Gunner: Tempest Elite MC Book #3
Page 9
Everly glances up, her eyes sorrowful. "I can't tell either of them to leave, but I'm afraid the staff will throw them out if this keeps up."
Kyle insists Everly should have a C-section before trying a vaginal birth, and Gunner is going into the risks of opening her gut in a germ-filled hospital if there is no reason to.
My head begins to pound, and there are spots in my vision. I must have forgotten to eat with all the excitement.
"It's fine," I tell Everly. "I'll try to get Gunner out of the room for a while."
The room is cold, but my skin breaks in a sweat as I cross it to Gunner and Kyle. I lay one hand on Gunner's arm and tell him I'm not feeling well and need some air.
Concern coats his eyes before he nods and begins to lead me out of the room. His arms wrapping around my back is the last thing I remember before the room spins, and everything goes dark.
Gunner
An hour ago, I'd been so worried for Everly and the twins, I hadn't noticed how pale Lexa was. I shouldn't have missed it. I'm kicking myself for overlooking her.
Kyle is alone with Everly, and a nurse stops by Lexa's room every few minutes with updates. The first twin is crowning, but I have my full attention on Lexa.
She's awake now, and the doctors are running blood labs to find out why she dropped in the delivery room.
"Go, Gunner. I know you want to be there for the birth."
I take her small hand in my bigger one and rub the top along my cheek. "I'm not leaving you alone, so stop trying. Besides, Bear and Bree are in the waiting room with Luke in case Kyle and Everly need anything. I'm all yours."
Lexa tries to sit up more, but I stop her. "The doctor said to rest."
"I know," she groans at me. "But--"
"But nothing." I tuck the hospital sheet around her and sit on the side of her bed. "Doctor's orders. At least until we find out what happened."
The nurse pops her head in and tells us everything is going well, and we should have the first baby in a few minutes.
Lexa's eyes are watering. I know she feels like she's holding me back, but honestly, there is no place I'd rather be.
When she went down, my whole world came crashing to a halt. I left Kyle with Everly, and I carried Lexa to the hall, yelling for a doctor the entire time. Through the vital checks and physical exam, I didn't leave her side. I just wanted to know what I'd missed. How had I not seen she was feeling ill? She's hidden it so well.
Lexa grabs my hand and squeezes it tight. "When the first one arrives, I want you to go to Everly and take a picture for me. No fighting with Kyle while you're there."
"I'm not leaving that easily. There will be plenty of time for pictures later."
"But there won't be firstborn pictures." She forces a grin that doesn't convince me she's feeling any better.
I'm about to argue with her when the nurse pops in again. Her face is flushed, and her eyes wide. I jerk up from the bed and stalk toward her. "What is it? Is there a problem with the babies?"
"No." She swallows hard and stares at me.
I want to grab her by the shoulders and shake whatever she has to say loose from her, but Lexa calls my name and tells me to calm down.
"The doctor is on his way. He wants to speak with both of you alone."
"Oh," Lexa says from behind me. "Did my labs come back?"
The nurse backs all the way up to the door frame before she answers. "He'll be here soon to tell you."
"Fuck," I mutter. Lexa can't be sick. I walk back to the bed to comfort her, but she's comforting me instead, telling me to sit down, and everything will be fine.
The seconds tick by, and I realize I'm not waiting on word about the twins anymore. I'm half-listening for the bells the hospital plays when there is a birth, but a majority of my attention is now on Lexa.
"Would he hurry the fuck up."
"Gunner." Lexa pats a space on the bed beside her. "Just sit down and relax. I am sure it's all fine. I feel better now, anyway."
She looks green still. I'm half watching her to make sure she doesn't get sick on the bed.
When the man in a white coat steps into the room, I jump off the bed. Lexa says my name, and I remember not to attack him, but I want to. "What's going on with her, Doc?"
My hands are shaking. I ball them into fists to keep them still, but I can't control the surges of nerves running through me.
Lexa is so calm. She pushes herself to sit up further and places her hands lightly on her stomach. "He's had a very long day, Doctor. Please don't mind him."
