by Sam Crescent
“I come with gifts.”
John’s stomach chose that moment to growl, and he chuckled. “And you can’t even lie to me that you’re not hungry.”
“I’m not that petty.” John moved so that his head was resting on his hand, but they were both turned toward the door, waiting for the moment when their woman would enter.
“I know, but just in case you wanted to try and win an argument. I’ve already got your lame ass pegged.”
John chuckled. “Do you think she’ll forgive me?”
“She’ll forgive us, John. She doesn’t have it in her to be nasty or mean. She loves fiercely. She will cry at times though,” Gunner said. “We’ve got to be prepared for that.”
“I hate it when she cries.”
“Get used to it. I can’t kick your ass every other day. We’ve got to keep you pretty-looking for her.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For doing this, for being here.”
Gunner turned to look at his best friend. “I know I’ve never been open and honest with you about a lot of things, but you should know that I love you. That I want this between all three of us. I want you both, and I’m a man that gets what he wants. You and Scarlett, you’re mine now.”
“If that’s the case then that means you belong to us. Scarlett and I own you.”
“Good.”
The door to the bathroom opened, and there stood their woman. She wore a nasty-ass nightshirt that had seen better days.
“Can you both … just hold me? I don’t want anything. I’d like you both to hold me.”
John finished his pizza, and Gunner removed his leather jacket. He made sure to put the gun within reach. Kent was still out there. The threat that he posed was still fucking real, and Gunner wasn’t going to let down his guard for anyone.
Taking off his clothes, he climbed onto the other side of Scarlett. Pushing his arm beneath her head, he placed his other hand at her hip.
John moved closer, banding his arm around her waist, kissing her lips.
“I love you, Scarlett,” he said.
“I love you too.” She touched his face, her finger lightly tracing over one of the Band-Aids that he’d put on. “I hope you don’t have to fight like this often.”
“I won’t, baby.” John kissed her lips, and Gunner kissed her neck.
“Sleep, the both of you. We’ve got a long life ahead of us.”
Scarlett gave a little chuckle, but she snuggled between them, and he was able to relax. He didn’t know how long it would last.
Chapter Fourteen
One week later
“Any news?” John asked, leaning back in his chair.
Gunner shook his head. They were back at his place. Carlos and Scarlett were in the kitchen, working on dinner together. Carlos had some kind of paper due about healthy eating, and he was learning all the basics from Scarlett.
They were working through their problems. Gunner wouldn’t allow Scarlett to hide or to run away from what was happening. Kent was a real threat, and as he’d not been seen, and it was one week closer to the deadline, he knew without a doubt that it would happen soon.
Kent wanted the Prez patch. He wanted the club, and he’d do whatever was necessary to win. His men were out hunting for him, and if it wasn’t for Bennie, he’d be out there with them.
“They can’t locate him. Kent was always known for being able to hide. No one could ever find him until he wanted to be found. It was one of the reasons I didn’t want to fucking lose him.”
“How did Billy handle the VP patch?” John asked.
“He didn’t feel that he deserved it. With this shit with Kent, a lot of the guys are pissed they didn’t see it coming, myself included.”
With the time passing, he didn’t know what to do. It would only be a matter of time before Kent did strike.
“Billy’s a good choice. He’s loyal to you and to the club.”
“Yeah, and we need that right now.”
“I’ll always have your back,” John said. “Without a doubt.”
He nodded and took a seat. His leg bounced as he listened to Carlos and Scarlett in the kitchen.
Sex hadn’t resumed among all of them yet. She was no longer staying in her home, and she shared their bed every single night. Gunner was just happy to hold her, to feel her in his arms.
“Any news on Cherry?”
His ex-wife had tried to get their son moved from the private ward where he was. Gunner had made sure the doctors were aware that under no circumstances were they to change Bennie’s medication or his arrangements without consulting him first. Cherry had also been removed from the list of people who were allowed to see Bennie.
Afterward, he made sure his wife paid him a visit.
Staring at John, he made sure his friend got the message. “Cherry won’t be a problem anymore.”
John looked at him and nodded.
He had found out that his ex was a traitorous little bitch. She was prepared to use her own son as leverage against him to get more money. It was why she’d tried to move Bennie.
Gunner had found the evidence, and he’d dealt with her how he dealt with all traitors. Killing his son’s mother didn’t bother him. Her death had been a long time coming. He only hated that he’d put Bennie and Carlos through enough pain before he realized how much of a fucking bitch she actually was. It seemed rather fitting really. He’d made her beg for death long before he’d given it, and now she had a permanent place within the club—only she was six feet under for that privilege. She was buried on club property and would remain there for a long time.
He’d pulled the trigger and watched her fall back into the hole he’d made her dig. There had been no feelings of happiness, just acceptance that she was gone, and he’d done what he’d needed to do.
“Are you okay?” John asked.
“Me, I’m more than fine. I should have done it a long time ago.” He could no longer trust her though. Bennie was in a vulnerable position, and he made sure that there were men to watch him. He made sure to see his son several times a day.
