His Promise

  Rocco’s eyes widened and he squeezed her hand in his. “It’s alright.”

  “It is?”

  “Meish felt like family for a long time, he gave me and Clyde a good living, and something to fill a part of.” Rocco leaned forward and hook his finger underneath her chin, “But the man that played all of the things that happened to you and Becca, that’s not the guy that I know. The guy that I knew had integrity. You killed a son of a bitch, that’s who you killed.”

  Hailey nodded and sat back in her chair. She sniffled and said, “I told the cops that Meish was forcing you and Clyde to be a part of my kidnapping. I got my Dad to go along with it, he was willing to help after he found out that you were the father of my baby.”

  Rocco nodded. “That’s good.”

  Hailey lifted her butt off of the chair and reached into her back pocket. She withdrew a pair of keys and dangled them in front of Rocco. “He also gave me these. He knows that there might be someone looking to avenge Meish over the next few weeks, so he’s given us access to his safehouse so that you can rest up and keep us safe.”

  Rocco chuckled and said, “I’ve never met a guy that was so nice to his daughter’s kidnapper.”

  Hailey shrugged and said, “He even offered to let you join his crew, he said that it sounded like you had some real integrity.”

  Rocco shook his head. “I want to keep my head clear of the motorcycle business for a while. I need time to think about my next move.”

  There was a sharp knock on the open door of the hospital room. Rocco and Hailey turned their heads towards the doctor. He was taller than Rocco, and sported silver hair on the sides of his head. His cheeks and upper lip were hairless, and he reminded Rocco of an old doctor that he’d been to as a kid.

  The doctor smiled and said, “How are we feeling?”

  Hailey pointed at the doctor and turned her head towards Rocco. “This is Dr. Howell. He’s been looking after you since you’ve been shot.”

  Dr. Howell shook his head and said, “No, Hailey’s been looking after you far more than I have. I’ve just been popping in and out to make sure that your stitches haven’t become infected. How does it feel to be among the living again, Rocco?”

  Rocco shook his head and said, “Not as good as you’d think. Every muscle hurts.”

  Dr. Howell nodded and said, “That’s to be expected, just a little stiffness from lying in bed. Your body took pretty big hit when you hit the ground as well, but I see that the swelling has gone down.” Dr. Howell moved over to Rocco and pressed his index fingers against his temple. He tilted Rocco’s head to the left, then to the right, and said, “Looks pretty good. How does that arm feel?”

  Rocco grimaced as he attempted to move it. His fingers twitched but the rest of the muscles in his arms howled in protest at his attempt to move too fast. “It could be better. When can I leave? I know that I’ll probably heal better if I’m not stuck in a hospital all day.”

  Hailey rolled her eyes and said, “I think that he thinks he’s too tough to stay in the hospital.”

  Dr. Howell chuckled and said, “I understand. If you promise to take it pretty easy, we can get you out of here in a sling this afternoon,” he turned to Hailey and said, “Of course, we’ll have you on some pretty powerful pain meds. He probably won’t make much sense if you get him talking.”

  Hailey jumped to her feet and said, “How does that sound, Rocco? I can get you signed out and we can get to the safe—to my dad’s other property.”

  Rocco nodded and curled his fingers around the threads of the hospital blanket. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter 28

  Hailey twisted the key in the lock and pushed the heavy wooden door open. Rocco’s eyes flew around the room that they stepped into and he said, “You never mentioned that your Dad lived like someone out of a sitcom.”

  Hailey rolled her eyes as Rocco shut the door behind them. They stepped inside of the foyer of the house. Hailey’s father had acquired this property when she was in her late teens. While he never had any desire to live in anything but an apartment in Chicago, Hailey suspected that he bought this place so that he didn’t have to feel like his life was standing still when he found out that Anna had purchased a brownstone in New York. To Hailey, there couldn’t have been a man that was less domestic, but he liked to put on a show if someone would believe it.

  Hailey inhaled, and embraced the crisp air that filled her lungs. The windows must have been left open. However, she supposed that she just wasn’t used to breathing air that wasn’t heavy with the fumes from a factory or the exhaust from cars. Hailey’s shoes clicked against the hard wood floors as she moved into the livingroom. Rocco slowly ambled behind her with a bag of clothes in his good hand.

  She swung her arms out and said, “This is what a Python’s home looks like. Dad bought it to have a spare house, he was hoping that he’d get to use it to live in one day, not to use as a safe house.”

  Rocco nodded and ran his eyes over the room in front of him. The floors looked as if feet had never walked across them, they were perfectly buffed. The small area rug that covered one section of the floor underneath the coffee table was a perfect white. The beige, l-shaped sofa that blocked the whole scene looked like a still taken from a magazine. Rocco sighed and said, “So, we’re living like rich kids for a while.”

  Hailey’s fet scurried across the floor as she headed into the kitchen. Rocco heard the sound of the refrigerator door opening and Hailey’s voice followed, “Is that such a bad thing? Dad’s made such a big deal for us, there's a fully stocked fridge in here. You don’t have to worry about anything for the next few weeks.”

