Sabotage: A Vigilante Justice Novel
Page 26
We headed out to the attached garage where I’d hidden Beckett’s Christmas gift. A four-wheeler completely decked out that included lots of safety features and things to keep him protected, because no way would I ever be responsible for that kid getting hurt. It would gut me.
“I still think he’s too young.” Mercy scrunched her nose, looking over the big machine I’d bought for the boy.
“We’ll start him off slow. He can ride around the backyard before we go into the woods.”
“He hasn’t even taken his bike onto the trails, and now he has a machine to drive on them.”
“Two different skill sets. He’ll have fun with both.”
“And the other one?”
She meant the matching one I’d picked up for us to go out on the trails with him. More me than her, I figured. “We’ll have fun with him.”
“I think it’s a big toy for you.”
I shrugged, unable to deny that one. “Someone needs to be with him when he’s out in the woods.”
She shook her head, a smile defying that motion. She smiled a lot lately—more than she had before I’d made her move in with me. Not enough for me, though. I vowed to keep that look on her face, to make her happy every second I possibly could. I’d waited long enough for her to come into my life—I was willing to put in the work to deserve her.
“Come on, beauty. Let’s get this set up in front of the tree.”
We rolled the machine into the house, moving furniture and likely scratching some walls along the way. Not that we’d had any other choice—there was almost three feet of snow outside. Winter had hit the Front hard, and Justice was a quiet, almost unreachable town at the moment. Which was good—we’d had enough trouble with strangers on our roads and in our businesses. Hell, Mercy no longer opened the store without getting a call from a local or someone setting up a delivery. Her online business had far surpassed her hardware sales, though with me making deliveries for the store, that could change. Whatever—so long as she was safe and happy, we’d make it work. In store or online. It was why this house had appealed to me so much. There was a big pole barn in the back that we could use to stock and ship her artisan products. We’d even started experimenting with drop-shipping items direct from manufacturers around the world. Mercy thought up ideas, and I provided funding—mostly money I’d saved up during my biker days—and whatever support she needed. Win-win for both of us.
“Okay,” she said as she finished attaching the giant bow to the front of the four-wheeler. “Now for Santa’s gift.”
I headed back out to the garage and unlocked the cabinet where I’d been storing the gifts. Mercy had been pretty adamant that any big gifts came from us, while Santa’s gift had to be something small. It had taken us a bit to track down the perfect present for Beckett from Santa, but we had. And I’d been dying for him to open it ever since it had shown up at Deacon’s house the week before. The man had mocked me, but I didn’t care. Beckett would love it.
“Ho, ho, ho.” I grinned, popping a Santa hat on my head before walking back into the family room. “You want to wrap this one or something?”
Mercy took the BMX biking teddy bear from my hands, giving it a squeeze. “I think I’ll just put a bow on the bear like the four-wheeler. He’s got enough presents to unwrap.”
No doubt. The whole damn town had sent the kid presents. There weren’t many young ones in Justice, though the population would be expanding soon enough. Bishop Kennard and his wife Anabeth had a baby due in the coming year, and I had a feeling Alder would be making a similar announcement soon enough. He’d been even more protective of Shye than usual. As had Gage with Katie. Which got me wondering.
“You think Katie’s pregnant?”
Mercy blinked, looking surprised by my sudden question. “What makes you think that?”
“Gage seems super protective lately. So does Alder, actually. Maybe Katie and Shye are.”
“Is that how you think men act when their wives are pregnant? Overprotective?”
I shrugged. “It’s how I would act.”
She nodded, looking thoughtful as she said, “It’s past midnight.”
That sudden subject change felt intentional, so I went with it. “Merry Christmas to us. Do you want your present now, beauty?”
“Only if I get to give you yours as well.”
“Deal.”
I grabbed her hand and tugged her to the couch, straightening the Santa hat I wore along the way. “I’m going to admit this is more a present for me than for you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” I pulled the box I’d been carrying for days out of my pocket and took a deep breath. I suddenly felt more anxious than all the times I’d gone into battle. But just like then, this was life or death for me. And like those times, I’d do anything to make it out alive…with my girl at my side. “I love you, Mercy, and I love Beckett. Both of you bring so much joy to my life, and I want to be selfish. I want to hoard that happiness and never share it with anyone else. I want the two of you to be mine and mine alone. A real family. So selfishly, I’m asking you to marry me. I’ll get you a better Christmas gift, too.”
She started to cry, her hands shaking as she reached for mine. “You’re such a beast.”
