by T. O. Smith
Someone could try to fuck with her if they wanted, but she would be the last person they would go after. Either Joey or I would make sure of it. It all depended on who got to the dumb son of a bitch first.
After what I had learned in the hospital room, I had taken Adelaide home the very next day, not wanting to risk something happening to her or Axel because of the shit Tristan had going on with Frederick. His dumb ass hadn’t even told his own VP what was going on with Frederick – not the full extent.
Secrets in a brotherhood led to deaths, and I didn’t want my woman around that kind of shit.
I held Axel on my hip as I shook his bottle. Sam was leaning against the kitchen counter in front of me while Reina made breakfast for all of us. She seemed to be dealing with what happened to her okay, though I knew she still went to Adelaide a lot when she felt bothered by it.
“Is Adelaide up yet?” Sam asked me as I shifted Axel in my arm so I could feed him since he was still too young to hold his bottle.
I shook my head at him. “Jaxon kept her up a lot last night,” I informed him. “So, she didn’t get much sleep.”
About a week ago, Adelaide went in for her monthly check-up, and we were able to find out that she’s going to be having a boy. Without hesitation, she named him Jaxon Tyler Boris. It felt nice to finally call our kid by a name instead of always calling him ‘the baby’.
“I’m awake,” Adelaide grumbled as she stepped into the kitchen.
I let my eyes run over her. She hadn’t bothered to brush her hair yet and had instead just thrown it up into a messy bun on her head with a few strands falling out around her face. She had a red line on her cheek from where she had obviously slept in one position for too long. Her belly was rounded out now, and she couldn’t hide it anymore, so she was just wearing a plain black tank top and a pair of stretchy shorts since it was pretty warm outside.
Fuck, even though she had just rolled out of bed, she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. Without any effort on her part, she always made the blood in my veins head straight to my cock.
She placed her hand on her belly at the same time that I saw Jaxon swipe either his hand or his foot against her belly. “He’s awake.” She mumbled, making me laugh softly as I leaned down to press a kiss to her sweet lips – always so sweet.
“I swear, you get bigger by the day,” Sam commented, watching her belly with fascination as you could clearly see Jaxon move one of his extremities again.
Adelaide scowled at him, making me bark out a laugh. She had a low tolerance for little comments like that, even if they were harmless. “Thank you for stating the obvious.” She snapped. Sam laughed. He got a kick out of getting on her nerves. “There is a growing human being inside of me.” She reminded him.
He rolled his eyes at her, already used to her smart-ass mouth by now. One of the men stepped into the kitchen and put an arm around Adelaide’s shoulders, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Ma, River,” Henry started, speaking to both of us, “Olive mentioned to me that there’s a small fair happening in town today, and they still have a spot open. I think it would do us all some good to raise some money for the kids in town here.”
I looked at Adelaide only to find her already looking at me. She shrugged at me. “I think it’s a good idea.” She told me. “It’s a nice day out, and I could use some sunshine.” I pursed my lips, not sure about having her out in that heat or Axel. It was already hot outside, and it was only going to get hotter as the day wore on – somewhere close to a hundred degrees.
She pouted at me. I sighed. She knew that look would work ninety-nine percent of the time. “They’ll have plugs out there, so we can have a fan blowing on Axel while he’s in his pack ‘n’ play to keep him cool, and we can just drape a sheet over the pack ‘n’ play to keep the sun off of his skin.” She reasoned with me.
I looked back at Henry. “If she’s in, I’m in.” I finally told him. He grinned, knowing I only agreed because Adelaide wanted to go and help the community. “Tell your wife to secure us that spot.”
He nodded, and with another gentle squeeze to Adelaide’s shoulders, he released her and pulled out his phone, walking back out of the kitchen. Adelaide shook her head slightly. “It’s going to take me a minute to get used to all of the men calling me Ma." She admitted.
I smiled down at her. “You’re my woman now, Darlin’.” She smiled at me, making my heart swell in my chest. “The men will look to you as a mom – a guider of sorts.” I reminded her.
Since I had made it known that Adelaide was carrying my son and that she was definitely around to stay, the men had taken to her a lot better. I get why they were a bit hostile towards her – besides Val and Joseph, of course. She was an outsider, and not to mention they all knew she was the reason I got kicked out of the Sons of Death, though it had all been worth it to have a taste of her.
Because now, Adelaide was by my side where she had belonged all along.
I caught her laughing at her phone a moment later. She flashed me a grin. “Joey said to make sure I don’t get sunburnt and that I better get sprayed with sunscreen every hour.” She told me, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
I rolled my eyes. “Tell him to mind his own fucking business.” I retorted.
She only giggled before she leaned down to press a kiss to Axel’s forehead since he was still drinking his milk. She blew me a kiss before she sauntered out of the kitchen, gently pulling Reina away from the stove and ordering another club woman to finish breakfast as she did so.
