I rolled my eyes, but sank lower in the well-worn chair.
“I’ll get you some cider.”
“Thanks,” I said, just as Austin made his way to me.
He hugged Kim as she passed, then closed the distance between us, leaning down to kiss me gently. “You good?”
“I’m good, honey.”
“Prez said Doc’s here, so I’m gonna go find him.”
Doc was the president of the Savannah Chapter, and had flown in to join in on the festivities. I’d met him a couple of times over the past few years and I really liked him. One day, I hoped I’d actually make it to Savannah and meet the rest of the guys there... the clubhouse sounded insane and I was dying to see it.
Doc and Hatch had been buddies for a while, and Doc had apparently brought his Sgt. At Arms, Alamo, with him. They were only here for a couple of days, so I had a feeling more might be going on. If there was, however, it would be considered club business, so it was none of mine.
“Okay, honey.”
He kissed me again and then headed toward the kitchen.
“Is Santa coming now?” Jagger asked as he made a run for me.
I held my arms out and scooped him onto my lap. “Soon, baby.”
“Jagger,” Kim admonished gently, returning with some warm cider for me. “Auntie can’t have you climbing all over her, baby.”
“He’s fine,” I countered. “I always need some Jagger love.”
He grinned big and kissed my cheek, but still climbed off my lap and joined my kids who were checking out the presents under the tree. I took the cider from Kim and she sat on the sofa next to my chair. “Did you see Doc?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah. I was mobbed by all the single ladies trying to get to him.”
“He’s pretty sexy.” I chuckled. “You didn’t hear that from me, though.”
“Of course not... even though I agree.” She glanced around the room, then leaned in and whispered, “Just wait until you see Alamo, though. Lord-eeee, the man is fine.”
Before I could comment, the man walked in the room. I knew it was Alamo; A, because I’d never met him before, and, B, because he walked in with Doc and the room seemed to quiet. Mostly because all female eyes were on the newcomers.
Kim wasn’t kidding about Alamo. He was all lean muscle, dark hair, longish on top, and a beard that rivaled Hatch’s. When he smiled, his blue eyes lit up and I swore I heard a chorus of female sighs echo through the room.
“Where’s this Gator guy?” I asked Kim.
“He’s changing. He’s playing Santa.”
“Oh, that’s sweet.” I frowned. “Wait, is he using the suit he stole?”
Kim giggled. “Yep. Duke didn’t want it back.”
“I don’t blame him.”
Because Gator had been staying at the homeless shelter, Crow had made the decision to open up the compound for the kids staying there, so they would be arriving in less than an hour, would be fed and each kid would get a gift from “Santa.” I couldn’t wait.
And neither could the kids.
The next three hours were spent laughing and eating, along with watching the little kids fawn over Santa. Well, the ones that weren’t screaming in fear, that is.
Gator was amazing. I knew he’d had a rough go of it over the last year, but he was born to be around kids. He loved it and they loved him. He looked like Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck had a love child, and he was gorgeous.
“How are you feeling?” Kim asked me, and I smiled up at her.
“I feel good,” I lied.
She frowned just as a sharp pain rolled through my belly.
“Dani?”
I swallowed. “Get Austin. My water just broke.”
“Holy shit,” she whispered, then turned and bellowed, “Booker! Dani’s havin’ your baby.”
“I hadn’t planned on this being a group thing, Kimmie,” I grumbled.
Austin rushed toward me, Doc behind him. “Baby?”
“My water broke,” I said.
Doc leaned over me. “Do you mind if I feel your belly?”
I shook my head and he checked me over just as Macey walked up with a stethoscope. Doc took it and listened, then smiled. “Let’s get this mama to the hospital.”
Austin helped me up and I groaned.
“What, baby?”
“I’m not going to make it to the hospital,” I rasped. “This little girl is coming now.”
“Get her up to your room, Booker,” Macey said. “We’ll call an ambulance while we try to keep the baby inside.”
“No, you don’t understand,” I countered, grabbing for Austin. “She’s coming. Right now.”
Austin swept me up into his arms and carried me to the bunk room which was on the first floor. Doc, Macey, and Kim followed, and I bent over in pain when Austin set me on my feet.
“Let’s get her out of those wet clothes,” Doc said. “We called for an ambulance, but it’s gonna take a little while for it to get here.”
Macey pulled a comforter off one of the beds and doubled it over to throw on the sofa while Austin helped me out of my wet bottoms.
Easing me down onto the sofa, Macey covered me with a sheet while Doc washed his hands and donned gloves. While he got me into a good position, Macey washed her hands and grabbed gloves so that she could assist.
“I can see the head,” Doc said, and smiled up at me. “You ready to have this baby?”
I reached for Austin. “Are the kids okay?”
“Payton and Maisie have the kids under control, and Cass and Darien are covering clean-up, so you just worry about you and the baby,” Kim said. “Okay?”
Austin smiled at my best friend. “Thanks, babe.”
I groaned as a contraction hit and then my body decided it was time to push. It took about twelve minutes and four pushes to deliver our baby girl and I cried the second I had her in my arms.
