Reaper's Redemption: Satan's Sons MC Romance Series Book 3
Page 18
“Why, because I was shot? If you are saying this out of guilt, you don’t have to.”
“No, I realized it this morning, well, yesterday morning. When I saw you holding Tyson and I wanted you to be looking at me with that type of love.” He cupped my face. “I want you to hold my son or daughter with that much love. I want you, Kim, all of you. And I won’t stop till you are mine.”
I swallowed sharply. Was it possible I was on so much pain medication that I was hearing him incorrectly? The shock I was feeling was clear on my face and he must have seen it, because he smiled.
“You don’t have to say anything.” He kissed my forehead. “I just wanted you to know. I’m making a claim on you.”
I opened my mouth. I shut my mouth. I started to say something and then stopped and frowned. Never in my life did I expect Trigger to actually feel something for me, let alone tell me, or want to tell anyone, for that matter.
“How about you try and get some sleep?” Trigger ran his hand down my spine again. “If I remember correctly, I was putting you to sleep.”
“Um, you, um, don’t have to stay.” I found words and spoke for the first time since his bombshell. From the expression on his face, it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “I mean, I’m fine. And you should, you know, get a good night’s sleep and I–”
“Stop, Kim. I’m not leaving.”
Right. I knew better than to argue with him when he had set his mind on something. But had he meant it when he said he had set his mind on me? That he loved me? I had never heard the word ‘love’ come out of his mouth about anything.
I lowered my head to his chest and his hand went back to stroking my back. It was going to be impossible to sleep now. My mind was racing. And his words, I love you, were repeating over and over in my head, getting louder. I hadn’t said it to him. He had said it to me.
Was it because I had been shot?
He said it wasn’t, but why now, then?
It was way too late to even be having this conversation in my head and never in my life had I been able to understand the reasons behind why Trigger did something.
So why was I going to start now?
***
Abby
I rolled over in bed. I couldn’t sleep. I was worrying about Kim. I was dying for answers. But Jake hadn’t come to me. I rolled over again when I heard the bedroom door open.
I automatically sat bolt upright in bed.
“Jake?’
“Yeah, it’s me.”
I exhaled slowly. Never in my life did I expect to be happy to hear Jake’s voice. He walked into the room.
“Do you know if Kim’s OK?”
“She’s out of surgery and is stable.” Jake walked to the other side of the bed. “She’s going to be fine.”
I fell back on the bed. “Thank god.”
Jake sat down on the other side of the bed, putting his legs up and leaning back against the head of the bed. “Took me fucking hours to get answers out of the hospital, getting passed around,” Jake groaned. “I hate policies.”
He didn’t have to do that.
“Thanks.” I knew it was asking a lot of him to find out if Kim was OK. “I know I was asking a lot of you. Considering I’m your prisoner and you intend to kill me, you didn’t have to give me an answer.” I turned on my side to face him.
Jake slid down the bed. His hand ran down my arm. “You gave me another idea,” he said, his fingers running up and down my arm.
“Well, seeing as my first idea made you think I wanted you to kidnap my son, I don’t think I want to know what your new idea is.”
“I’d tell you but I think it’s better if I show you. Just not tonight.” His arm went around me and my stomach twisted as he pulled me to him. “You should be asleep.”
“I couldn’t sleep when I was worried about Kim.” I swallowed sharply. Please don’t touch me. But he just held onto me tighter and pulled me against him, tucking my head under his chin.
“Well, you can sleep now.”
“Why do you care if I sleep or not?’
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “Doesn’t make sense. Jeez, I never thought I’d sleep in this bed again.”
“I’m guessing the last time you were in it, you were with Rebecca, right?” I attempted to pull away from him but he just held me in place.
“Yeah.” And his hand ran down my back. “And now I’m in it with you.”
“Well, you don’t have to stay.” Please don’t stay. Please don’t stay.
“Just go to sleep, Abby.”
I needed Kade. God, I needed him right now. How the hell could I sleep while the enemy was lying beside me, touching me and treating me like I was his?
“Stop panicking, Abby, and go to sleep.” Jake kissed the top of my head. “Or I’ll force feed you sleeping tablets.”
I gulped. And there it was, the fact he was in control of my life.
I closed my eyes. And I forced myself to think of Kade. And I promised myself Kade would never know I shared a bed with Jake.
Chapter 20
Abby
I woke up alone. Thank god. I hoped that that was a one off. I ran a hand through my hair and sat up.
I was stretching when the bedroom door opened up.
Jake.
“Morning,” I forced out. I noticed he was carrying bags.
“Got you those art supplies and clothes.” He put the bags on the bed. “Did you sleep alright?”
“Fine,” I yawned. “Um, why did you get me clothes?”
“Because you are going to need more than two sets if you are planning on living here for a month.”
“You didn’t have to.” I walked toward him, looking at the bags. “I wouldn’t have complained.”
“You’ve got a good figure and shouldn’t be wearing a baggy shirt and shorts for the rest of your short life.” He pulled on my top, bringing me close to him. “Plus, this way I get to see that figure.”
