by C. M. Marin
“Not changing my mind,” Melvin affirms, literally snatching the cut from Nate’s hand.
He slides into it as fast as he can, triggering a wave of snickers all around.
“Congrats, then.” Nate stretches out his hand for his new recruit to shake.
With a few slaps on his back or a pat on his shoulder, his brothers all welcome him into their club. But most of all, they welcome him into their family.
Finally quitting his comfortable spot in the jacuzzi, Ben hollers, “Congrats, kid! Too bad I now need to get my beers myself,” he grunts.
“Can I have a word with you?” Nate asks Melvin, but he doesn’t wait for his answer to make his way back to the lounger I haven’t moved from.
The proud new Chaser follows his president, still smiling like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Yeah, prez?”
“It’s Nate, now,” he tells him before going on. “I called our lawyer yesterday. Told him about your situation with your brother, and I don’t want you to get your hopes too high, but he thinks he can help you getting him back. If that’s still what you want.”
Melvin’s enthusiast demeanor and cheerful expression fade away in a very slow way before his confused gaze finds me.
But I’m just as confused.
“I didn’t tell him, I promise.”
“You knew?” Nate’s eyes widen on me.
It’s Melvin who answers. “I told her when we were in LA. I didn’t want to say anything until I was patched in, and I asked Camryn not to say anything either. I just didn’t want you to think―”
Nate stops him with a hand held up. “You didn’t have to tell me, but now you’re part of us. You need anything, you come to me, alright?”
He gives him a sharp nod before asking him, “How did you know?”
Nate smiles. “We even run a background check on our prospects. No one enters the club otherwise. Cam would call it paranoia.”
“Hey!” I slap his shoulder in retaliation, but he only flashes me a grin. “Stop being mean and tell us what you can do for Max.”
“Yeah, because I sure as hell want Max back as soon as possible. I’m going to start looking for an apartment, because there’s no way I’ll get custody if I don’t have my own place. Like I told Cam, his foster parents are great people, but he already has a family.”
“Damn right, he does,” Nate agrees. “Then our lawyer will get to work first thing on Monday and we’ll find you an apartment.”
“What about my house?” I suggest, the idea popping up.
Thanks to Nate, the insurance moved quite quickly, and my parents’ house is now as good as new. Nate even had an alarm and bulletproof windows installed. Not to mention the front door that he insisted on changing. I still haven’t replaced some of the furniture that was beyond repair, but the house is clean and livable again. And very safe.
“It’s not in town, but it’s only fifteen minutes away, and Max would be safe there,” I add.
“Thanks, Cam, but I can’t―”
“Of course you can,” I don’t let him finish. “It’s safe, and except for one short week last July, it’s been empty for years. I’m always at Nate’s or at the club. My mom would be thrilled to see a child running around in that house again,” I tell him honestly.
“Then it’s settled,” Nate decides for him. “We’ll help you move in next week. Now, go celebrate.”
A smile is back on Melvin’s face. “Thanks. Really, thank you,” he tells us.
Then he’s gone, and I turn to Nate.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it wasn’t up to me.”
“No worries, babe. As long as you don’t keep from me something that could put you in danger, I’m good.”
“I wouldn’t,” I assure him. “You really think your lawyer can help him?”
“He’s a good one. Not cheap at all but damn good. Not sure his ways don’t sometimes involve a bribe, though. But I don’t really care,” he smirks.
Of course he doesn’t care.
“And I don’t care either if he can get Max to live with Melvin. He’s such an awesome little boy.”
He arches a brow. “When the hell did you meet him?”
I roll my eyes at the flicker of suspicion crossing his eyes.
“Tune down the jealous dick. I know him from work. He’s in another class, but it’s not like it’s a huge school.”
“Oh, good. It would have been a pain in the ass to take Melvin’s cut back so soon and beat the hell out of him.”
I know he’s only kidding, so I stand up and step into his arms. “I love you.”
Pressing against me, he groans. “Never thought I’d love to hear that shit so much,” he says, and I laugh.
I never said he was overly romantic. And I really don’t care, because here I am, the happiest I’ve ever been, the safest I’ve ever felt, and falling more for this man every day.
His lips only brush mine in the sweetest way before the primal side of him satisfies my own by deepening the kiss. Desire spreads through my body instantly.
“Let’s go celebrate in private,” he decides, already lifting me into his arms.
My limbs wrap around his neck and waist as he steals me away from the party as everyone is busy laughing and clinging glasses.
The life that’s now mine isn’t the most conventional I could have chosen, but it’s one that brought me the most loyal man I could have dreamed of loving and being loved by. Nate would do anything for me. Just like I’d do anything for him.
The End
Author’s note
Thank you so much for reading NATE. I hope you enjoyed his story as much as I enjoyed writing the first book in the Chaos Chasers Series.
Coming up: JAYCE (The Chaos Chasers #2).
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Thank you for reading,
C.M. Marin.