“Ohmigod, she’s perfect,” I whispered as I counted her fingers and toes and kissed her forehead. Glancing up at Austin, he gave me his nod of approval, so I focused back on our daughter. “Daisy May Carver, welcome to the world, sweet girl.”
“Oh my god, that’s so cute!” Kim said, and clapped her hands.
Austin didn’t speak as he leaned down to kiss Daisy, then me, just as the EMTs arrived. As I was loaded onto a gurney, Daisy and I were wrapped in a blanket together and wheeled through the great room where our family congratulated us as we passed by.
“We’ve got the kids covered,” Kim said. “We’ll bring them by later.”
“Thanks, honey.”
I let tears fall as we were loaded into the ambulance and driven to where we’d ultimately be told how textbook and perfect the delivery had gone, and how lucky I was to have such a skilled medical team so close. Lucky didn’t even begin to cover it.
My world was filled with perfection and pure joy.
* * *
Maisie
Christmas Eve...
Mack and Darien were the last to arrive for our little “nucleus” get-together. Because the majority of us lived within walking distance of each other, we always made Christmas Eve our “family time.” The rest of our little group were already partying it up in the family room, including Dani and Daisy, who was now ten days old.
“Come in,” I said, waving the little family inside. “Harper and Huxley, all the other kids are downstairs if you want to go play. I have it on good authority that Hatch has helped Flash set up the karaoke machine.”
“Whoo-hoo!” Harper squealed, dropping her coat and shoes in the middle of the foyer and dragging her sister downstairs.
Darien groaned, cleaning up the discarded mess. “Sorry, Maisie.”
“Let her go have fun,” I said, taking the coats and hanging them up. “You can make them mind their manners at your house.”
Mack smiled. “Thanks, babe.”
“Come on in. Cassidy’s already on her third nog. Damn, that girl is funny when she’s tipsy.”
&n
bsp; “Right?” Darien said with a laugh and we headed toward the family room.
“Darien!” Cassidy called, setting her glass on the coffee table and making an unsteady walk toward her. “You look amazing.”
She hugged Cassidy while I grabbed Mack and Darien drinks.
Darien shook her head. “Um, I can’t actually drink.”
“Are you sick?”
She smiled. “Nope.”
“Ohmigod! You’re pregnant,” Payton squealed and jumped from her place on Hawk’s lap to hug her.
“I am,” Darien confirmed, laying her hands on her stomach. “We’re really hoping for a boy.”
We descended upon the couple en-masse, hugging them, before Darien insisted on holding the new addition who was sleeping on Austin’s chest.
“Good luck prying her away from Daddy,” Dani said. “He’s stingy with the Daisy love.”
Darien held her arms out and flapped her hands. “Gimmie, Book.”
Booker reluctantly handed Daisy over to Darien who settled her on her chest and crooned while the baby continued to sleep.
“Did Gator settle in okay?” Mack asked as Hatch pulled me onto his lap in one of our overstuffed chairs.
“Yeah. He’s apparently lovin’ Savannah,” Hatch said. “I say we all head out there this summer. Road trip.”
Gator had decided he needed a change, and Doc had offered him a place at the Savannah chapter where he’d help him stay clean and give him a job. Gator said he was sick of the rain and jumped at the chance.
“Hell, yeah,” Mack said. “I’m in.”
As I snuggled closer to my man, the light caught my early Christmas gift, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring at it. My grandmother had given me a ring, years ago, that had seen better days, but I adored it... partly because it was from my Gran, but partly because it had a sunshine pattern which took on new meaning when I fell in love with Hatch.
Unbeknownst to me, he took it in to a jeweler and had several of the tiny diamonds replaced, along with the middle stone (which he replaced with my birthstone... a stunning sapphire). When it was finished and cleaned up, it was even better than the original. In the end, I’d had to admit he might have come very close to winning this round... very close. Hatch gave me a gentle squeeze and I kissed him, then we continued to drink and make merry until the kitchen timer went off to signal dinner was ready.
Because our men all cooked, they were the ones who headed into the kitchen to carve and prep the rest of the meal, while we gathered the kids and got everyone washed up and seated at the table.
Hatch sat at the head of our giant table and raised his glass of whiskey. “May your turkeys get basted and all your stockings be stuffed.”
“Connor,” I admonished, even though I was trying desperately to keep from laughing.
He grinned. “Okay, okay. Love all of you weirdos. Let’s eat!”
We dissolved into laughter as we slayed dinner, then put a serious dent in our liquor cabinet, and I beamed at my husband who’d brought so much happiness to my life.
Our road had led to joy, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.
Dani
“Am I still perfection and joy, Mama?” Daisy asked.
“You give me extra perfection and joy every day, Ducky.”
She smiled and snuggled closer again. “I love you, Mama.”
“I love you, too, sweet girl.”
But she didn’t hear it. She was already snoring quietly, so I extricated myself from her little body, turned off the lamp, and headed out of her room. After closing the door quietly, I made my way to the kitchen, where Austin was pouring wine into a glass. “She down?”