Sick. I felt sick. “Um, you going out today?” I wanted so badly to change the subject. I didn’t want him to find me attractive. If he was going out today, I might be able to break back into the study and call Reaper. I wanted to make sure Kim was OK.
“No.”
Well, that caused my plan to end before it began.
“I got you breakfast downstairs. Get changed and come down.” Jake let go of me. “Wear a dress. I want to see your breasts.”
Reaper. I needed Reaper. I was shaking when I looked in the bags, hoping that there was something in here that would make sure my breasts were covered. I didn’t want to give Jake what he wanted.
But it looked like every dress he picked would show off my cleavage.
Maybe I could just stay here?
“I’ll go so you can change. If you’re not down within a few minutes, I’ll come back up.” Jake gripped my hand. “And maybe I will get a glimpse of what you look like free of clothes. Because I don’t think my imagination is doing you justice.”
He let go of me and left. Suddenly I didn’t care if these dresses didn’t cover me completely, as long as they covered me enough.
***
I walked down the stairs. Jake and Andrew were at the table eating. Jake’s eyes lit up when he saw me and he whacked Andrew’s arm.
“Looks like I’ve got good taste when it comes to women’s clothing.” Jake grinned, “Come here, Abby.”
I didn’t want to. But I wasn’t given a choice.
I walked to him and was going to take the seat next to him. But he reached out for me, grabbing me by the hips.
“Sit.” He pushed himself away from the table and made room for me.
“I thought you wanted me to eat?” I didn’t jump at the chance of sitting on him.
“Andrew, get Abby a plate.”
“I can get it.”
“No. I want you to sit.” He pulled on me. “Now.”
I sat down on his lap. His arm wrapped aro
und me. I watched Andrew limp to the kitchen.
“I thought I’d show you the rest of the house today.” Jake’s hand ran up my outer thigh. “Make you feel at home.”
“Trust me, this place will never feel like home.” Home was Kade. Home was being held by him. Knowing he was always there. Home was my husband.
“Still, I will make sure you are comfortable. I’m kicking Andrew out this afternoon.”
“Why?” I frowned. I didn’t care if Andrew was here.
“I don’t want anyone in the way of us.”
Us. US? When the hell did we become an ‘us’? I gulped and I don’t know if my expression showed my surprise or not, but the look Andrew was giving me told me I hadn’t exactly hidden it well.
“Reaper’s on a manhunt for me,” Andrew grunted, dropping a plate in front of me.
“Well, you might think he took it personally when you attempted to take his son.” I did not feel sorry for Andrew. As far as I was concerned, Reaper could kill him now. I was hoping once this was all over, Reaper wouldn’t just settle for Jake but would take out Andrew and Billy as well. Now that he knew Andrew existed, I just had to make sure he knew about Billy as well.
I really needed access to that phone.
“It’s your fault, Jake. He took out my security, trashed my house and now I have nowhere to go,” Andrew was complaining. He looked dryly at Jake. “I’m not going back after her kid. It isn’t worth the risk.”
“I won’t need you to. I’ve come up with a better idea.” Jake was looking directly at me, smiling.
I gulped. Why did I have a feeling I wasn’t going to like his new idea?
“You aren’t eating, Abby.” Jake pushed the food on the plate toward me. “You haven’t been eating right all week.”
He had noticed? Maybe Jake was watching me more than I realized.
“I’m not hungry.” I pushed the plate away.
Jake frowned. “Are you going to make me make you eat?”
I sighed. He would force me. “Can’t you just respect me when I say no?” I knew what the answer was. He didn’t care what I wanted. All he cared about was what he wanted. And right now, he had decided what he wanted was me eating.
He reached out, tucking my hair behind my ear. “OK.”
I looked at him, shocked. Did that mean he wasn’t going to force me to eat? “So I don’t have to eat?”
“No.” Jake brushed his lips against mine. “Let’s just say I’m going to force you to do something later and if you don’t want to eat, you don’t have to.”
I nodded my head. “Thank you.” I didn’t know why, but when it came to food, I just couldn’t eat. Even if I did eat, I ended up being sick.
“Alright, Andrew, get lost. I want to show Abby the house.” Jake gently moved me off him. I stood up.
I thought I could escape his grasp, but he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me back to him.
“Andrew doesn’t have to go anywhere,” I found myself saying, not wanting to be alone with Jake. Something inside me was screaming a warning, like at all costs, don’t be alone with him.
But that wasn’t going to happen. I watched Andrew pick up his keys and walk to the front door.
“I’ll leave you lovebirds alone,” Andrew smirked over his shoulder at me, knowing I was hating every second of being alone with Jake. “Jake, if I get killed, remember what you promised.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. No open casket,” Jake grumbled. “Now get lost.”
The front door shut and Jake spun me around.
“You ready to see the rest of the house?”
Why did he sound excited to be sharing something with me?
“Sure.” I was half interested in what room followed the formal room and what was behind that door near the stairs.
Jake linked his hand with mine. “I have something I want to tell you later. Remind me if I don’t tell you.”
“And I should say what to prompt you?”
“Just say, ‘hey Jake, don’t you have something you’ve been dying to tell me?’ And I’ll know.” He smiled. “Come on.”