"I don't blame either of you for being impatient," Doc starts. He takes the rolling stool and slides over to Lexa. "But, I have answers for you, and you'll be back with your daughter in time to welcome the second baby."
"The first was born?" Lexa squeals.
"About a minute ago. That's what took me a little longer to get here. "A very healthy boy. Has your eyes." The doctor glances at me and smiles.
My heart thunders into my ribs. A strong grandson is more than I could ever hope for, but it's overshadowed by the big question in the room. "And Lexa? Why did she pass out earlier? She still looks sick and--"
The doctor looks away from me and lays a hand on Lexa's shoulder. "You're pregnant. We'll need to schedule an ultrasound to determine the due date, but I'd say at least a month along."
"Are you sure?" Lexa asks from her bed.
"Blood tests are one hundred percent accurate."
My brain is racing through all of our precautions. We were careful. We planned ahead, except for a few times when we didn't.
I'm almost afraid to look behind me. I'm scared to see Lexa's expression. I'm fifty and have a grown daughter and two grandchildren entering the world as we speak, but I couldn't be happier about becoming a dad again, especially with Lexa by my side.
"Gunner," she calls, and I turn to find her smiling.
She holds her hands out for me, and I step closer and take them. "I know this isn't something we had talked about yet. You being a dad again and all but--"
Her eyes are tearing up, and I can't stand it. I drop to the stool the doctor left at her bed, and I take her hands in mine. "There's nothing I want more than to be the father of your child, Lexa. You have no idea how happy this makes me."
The doctor leaves us alone long enough for me to kiss Lexa and promise her this child is going to be spoiled rotten.
I'm about to kiss her again when the nurse pops her head in just enough to be seen. "If you want to catch the birth of the second baby, the doctor said it's safe for you to go to their room."
I pull Lexa up from the bed and wrap her arm around my shoulder while supporting her back. She fits so perfectly in my side it's easy to make our way down the hall to Everly's room. There's a rush of laughter, and we enter just in time to see a head full of brown curls emerge, and the doctor lays the bundle of arms and legs on Everly's stomach.
Everly looks up at me. She's been crying, but they are happy tears. Kyle is by her side, holding her hand in one of his while he balances a bundle of blue against his chest.
"They are perfect, Daddy. Just perfect."
"They are," I answer, pulling Lexa closer to my side. I lean down and whisper in her ear. "As perfect as ours will be."
Lexa smiles and takes the blue bundle from Kyle. She pulls back the blankets, and smaller versions of my eyes stare back up at me between heavy blinks.
"I never knew I could fall in love so fast," Lexa says, running a finger along the boy's cheek. "He's so perfect."
Then she looks up at me, and there is something so striking about her that I'm captivated. Everything else in the room fades, but Lexa holding my grandson in her arms and looking at me as if I am her whole world.
"I never knew I could fall in love at all, Gunner. But I have." She lifts up to her toes and kisses my cheek. "I know it took me a long time to say it, but I've fallen in love with you."
I'm not sure what happens next. I know I'm handed a baby, and Everly is giving me instructio
ns, but I don't hear any of it.
I'm a father and a grandfather all in one day and the woman who makes my whole world completely loves me.
I'm not a man who deserves this much happiness, but I'm not letting any of it go.
Right there, surrounded by family, I make a vow to myself to make sure Lexa and Everly and even Kyle know how much my family means to me. They all make me whole, and that's a gift I will never take for granted.
Note From The Author
I hope you are as happy as I am that Gunner finally got his happy ever after. To be honest, Gunner has always been my favorite of the Tempest Elite guys.
It’s only fitting I round out the series with my favorite. Want to know another favorite character of mine? Mitch Kilpatrick always has a special place with me. He’s broken and hurting, but he’s too driven to find answers and save victims to take care of himself. That is until his world is rocked to the core and the next victim becomes the woman he loves. Love a good suspense with a ton of heat? Check out Confess: Blue Line Brotherhood Book #1
Lacy has a secret…
A secret that could end in murder. For that reason, she’s sworn off cops for good. But Mitch isn’t like the others. He isn’t gentle and doesn’t treat her like a victim. Being with him is addictive until their pasts collide and he becomes the most dangerous man in her life.