Scarlett was always there as well, to cheer him up. With Finn gone, and the boys who helped him dealt with, Carlos had returned to school.
Everything was getting back on track, and he just needed to deal with the one loose cannon in his life, and that was Kent.
Soon, he’d show himself.
Scarlett entered the room, and she offered them both a smile. “Dinner’s ready.”
Carlos was at the table looking nervous.
“You cook this?” Gunner asked.
“Yeah, it wasn’t so hard when Scarlett showed me everything that was going wrong, you know. It was kind of fun.”
“My son likes to cook?” Gunner smiled as Carlos’s cheeks heated.
“There is nothing wrong with a man wanting to cook. A lot of girls think it’s pretty sexy,” Scarlet said. “Ignore him.”
Carlos chuckled.
He took a bite of the baked chicken spaghetti, and he was quite impressed with his son’s skill.
“This is really good,” Gunner said.
“Thank you.”
“See, I told you. Stop stressing and allow yourself to relax,” Scarlett said.
“There’s something I want to tell you,” Gunner said, looking at his son. He knew he’d have to talk to Bennie soon, but with Scarlett and John there, he didn’t want to leave it. “You know that Scarlett is pregnant.”
“Gunner?” Scarlett dropped her fork to the plate.
“No. We made a mistake with waiting, and I’m not going to wait another second.”
“I know she’s pregnant, Dad,” Carlos said. “She vomits in the morning and she doesn’t make coffee anymore, and she has those fruity things that she seems to like so much.”
“The baby is mine,” Gunner said.
He reached out taking hold of Scarlett’s hand, refusing to let her to run. He was tired of people running.
&nb
sp; Carlos stared at her hand and smiled.
“I know,” Carlos said. “I know that you’ve been seeing Scarlett and John. That you’ve got some kind of poly relationship going. Bennie and I both know. It wasn’t hard to guess with you guys eye-fucking each other all the time.”
Scarlett gasped.
“I did tell you my sons were not sweet and innocent.”
Carlos burst out laughing. “Far from it. It’ll be cool to have a brother or sister. Are you guys moving in here?”
Scarlett looked at John. “It’s a beautiful place,” Scarlett said, picking her fork back up and stabbing at her plate.
“This place is bigger, and you’ll love it. We can start working on the nursery,” Gunner said.
“Bennie and I started on it,” Carlos said.
They all left the dinner table and followed Carlos upstairs to the spare bedroom. Gunner stepped in, flicking on the light, and indeed the room was completely different, and he’d not even entered this room in some time. The walls were a pale yellow, and there were different drawings that he knew his kids had done.
“We kind of figured what was going on, and to show that we hold no hard feelings or anything, we did this.”
Gunner saw tears in Scarlett’s eyes, and he moved to her side, wiping them away. He hated to see her cry, but at least he knew these were tears of happiness.
“I can’t believe you did this.” She sniffled.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful.”
There was a crib in the center of the room, and she walked up to it.
“That was mine and Bennie’s. It was in the attic. Bennie got it down and fixed it up like that. You might want to check over it though before the baby comes,” Carlos said.
John moved up behind them, touching her back.
“We can make this work, Scarlett.”
She nodded. “I can see that. People in town are going to be harder to please.”
“Screw them,” John said. “Half of them have secrets of their own. Let them whisper. We’ve got to do what makes us happy, not what makes them happy.”
He pressed a kiss to her neck, and Gunner stroked her hip.
Opening his arms, Carlos stepped toward him, and Gunner hugged his youngest son. Everything was coming together. He only hoped that he could keep everything working even with the threat he faced.
****
Time was ticking.
John knew with very second that passed, the deadline for Kent grew closer. Even though the cartels had agreed with Gunner’s plan and told them straight that Kent was going to die, that didn’t mean the threat wasn’t real.
Each night, he slept with one eye open, making sure his loved ones were protected at all times. He’d even started to place guns at different locations around the house. When Gunner and Scarlett had been out, and he’d been left to his own devices, he’d checked every single part of the house to see where anyone could enter, where they could hurt the people he loved.
During the day, between meetings, he took the time to catch up on sleep. It was the only other way he knew he could recharge his batteries.
He’d just closed his eyes when there was a knock at the door. Running a hand down his face, he got to his feet, clearing the tiredness from his eyes.
Opening the door, he saw it was Gunner.
“Hey, man, what’s up?”
“I just thought I’d come to see how you were. I know you’ve not been sleeping all that well.”
“I’m fine. How’s Scarlett?”
“I dropped her off at the day care center. Bennie is with a physical therapist.”
Bennie was making an excellent recovery. His young age and determination had moved him toward the next stage of getting better. Thinking about Bennie brought him back to the memory of Finn.
He’d done a lot in the past few days to help his friend.
“What are you going to do when the boys start asking about Cherry?” John asked.
“Tell him that she had to go. They’ve not asked about her, and when I saw Bennie this morning, he asked to keep her away, that he didn’t want her near him.”
