by A. Lynn
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“I have known Dec all my life, you know. Best friends for as long as I can remember—”
“Just spit it out, Moose, I want to see my son before he goes to bed.”
He expels a heavy breath and takes a step back. “I’m pretty sure it was Dec laughing at the end of that video.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I don’t know, a gut feeling. That laugh was so familiar, one that I have heard every day for the last twenty years.”
“Okay, so say I believe you, what do you want to do about it? As you said he has been your best friend all your life. Have you even talked to him or Cash since they walked out?”
“No. But brotherhood trumps friendships.”
“I thought you considered them your brothers?”
“I love them like brothers but they aren’t my brothers anymore, you and the Kings are. They chose their fate and I chose mine.”
“Good. Pull Axle aside and tell him what you told me and he will discuss it with Gunner or call a meeting with the four of us.”
“You got it, Crow.”
******
When I don’t see Pop in the front room I decide just to go up to his and Ma’s room. I dart up the stairs and raising my hand to knock when I hear a tiny screech coming from inside. I smile and open the door.
Leaning against the doorway with a smile plastered on my face, I see Jordan’s little naked butt darting back and forth between Ma and Skylar, effectively evading both of them. Shrill laughing can probably be heard miles down the road at the decibel he is reaching.
“Jordan! You can’t run around without clothes on,” Skylar chastises through a laugh.
“Yes, I’s can! I’s doin’ it now’s, Aun’ Skywa!”
“If I have to chase you, the tickles are only going to be worse!” She threatens.
“I’s not’s afwaid of you’s!”
“You want me to tell your daddy on you?” Ma asks him.
He stops in his tracks and Skylar gets her arms around his waist, forcing his underwear and sleep shorts up his legs.
“Daddy’s here?” He asks with hushed excitement.
“Yeah, little man, I’m here.”
“Daddy!” He screeches and flings his little body at me. “I misseded you.”
I bring him up to my chest and his arms go around my neck. “I missed you, too. How come you're not with Moma?”
“We’s having a sweep ova.”
“You are, huh?”
“Yeah, we’s was gunna, den Nana hit my giwlfwiend’s moma, den we’s wasn’, now’s we’s is.” He shrugs.
“You’re girlfriend?”
“You’s said I’s would know’s and I’s do.”
“I thought girls were gross?”
“Not’s Wavey, she’s pitty, Daddy.”
“I bet she is. Why don’t you finish getting dressed while I talk to your Nana?”
“Otay, Daddy,” he says when I set him on his feet.
“What’s going on, Mijo?”
“Have you told anyone that Reagan and I are having a baby?”
“No one outside of the family, why?”
“Family as in who?”
“Your father thought it would be a good idea to tell Dec, that maybe it would make him want to come back into the fold.”
“Fuck…”
“What is it?”
“Skylar, can you come here for a sec?” I call.
Walking into the room with little man on her hip, she asks, “What’s up, bro?”
“Have you told anyone about Reagan being pregnant?”
“Whas pwegent?”
“It’s when a woman has a baby in her belly,” Skylar answers. “And no, Crow, I haven’t told a soul. I have been at work since I found out.”
“No one at work? Or at the salon, Ma?”
“Nobody, Crow, swear.”
“Me either. Now tell me what this is about.” I hesitate to answer her, looking at Jordan. “Will you put a movie in for us to watch, Nieto?”
“Otay, Nana. Down, Aun’ Skywa.”
When Jordan is standing in front of a bag that is so overstuffed it’s a wonder the seams are holding, both women step closer to me.
“Spill,” Ma demands.
“When Harley was taken there was an envelope with a picture of Harley and Ellery beat to hell in it, but there was also a note. It was a bunch of mind-your-own-business talk and it threatened to come back for Reagan. But at the end of the letter, it asked how Reagan and the baby were doing.”
Skylar gasps. “How do they know?”
“We don’t know, that’s why I asked who each of you told.”
“He would never, Crow,” Ma snaps at me.
“I don’t know what Dec would do, Ma, but I do know that I don’t trust him enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“I think I would know if I raised a psychopath. It’s not in his character.”
“If you are so certain that he wouldn’t do something like that, then why was that the first person that popped into your head? A few months ago I would have been at your back carrying the torch for him, but I also would have never thought that he would supply enough drugs to kill me to a club slut with vendetta.”
“Crow—”
“Just stop, Ma. Stop defending him at every turn because clearly none of us know him as well as we thought we did. It should go without saying but I will say it anyway, I don’t want his ass around my kids, ever.”
“I would never—”
“Yes, you would, because you think that all this is a misunderstanding. I can hear it now, ‘but it’s Christmas, Crow’ just sub whatever holiday it happens to be.”
“That’s not fair, Crow. He’s my son.”
I point to Jordan, “and he is mine. I will not allow him to be hurt in any way.”
“And you think I would?”
“Not directly, no.” She starts to rebuke what I said, but I raise my hand to stop her. “It’s late, I’m going to go see my woman. You still want him to stay here tonight?”