  Rocco walked around the corner and past a small sculpture that sat on top of an expensive end table in the hallway. His eyes ran over the pricy art that clung to the walls. He lowered his eyes to the ground and moved inside of the kitchen. Hailey leaned against the counter, with a plastic container of strawberries in her hand. She reached into the rectangular shaped box and plucked a strawberry from inside.

  He watched the shape that her mouth made as she munched on the strawberry. I never thought that I’d see her looking so domestic after everything that’s happened. Her hand drifted to her flat belly and she turned her gaze away from the window behind her and onto Rocco when she felt his eyes rest on her.

  “Rocco,” she said, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you relieved that you can let your guard down? No one is going to hurt us or the baby.”

  Rocco nodded. He stepped forward and approached the sink. He rested his palm on top of her belly and said, “That’s right. No one is going to hurt you.” He rested his chin in the crook of Hailey’s neck.

  Hailey let out a content sigh before setting the box of strawberries onto the counter. A small smile crept on her lips and she wrapped her arms around Rocco’s neck. “I love you.”

  Rocco lifted his head away from her neck and pulled away. “What did you say?”

  Hailey grinned and said, “I said that I love you,” she pressed her lips against his for what felt like an eternity. Rocco tasted strawberries and sweetness on her lips. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip. Hailey groaned, the noise was muffled by the suction of Rocco’s lips on hers.

  Rocco pulled away and said, “Say it again.”

  Hailey giggled and knitted her brows together, “What?”

  Rocco wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her against the counter. Hailey yelped as the cool tile of the counter pressed into her back and she said, “Say what?”

  Rocco raised his hand up and pressed it into Hailey’s neck. “Say it again, Hailey.” His voice was husky, the feel of his breath on her skin reminded her of that day in the forest. Hailey tilted her head to the side, exposing the sensitive skin on her neck. “I love you, Rocco.”

  Rocco slid his fingers underneath her grey t-shirt. Her skin was hot underneath her fingertips, as if it was reacting to his touch. It’s been awhile since I’ve touched her like this. Rocco pressed his
lips against hers, but with more urgency this time. His lips found hers repeatedly and his hands wandered along the skin underneath her shirt. Hailey groaned and arched her back. Rocco took it as an invitation to glide his hands along the skin just outside of the cups of her bra. He brushed his fingers across the top of the cups and lifted her shirt up.

  Hailey braced herself against the counter, and Rocco smirked. With his good hand, he scooped his hand underneath her leg and pushed her onto the counter. Hailey jumped onto the counter, the dish rack that had rested on top of the counter previously went crashing into the sink.

  Rocco grinned as he pressed his palm against the small part between her breasts. He glided his fingers along the clasp, and the bra fell onto the counter. Hailey reflexively raised her arms, and held them over her already stiff nipples.

  Rocco shook his head, “None of that. If you love me, you won’t hide from me.”

  Hailey poorly concealed the smile that edged in on her lips, she dropped her arms and Rocco’s lips dived towards her breast. His tongue flicked over the curved mound of her breast, and he hooked his mouth over her mound. Rocco’s tongue flicked against her nipple, Hailey’s soft moans sent a bolt of sensation through his body.

  His cock stiffened, and he said, “I get to take my time.”

  Hailey nodded, “That’s right.”

  Rocco pressed his body against hers and he ran his hands down her back and spine. His hands found the loose bits of hair that dangled from her hair. He slipped his hands in her hair and pressed his lips against hers. Their tongues danced, and Hailey groaned into him. Her nipples rubbed up against the rough fabric of his shirt. Rocco pulled away from her and lifted his shirt above his head with her help. The shirt fell to the floor and Rocco unhooked his belt buckle. He zipped his jeans down and reached out to Hailey. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and dragged it over to his jeans.

  Hailey’s hand ran over the top of it, and a shiver ran through her body. She grinned upon feeling the raised bump in Rocco’s thin boxer briefs. The tip of his cock was warm and ready. Hailey grinned and slid her hands down the length of his lower belly. Her fingertips grazed the small forest of hair just before his cock and she smiled as she lifted it over the waistband of his underwear.

  Rocco groaned, “Touch it.”

  Hailey tightened her hands around his cock and pumped her arm up and down. Rocco’s cock was slick with wetness. Her pumping slowed as she worked her fingers into the skin on his cock. “Rocco, I want it inside. I want to feel it.”

  Hailey tossed her head back and pressed Rocco’s cock against her thigh. “Rocco,” she whispered.

  Rocco chuckled and said, “You just couldn’t wait this time.” He pushed his cock against the inside of her thigh. Rocco lifted his fingers and undid the top button of her jeans. He pulled it out of the loop, and roughly tugged the jeans down Hailey’s thighs.

  The countertop was cold against her thighs. Hailey slid off of the countertop and slid her fingers in between his. “Come with me.”

