hours since we’d brought him home, and she was already extremely protective of him.
She was a perfect mother, even if she didn’t realize it or believe it herself. Axel and our little one would be extremely lucky to have her to call Mom.
I just couldn’t wait to see what kind of mom she would be to her own flesh and blood if she was like this with Axel. But something told me that she would always treat Axel with the same love and attention that she would give our own baby.
She blinked up at me tiredly. “What’s wrong?” She asked softly.
“Give me Axel so that I can feed him,” I told her gently, reaching out to tuck some of her soft hair behind her ear.
She slowly released him, allowing me to grab him off of her chest. He whimpered in protest but quieted as soon as I brought him close to my chest, placing the bottle at his lips. He instantly latched on, his eyes never opening.
“Don’t forget to burp him.” Adelaide softly spoke up as she slid down the pillows so she was laying down flat on the bed, curling into a ball on her side as she quickly passed back out.
I gently sat on the bed, being careful not to jostle her. I then looked down at Axel, finding him already looking up at me as he drank from his bottle, his blue eyes – that strangely looked a hell of a lot like mine – locking on my face.
“That woman loves you like her own, kid,” I told him quietly. He ran his eyes over my face. “Even if your father didn’t want you, you’re always going to have a family,” I swore. “We will love you and take care of you just like the baby she’s currently pregnant with – the little one that will be your little sibling,” I whispered.
And he would always have a family with us. No matter what happened, Axel would always have a home – would always have people that he could rely on, no matter how old he got.
And knowing Adelaide, she would never turn her back on him, no matter what he may do when he got older. Her love was unconditional.
TWENTY
I pulled my phone out of my pocket as it began vibrating with a call, raising an eyebrow at the screen when I saw who was calling me.
Joey. I knew it was only a matter of time before he got word that Adelaide was with me. I’d just been waiting.
“Been a minute,” I said when I answered his call.
“How is she?” He asked, skipping the pleasantries. I knew right away that he was talk
ing about Adelaide. It didn’t take a rocket scientist. She was the only woman besides his sister that Joey cared about.
Adelaide was currently holding Axel as he drank the milk out of the bottle she was holding. Reina was sitting next to her, and both women were talking quietly amongst themselves. I smiled. It was nice to see Adelaide finally making a friend here, and it would honestly be good for Reina, too.
My lips tilted up a little more at the corners as her beautiful, dark eyes raised from Axel’s face and met mine. “She’s doing okay,” I told him. She arched an eyebrow at me in question before she turned her head back to Reina. “You’re more than welcome to come to see her if you want, but I’ve got some conditions.”
I trusted Joey around her. He’d changed – saw it when he saw her again a few months ago.
He was trying to be better – better for her.
“Name them.” He ordered.
This was what I liked and appreciated about Joey. He never beat around the bush. He didn’t play fucking games. If he wanted something, he normally got it. And I knew that where Adelaide was concerned, he would do whatever it took to make her happy.
And he knew the meaning of boundaries with her, something that Grim had never grasped when it came to her – never tried to, either.
“Hold on,” I told him as I moved outside where my conversation wouldn’t be overheard. I needed to inform him of her pregnancy before he got here, but I didn’t want anyone overhearing. Adelaide and I had both agreed that her pregnancy needed to be kept under wraps for as long as possible, at least until everyone here got used to her being around.
Once the clubhouse doors were shut behind me, and I was secluded, I began talking again. “She’s pregnant, and no one in my club knows except for Sam,” I informed him. “I want it to stay that way for right now because I’m pretty sure that I’ve got an inside problem.”
“Understood,” Joey stated, the only shock being revealed at the news of Adelaide’s pregnancy being his sharp intake of breath when I had first announced it.
“Tristan was just here yesterday, and he fucked her up pretty good when he tried to get her to take him back.” Joey softly growled. “If I hadn’t stopped her, she would have destroyed my fucking garage. I don’t want her that fucking worked up again. The second that I feel that you being here is fucking with her, I’ll boot you off of my grounds and out of my town.” I warned him. “She comes above all else.”
“Got it.” He told me. “You can trust me with her, River. I won’t do anything to hurt her – not anymore. Anything else?”
“Nope,” I told him. “You know how to handle her, so I’m pretty sure your visit will go well.”
“Ink and I will be there in a few hours.” He informed me before he cut the call.
I walked back into the clubhouse, finding Gregory and Adelaide in a heated argument as Axel cried against her chest. She was trying to get him to quiet down as Gregory got in her face.
My blood ran hot. “Shut that fucking baby up.” He snarled at her. “Some of us need fucking sleep, and your fucking brat is disturbing us.”
Adelaide tightened her hold on our little boy, her features twisting into a scowl as she lightly bounced Axel, quieting him almost instantly.
