Savior (Blackwings MC - Devil Springs Book 3)

by Teagan Brooks

  Kellan leaned in close, “They can play anywhere in here and be fine.”

  “Yes,” I said with more confidence. “As long as you stay in this room and it’s okay with Jenna’s parents,” I said with a smile.

  “It’s fine,” Batta said and ruffled her hair.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize she was yours.”

  “She’s not. She’s Kennedy’s niece. Actually, they live right down the street from you,” Batta told me.

  “Now that you mention it, I think Riley told me that one time. I know she’s been wanting to play with her outside of school, but I didn’t realize she was Kennedy’s niece. We’ll definitely have to plan something after the holidays.”

  “I’m sure Jenna would love that.”

  37

  Savior

  I was finally able to drive just in time for New Year’s Eve, and I had a big surprise planned for Avery. We’d been through a lot in the few months we’d been together, but we’d never been on a date. That was about to change.

  It took some careful planning to keep from spoiling the surprise, but I managed to find babysitters for the kids, make arrangements for the evening, and even bought a new truck without Avery knowing. The only thing I hadn’t figured out was how to get her dressed and ready without telling her why. Thankfully, Claire took care of that for me.

  Avery came downstairs in a pair of ripped jeans and a fitted black Blackwings MC T-shirt one of the Old Ladies had given her for Christmas. Her long, auburn hair perfectly framed her delicate face, and her green eyes held a sparkle I’d never seen before. When she looked at me and smiled, she took my breath away.

  “I’m almost ready to go,” she said and shoved a few things into her purse. “We shouldn’t be too late,” she told her parents.

  “It’s okay, honey,” Claire said. “Enjoy your evening. You deserve it.”

  After giving everyone hugs and kisses, she walked outside expecting to see one of our various chauffeurs waiting patiently in the driveway. “Whose truck is that?”

  “Mine,” I said. “I bought it yesterday after the doctor gave me the okay to increase my activity, including driving.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I wanted to surprise you,” I said and opened the door for her. Once we were both inside, I held up a blindfold. “I have another surprise.”

  “We’re not going to the clubhouse?” she asked and eyed the blindfold curiously.

  “No, but that’s all I’m telling you. Your parents know what the plans are, so don’t worry about that. Now, close your eyes, pretty girl.”

  She did as I asked and closed her eyes while I slipped the blindfold over her head. I followed up by placing a quick kiss on her lips.

  After about fifteen minutes on the road, she finally asked, “How long is it going to take for us to get wherever we’re going?”

  “Now, if I told you that, you might have an idea of where we’re going. Nice try though,” I laughed.

  “I hope I’m dressed okay. I thought we were going to the clubhouse not somewhere else.”

  “Trust me, Avery, what you’re wearing is perfect. Stop worrying, baby. We’ll be there soon.”

  After an hour and a half on the road, I finally turned onto the street that led to our destination for the evening. I hadn’t visited in almost a decade, but Gramps assured me that the place was clean and everything was in working order.

  I parked the truck in the gravel driveway and went around to open Avery’s door for her. “Before you take the blindfold off, I want you to know that even though it might not look like much, this place is very special to me. I’ve never brought anyone here, but when I was trying to come up with the perfect plans for tonight, I couldn’t think of any place I’d rather take you.”

  “Why were you trying so hard to come up with perfect plans?” she asked.

  “Because you and I have a child together and we’ve never even been on a date. I couldn’t let that be once I realized it.”

  She gave me a beautiful smile. “Well, let me see where we are.”

  I inhaled deeply and helped her out of the truck before removing her blindfold. “This was my parents’ place. Come on, let me show you the best part,” I said and pulled her along behind me.

  Instead of going through the small house, we followed the wraparound porch to the other side of the house where it connected to large deck that led to the covered dock housing Gramps’s boat. The area was lit by small twinkle lights that were hanging from the porch railings. My mother had hung them the first year they had the place, and Gramps made sure to replace them whenever a strand went out.

  “Kellan,” Avery gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Mom loved it here. We lived in Croftridge, but we spent our weekends and most of the summer here. After I lost them, I came with Gramps whenever he stopped by to check on things, but once I was old enough to stay home alone, I stopped coming and haven’t been back since.”

  She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist while burying her face against my chest. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

  I kissed the top of her head. “Are you hungry?”

  “I could eat.”

  When she saw the table set for two, she turned to me with squinty eyes. “How did you do that? You just said you hadn’t been back.”

  “I can’t give away my sources, but I had some help,” I confessed and ushered her to the table.

  Since neither one of us could drink alcohol—because of her breastfeeding and my liver injury—I opened a bottle of sparkling grape juice to fill our champagne flutes. Avery laughed, “I’ll have to remember to get some of this for Riley the next time there’s an occasion. She will love drinking out of a fancy glass.”

  After dinner, I got a fire going in the outdoor fireplace and turned off the twinkle lights before Avery and I curled up in the giant outdoor bed swing my dad made for mom. Avery snuggled closer and asked, “Why’d you turn off the lights?”

  “Roll to your back and look up.”