“Of course I do,” she snaps at me.
“Little man, I’m going to go see Moma. Want to come and give me love?”
“Yes,” he yells and runs to me. I catch him under his arms and toss him in the air, making him squeal. When he is securely back in my arms, he wraps his arms around my neck. “Kiss kiss, Daddy.”
I turn to give him my cheek, but he follows my movement and plants his kiss right on my lips. “Be good for Nana, okay?”
“Otay. I’s woves you’s.”
“I love you, little man,” I say and set him on his feet. “See you in the morning.”
“Nigh-Night, Daddy.”
I close the door to Ma’s room with a heavy heart. I hope she heeds my warning about keeping Dec away from Jordan because I don’t want to have to make that choice, I would in a heartbeat, though. I would choose Reagan and Jordan all day long and twice on Sunday.
Chapter 10
Crow
When I finally walk into our suite, I expect to find Reagan waiting for me but I am greeted by an empty sitting room. Selfish, I know, but I missed the shit out of her today. Burying myself inside her while she holds me tight is the only thing that has kept me moving forward today. What a clusterfuck this day turned out to be. Simple recon mission my ass.
I go to our bedroom and strip off my cut before sitting on the bed to remove my boots. That’s when I hear the shower running. I know I didn’t hear it in the front room, but the gloom of not finding her in the front room is quickly erased as I strip off the rest of my clothes on the way to the bathroom.
With my cock in my hand, I slowly open the bathroom door—so I don’t scare her—and get smacked in the face with the steam rolling out of the shower. She has her arms bent on the stall wall and her head is hanging as she lets the hot water pelt her back. She looks so fucking sexy with her ass extended out and her tits dripping from her chest. All thanks to the
slightly bent waist.
She is so fucking beautiful and she is all mine.
I’m giving my cock long, slow strokes and intermittently squeezing the head for some relief when she says, “You going to stand over there all night, or are you going to join me?”
My eyes stop perusing her body and shoot to hers, finding her eyes on my cock and an alluring smile on her face. I don’t answer, I just open the stall door and step in and pull her into my arms.
“I missed you today, baby.”
“I know, me, too. I don’t like not seeing you all day.”
“I don’t either but we have got some bad shit going down right now. Just know that I am not away from you and little man by choice, because there is nowhere else I would rather be. We just need to make it safe for everyone.”
“I know that,” she says planting small kisses on my chest. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“It shouldn’t be for too much longer.”
I frame her face with my hands and bring her mouth to mine. I push her lips open with my own and shove my tongue in her mouth and she immediately responds, wrapping her arms around my neck causing her lush tits to press against my chest while she sucks on my tongue. We kiss until my cock is throbbing painfully and begging for entrance to his home, but I’m not sure if she’s ready for this yet, so I break the kiss and lay my forehead on hers.
“Why did you stop?”
“I don’t want...” I trail off.
“Don’t want what?”
“It hasn’t been that long since—you know.” Her face falls a little more with each word that comes out of my mouth.
She drops her arms from my shoulders, trying to put space between us. “Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s fine, Crow. I’m just tired,” she says and pushes against my chest. “Please, let me go.”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothings wrong, I’m just tired.”
“You weren’t too tired a minute ago.”
“I am now. Let me go.”
“What the fuck ever, Reagan. You want to go, then go. I’m not stopping you,” I say and step under the spray, giving her my back.
“Clearly,” she says as she steps out of the shower stall.
I stand under the hot spray trying to figure out what the hell just went wrong, but I'm drawing a blank. Maybe she isn’t ready for sex and I jumped the gun, pushed her too far too soon. But she was into it, so how could that be it? Fuck! I quickly finish my shower and get out.
With a towel wrapped around my hips, I step out of the bathroom and see her curled up on the couch and giving the room her back. “What are you doing, baby?” She doesn’t answer. “You can’t be comfortable on that small ass couch.” Nothing. “Come to bed, love.” Still nothing. “At least sleep in little man’s room.”
I know she’s not asleep, her breathing isn’t right. I have watched her sleep enough times to know when she is faking it or not. Whatever. I’ve had a shit day and had hoped to come home to my woman and ease some of the tension. Looks like that is a no-go.
Pissed, I charge into the bedroom and slam the door. Let her sleep through that! Childish? Yes. Satisfying? Abso-fucking-lutely.
******
A couple of hours later, I am laying in bed awake, pissed, horny as fuck, confused, and—if I am being completely honest—with hurt feelings. I play out our encounter in the shower for the hundredth time looking for anything that could have made her go cold on me.
The scene plays out like a clip from a movie.
“Why did you stop?”
“I don’t want...” I trail off.
“Don’t want what?”
“It hasn’t been that long since—you know.” Her face falls a little more with each word that comes out of my mouth.
She drops her arms from my shoulders, trying to put space between us. “Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s fine, Crow, really. I’m just tired,” she says and pushes against my chest. “Please, let me go.”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing, I’m just tired.”
“You weren’t too tired a minute ago.”
“I am now. Let me go.”