Nashville homicide detective Mitch Kilpatrick can’t let another woman die. His singular goal is to catch a serial killer. His investigation leads to the unavailable Lacy. Not that he’d ever learned to keep his hands off what wasn’t his.
When secrets come to light the truth may bind them together forever, or it may rip their lives apart for good.
If you enjoy a hard won happy ever after with high emotional stakes, you’ll love this thrilling romantic suspense.
Find out if Mitch saves the day, or if another victim dies in Confess: Blue Line Brotherhood Book #1
What to know how the Tempest Elite series began? See Everly Fall in love with her leading man in Staking His Claim: Tattooed And Taken Book # 5
Kyle
For the past year, I’ve avoided Tempest Elite’s invitations to join their club. Aligning with them could be bad for my business. I’m also not a joiner. I’ve been on my own for years and I’ve settled into a life of long hours and returning home to silence. That is until I walk out of the TE’s clubhouse and see the woman who makes me want to change everything. She’s tall, blonde, and curvy as hell and I’m instantly wanting to brand her with my name. Only issue. She’s the Sergeant at Arms daughter and off-limits to non-members. I don’t have a prayer in hell, but that won’t stop me from trying.
Everly
I owe my life to Tempest Elite MC. Gunner, the Sergeant at Arms, adopted me when my mother chose drugs and men over her child, and I’ve been raised to respect the lifestyle. Now that I’m twenty-one, Gunner wants to see me settle down with a member and have babies. Only, the man I want refuses to join. I can’t break my father’s heart and disappoint the men who helped raise me, but I can’t say no to my heart either. There has to be a way to bring my two worlds together.
Check out Everly and Kyle stories by one-clicking Staking His Claim today.
Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date on new releases as well as my current reading list and receive a free novella. https://dl.bookfunnel.com/w255fqylb9
Confess
Chapter 1
If he wanted to murder a girl, Donovan's Bar would be his first stop.
Tucked into a table in a back corner of the roadside dive, Detective Mitch Kilpatrick sank lower in his chair and swung a near empty bottle of lager to his lips.
The late summer heat wave packed the place with women in short skirts, skimpy tops, and cowboy boots. A slow country song crooned from speakers that flanked the empty dance floor. In darkened corners, bodies intertwined and bare skin flashed.
Yes, if he wanted to catch a killer he had to find where killers hunted. And that’s exactly what he’d done, meeting with a group of Rebel Rapids’ finest every night at Donovan's for the past week.
To infiltrate the blockade of information the chief had hidden within the department, he’d have to play detective with his own breed to break the case.
Mitch drained his beer and signaled a passing waitress for another, hoping the buzz would drown out the memory of what had happened the last time he’d been to Rebel Rapids. The reason why he hoped he’d be able to hand his case over to Nashville before the temptation to take the kill shot grew too strong.
In and out. Two weeks tops. No one in Nashville had to be the wiser until he caught the asshole.
Deluna and Helms, two Rebel Rapids officers he’d scoped out a week ago, sat opposite him.
“I heard if you dab hot sauce on your tongue before oral she’ll scream your name into the next county.” Deluna leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers behind his head in the cocky bullshit-slinging way that came from too many hours on the job followed by too many beers. “Ever tried it?”
Helms heaved a sigh over his beer and rolled his eyes. “Dude, I’m engaged. Put a ring on it and those thighs lock up tighter than Fort Knox.”
“How about you?” Deluna unlocked his hands and grabbed his beer, swaying it in Mitch’s direction. “What’s the wildest thing you’ve done to get a woman off?”
Mitch deflected the question by accepting a fresh bottle from a redheaded waitress in painted-on daisy dukes and a pink halter top with Donovan's scrawled across her ample chest. Walking away, she turned and winked, catching him appreciating the view of her round ass swaying beneath skintight denim.