God, she was perfect.
■ ■ ■
I stood to the side of the section we were assigned on the fairgrounds. It’d taken a little less than thirty minutes to unload all the tables and grills and get them set up. The club had jumped in to help, and some of the men even scolded Adelaide and Reina when they tried to help. Some had gotten their heads bit off by my woman, but when one of them ran and grabbed her a corndog, she settled down.
Women were a different level of crazy when they were hungry – and pregnant.
I watched as Adelaide and Reina talked to the people in our town that came up to the table to buy burgers and hot dogs. Sam and I were manning the grill, leaving the two women to deal with everyone else.
Adelaide was a natural at this shit. You wouldn’t think so when you first met her, but she had a way with people that had them wanting to talk to her despite how blunt she was.
The people in this town looked up to the Fathers of Mayhem. We didn’t bring trouble here, and we helped out when we could by doing things like this for the community. Though my club dealt with illegal shit, never – not in the thirty-something years this club has been established – has shit ever come home.
And it was going to stay that way because I wanted this community to continue to be able to rely on us and trust us.
I looked over at Sam to find his eyes locked on Reina, his eyes unreadable as he watched her. “You would be good for her,” I commented, making him drag his eyes off of her to look at me.
He arched an eyebrow at me. “What the fuck are you talking about now, River?” He demanded.
I shrugged, gesturing towards Reina with the hand holding my water bottle. “Her.” He grunted. “I caught you staring at her, Sam. You know shit doesn’t slide past me.”
He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “That woman is going through too much shit right now to want anything to do with a man,” Sam informed me. “Gregory made sure he fucked her up good.”
I walked over to the grill to flip the burgers and turn the hot dogs. Sam followed me. “You won’t know unless you try,” I told him. “Adelaide went through her own shit, and she still let me close.” I reminded him.
“Adelaide is different from Reina, River.” He reminded me.
I looked over to where the two women were laughing at something together. Adelaide placed her hand on her belly right as I saw Jaxon move, and I felt a smile twitch at my lips. She had a second
sense for when he was about to kick or hit her belly.
“Just give it a try, Sam.” I told him as I closed the lid back on the grill and moved over to check on Axel who was sleeping peacefully in his pack ‘n’ play.
“River!” A woman exclaimed loudly, making me jerk my head up. A blonde woman was making her way over to our table. She launched herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I narrowly missed her trying to kiss me.
With a growl, I pried her off of me, scowling down at her. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I demanded of my ex-wife as I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring down at her.
“I told you that I was coming back to town to make things right between us, River.” She told me, making me only arch an eyebrow at her considering I had never gotten a text or a phone call. “You told me okay, so here I am.”
I shook my head at her. “You had the wrong number, Lindsey,” I informed her. I jerked my head in the direction of Adelaide who was helping a customer, but I could tell her body was tensed. She was aware of what was happening behind her, and I hated that my fucking crazy ex-wife was the reason why my woman’s mood soured. “Because even if you’d had the right number, I would have told you to keep your ass right wherever the hell you ran away to when you signed your name on those divorce papers.”
Hurt flickered across her face at my words. Adelaide stepped up beside me, looking Lindsey up and down, taking in her dyed, blonde hair and make-up-caked face. Lindsey was slim, and she had obviously toned up over the years. She looked a hell of a lot different from the young, eighteen-year-old girl that I had married all those years ago.
But she didn’t compare to the woman at my side – never would be able to. Adelaide was it for me.
“Who the fuck are you?” Adelaide demanded, her beautiful, brown eyes flashing dangerously.
“River’s wife,” Lindsey spoke smugly.
I opened my mouth to correct her, but Adelaide beat me to it. “Lie one more time, and I’ll knock your teeth down your fucking throat.” Adelaide snapped at her. Lindsey’s eyes widened at her words, fear flashing in them as her face paled. I smirked. “Now, who the fuck are you?” Adelaide repeated.
“River’s ex-wife.” Lindsey corrected herself. I wrapped my arm around Adelaide’s waist, leaning down to press my lips to her temple. She relaxed a little.
“River doesn’t want you here, and I sure as hell don’t, so turn the fuck around and go back to wherever the fuck you came from,” Adelaide told her.
“And who the fuck are you?” Lindsey demanded, surprising me with the curse word that came out of her mouth.
The old Lindsey would have never even dreamed of speaking like that, and she had always hated that I did. It was one of the biggest causes of our fights. She wanted me to change, to be a gentler kind of man, and I refused to.
The woman you fall in love with isn’t supposed to make you change your entire personality. She might change you just enough to make you a better man, but not an entirely different person. Lindsey wanted me to be someone new – someone that wasn’t me.
“Adelaide is my woman,” I informed Lindsey. “And she’s the mother of both of my kids,” I told her, thinking of how much of a mother she was to Axel even though she wasn’t even blood related to him.