“What the fuck ever, Reagan. You want to go, then go. I’m not stopping you,” I say and step under the spray, giving her my back.
“Clearly,” she says as she steps out of the shower stall.
Realization dawns on me like a battering ram, crushing and lethal. All the air is sucked from my lungs and I feel like I am drowning at the implication that she could have drawn the wrong conclusion. I jump from the bed and jerk the door open so forcefully that it’s a wonder how it remains on its hinges. I am at her side in seconds and scooping her into my arms.
“Crow—”
“Kane. I don’t like it when you call me Crow.”
“Cr—”
“Kane,” I demand.
“Fine. What are you doing, Kane.”
“Taking you to our bed, where you belong. Beside me, always.”
“I don’t think that is a good idea. If you want me off the couch that bad, I will go sleep in Jordan’s bed.”
“Why would we sleep in there? That bed is smaller than ours.”
“That’s why I would be sleeping in there and you would be sleeping in here.”
“Never going to happen. I’ve been without you enough and that’s over now.”
“Just until you want to fuck someone, though, right? Because it seems like you don’t want me for that anymore. Damaged goods, right?”
“Don’t be stupid, baby, there is no one else in the world I want to be with.”
“That’s not what you were saying in the shower,” she pouts.
“That is not what I said.” She opens her mouth to correct me but I place my fingers over her lips and continue, “That’s not what I meant, though.”
“What did you mean, then?”
“That I didn’t want to pressure you. I didn’t want you to feel like you had to. It hasn’t been that long since you were attacked and I…” I sigh.
“You what?”
“I didn’t want to push you too hard or too fast. I just got you back and I didn’t want to fuck it up.”
“Did it feel like you were pressuring me? I did invite you into the shower with me.”
“No, but—”
“No buts, Kane. We have had this conversation before. If I don’t want to do something, I’m not going to fucking do it.”
“I know.”
“Do I look like someone who doesn’t know their own mind?”
“No, but what if you weren’t ready for sex yet? Kissing and petting is okay, but not all the way?”
“I am not afraid of you, Kane, I know that I can tell you no. Trust me, love, I want you just as bad as you want me.”
“I’m so scared I’m going to fuck this up royally and that will be the end. That, at some point, you are going to get tired of me fucking up and call it quits.”
“Do you want me, Kane? Like forever? I don’t mean sex, I mean me, Jordan, Peanut, and whoever else comes along?”
“Of course I do. I would marry you tomorrow, you know that.”
“Then why can’t you trust that I do, too? I love you, Kane, I’m not going anywhere. I mean… I even took you back after all that shitty stuff you said. I have never thought of myself as a weak person, but you seem to be my kryptonite. You’re like a wrecking ball when it comes to my resolve.” She smiles at me so sweetly. “And truth be told, I would marry you tomorrow, too.”
I get to my feet and go to the bedside table and grab the velvet box out of the top drawer before coming back and dropping to my knees in front of her. Once there, I present her with the ring that was my great-grandmother’s. A beautiful one and a half carat cushion cut diamond set in platinum with a row of gradient rubies on each side of the diamond running down the face of the band.
�
��I know I asked you this once and then fucked it up,” I shake my head when a bout of nerves strike. “Reagan Leigh Marks, will you do me the extreme honor of being your husband? I promise that I will always stand with you. In front of you when protection is needed and behind you when you don’t—”
“How about you just stand beside me,” she suggests.
“I like the sound of that. So what do you say, baby? You going to make an honest man out of me?”
Shit sits there in silence for longer than what I would like and as soon as tears start to run down her beautiful face, I hold my breath.
“Yes! Of course, I will marry you! I love you so much, Kane. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else!” She cries before throwing herself into my arms.
My arms band around her waist, holding her tight and my face goes into her neck. “I promise, baby, I won’t fuck it up this time.”
She grasps my face to bring my mouth level with hers and plants the sweetest of kisses on my lips. Pulling away, she sweetly says, “I know you won’t, honey, because I would murder you.”
“Ha-ha. I’d like to see you try.”
“Is that a challenge? Trust me, they would never find your body.”
“Such confidence.”
“It’s not confidence, I have done lots of research. I considered criminal psychology before going with cosmetology. And all these shows they have now… it’s like a what-not-to-do-guide.”
“How would you do it then?” I ask teasingly.
“First, I would spike your mid-morning cocktail,” she trails off laughing. “But for real, icicle. It would melt and all of a sudden there is no murder weapon.”
“Put some thought into it, have you?”
“I’m not done. Then I would take you to a pig farm,” she shrugs. “No body, no crime.”
“That is scary specific.”
“Way better than what Ryan said she would do. She said she would wait until they were in the shower and turn on some ‘70’s funk. They would start dancing and showers are slippery… I think you get where I’m going with this.”
“You’re right, the icicle is better.”
“I know, right?! You ready for bed, Kane? I’m beat.” I nod, helping her off the floor in front of me and watch as she strips off all of her clothes and climbs in bed. “You going to join me or just stand there like a creeper?”