“I know. But I’m your beast.” I leaned closer. “At least, I hope I can be.”
“Yes.”
One word, and my heart went soaring. The woman had just given me the best gift, the ability to call her mine. Legally. I couldn’t help but smile. And clarify. “Yes, I can be your beast?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you, you asshole.”
I grabbed her chin and laid a kiss on those lips I loved so much, feeling far too happy to speak. Far too grateful to put into words how much her answer meant to me. But I’d show her for sure, as soon as I got her naked.
“My turn,” Mercy said, pulling away from me. Still dressed.
“Beauty,” I said, sounding a lot like Beckett when he didn’t get his way. “I have plans for us.”
Her giggle only made me want her more, but she pushed me away. Again. “We’ll get to them, but I have a present for you first.”
“You are the best present I could ever ask for. You and Beckett. I couldn’t ask for more.”
She bit her lip, giving me a sly sort of smile. “Just us two?”
I didn’t get a chance to ask about that because she handed me an envelope. Forced it into my hands, really.
An envelope. For Christmas. “What is it?”
She looked ready to roll her eyes. “A plane. Quit asking silly questions and open the card.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I ripped the top of the envelope, watching as her smile turned worried. As her eyes locked on my face. “Beauty?”
“Read it.”
So I did.
“To the world’s greatest dad.” I had to cough a little, the tickling in my throat something that took me by surprise. “I love that fucking kid.”
“It’s not from Beckett.”
“No?”
“Nope.” She tapped the front of the card. “Read the inside.”
With shaking hands, I pulled the card open. Inside, was a little note that said “can’t wait to meet you” with a date. A date seven months away.
A ton of bricks was a weak metaphor for what I felt hit by.
“Are you…” Fuck, I had to wipe my eyes. I’d never been a man who cried, but this seemed like a good time to change that. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah.” She laughed, her tears falling freely. “I told you we shouldn’t do anything without protection.”
“Beauty.” I couldn’t hold back another second. I grabbed her and rolled her underneath me, being careful not to hurt her. Knowing there was too much to say for such a moment, but needing to make a few things real fucking clear. “I will never not be there for you.”
Her smile gutted me. “I know.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know that too.”
“Beckett is going to be thrilled.”
“For both things.”
Marriage and a baby. I had no idea what I’d done to deserve such blessings, but I would never turn my back on them. This was what I’d wanted, what I’d hoped for. And it was better than I could have dreamed it to be. “Our first Christmas as a family.”
“Yeah.” My beauty ran her fingers over my face, the softest, sexiest smile in the world beaming up at me. “The first of many.”
The first of forever. I’d finally been blessed with a real family, and nothing—absolutely nothing—would ever get in the way of that.
“Come on, beauty.” I helped her off the couch, tugging her with me as I led the way to the bedroom. “Let’s go celebrate Christmas our way.”
“By our way, you mean naked?”
“Yes.” I spun her into the room, grinning at her giggle. So fucking happy, I might never get over it. “I promised you a non-selfish present. I intend to deliver.”
“You going to make me scream, Chase?”
I would never grow tired of hearing my name on her lips. “Not tonight. Tonight, I’m going to make you beg.”
Not that she needed to. I was hers, and I’d do absolutely anything she wanted me to just to make her happy.
Forever.
Thank you for taking the time to read SABOTAGE. Chase and Mercy were seriously on fire! What’s next, you might ask? Nothing yet—stay tuned!
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Not all people need a second chance at love. Some need a second chance at life.
“We’re on your grandma’s couch,” he whispered just before he kissed and bit his way down my neck.
I threw my head back, eyes closed. “I know.”
He chuckled, one huge hand cupping my breast and pushing it up to meet his mouth. Even through my clothes, I could feel the heat and the wet of his breath. The pressure of his lips on me. I don’t think I’d ever wanted to be naked more than right then.
“Should we go to your room?”
Good idea in theory, but there were memories in that room. Good and bad, many tinged with Jace. I didn’t want to mar this moment with all that. Didn’t want to taint what we were about to do. “Please. Here. Now.”
I gripped his shoulders as he nodded once, letting my body wrap itself around him. Squeezing him closer with my thighs around his hips. Rubbing against where he was already so hard.
“Fuck,” he said with an intensity that made the word sound almost like a prayer, like a chant. Rocking his hips into mine and pressing on just the right spot. “This feels like high school.”
When he rubbed over my clit in a way that made me see stars, I yanked his head to bring his face back to mine and bit his lip. “High school sucked. Make this better.”
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