“Finally having visions of sugar plums.” I smiled. “She wanted me to tell her about the Christmas she was born.”
“Thanks for doin’ that.” He handed me the glass and kissed me gently. “You’re much better at telling it than I am.”
“Well, tonight she wanted more of your version,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “With the bad words.”
“Oh, yeah? And the other shit?”
I snorted. “I left the sex out...obviously. Wait, do you put the sex parts in?”
“No,” he assured me. “I keep it strictly PG. The sex parts I let roll around in my head for later.”
I chuckled, sliding my hand up his chest. “A little money in the spank bank?”
“No spanking, baby. Unless it’s your ass.” He gave my butt a squeeze. “Or I could deck the halls.”
“Deck the halls or deck my halls. Or better yet, dick my halls?” I retorted.
“I’ll dick your halls, put my tongue in your boughs of holly, whatever brings you a merry Christmas.”
I bit my lip. “Where are the boys?”
“Cash is out with a few of the club kids, Archer’s locked in a League of Legends battle with his online buds.”
“So, he’s got headphones on.”
Austin grinned slowly. “Yeah.”
“Winner gets to eat first,” I breathed out and made a run for our bedroom.
He laughed, following me, obviously letting me win, locking the door behind us. As I knelt before him and slid my lips over his rock-hard cock, I smiled as I rejoiced in another Christmas with the man of my dreams.
Deck the halls indeed.
2018-2020 Piper Davenport and Jack Davenport
Copyright © 2018-2020 Trixie Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States
Unwrapped is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
18+ for language and sexual situations.
Christmas is approaching for the Dogs of Fire and Burning Saints Motorcycle Clubs, but rather than the usual holiday cheer, the air is filled with the tension of a brewing civil war.
The Gresham Spiders, a local 1% MC, is hellbent on expansion and both clubs lie directly in their path. Will assistance from an outside ally help diffuse the situation long enough to keep the peace during the holiday season?
Join Hatch and Minus, along with these two beloved MCs, as they celebrate the holidays and try to keep their clubs from splintering under the pressure.
Maisie
“Maisie?”
“Hm?” I turned from the sink, dropping the green beans I was rinsing, and focused on my man.
Hatch’s beautiful face formed an expression of bemusement mixed with concern. “Babe, I’ve called your name at least three times. You okay?”
“Oh, I’m golden, darling. Just up to my elbows in veggies.” I was in the compound kitchen, alone for the moment, and trying to figure out what would make the prison-style room look homier. The kitchen was built inside the large warehouse, which meant no windows, other than the passthrough to the great room. “We need some color in here.”
“We do?”
“Yes. Something to cheer this room up a bit.”
Hatch chuckled. “We’ll see what we can do next year.”
“Good.”
“In the meantime, do you need any help?”
“I’ll manage,” I huffed out in a tone that sounded more severe than intended.
“Okay, let’s walk away from the sink for just a moment,” Hatch said sweetly. “I think it’s time for the chef to take a break.”
“I don’t have time for a break. I’m cooking a huge Christmas meal for fifty or so of our closest friends, and a gang of hardened
criminals. And I have...” I glanced at my watch, “...less than two hours before everyone gets here.”
It was actually three weeks before Christmas and we were getting ready for our annual community celebration the club did for the local kids every Christmas Eve. Tonight was our chance as a club to relax and be together, and I’d been ‘volunteered’ to cook. By my husband. Who was now standing here telling me to take a break.
“Ex-criminals,” Hatch corrected and kissed my forehead, after he wiped it off since it had been dusted with flour from the pie I’d just set in the oven.
“So they say, but I still don’t trust that lot.”
“As the old lady of a club officer, how can you come down so hard on the Burning Saints?”
“Their club is nothing like the Dogs of Fire,” I said.
“Maybe not, but they’re trying to be,” he pointed out. “That’s kinda what today is all about. Our two clubs coming together to find some common ground.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve found common ground with Minus, have you then?”
“The fact that he’s with my sister is half the reason I’ve agreed to any of this.”
“And what’s the other half?” I challenged.
“Preventing all-out war from breaking out in our back yard.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, I’m trying to prevent a nuclear meltdown in this kitchen.”
“Why are you so stressed? We host Thanksgiving every year, Sunshine. This isn’t much different.”
“We host Thanksgiving for a couple dozen people, max!” I said, throwing my hands in the air. “And it’s always at our house where I can cook in my own kitchen. Plus, your brothers are usually there to make me laugh. God, I could use some Cullen magic right now. He speaks softly and calms me right down.”
“What the fuck?”
“He also keeps Cameron out of my kitchen.”
Hatch raised an eyebrow. “And Cade?”
“Oh, Cade’s good about staying out of the way.”
Cade was Devon’s dad and a really lovely man. But he hadn’t been a big fan of the fact his kid had joined the club, and made sure Hatch knew his opinion on the subject. But from the second he expressed his concerns, the matter was dropped. Cade didn’t dwell on it and I found that kind of amazing. This family fought like crazy, but loved even harder and I felt honored to be part of it.
The Davenport Christmas Chronicles Page 6