by Naomi West
It’d been a good year in many ways. The move had been simple and easy. Ian loved Saxton and living with him, and their old place was so small, it took no time at all for the movers to come in and pack it all up and bring it to Saxton’s house. It was embarrassing how all of their possessions all fit neatly into his living room. Saxton had assured her she had no reason to feel ashamed and that he’d gladly share all he had with her.
Without money to worry over and many long hours to work, Sara turned her attention to the house and to worrying over Carter and his gang. She went room by room in their house, deep cleaning and making updates. New curtains here, a fresh coat of paint there. Saxton was happy to let her play and do anything she liked. So long as, as he put it, she didn’t make it too “girly.” He needed it to still look like a man lived there, too. Sara wasn’t into frilly and lacy anyhow. She ran all her decoration plans by him first, and she was having fun doing it. After a year, there was little left to do.
The worrying over Carter and their safety, though, had gotten stronger in the months after Carter’s arrest. She hadn’t been sleeping well, thinking the Cruel Crows were going to show up and attack them all for getting Carter arrested. It took months to bring him to trial. They didn’t end up having to testify, which was a huge relief. And when it all came down, Carter was sent away for the next one hundred and fifty years. So, basically, there was no chance he’d ever get out. In the months following his sentencing, the Cruel Crows had fallen apart.
Sara didn’t know anything about gang life, but the Jagged Souls were in the know when it came to life on the streets. Saxton had told her they were crumbling and she didn’t believe it. But then, several Jagged Souls had assured her that the gang had dissolved. The Crows were no more. Just a few months without Carter’s leadership, and with the police watching it all so closely, and they had been forced to scatter.
Sara pointed out to Saxton, though, that it didn’t mean those who had been Crows weren’t still out there. But Saxton kept saying it didn’t matter. That they were all being watched and that without the grouping of the gang, there was nothing to be loyal to. But Sara worried. She worried until Saxton had demanded that she drive hours with him to go to the closest gun range so they could practice shooting. And that she use some of her new free time to take martial arts lessons.
Once she started to learn how to defend herself better, and as the months went by and nothing happened, she started to relax. She worried less, she slept better, and after a while, stopped looking behind her every second when she drove or went to the grocery store. The three of them settled into life together, and it felt better than anything she’d ever experienced. Life over all was so good, it had her thinking about the future.
They hadn’t talked about marriage. They hadn’t talked about having more kids. Most of the year had been too cluttered with adjustments and fear and settling in that she hadn’t even brought things like that up Partly, she didn’t want to disturb their little balance by pushing things faster than he wanted. If Saxton never wanted to get married, she’d probably be okay just living with him like this for many years. But deep down, she wanted to be married and have more kids and build a bigger life together.
Saxton walked into the living room and sat beside her. “Coffee is on. Let’s do this.”
Ian looked at them with wide eyes. “Can I open presents now?”
“Go for it,” Sara said.
He dove into the pile and picked up the closest gift. The paper was shredded in seconds and he was zooming around the room with his new truck, making all sorts of traffic noises. He went back for another, then another. Before long, there were piles of crumbled wrapping paper, pieces of packaging, and a collection of toys scattered around the large room. The Christmas tree, reaching into the air over nine feet tall, was only about half visible from where Sara sat in the sofa. The bottom was obscured from view by boxes and plastic wrapping and wrapping paper.
When Ian had gone through all his gifts, it was Sara and Saxton’s turn. Saxton loved the new shirt and knife Sara had bought him, and the picture Ian colored for him. Sara opened a new bracelet and some expensive perfume she’d passed on months ago because of the high price tag. When all the gifts were opened and being enjoyed, Saxton pulled Sara into a tight hug.
“There’s one more gift I have for you.”
He sat up and pulled a small box from his pocket. Her heart started racing when she saw it. Was it what she thought it was?
He held out the box on his palm with a crooked grin. “Hope you like it.”
She took the box, unsure. Didn’t seem like much of a proposal. She cracked the box open and took a breath. Her heart sank when she saw what was inside, then did a small leap. She picked up the key and raised an eyebrow at him.
Saxton grinned. “You’ll have to come to the garage.” He hopped to his feet, beaming, and held out his hand to her.
Sara put her hand in his and motioned to Ian. “Come on!”
They went to the garage and before Saxton opened the door, he made her close her eyes. He led her into the garage, stopped her, and said, “Okay, open your eyes.”
She faced a brand new sparkly Harley. It was black with magenta swirls painted down the sides. A helmet sat on the seat, matching the paint job of the bike.
“My own Harley!” She stuck the helmet on and climbed on the bike’s seat.
