by E. C. Land
“Come here, pipsqueak,” Chaz demands holding his arms out for her to step into while he sits on the side of the hospital bed. “I’m okay.”
“You’re not gonna leave me like Mommy did, are you?” Fuck there it is. She’s scared of losing her dad.
“Never gonna happen, baby,” my brother murmurs holding his daughter close.
“Where’s Momma?” Melody asks wanting to know where Bethany was.
“We’re about to go see her and your little brother,” Chaz announces, grinning at his daughter.
“Momma had the baby?” Her brows furrowed. “How come you’re not with them right now?” confusion filtering through her voice.
“Because Daddy had a booboo that needed to be seen to. Now let’s get up there, see them. I’m sure Papa Tombstone, Uncle Angel, and Reaper will be here tomorrow.”
“Is Hellhound coming with them?” Melody asks in excitement.
Inwardly groaning, I look up at the ceiling. Out of all the members of the Satan’s Keepers we’ve met, Hellhound is one of her favorites, besides her papa and uncles.
“I don’t know, baby,” Chaz chuckles.
“Alrighty, who’s ready to blow this joint to go to the baby ward?” Jordan asks coming around the rest of us.
“Me. Me. Me,” Melody says jumping up and down in excitement, waving her hand in the air.
“Then let’s get you up there, little missy,” Jordan smiles.
“Yay,” Melody giggles.
“I’m gonna head to Mackenzie’s room. Be up there in a bit,” Alexis says.
“Thanks, baby,” Tanner murmurs to his woman.
“No problem, you guys need to stick together right now.” Alexis is one of the few women who would be able to understand the bond my brothers and I have.
“Yeah, more than ever,” Tanner grunts, eyes casting in my direction.
“Did I miss something?” Alexis asks.
“Fill you in later,” muttering, Tanner wraps Alexis in for a hug.
“If you’re talking about Huntson, I know, and just to let you know I gave him his shot before coming in here with the wheelchair,” Jordan announces, eyes on me.
“Huntson?” Alexis asks.
“Shot?” Chaz furrows his brow at me.
“He needed an antibiotic shot for a double ear infection,” I murmur, holding my brother’s gaze.
“Who’s Huntson?” Alexis asks again.
“My son,” I say turning to face her. “The little boy we saw Annslee holding in the waiting room, he’s mine. I’m going to her place later tonight to talk with her.”
“Are you sure she’s not playing you?” This is one reason I love Alexis; she is very protective of all of us. Though she doesn’t replace Hailey, she does remind me of her, or what she might have been like if she lived.
“She’s not playing him. I can promise you that. Annslee can’t lie for nothing,” Jordan speaks up, coming to Annslee’s defense.
“I still would suggest a DNA test or something,” Alexis mutters crossing her arms over her chest.
“Don’t need one,” I declare. “He looks just like me from when I was his age.”
“Looks aren’t everything you kno . . .” Tanner cover’s her mouth with his hand to keep her from finishing her sentence.
“Baby, go see to Mackenzie. We don’t need to argue about this. We gotta get Chaz upstairs to Bethany. Huntson is Hunter’s there’s no denying it, let’s leave it at that.” Thank fuck for Tanner.
“Right, I’ll be up later when I can,” she mutters, glaring at her husband, stepping away from him and leaving the room.
“Come on, let’s get going,” Chaz commands. Melody sitting on his lap.
Nodding, I step behind the wheelchair taking the reins.
“Hunter, I know you have a lot on your mind right now. I get it, I do, but will you do one thing for me? When you speak to Annslee later, ask her to tell you about her childhood when you demand an explanation. Not saying what she did was right. Because it wasn’t. What I’m saying is listen. And if she doesn’t tell you go to Gadget, he’s got the answers you’ll want,” Jordan whispers then strolls out of the cubical, leaving me fuckin’ baffled more so than ever.
Chapter Five
Annslee
My nerves are nearly shot as I look at the time on the microwave. T minus five minutes until Hunter shows.