I didn’t move and he pulled on my hand, forcing me to follow him. Why was he staying here to begin with? He never used to be around, only to torture me. I guess he was still torturing me, just now with his presence.
***
I was lying on the bed, still dressed. Jake’s house was more impressive than you would think. He showed me a gym, a cinema, more bedrooms and a games room, which stumped me because if he had a games room, why was he always gambling in the open living room?
I was sketching one thing over and over. Tyson. Those blue eyes of his, but it was his dark hair that set them off. Kade’s hair. I sucked on the end of the colored pencil. Thinking of what he might look like now. He would be bigger. And I would bet everything I owned, he would look more like Kade.
“You look deep in thought.”
My head snapped up.
Jake.
He had disappeared this afternoon into his study and I was hoping he would stay there and away from me. He did for the rest of the day, but it seemed now he was finished for the night. I had no idea what the time was, but I knew it was late. I had been taking in the full moon earlier.
“Just thinking.” I closed my sketchpad and sat up, putting my legs over the side of the bed. I was ready to bolt if he went to the other side of the bed to sleep. I would happily sleep on the couch downstairs.
“Yeah, I’ve been doing a lot of that today as well.” He moved into the room. I thought he was going to go to the other side of the bed, but he didn’t. He came to my side.
I had my legs over the side of the bed and he went and stood in front of me. His legs went to either side of mine, locking mine in between his.
“Remember how I wanted to tell you something earlier?” He tilted his head, making sure our eyes were locked.
I nodded. I was meant to remind him.
“There was always a rumor that Reaper married a pretty woman.” His hand cupped my cheek. “But they didn’t say how incredibly stunning and beautiful you are. You’re more beautiful than Rebecca ever was.” His thumb ran over my bottom lip. “I gave more thought to what you said.”
Why was he telling me that? Surely he wasn’t really saying I was prettier than his wife, the wife he was going to kill me over. I frowned, finally registering his words. “What do you mean about something I said?”
His hand ran down my cheek. “About having my own children.”
Oh, that. “Well, I’m sure you will find someone to share the rest of your life with. And when you do, I’m sure you will have kids with her.”
“I’ve already found her.”
Well, he hadn’t wasted any time. “What do you want me to say?” I honestly felt pity for the girl because he was controlling and ruthless. I guess Reaper was both those things. But at least I knew he had a heart. When it came to Jake, I doubted he did.
He smirked. “You haven’t worked it out yet, have you?”
My frown deepened. “Jake, you are confusing and it’s late. I should really go to bed.” I went to push him away from me but he gripped my hands, pulling me up.
“You’re it.”
“I’m what?”
“The woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. Be the mother to my kids. You’re it.”
I opened my mouth and then I shut it. That couldn’t be. In a few weeks, I’d be dead. I wasn’t spending the rest of my life with him. I wasn’t being forced… The shock hit me hard and fast. If he wanted kids, that meant one thing. Sex.
He kissed my neck. I stayed still, too frozen in shock to move or push him away.
“I think we should start right away, you know, trying for a baby. Nothing is stopping us.”
I gasped and my brain clicked on. I pushed him off of me. “How about me? I’m stopping us!”
“Abby, I’m going to give you two options. You have sex with me. Or
I find Tyson, and this time I don’t take him, but I kill him. And then I keep you alive. So you feel how much that hurts. Knowing you’ve ended your own son’s life.”
“And if I have sex with you?”
“I won’t go near Reaper or Tyson. In fact, I’m not planning on bringing up my family here.”
“If I don’t have sex with you?”
“Did I not make myself clear? I kill your son. ’Cause we both know Reaper can’t protect him forever. I got you, didn’t I? And then I keep you alive, to live the rest of your life knowing you caused your son’s life to end early. All over sex.”
I am positive there are life decisions. You know, decisions that will frame the rest of your life. The night I left the club with Reaper, that had been a life decision. It shaped the rest of my life and right now I was being faced with another life decision. My first life decision led me to my second life decision.
Though this one was going to ensure I never saw Reaper again.
An early death would have been a gift now. Jake was going to keep me alive, and worse, he was going to rape me.
I took a staggered breath in. “Reaper won’t let Tyson out of his sight, not after you nearly took Tyson. I can guarantee that.”
“You’re right that he mightn’t right now. But one day, Tyson is going to have to go to kindergarten or school. I have no problem waiting till he is older.”
“What is stopping you from doing that if I do sleep with you?” I couldn’t believe I was even considering it. But I would do anything to protect Tyson, and Jake was counting on that.
“My word. Believe it or not, Abby, I don’t want you hurting.” His hands ran up my sides. “I don’t want the mother to my children unhappy or hurt. Heck, once we get overseas, I’m planning on you getting that tattoo covered and taking off his ring and putting on one from me.”
“You can’t do that to me!”
“You’ll come around.” He lowered his head to mine. “I’m counting on that. I know once you have my child, you’ll love him or her more than you love Tyson. And then love will naturally start for me.”
He wanted a happy ending? With me? This was insane. “What about your promise to keep me alive for a month for Reaper to find me? Do you expect him to just give up on me?”