Saxton had been teaching her how to ride. She’d found it far more enjoyable than she thought she would have. The feeling of the wind around her, running over her skin, the road zooming by, was exhilarating. They’d discussed getting her her own bike, but hadn’t made any serious plans. Turned out, Saxton had been planning this all along, she guessed.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“I love it! I want to take it for a quick spin!”
He chuckled. “Dressed like that?”
He gestured to her fleece pajama bottoms and socked feet. She didn’t even have a coat on, but she put the key in the ignition and felt the rumble of the engine as the bike started. She listened to the bike for a moment and Saxton went to open the garage door. When she saw the cold winter sky ahead, she pressed down on the pedal and took off.
She toured around the block, the frigid air biting through her thin pajamas. The rush of the speed and knowing this bike was hers outweighed the cold. She never thought she’d be a biker chick. Not in a million years. But once she started riding, there was no going back. She’d even gotten her own leather jacket a few months ago, courtesy of Saxton. She loved it when they went on rides together, and now that she had her own bike, they could go for much longer rides.
She turned back into the driveway, shivering. Later, when she was dressed properly, they could go for a better ride. This was enough of a taste for now, but she was cold. She stopped the bike and hopped off.
Ian clapped his hands.
“Sweet,” she said as she pulled off her helmet. She went to Saxton and wrapped him in a tight hug. “I love it. Thank you.”
“I’m glad.” He kissed her and hugged her back. “Let’s get inside. You’re freezing.”
They resumed their places in the living room in front of the tree.
“How about a fire?” Saxton asked.
“Perfect.”
Sara poured two cups of hot, fresh coffee, wrapping her fingers around her mug to thaw them out. She sat and set the mugs on the coffee table while Saxton gathered wood and stacked the pieces in the fireplace. He got the fire going and came to sit beside her. Sitting together, sipping coffee in front of the fire, watching Ian play with his toys, life felt absolutely perfect.
Well, almost perfect. She tried to ignore the ping in her chest. When Saxton had taken out the small box, she thought for sure it was a ring and he was going to propose. The bike had been an amazing surprise and she loved it, but that little fake out had made her realize just how much she had wished he’d proposed. Maybe it was time to bring it up and start talking about it. Maybe she could ask him in a w
ay that didn’t put any pressure on him. Just a sort of, hey have you ever thought of getting married, type of thing.
Saxton got up to poke the fire. He turned around and looked at Sara and Ian. He had a kind of strange look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing… I, umm…” He scratched the back of his head and looked at the floor.
“Saxton? What’s wrong?”
“Umm, can we just… Ian, can you come sit down for a minute?”
Ian looked up from the floor, where he’d been playing with a pile of action figures. He grabbed a super hero and climbed up on the couch beside Sara. They both stared at Saxton.
Saxton shifted his weight and let out a hard breath. “So, I wanted to talk to you both about something.”
Sara’s heart raced, but not in a good way. This felt strange. Like he was going to say they should move across the country or he wanted to break up or something bad. He looked terrified and it made Sara uneasy. She swallowed hard and took Ian’s hand in hers.
“What’s going on, Saxton?” she asked.
“I thought that, since we all live here now and it’s pretty good, I mean, I think it’s been pretty good, right?”
“Yeah…” she said, not sure where he was going with this.
“So, maybe we should make it more... Permanent?”
Sara sat up straighter. Her heart jumped again, but this time with excitement. “Permanent?”
“If you want to. If you don’t, that’s okay, but I was thinking…” He turned and patted the space on the mantel behind the photographs Sara had put there months ago of the three of them. He picked up another small box and faced her again.
“I was thinking, maybe…” He opened the box and got down on one knee. “Maybe you would want to marry me? And make a family with me?”
Sara squealed and leaned forward to kiss him. Tears filled her eyes and she kissed him several times, then said, “Yes!”
Saxton let out a breath, visibly relaxing as he did. “Geez. That was hard.” He chuckled and his hand shook as he pulled the ring from the box.
“As long as this is okay,” he said to Ian. “Is it okay if I marry your mom and become your stepdad?”
Ian nodded with wide eyes.
Saxton slipped the ring on Sara’s finger and she looked down at it. The center was a large, round diamond. Several smaller diamonds surrounded it in a circle, all set on a thin silver band. It was gorgeous. More than she could have ever hoped for.
“Wow,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her off the couch, and into his lap.
“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for loving me and wanting me like that. For forever.”
“Thank you for wanting us.” She knew it had to be harder coming as a package deal. He wasn’t just becoming a husband, he was becoming an instant father. No ramp up time, no growing up with the baby, learning along the way as she had gotten to do. They might have more kids, sure, but Ian was already here. She’d thought she’d be a single mom forever. That maybe someday when Ian was grown and left home, maybe then she’d find someone. But to have Saxton now, to have time to have more kids and a bigger family—a real family like she’d never had before—was a complete dream come true.