A few minutes after he left Huntson and I in the ER, Jordan came in and gave my son the shot he needed, shortly after receiving it, we were off.
Jordan nor Connors said anything about the encounter with Hunter. They knew I was freaking; they also knew I’d shut down on them if they tried. I have enough stress in my life as it is.
Getting home from the hospital, I found a note folded in half and taped to my door. I knew the script on the front of it all too well. It’s one of the reasons my nerves are more than a little jumpy. They found me. After five years, they did it. I haven’t read what was inside yet. I’m completely unsure of what to do with it.
Every instinct inside me says pack up everything Huntson needs, a few things for me, and run. I don’t want them to get a hold of me, let alone my son. They do, they’ll kill him for being born out of wedlock as well as the fact he was born not to the man I was supposed to marry.
Terry Nelson isn’t a man to be trifled with. As the most powerful man in my hometown, when he snaps his fingers, you ask how high you’re expected to jump. The deal my father and him made was for me to go to school for four years, in order for me to seem educated in front of guests during parties, then I was to come home marry him right away with becoming pregnant following shortly after.
Pretty much, I was sold to this man like if we were still in the eighteen-hundreds. Terry even paid the tuition for the school they sent me to.
A knock coming from the front door, causes me to nearly jump out of my skin, a squeak escaping my lips. Glancing at the baby monitor, I check on Huntson to make sure he’s okay while making my way to the door.
Sighing, I reach out, unlock, and turn the knob, opening the door to find Hunter standing there looking hotter than ever. I still didn’t know what all happened to his friends, other than there was an accident to put them in the hospital.
“Hey,” I stutter.
“You gonna let me in?” Hunter grunts, getting straight to the point.
“Uh, yeah, come on in,” I stammer, opening the door further for him to step inside. Closing the door behind him, I take a deep breath before facing him. “You, um, want something to drink?” I offer without meeting his gaze head on.
“No, what I want is for you to look me in the eye and explain why the fuck you kept my son away from me for over a year!” Hunter demands, crossing his arms over his chest.
Nodding, I release my grip on the doorknob and make my way back into the kitchen to grab my hot tea. “Sit,” I say quietly while moving to the little round table, place my mug on the scratched-up wood, and take a seat. Pulling my legs up to my chest, I wrap one of my arms around them, the other reaching out for my tea.
Hunter pulls out the chair opposite from me, twists it around, and straddles it bracing his arms on the back part of the thing. I really shouldn’t gawk at him right now but internally I’m ogling at the sight.
“Start talking,” he commands gruffly.
“I was scared to tell you,” I blurt out.
“That’s no reason not to tell me,” he states.
“I know it’s not. At first, I was scared to tell you thinking you’d demand I get an abortion. You hate me, so why would you want to have a baby with me. Next, I was scared to tell you because I thought you would take him from me. Have I thought about telling you? Yes, a million times. I just didn’t know how,” I whisper.
“Did it ever occur to you to come to me and say, ‘Hey I’m pregnant or we have a son together?’ I mean Annslee scared or not I had a right to know about Huntson,” Hunter grinds out.
“Yes, it occurred to me, more times than I can count. I get
I’m a horrible selfish person for keeping him from you. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t know you. Every night he goes to sleep listening to your band. He won’t go to sleep without it. I have no excuse to make up for what I did to you, and I hope one day you’ll forgive me for hurting the bond you should have with Huntson,” I say worrying my bottom lip with my hand wrapped around my knees.
“Annslee, look at me,” Hunter commands.
Lifting my gaze, I look beyond him hoping he won’t call me out on this.
“Woman, I said look at me,” he growls vehemently.
Shifting my sights, I lock gazes with the father of my son. “I’m fuckin’ pissed with you. You cast judgement on me without allowing me the chance to be there for Huntson from the time he was born. I could have been there to help you with things he needed. Now this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to move into my wing at the house with Huntson, this way not only will you have plenty of help with him, but you can stop working two jobs. I’ll be able to help take care of little man. You’ll also be able to worry less about bills since you won’t have rent on this place or utilities.”
