20. King
TWENTY
KING
K ing lay beside Ella, his large hand gently tracing up and down her back, feeling the slow, steady rise and fall of her breaths. She was curled against him, wrapped up in his warmth, her body completely relaxed in his arms. The glow from the bedside lamp cast soft shadows over her delicate features. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her lips were slightly parted in contentment.
His chest ached at the sight of her. She looked sosmall in his arms, so utterly vulnerable, and something deep inside him clenched tightly.
Mine. Forever.
He carefully kissed her forehead before sliding out of the bed. Ella whimpered at the loss of him, her fingers twitching as if searching for him.
“I’m right here, baby,” he told her, brushing his knuckles over her cheek. “Just gonna get you cleaned up.”
She hummed sleepily, barely opening her eyes and giving him a small nod.
King retrieved a warm, wet washcloth and gently wiped her skin, his touch careful. He wanted Ella to feel incredibly loved and taken care of. When he was done, he pulled the blankets up around her, tucking them in securely around her before pressing another soft kiss to her temple.
“I’ll be right back, Little one,” he whispered.
Ella made a sleepy sound of protest but didn’t stop him as he slipped out of the room. In the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water and a bar of chocolate he had stashed away.
When he returned, Ella had shifted onto her side, her eyes opening slightly as she peeked up at him. So fucking sweet and adorable. Perfect.
King sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair back before offering her the water. “Drink, baby.”
She obeyed, taking slow sips before handing the bottle back. He smiled, pleased, then unwrapped the chocolate and held it up to her lips. “A little something sweet for my sweet girl.”
Ella giggled softly and took a bite. “You’re spoiling me.”
“Damn right, I am.” King tucked the blankets even closer around her. “You deserve it.”
When she finished, he slid back into bed, pulling her against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, slipping one hand beneath the covers to rest against the warm skin of her lower back. Ella let out a small, content sigh.
He pressed his lips to her hair, inhaling deeply. “You did so good for me, baby,” he whispered. “I’m so proud of you.”
Ella let out a sleepy hum, her fingers tracing his chest lazily. “Thanks, Daddy. You didn’t do so bad yourself.”
King laughed and shook his head. His silly girl. “Glad to hear it, dollface. Maybe I’ll give you a comment card so I can do even better next time.”
She grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “That’s a great idea. I look forward to filling it out.”
He stared down at her with a permanent smile as her breathing slowed, and soon, she was completely asleep in his arms. King continued to lay awake, his heart racing.
He was in love with Ella.
Completely and utterly in love.
And it was the best feeling he’d ever experienced.
King sat at one of the tables in the clubhouse, eating a sandwich while a few of the Littles giggled and chatted a few seats away. He wasn’t paying much attention until he caught his name in the mix of their conversation.
“We should tell King,” Carlee said, nudging Ivy.
“Tell me what?” King asked, glancing up from his plate, his brows raising slightly.
What kind of trouble were the brats getting into, and why did they want to drag him into it?
Ivy grinned, twisting her juice box between her hands. “We were talking about the food drive. There’s still so much stuff that needs to be collected, right?”
King set his sandwich on his plate. “Yeah, the need is way higher than anyone expected.”
“Well,” Remi piped up, leaning forward with excitement, “since the MC has such a big presence in town, why don’t we throw a big party? Like a charity event. We can invite everyone in Shadowridge and get them to bring donations for the food drive.”
King sat back, rubbing his jaw as he thought about it. Itwas a damn good idea. Maybe he shouldn’t have assumed the Littles were up to no good.
The club had hosted events before, and they always drew a crowd. If they turned it into a full-on party with food, music, and games, they could bring ina lotof extra supplies for families in need.
“That’s actually brilliant,” he admitted, flashing the girls a grin. “I’ll talk to Steele and Storm about it.”
The Littles cheered, high-fiving each other as King pushed up from the table and made his way to find the men.
When he explained the idea, both of them were on board immediately.
“Yeah, we can hold it here at the compound,” Storm agreed, crossing his arms. “Plenty of space, and peoplelove partying with the MC. If we market it as a charity event, they’ll be even more likely to show up.”
“I’ll call a few vendors,” Steele added. “See if we can get some food trucks or something. Maybe a band, too.”
King nodded, already feeling the excitement building. “I’ll run it by Ella. I know she’s been stressed about getting enough donations. This could make a huge difference.”
Minutes later, King was on his Harley, riding through town toward City Hall. The wind whipped against him as he rode, but something feltoff.
As he weaved through the streets of Shadowridge, he couldn’t shake the idea that someone was following him.
He checked his mirrors.
Nothing.
A few cars were behind him, the usual afternoon, but no one familiar. No one that stood out.
Still, the feelinglingered. Normally, it wouldn’t bother him, but they’d been having issues with another MC lately, and he didn’t fully trust that the Devil’s Jesters were done being a problem.
By the time he pulled up to City Hall, he was on edge. He parked his bike and shook the feeling off, telling himself he was being paranoid. His focus needed to be on Ella.
Inside, he found her at her desk, looking adorable as ever, her head bent over a stack of papers. When she looked up and saw him, her face lit up.
“Hey, Daddy,” she said softly, a little smile curling her lips.
His chest warmed as he leaned down to press a kiss to her temple.
“Hey, dollface,” he murmured, stepping closer. “Got a minute?”
She set her pen down. “Always.”
King rested against her desk, explaining the idea the Littles had come up with. As he spoke, Ella’s excitement grew, her eyes sparkling.
“That’ssuch a good idea!” she gasped. “This could be exactly what we need to fill the gaps. But… Are you sure the MC wants to go through all that trouble? This is supposed to be my project to manage.”
He reached out and cupped her chin. “You’re part of the MC. And the MC is part of this community. We care about the people here, so if we can do something to make Shadowridge a better place for families, we’ll be on board.”
Tears filled her eyes as she beamed at him. “What can I do to help?”
King smiled, pleased by her genuine reaction. “We’ll start planning tonight. We’ll go over logistics, make a list of what we need, and get the word out fast. Steele has already reached out to some vendors. Don’t worry, baby. We’ve got this. As a team.”
Ella wiggled in her seat. “Maybe I can talk to Mayor Winslow about promoting it, too.”
“Good thinking,” King said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
She grinned at him. In that moment, he was remindedagain how much he loved this woman.
“I’ll let you get back to work. I’m gonna head back to the clubhouse. It’s supposed to start raining in a few hours, and I don’t want to be riding when it starts.”
“Okay.” Ella stood and walked around her desk, then threw her arms around his waist. “Thank you, Daddy. You’re the best ever.”
“Anything for you, Little girl.”
He kissed the top of her head one last time and headed back outside, only to stop short when he reached his bike.
His front tire wasflat.
King’s eyes narrowed as he crouched down to inspect it. A slow, uneasy realization crept through him as he inspected the obvious slice in the rubber.
Someone had done this.
Jaw tightening, he pulled out his phone and dialed Kade.
“Brother,” Kade answered. “What’s up?”
“Need a tow and a ride,” King muttered, scanning the street around him. “Someone’s slashed my tire.”
There was a pause, then a sharp exhale. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” King confirmed, standing up, his shoulders tensing. “And I think I was being followed earlier.”
“Stay put. I’m on my way.”
Just as King hung up, the skyopened up, and rain poured down in huge, heavy drops.
King let out a low, humorless chuckle, shaking his head. “Figures. Fuck.”