  She did and gasped. “Wow! I’ve never seen so many stars.”

  “You could see even more without the fire, but it’s too cold for that tonight and neither one of us can afford to get sick.”

  “No, this is perfect.”

  We cuddled together under the blanket by the fire and silently admired the stars. Before long, we were both fast asleep.

  A loud boom startled me, as well as Avery, from sleep. “What was that?” she gasped and dug her fingers into my skin.

  “Fireworks,” I said and pointed to the sky as another loud boom echoed over the lake before the sky was filled with a starburst of color. “The country club across the lake puts on the best fireworks display for New Year’s and Fourth of July. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come out here tonight. I thought you would enjoy it.”

  I was right. For the next half an hour, Avery oohed and aahed each time the sky was illuminated with a different explosion of color. When the grand finale started, she pulled out her phone and started recording it. I laughed, “I guarantee you’ll never watch that video after you finish recording it.”

  “So,” she retorted. “I’m still going to record it.”

  When it was over, she snuggled back down into the blanket with me. “Thank you for tonight,” she said softly and pressed her lips to mine.

  I hugged her closer and kissed her back. “I love you, Avery Grace.”

  I felt her smile against my lips when she said, “I love you, too, Kellan.”

  “I love Riley and Braxton, too. I cared about their well-being before, but I love both of those kids just as much as I love Sienna.”

  “I know you do,” she assured me.

  “You sure about that? We didn’t get a chance to talk about it, but it seemed like you were having some doubts.”

  “More like concerns. My kids adore you. If this doesn’t work out between us, it will be more than just me that gets hurt,” she confessed.

>   “You have to know I would never do anything to intentionally hurt them. If something happens between us, I would still want to be a part of their lives.”

  She smiled softly. “You’re a good man.”

  “And you’re a good mother. Now, let’s go inside, sweetness,” I said and got up to put out the fire.

  “Are we staying here tonight?” she asked.

  “That was the plan, but we don’t have to. It’s up to you,” I told her.

  “Is it bad that I just want to sleep?”

  I laughed. “Hell no, it’s not bad. I just want to sleep, too.”

  38

  Avery

  When I woke, the sun was just starting to light the sky. I rolled to my side and placed my hand on Kellan’s cheek. With his face relaxed while he slept, he appeared so much younger than twenty-six.

  I smiled to myself as I got out of bed and made my way to the kitchen hoping to find something I could cook to surprise Kellan with breakfast in bed. When I flipped the lights on in the kitchen, my smile disappeared and I froze at the sight before me.

  “Mark,” I gasped. “What’re you doing here?”

  Mark was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs looking worse than I’d ever seen him with his disheveled hair and wrinkled clothes. Even his usually clean-shaven face was covered with a few days’ worth of growth. But the most alarming observation was his hand resting on the table tightly curled around a gun.

  “I came to see you,” he slurred.

  “Are you drunk?” I asked.

  His palm landed hard on the table causing a loud slap to fill the room. “Does it fucking matter, Avery?” he snarled.

  “N-no, I suppose it doesn’t,” I said calmly while my eyes darted around the room looking for anything that could help.

  He leaned back in the chair and rubbed his chin with his gun. “Do you know what it’s like to have feelings for someone and have to watch them be with someone else?”

  I shook my head. “No, I don’t.”

  “Of course, you don’t!” he snapped. “You and your whore pussy get whatever man you want!”

  “Mark! What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  It felt like my heart stopped for several beats when he pointed his gun directly at my chest and said, “You are.”

  “What?” I breathed.

  “You are!” he screamed and got to his feet. “First Ian and now the motherfucker who killed him!”

  “I-I don’t understand,” I stammered.

  “Bitch, please. Don’t try and act stupid. You knew I wanted you. Even Ian knew I wanted you,” he growled and took a step forward.

  I held my hands up in surrender. “Mark, please. I swear I didn’t know. But now that I do, let’s talk about this,” I pleaded. I needed to keep him talking and give him time to sober up.

  “There’s nothing for us to talk about. I had it all set up perfectly and that son of a bitch in there ruined everything!” he yelled and pointed to the bedroom where Kellan was hopefully still sleeping.

  “You had what set up?” I asked. He wasn’t making any sense and the more he talked, the more he confused me.

  He stared at me with an arched brow. “Tell me, Avery, why did Ian leave you?”

  I couldn’t hide the look of surprise on my face. No one knew about that other than my parents and Kellan, or so I thought. “How did you know?”

  He laughed cruelly. “Because I’m the one who convinced him to leave you after I told him you’d been having an affair with another officer.”

  “You did what?” I screamed as red-hot rage began to flow through my veins.

  “It was perfect! He was going to put in for a transfer and then I could have you all to myself. But then that motherfucker in there killed him and I had to spend almost a year coddling you and your brats! Just when I was about to make my move, you up and moved to Devil Springs without any warning. One day it was just, ‘Oh, fuck you, Mark, I’m moving,’ and then you were gone. Then, after all the time I spent convincing you to get rid of your kids for the summer so you would be lonely and depressed when I approached, you go and start fucking the bastard that killed Ian!” he roared.