“So, you’ll be my dad now?” Ian asked, the awe obvious in his voice.
“Stepdad, yes,” Saxton said.
“What does that mean?”
“It just means that Saxton isn’t your biological dad, but he’s just like a dad in every other way,” Sara explained.
“So…” Ian made a confused face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Does this mean I’ll finally have a dad like the other kids in my class do?”
Sara and Saxton exchanged a look. Ian had said many times that he was sad he didn’t have a dad when all the other kids in his class did. He didn’t understand why he didn’t and why he couldn’t get one. Being able to give him a father figure was deeply important to Sara, and her eyes filled again as she saw the hope glimmering in Ian’s eyes.
“Yes, baby. You’ll have a daddy now,” she told him. Ian’s face slowly changed from confusion to joy. He jumped off the couch and threw his arms around Saxton and Sara. “This is the best Christmas ever! I got a daddy for Christmas!”
When Sara cleared her tears enough to look at Saxton, he, too, had tears in his eyes. He grabbed Ian into a tight hug. “You’re the best Christmas gift I could have ever asked for.” He reached his other arm out to pull Sara in close. “And so are you,” he whispered. “This really is the best Christmas ever. I have everything I could have ever wanted.”
THE END
Bonus Book 1 – RELEASE: A Bad Boy Hitman Romance
By the time I’m finished, she’ll be begging for her release.
I’m going to hunt down Abby Winters and make her pay for her crimes.
The things she did got my brother locked up on death row.
It won’t bring my brother back home safe, but forcing Ms. Winters to her knees might help ease my pain.
I hope she’s comfortable down there. This will not go quickly.
My brother doesn’t deserve to be rotting away in a jail cell.
What he did wasn’t his fault.
It was that g*ddamn drug they gave him.
He was a veteran suffering from PTSD, and those Big Pharma rats sold him on a pipe dream.
What they failed to mention was that their “miracle cure” would send him spiraling out of control.
My brother is my world, and they took him from me.
Or rather, she took him from me.
Abby Winters.
CEO of Pharma Vitae.
And the woman responsible for this whole f*cking mess.
Nine times out of ten, people like her get away with their crimes.
But for once, I’m going to make things right.
I’m going to kidnap the prissy little b*tch and make her plead for my mercy.
I’m going to take everything from her, just like she took everything from me.
Her pretty, puckered lips…
Her soft, pale curves…
That last flash of innocence in her eyes…
All of it belongs to me now.
And I’m never letting go.
Chapter One
Zed
Bottle of cheap bourbon in hand, Zed Hesse stood in the center of the disaster that his apartment had slowly become over the course of the last year. He swallowed another mouthful of Jim Beam, hoping that the brown liquor would numb him on the inside. But, as he looked around at the grave of his memories, at the photos of his twin brother Kai and his family, he knew that the liquor wasn't doing any good. It never would, either. It could cover the hurt, but it would never heal it.
Zed walked over to the wall that had become a morbid shrine to his brother's murder trial. He ran a hand over his short, spiky ginger hair as he read over the articles pinned to his wall.
“Decorated Military Veteran Kills Wife and Two Children,” read one. “Kai Hesse, Veteran, to Plead Insanity, Defense Says,” read another. Still one more read, “Kai Hesse Sentenced to Death for Murder of Family.”
Zed scratched a hand over his broad chest. Even as he'd descended into this morass over the last year, he'd still kept himself focused and in shape. His own military training in the Air Force wouldn't let him to do less. That's all his life had become, though. Obsession with proving his brother's innocence. The rest was just instinct. Breathe in, breathe out, exercise. Keep the mind and body in shape, no matter what you threw at it.
He brought the bottle back to his lips and took another swallow. No, it didn't help. But, he was right. It did numb the pain. It did help to lessen the hurt of the last year. Hurt that he hadn't been there for his one-minute-older brother as he suffered through the pain of his PTSD symptoms. Anger that he hadn't recognized the warning signs of what had been coming. Despair that his brother was, right now, sitting on death row,
alone and friendless, as he faced the executioner's needle.
He closed his eyes and thought back to a time before all this. A time when Kai was happy with his family, and Zed wasn't obsessed with proving his innocence. Kai and his wife, Marilyn, had thrown a birthday party for Spencer, their youngest son. They'd grilled out in the backyard while the kids had run in the sprinklers. Zed could remember the smell of the hotdogs and burgers as they cooked on the open flame; he could even feel the warmth of the sun on his neck.
The sound of the children laughing filled his ears, even now. They were so carefree, so full of life. Now, they didn't have any worries, but neither did they have any breath.