“Um, Hunter, we can’t do that. I won’t do that,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“You will and you are. Not only have I missed out on over a year of my son’s life, I won’t have him put in a dangerous situation because his mother’s family is psycho as hell.”
Oh God.
Please tell me he did not just say that. Or him knowing about my family.
“Yeah, Dimples, I know about them. So tonight, I’m staying here since Huntson’s already down for the count. Tomorrow, you pack, call your second boss and tell him you won’t be coming in indefinitely, then you’re moving your ass to the house,” Hunter says sternly.
My eyes feel like they’re about to pop out of their sockets as I stare at Hunter. “You can’t make me,” I murmur.
“You wanna bet?” he asks.
I narrow my gaze on him, about to say something when he shakes his head at me. “Don’t bother arguing with me. You’ll be doing this, whether I take you there kicking and screaming or not. I will not have Huntson or his mother hurt. I’ve dealt with enough drama lately; I don’t need yours as well. Now shut it, drink whatever the hell it is your drinking, and go to bed. Tomorrow’s gonna be a long fuckin’ day.”
Um, when did the world turn upside down and put Hunter in charge of my life?
Seems all men are the same. Controlling your life without thinking about anything you might want.
Sure, I don’t want Huntson in danger; however, I don’t think I’ll be able to survive being near Hunter without losing my heart to him the way he took my virginity.
Chapter Six
Hunter
A week ago, I found out about my son and forced his mother to move into my part of the house. I shouldn’t have rushed her into this, honestly after what I read in the file I’d gotten from Gadget, I wasn’t having it any other way.
Jordan told me to get it only after I talked to Annslee. Yeah, I did not do that shit. After leaving the hospital, I called Gadget who had no problem giving me the file on Annslee.
I sat right there, next to Gadget in the clubhouse, reading every bit of information he had. I knew I was invading her privacy; however, she lost the right to be pissed with me when she withheld my son from me.
Gadget had been thorough in his findings. Shit, he had even done a DNA test that concluded what I already knew. From what I read, Annslee did not have a good life. Was supposed to be in an all-girls college before she ran away. Lived low key, didn’t have credit cards. Worked hard and it pissed me off to find out where she got her second job at. Fuckin’ Sinner’s Cove. Not saying I got a problem with strippers but fuck if I want the mother of my child stripping for cash when I could have been helping her support him.
As I continued to go through the file, I found a newspaper article announcement from a few weeks ago, claiming she was to marry a Terry Nelson. How was that possible when she’s been here for at least two years. Only thing I could gather was they had to have found her after she’d been trying to stay under the radar.
Since moving her in, Annslee has done everything in her power to stay invisible. Even more than she did when Connors had her taking care of Chaz. In this time, I’ve also gotten to spend time with Huntson without him hurting due to his ears being infected. He’s a smart little kid and loves music.
Melody is absolutely in love with Huntson. The little girl is in baby heaven, getting to hold her little brother, Jason, as well as play with my son. All of us have chipped in to help as we always had done when it came to Chaz, and Bethany. Mackenzie even has been helping at least as much as Lex will allow her.
Before I left the hospital, Mackenzie and Lex finally came up to see all of us. Mackenzie broke down crying as she apologized for them being hurt. Saying it was her fault. Bethany and Chaz, both told her it wasn’t, though she did nod her head at this, I’m pretty sure she feels the guilt.
Lex’s sister decided to move into Annslee’s house taking over the rent. She started working for Burner at Devil’s Ink as their receptionist. According to Lex, who did not like this plan, Anabelle wanted to be on her own and this gave her the chance to do it.
Alexis had been livid when I moved Annslee in at first only because she was worried about me being played. To calm her down, I’d showed her the DNA test from the file and explained why I’d made the play I did in regard to the mother of my son. After this she understood and backed off. Hell, she even became friendly with Annslee.