Deluna drove a fist into Mitch’s shoulder. He gave the impression of the kid in school who tried too hard to make friends and ended up pissing everyone off. His nose was shoved so far up his partner’s ass he could smell what the off-duty officer had eaten for breakfast. “So is it redheads or waitresses?”
“Neither,” Mitch deadpanned and took another swig of beer.
Something that looked like disappointment washed over Deluna’s baby face.
“There’s a murderer on the loose and your main focus is foreplay?” Mitch grabbed his beer bottle by the neck and sank back into his chair.
His sexual preferences weren’t at the forefront of his mind tonight, and his dislike of small talk was showing. Even if his third beer worked some kind of suppressant magic on his ever-present detective brain, he wasn’t in the mood to blow two young officers’ minds with the sordid details of his explicit tastes.
He was fine with them thinking what everyone else thought of him. Typical Southern boy. Polite. Dedicated to his job. A gentleman with the ladies. They’d attribute his loner attitude to his driving work ethic.
He’d tried to be that man, the one who tenderly spooned her to sleep after fucking her brains out. But the missionary-style wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am bored him quickly, and the kind of women secure enough with themselves to enjoy his definition of fun didn’t exactly grow on trees in the Bible Belt.
Deluna and Helms were good guys. If they spent more time focused with the head on their shoulders rather than the one between their legs they’d both have promising careers in law enforcement. If they worked with him, he could teach them; the way his mentor, Detective Bishop, had done for him. Take them under his wing. Show them the lesser-known ropes of the job.
“Cinnamon Altoids.” Mitch sat his bottle on the table. He’d play along with the conversation if it meant earning their trust enough to milk them for intel later. Given the amount of beer they consumed and their attractions to the clientele in Donovan's, he wasn’t getting very far with either. But soon. With his focus solely on the murder case, he’d have it solved and be back in the swivel chair behind his desk in Nashville before his superiors noticed the growing stack of neglected case files. “Keep one in your mouth when you go down on her, and they’ll hear her screaming your name three counties away.”
“Altoids,” Deluna muttered.
The sexy brunette Mitch had watched serve tables all week was restocking the liquor shelves behind the bar. Her dark hair, streaked in pink, was pulled back into a low ponytail that ran down the length of her arched back and brushed the top curve of her ass. Long, slender arms worked the bottles into place.
He’d fought the distraction all week. The first night she’d leaned over his table to clear empty bottles, he’d caught the hint of cleavage spilling from her low-cut tank top.
During the day, he’d been able to push her from his thoughts by opening the case file he’d borrowed from the Rebel Rapids PD. He could shift his focus to the girl in the file with her face beaten into a bruised mound of flesh and the blue ropes still tied to her wrists and ankles.
But tonight, like most nights over the past week, the barkeep’s black tank top rode up her back to reveal the waist of her low-cut jeans and the thin line of a pink thong he’d give his left nut to see her wearing with nothing else. The black outline of a tattoo along her right hip caught his attention. He couldn’t make out the design in the dim light except for a straight line of scrolled letters.
Inked and a bartender. With her sauntering into his dreams every evening for the past several nights, backwater Rebel Rapids hadn’t been the dry hole in his sex life he’d pegged it for.
Mitch shook his head and downed another long swig. The fastest way to lose focus on the job was watching that woman work.
“Ever used your cuffs on a girl?”
Mitch vaguely heard Deluna’s question, still transfixed by the thin silver belt hugging the brunette’s curves.
He imagined losing himself in her. His hands wrapped around her, using the thin strap to pull her into him, taking her from behind. Her ponytail bobbing in his face. The musk of sex and the sweet scent of girlie shampoo lingering in the air as she rode him hard and fast.
It had been too long since he’d known the warmth of a soft woman in his bed. Felt the heated touch of a lover. The satisfying release only a woman’s body could invoke. One night with her and he could clear his head of the need for sex and get his mind back where it should be before another innocent girl died.