  Rocco’s eyes followed Hailey’s heart shaped ass as they moved towards another hallway. She led him up a dimly lit staircase, and she stopped at the first door on the left. She pushed the door open, and the door fell back to reveal a perfectly made bed.

  She turned her head towards Rocco and said, “See? The whole place is perfect.”

  Rocco nodded and used his good hand to push his hand into the center of her back. He shoved her onto the bed and smirked as he shimmied out of his jeans. Hailey peeled her underwear off and Rocco climbed onto the bed. His hands sank into the high quality material that the mattress was made of. Rocco placed his hands on either side of Hailey and lowered his lips to hers.

  “Tell me you love me again,” he mumbled.

  Hailey grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pulled him to her until their chests touched and she spread her knees until her hips popped in warning. She brushed her lips across Rocco’s and said, “Fuck me.”

  Rocco smirked and pressed his cock against her opening. Her lips were already slick and wet. Rocco slid himself inside, and Hailey arched her back. She groaned and her fingers curled around the thick comforter underneath them. Rocco placed his hand on either side of her hips and drove himself inside. The tip of his cock grazed against Hailey’s spots. Her lips found his shoulder and she ran her tongue over his skin. Her teeth pressed into him hard enough to leave small indents.

  Hailey lowered her hands to Rocco’s ass, and wrapped her fingers around him. Rocco bucked against her hips and she rolled her eyes towards the ceiling as he slammed himself inside of her.

  Hailey tightened her pussy around Rocco’s cock, her hands glided over her skin. She ran her hands over the mounds of her breasts, and her stiff nipples. The pressure built behind Rocco’s cock and he drove himself inside of her. The bed frame rattled and scraped against the wall, and Rocco groaned as his release neared.

  Hailey’s moan was unrestrained as Rocco collapsed on top of her, his come ran over the sides of her thighs and legs. Rocco used his good arm to pull her over to him. He rolled over onto the other side of the bed, and Hailey relaxed into his arms. She snuggled her head against his arm and said, “I love you, Rocco.”

  Rocco ran his hands up and down her back and said, “I love you, too.”

  Epilogue

  Hailey painted a smile on her face as Becca ran her hands across the top of her belly. Her lower back ached as if someone had spent all night kicking her—because someone had. Hailey was convinced that because her unborn son was the offspring of a former biker, that he was naturally more rowdy. Hailey sighed and pushed her hands against the arms of her chair and said, “Becca, don’t ever have kids. I think that this one is going to make me crazy long before he’s eighteen.”

  Becca chuckled and loosened her grip on Hailey’s belly. She further back against the sofa and crossed her legs. In the last seven months, Becca had made a total transformation. Her days of short shorts with fringe and high heeled sandals had flown out of the window. Today, she opted for a pale pink sweater that Anna had insisted she buy. After she, Hailey, and Rocco had put their troubles with the motorcycle club behind them, Becca decided that she preferred New York and that it would be too traumatic to continue to live in Chicago. She found work as a receptionist for a law firm owned by a friend of Anna’s, and due to Anna’s extensive connections throughout the city, she found an apartment that was just a couple of blocks away from Hailey’s.

  Becca grinned and said, “I’m just so excited for you. It must be so nice to know that the most important person in your life is going to be born any day now.”

  Hailey opened her mouth to reply but Rocco’s cackle interrupted, “ I’m the most important person in her life, Becca! This baby is a close second, though.” He turned the corner and walked into the living room of their two bedroom apartment. Rocco’s large hands were covered in sawdust, he smelled faintly of sweat and cologne.

  Hailey grinned as she pushed herself up and out of her chair and moved over to Rocco. She pressed her lips onto the exposed skin on his neck and asked, “How’s the crib coming?”

  Rocco grinned and said, “It’ll be up to my standards in the next few days. Then, I can get started on painting.” After he and Hailey had decided to move to New York to be closer to Anna so that she could help with the baby, Rocco had proven himself to be far more industrious than they thought. While he still tinkered underneath one of his motorcycles every so often, he spent most of his time repairing and constructing old furniture. When they first moved to the city seven months ago, he was desperate for work and wandered into a furniture store a few blocks away from their apartment. He applied for the job and was hired, but within three months it was clear to his new supervisor, Mr. Jackson, that Rocco was management material.

  Hailey rubbed her hands along her extended belly, and made a small circle along the skin outside of her expanded belly button. Hailey gasped and said, “Rocco, did you tell my mother that we moved th
e baby shower? I would have been sure to do it but my-”

  “But you can barely remember to tie your shoes,” Becca interjected. She wore a smirk as she rose out of her chair and said, “Rocco, did you know that your lover girl forgot to grab her groceries when she left the store earlier? We were halfway into a cab when the store clerk came running out of the store.”

  Hailey cast a mock glare in Becca’s direction and said, “You try having a twenty pound bowling ball attached to your belly. Your priorities will shift,” Hailey rolled her eyes as Rocco and Becca went back and forth. She narrowed her eyes and looked towards the space in between her bare feet. “Shit.”