Lindsey looked down at Adelaide’s belly, and I saw her face pale again. Me never wanting kids had been one of the reasons she and I had divorced. We both had so many conflicting views after we signed our marriage certificate that our marriage hadn’t lasted very long at all. She wanted kids, a happy marriage with a house surrounded by a white picket fence, and nine to five jobs.
I was never that kind of man, and I never would be, though Adelaide had changed my mind about never wanting kids. I wanted a house full of kids, and I was already on the hunt for a house big enough for the number of kids that I wanted with her.
Another thing Lindsey could never wrap her head around was that I lived and breathed this club. Adelaide understood that, and she took to her role well as my old lady. She was a fucking natural at it all, and my club loved her – fucking worshipped the ground that she walked on.
“River.” Lindsey spoke up, her voice trembling, and I saw her blink back tears. “I - I thought -”
“People change, Lindsey,” I informed her. “And you and I would never work out, even if I gave you everything you wanted because then that would mean I would have been miserable. You could never embrace this life. You hated it way too much. You were demanding too much from me, and I couldn’t give you everything that you wanted.”
“I just wanted some of your time, River.” Lindsey choked out.
I shook my head at her. “I couldn’t give you as much as you wanted.” I reminded her. “You wanted all of it, and my life revolved around the club – it still does.”
Adelaide reached down and gently squeezed my hand before she went back to the table where a small line was forming for food. I watched her as she smiled and laughed with the customers, her pretty face lighting up. “Her, River?” Lindsey asked, drawing my eyes back to her bitter face. “She’s nothing like the kind of women you normally settle for.”
I looked back over at Adelaide for a moment before I looked back down at Lindsey. “She’s everything I want in a woman and more, Lindsey. She’s fucking remarkable. She knows the club life, and she embraces it. The club loves her, and they worship the ground that she walks on. She understands the role I play as the president. She’s strong, and she doesn’t crumble under the pressure that’s put on her as my old lady.” I shook my head. “You could never be even half of the woman that Adelaide is in my eyes.”
Because Adelaide was my entire fucking world.
Lindsey shook her head and swiped at her cheeks as tears fell down her face. I just watched her, not feeling anything at how upset she was. “I had so much hope, River.” She said, her voice breaking.
I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “I don’t know why you did, Lindsey, because even if I wasn’t with Adelaide, I still wouldn’t take you back.” I bluntly told her.
“I can handle it this time, River.” She pleaded with me.
Nothing was going to change my mind. Even if Adelaide and I weren’t together, I still wouldn’t take Lindsey back. We were oil and water – toxic – never mixing.
“Really?” I demanded, not believing her for a second. “You would crumble at the slightest bit of fucking pressure.” I reminded her. “You always have.”
She shook her head and turned on her heel, walking off. Blowing out a harsh breath, I turned towards the grill where Sam was taking the burgers and hot dogs off. “Well, that was definitely unexpected,” Sam commented.
I grunted. “I don’t know why the fuck she thought I would have wanted to work shit out with her,” I told him. “When we signed those divorce papers, we fucking hated each other.”
Sam snorted. “Hate is a nice way to put it.” He stated, obviously remembering the shouting and the destruction that happened almost daily between me and Lindsey. I broke so much shit when she and I argued that it was a miracle I ever had furniture in our damn room at the clubhouse – another place she fucking hated living in.
There were so many damn times that Sam had to get me out of the clubhouse and away from her before I did something I would have regretted.
Granted, I was a lot calmer now than I was back then, but I knew that Lindsey had a way of pushing all of my buttons.
“So, your ex seems . . .” Adelaide trailed as she stood next to me, trying to find the right word to use.
“A stuck-up bitch?” I asked as I wrapped an arm around her waist, turning to face her as I wrapped my other arm around her so her belly was pressed against my abs. Jaxon kicked her belly, and I smiled. I loved that feeling.
Adelaide shook her head. “More like a fucking cry baby.” She corrected me. I barked out a laugh. She arched an eyebrow at me. “You actually went for women like that?”
I snorted. “Both of us didn’t start sh
owing who we really were until we were married,” I told her. “Shit was too quick between us. But we were both young and stupid.”
“Yeah, those two were toxic as fuck.” Sam commented as he walked past us, going to take the hot dogs and hamburgers up to the table where Reina was at.
I leaned down and kissed Adelaide, groaning softly as she opened her lips beneath mine, allowing me to slide my tongue with hers. She moaned quietly, her hands sliding under my shirt and running up my muscular back, making my muscles quiver beneath her touch.
I slowly pulled back from her, not wanting to end the kiss. But we were in public, and we also had people to feed. I pressed a kiss right beneath her ear, causing her to release a breathless moan. My cock twitched in my jeans. “I’ll finish this tonight,” I whispered into her ear before I pulled back from her, watching as her eyes slightly glazed over. She aimed a slow, sexy smile in my direction that made my blood pound for her.
