Mine Now (The Phantom Vipers MC)

29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Blake

“My name is Sam.” The woman who pulled me from the men says.

“It’s nice to meet you.” I hold out my hand to shake hers, but she embraces me instead.

She leans back and glances at the children who run past us. She points to Charlie. “Is that your daughter?”

I smile and nod proudly. “She sure is.”

“What’s her name?”

“Charlie. Her real name is Charlotte, but we shortened it soon after she was born.”

She watches my child bounce around with the other kids with a soft smile on her face. “She is beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I can’t help but hear the bout of sadness from her voice as she mentions other children.

I motion toward the many children in the yard and say, “Are any of these yours?”

She turns her sad eyes toward me and shakes her head. “No, sadly. I can’t have kids.”

I gasp. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to assume.” I scramble over my words.

She grips my forearm and squeezes gently. “It’s fine, Blake. It was from a tragedy a long time ago, and I have learned to live with the prognosis." She gives me a soft smile. “Doesn’t mean I don’t wish that I could have some.”

I start to nod. “I understand. Why don’t you adopt?” Kill me now with all of these personal questions that keep blurting out of my mouth.

“It just isn’t in the cards for us. But I have so many here it makes it easier.” She grabs a beer from a cooler nearby and holds one out to me.

I shake my head. “No, thank you.” It seems that I am currently safe, but I want to be aware at all times, which means no alcohol for me.

“You know, Hunter has never brought another woman here aside from his ole’ lady.” She raises her brow.

“Really?” This news shocks me. He seems like he could have any woman he wants.

She nods. “Yeah. Hunter is like my older brother. I have known him for as long as I can remember, and through all that time, I have only met her.”

What is that supposed to mean? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? My anxiety kicks up to overdrive, and I start looking around for Charlie again.

Spotting her with the group of other kids on the other side of the bonfire, I smile.

Sam wastes no time moving through the list of questions she clearly wants to ask me. Most of which I don’t even know how to answer. She asks me what my intentions are with Hunter. I obviously have no answer to that. Then she moves onto a darker territory, asking me why I am with him in the first place and how I ended up at his house.

Do I tell her the truth? I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear about my abusive husband. She’ll probably think I am stupid for staying as long as I did.

“That is a bit of a wild story, if I’m being honest.”

She rubs her hand down her neck. “Is it because of the marks on your neck?”

I instinctively do the same movement. “Kinda,” I whisper.

“I was with mine for twelve years before I met Xavier.” She smiles and looks over at the man who explained house mouses to me.

“How did you get free?” I lean forward, hanging on every word.

She winks. “It’s also a bit of a wild story. Maybe someday we can share our wild stories?”

I nod. “I would like that.”

Just then, Hunter walks up behind me and leans in close to my ear. “Come. I want to show you something.”

I look around for Charlie. “What about the kids?” I ask.

“They will be fine. When we come back, they’ll still be running around. I promise we won't be gone long.” he smiles at me. “Besides, we have cameras around the entire place and multiple men standing guard. She will be safe.”

“I will go hang out with the kids, maybe Charlie can fill me in on the last few days with the grumpy old man on the bike.” Sam says with a smirk toward us.

“Are you sure?” I tilt my head.

She waves me off. “Of course. The kids are my favorite part about being here.”

I watch as a genuine smile forms on her lips and it eases my worry.

Finally, I turn toward Hunter and nod, letting him usher me toward the back of the house.

Once we step away from the fire's heat, there is a cool breeze in the air, and I shiver. Hunter sees me rubbing my arms and shrugs out of his vest, handing it to me. “Here. It may not keep your arms too warm, but the material will keep your chest and stuff warm.”

I let him help me into it. I immediately feel the heat coming off of it from his body and the weight of the leather against my skin.

“It’s heavier than I anticipated.”

Hunter chuckles. “You get used to it. Plus, it’s only heavy because it is too big for you.”

My heart skips a beat when he grabs my hand and pulls me along the back side of the house toward a medium-sized garage with the bay door closed. What could be inside?