“He’s a baby, not a fucking brat.” Adelaide sneered at him. “Babies fucking cry, Gregory.”
“And he’s my fucking son, so if you’ve got a mother fucking problem, you take it up with me, not my fucking woman.” I barked, making my presence known. I walked up to them and wrapped an arm around Adelaide’s waist, protectively tugging her against my side, my eyes narrowed on Gregory.
He knew that he had fucked up. He’d let me catch him popping off at her after I had already warned him about his mouth around her.
Gregory clenched his jaw. “My bad, Prez.” He grumbled.
I gripped his shoulder before he could walk away and swung him back around to face me. I stepped around Adelaide and swung my other fist, clocking him across the face. He crashed against a couple of tables, sending them crashing down to the floor with him. A couple of the girls screamed in fear. Val quickly moved over towards us, ready to back me up if Gregory tried some stupid shit. It was why he was my Sergeant at Arms; he was always ready to protect his president.
I knelt over Gregory, gripping his cut in my fists as I hauled him up off of the floor, bringing his face close to my own. “This is your last warning, Gregory.” I quietly snarled. He nodded. “If I catch you disrespecting my woman again when you think I’m not around, I’ll cover these walls with your blood. You got me?” I threatened.
He nodded jerkily, knowing from experience not to take my threats lightly. I shoved him away from me, sending him crashing back against the floor. Drawing in a deep, calming breath, I turned to face Adelaide, finding Sam standing beside her, his hand on her shoulder, ready to move her out of the way had that situation escalated.
I ran my hand down my face tiredly, wiping away the anger that I felt as I did so. I wasn’t Tristan nor Joey; Adelaide would never be faced with my rage when my anger was for someone else. Even if I was furious with her, I wouldn’t raise my voice at her. I would always do my damnest to be reasonable with her.
“I’m going out to the garage for a little while,” I informed Adelaide. There was no fear in her eyes, just concern for me. And I loved that about her. She was perfect for me – able to stand by my side as I wreaked destruction. “Remember, if you need me, come get me. And if Gregory or anyone else starts any shit with you, let me know.” I ordered.
She reached up with her free hand, rubbing the slight stubble along my jawline. “Grab a beer out of the fridge while you’re on your way out.” She instructed quietly. “You look like you need it.”
I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, not missing the way she softly sighed against my lips. I moved my head so my lips were at her ear, my stubble rubbing against her cheek. “A beer for now, but later tonight, I want you bent over my bed with those thick thighs spread as I fuck you hard from behind,” I whispered huskily, nipping her ear lobe as she moaned softly at my words.
I stood back up to my full height, smirking at her flushed face. I reached up and rubbed her bottom lip gently, watching as she slightly parted her lips on a soft sigh, those pretty brown eyes practically begging me to fuck her.
Dammit, my cock was hard as fuck for her.
Shaking my head with a smirk, I stepped back from her and strode to the kitchen to grab a few beers because after that little moment with her, I was going to need a hell of a lot more than just one.
■ ■ ■
I stepped out of my room in a fresh pair of jeans and a blue and black flannel shirt rolled up to my elbows, my cut on over it. I found Adelaide making drinks with Reina, teaching the newer girl the ropes of mixing drinks. Adelaide laughed when Reina muttered something, her brown eyes lighting up with amusement.
Fucking perfect.
I stepped up to the bar, drawing Adelaide’s eyes to me. I reached over to wrap my hand around the back of her neck, drawing her lips to mine for a hot, slow kiss.
I was so fucking addicted to her. It was hard as fuck to keep my hands off of her.
When I pulled back, her eyes were slightly glazed over. She blew out a shaky breath as she locked her eyes on mine. “You have got to stop doing that to me, especially when I’m trying to help someone.” She said, but there was a smile on her lips.
I smirked at her. “What’s the fun in that?” I teased her.
She rolled her eyes, but there was a beautiful smile on her face. Her eyes flickered over my shoulder as the clubhouse doors opened. I turned around and saw Sam letting in Joey and Ink.
Adelaide squealed and ran around the bar. I grinned, loving how happy she looked at that moment. I knew she would always love Joey, but as I told her, as long as she continued to live for me, I didn’t care how much she loved him.
She launched herself at Joey, and he caught her, his back slamming against the wall as she locked
her arms and legs around him, her shoulders shaking as she began to cry. He released a soft laugh as he locked his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. I smiled, loving how beautiful she looked when she was properly being loved.
How she should have been loved all along.
Surprisingly, there wasn’t any jealousy in my veins as I watched Joey settle in a chair in a dark corner. He nodded once at me before he focused his attention on the beautiful, crying woman in his arms.
He’d take care of her, and I was secure enough in my relationship with her to know that she wouldn’t be leaving me nor cheating on me.
Those two just had something together that would rip them both apart if they were separated.