Well as much as Annslee allowed anyone to be friendly with her.
When Tombstone and some of the Satan’s Keepers got to the house, things became interesting in the only way they can when they hit the house. Melody always getting money upon them showing, some even giving her two hundred dollars to put in the swear jar.
During the day when everyone would be up and about, I found Annslee, if she was near, kept her head bowed, not meeting any of the men’s faces. Even when it came to Alexis, Mackenzie, and Bethany, she didn’t meet their gazes, rather looked beyond them into nothing.
None of the women noticed this reaction but my brothers did. Same as Tombstone, Reaper, Angel, and Hellhound.
“Hunter.” At the mention of my name, I found Annslee standing stock still in the doorway to my bedroom staring at me as I lift my head up from the pillow. After getting out of the shower, I’d stretched out on my bed in nothing but a pair of black sweatpants which rode low on my hips.
“What’s up, Annslee?” I ask.
“Um, sorry to bother you, but um, can you by chance watch Huntson? I need to go out for a little while,” she murmurs.
“Got no problem watching our son, Dimples, but what do you need to go do?” I ask, pushing myself up to a sitting position.
“I just need to go to the store is all.” For some reason I feel as if she was lying to me about why she needed to go out.
Deciding not to call her out on it, I nod my head, “I’ve got him. See you when you get back.”
“Um, thank you, Hunter,” Annslee says on a light whisper.
“No problem, get me the baby monitor and I’ve got little man,” I tell her.
“Okay,” she nods and steps into the room handing me the monitor. “Thank you, I’ll be back in a little bit.
Finding this unsettling, I grab my phone and shoot a message to a group chat between Lex, Tanner, Chaz, and myself as she leaves.
Me: Something’s up with Annslee. She just asked me to watch Huntson while she goes out for a little while.
Tanner: Maybe she just needs to go out for a bit.
Chaz: Why’s it weird she asked you to watch your son?
Lex: What’s strange about her wanting to go out for a bit?
Me: In the past two weeks she’s not once tried to go anywhere besides to the clinic when she had to work.
Chaz: Did she say where she was going?
Me: Said to the store.
Lex: S
he probably needs something from the store. Nothing strange about that. (shrug emoji)
Tanner: Random thought, what days was she working at Sinner’s Cove?
Fuck.
Me: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Lex: Today’s Thursday.
Chaz: How much do you wanna bet she’s going to work? (Lifted brow smiley face emoji)
Fuckin’ hell.
Me: Think Mackenzie or Alexis would watch Huntson?
Tanner: Alexis can’t she’s out for the count right now, besides baby’s due any day can’t leave her right now.
Lex: Asked Mackenzie, she said she’ll come to your side and watch him.
Me: Thanks, man.
Lex: Yep, meet you outside.
Me: Right.
Chaz: Text when you confirm what she’s doing.
Me: Yep.
Dropping my phone onto the bed, I climb off the bed, move to my dresser, and grab a pair of jeans. I quickly pull them up, fasten them while making my way to the closet to snag a tee. Finally, I shove my feet into a pair of DCs, put my wallet in my back pocket, and move back to the bed to pick up my phone.
By the time I step into the hallway with the baby monitor, Mackenzie is coming my way.
“Thanks for this,” I tell her as I hold the little device out to her.
“No problem, I’ve got him. Let me know how it goes,” she says, taking the monitor from my hand and heads to Huntson’s room.
“Will do,” I mutter and head for the stairs knowing Huntson was in good hands.
Mackenzie was family, she’d take good care of him while I go out to figure out what his momma was up to. If I find out she’s stripping again, I’ll lose my shit. I told her she doesn’t have to work there to take care of Huntson. It’s why I moved her in with me.
Fuckin’ hell.
“Where you two going?” Angel asks as I meet Lex at the front door.
“Sinner’s Cove, you wanna come?” Lex asks.