John nodded. “Everything feels so fucked-up.”
“You still not talked to Scarlett?” Gunner asked.
“Not since she saw me break down. Every time I try, she finds an excuse to leave the room or to walk away. I’ve never known her to be the kind of woman to not fight back. I hurt her deeply.”
“You’re going to have to make her listen to you,” Gunner said. “That’s what I did. I made her listen. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
John smiled. Each time she walked out of a room, he let her. The only time he’d gotten close to her was at night. He probably should have spoken then, but he’d just been happy to have her in their bed, in his arms.
“She’ll come around.”
“You don’t sound so sure about that,” John said. He ran a hand over his face. He was fucking exhausted. Sleepless nights no longer appealed to him. “When do you think this fucker is going to hit?”
“Kent? It could be any day now. I’ve been riding around, pretty much put a target on my fucking back. I was hoping that as we got closer to the deadline of him needing my dead body, he’d lose his shit, and I’d be done.” Gunner blew out a breath. “I guess he’s a lot more patient than I fucking thought. You need to get some sleep.”
“No, I can’t sleep. Not yet.”
“What use are you to me if you can’t even aim straight?”
The phone on his desk started to ring. “My secretary still out there?”
“Yeah, she told me to come right on in. Your door was closed though.”
“I don’t want anyone just walking in,” John said. He’d not wanted Gunner to see that he’d been using his office to catch up on sleep.
Grabbing his phone, he listened as his secretary spoke.
“Someone called Kent is on the line, sir. He said it’s urgent.”
John turned to look at Gunner. “Put him through.”
Pressing the speakerphone button, he waited.
“Hello, John,” Kent said. “I’m hoping Gunner is there with you. I’ve seen him visiting you a lot more, and let’s just say I’ve got two special somethings in your life right now.”
There was a loud scream to be heard, and then Scarlett’s voice.
“Leave him alone!” she yelled.
John’s blood ran cold.
Another scream, and Gunner paled.
“Carlos, are you okay?” Scarlett asked.
“Your son’s a little fucking pussy, Gunner. Can’t even handle a few broken bones. You know what, I think I’m going to take him piece by fucking piece.”
“What do you want?” Gunner asked.
“I want you both here, at the warehouse. Come alone or I will tear the baby out of your whore, and make sure she can’t have any children. You try anything funny, I will make your lives a living hell.”
Kent hung up, and John grabbed the phone, throwing it across the room. He was so fucking angry.
“She was at the fucking day care center!” John gripped the edge of the desk, his rage consuming him as fire filled his blood.
After everything they’d been through, he couldn’t allow Scarlett to get hurt.
“We don’t have time for us to lose it right now,” Gunner said.
“He’s got her and Carlos, Gunner. You do realize the risks right now? You’ve got to know them.”
“I know them, John. I fucking know more than anyone that he could kill her. That he could take away two of the most important people to me. Bennie’s in the hospital. I lose his brother, I’ve got to tell him what happened. I’m not having that conversation. We’re not doing this,” Gunner said. “Will you help me get our woman back, and my son, and if anything happens to me, promise me you’ll take care of them?”
“You don’t even have to ask,” John said.
He would protect Gunner with his life, and there was no way he’d le
t anything happen to him.
They left his office, and he told his secretary to cancel all of his meetings and to take the rest of the day off.
John climbed into his car, and Gunner sat in the passenger seat.
“You got any guns in this car?”
“They’re in the duffel in the back.”
“How long have you been carrying guns around?”
John smirked. “What makes you think I ever stopped carrying them around?”
“You wear a suit to work.”
“So? My best friend is the Prez of an MC, and you’re known for fucking people off. I got prepared and stayed it. The suit is just a front.”
“Like a superhero.”
“I’m not a superhero, Gunner. I’m long past that fucking status.”
They rode toward the warehouse, and once outside, John parked the car. Today could see his life ending. He may not live to see his wife give birth, or to share in the love of a family.
“If I don’t make it today, I want you to tell Scarlett that I’m sorry. That all I wanted to ever do was give her everything. I don’t want her to hate me or what we’ve done.”
“Shut the fuck up and get out of the car. No one is dying today but Kent and whoever he has with him.”
****
Scarlett kept trying to tug her hands out of the rope. They had tied them too tightly, and even though she’d cut her flesh, she had to get to Carlos. He was curled up in a ball on the floor, his leg at an odd angle.
Kent and two men she didn’t recognize kept pacing the floor.
“What if they don’t come?” one of the men asked.
As time started to pass, she saw they had all started to look a little scared. Kent was barely hanging on by a thread. When he’d taken her, she’d been throwing trash out in the alleyway. It had taken her by surprise when he’d caught her and bundled her into a car. She didn’t even realize he was there. When she was in the car, she saw they had Carlos. They’d bound and gagged him.
Carlos had looked at her and seemed to try to ask if she was okay.
He was such a sweet kid, and no matter what she tried to do, they had hurt him. She’d wanted them to hurt her rather than hurt a boy. That’s all Carlos was, a young boy.