  I was so shocked by the words coming out of his mouth that I hadn’t realized he had moved closer to me. Pain erupted in my cheek when his hand made contact with my face. “You turned me into a monster!” he bellowed followed by another fist to my face that had me falling to the floor.

  “I’m sorry!” I cried. “Please stop, Mark! I’m sorry!”

  “You aren’t yet, but you’re gonna be! I’m a fucking police officer, Avery! If that truck had gone over the bridge like it was supposed to, I would be a murderer because of you!” he yelled as he towered over me.

  Lowering his voice, he pointed his gun at my face and took aim. “I will be a murderer because of you.”

  The deafening report of a single gunshot echoed through the small cabin. And something warm and sticky splattered across my face and chest. I couldn’t hear anything, but I could feel the vibrations of footsteps moving across the floor. All the while, I kept my eyes squeezed closed and remained curled into a ball on the floor.

  When hands landed on me, I started screaming and blindly swinging my fists. The hands moved and firmly gripped my wrists to hold them down. “No!” I screamed and tried to get free. Something soft pressed against the shell of my ear and I heard, “It’s me. I got you.”

  My entire body sagged in relief as I dissolved into a fit of tears. “Kellan!” I cried as I clung to him. “H-he, he,” I stammered.

  “I know, baby. Keep your eyes closed,” he said before he wiped something over my face. “Okay, keep them closed while I help you stand.”

  I did as he said and let him lead me out of the kitchen. When we came to a stop, he wiped over my face again with a wet cloth. “Open,” he said very close to my ear. He stepped back and I read his lips more than I heard the words when he said, “Let’s go outside.”

  My entire body was trembling, but I managed to walk outside while clinging to his arm. He helped me sit in one of the patio chairs and squatted down in front of me. “I have to call this in,” he said and visibly swallowed. “I’m probably going to be arrested, but the club will handle it. Don’t try to interfere. Just wait for Phoenix to get here and do what he says.”

  I nodded as tears streamed down my face.

  “I need the words, baby.”

  “I’ll do what he says. I love you, Kellan,” I cried and pulled him against me.

  He held me for a few short moments before he pulled away and pulled out his phone.

  39

  Savior

  “Phoenix Black.”

  “It’s Savior. I’m at my parents’ lake house and I just killed a police officer,” I said and swallowed the bile rising in my throat. “I need you to call Copper and come get Avery. I’m calling it in now.”

  “Give me five before you call it in. I’m on my way,” he said and disconnected the call.

  I breathed a small sigh of relief knowing Phoenix was on his way. I turned my attention back to Avery. “If anyone asks, you called Phoenix from my phone when you saw Mark in the kitchen.”

  She nodded quickly and squared her shoulders. “I called Phoenix. Got it,” she said with steely determination in her eyes.

  It was only then that I noticed the unevenness of her face. She flinched when I used the bottom of my shirt to carefully wipe the blood covering her cheek and I saw red all over again. “Did he hit you?”

  She sniffled and whispered, “Twice.”

  “Fuck,” I cursed and took a closer look at her.

  “It’s okay. I didn’t even notice it until just now.”

  “When Phoenix gets here, ask him to call Patch. He’s a doctor in the club. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  She shook her head. “No,” she choked out and covered her mouth. “Not physically.”

  I wrapped my arms around her and held her while she cried. I heard him confess to trying to kill her chi
ldren and me. I also heard him admit to being the reason her husband walked out on her, and I couldn’t help but wonder what else he was responsible for.

  “Avery,” I rasped. “I can’t wait any longer to call.”

  “I know,” she said against my shirt.

  I didn’t let her go while I dialed 9-1-1 and held my phone to my ear.

  “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

  “Someone broke into my house and attacked my woman. I shot him. He’s dead and we’re outside,” I said and gave her the address.

  “Officers are en route. Is anyone injured?”

  “Yes, my woman’s cheek might be broken.”

  “And the intruder you shot. Are they—?”

  “I am one-hundred-percent certain he’s dead,” I interrupted.

  “Okay, sir, if you’ll stay on the line with me until the officers arrive on scene—”

  “No need. We’re no longer in danger. Please let the officers know my weapon is inside the house on the kitchen counter. We’re on the back porch and completely unarmed,” I added before disconnecting the call.

  A small amount of tension left Avery’s body when the rumble of several bikes in the distance broke the silence of the early morning, but I didn’t let go of her until Phoenix rounded the corner with Carbon and Shaker.

  “What happened?” he asked without preamble.

  “He broke into the house and attacked Avery in the kitchen. He was Ian Parker’s best friend and co-worker. Apparently, he’s had an obsession with Avery for several years. He also confessed to being the one who hit me and the kids,” I said quickly.

  “Where’d you shoot him?”

  “One shot to the head. From the front. Put my gun on the counter and got Avery out of there as fast as I could.” When I heard the sirens, I added, “Avery called you from my phone.”

  “Give her your phone. Her bloody prints need to be on it,” Phoenix said calmly.