Chapter Six
L egend
I watch as Braelynn moves around the kitchen, her hair pulled back in a messy bun, wearing nothing but one of my T-shirts that barely skims the top of her thighs. She’s fucking gorgeous.
It's been a few days since she showed up on Christmas Eve, and I still can't believe she hopped on a bus with our son and came here to find me. It’s surreal to have a family of my own now.
“You want some coffee?” she asks, catching me staring.
I nod, a smirk playing on my lips. “Yeah, thanks.”
As she pours the coffee, I hear Ryder start to fuss from the bedroom. “I got him,” I say, pushing off the counter.
In the bedroom, I find my son squirming in his new crib that Easy dropped off last night. His little face is scrunched up, ready to wail. “Hey there, little man,” I murmur, scooping him up. “What's all the fuss about, huh?”
Ryder immediately calms, his tiny hand gripping my shirt. If you’d asked me a month ago if having a kid was on my radar, I’d have told you to fuck right off. But now, after a few days of having my boy here with me, holding him like this and knowing it’s my blood flowing through his veins, I can’t imagine life without him.
“Let’s go find, Momma,” I whisper against the crown of his little head as I carry him back to the kitchen, where Braelynn is waiting with a bottle.
“Here, babe,” Braelynn says, handing me a fresh bottle. “You're getting good at that,” she adds softly.
“I've got a good teacher,” I admit.
Brae smiles as she follows me into the living room and curls up on the couch beside me as I settle in to feed Ry. The last few days have been much like this—us, together with Ry, figuring out parenting together. She’s definitely had a head start, but with her help, I’m catching up.
“So,” I start, breaking the silence. “I was thinking we could go check out my office today. What do you think?”
Braelynn lifts her head, her eyes curious. “Your office?” she asks.
I nod. “Yeah, babe. Told you, I was a bounty hunter before I went inside. You’ve seen the stuff in Ry’s room,” I remind her. “The office I work out of is downstairs. Part of my parole is getting back to work, so I want to get shit up and running.”
She sits up straighter, her interest piqued. “I know, I just sort of assumed that wasn’t an option anymore.”
“Had a good lawyer, and it was part of the deal I took before I was sentenced.”
“Oh,” she says thoughtfully.
I shift Ryder to my shoulder and start to pat his back. “I've been thinking about starting it back up. It's good money, and it's something I'm good at.”
Braelynn tips her head to the side. “Is it dangerous?”
“It can be,” I admit. “But I know what I'm doing. And… I was hoping maybe you could help out.”
Her brow pops up. “Me? How?”
“Well, there's a lot of paperwork involved. Bookkeeping, filing, that kind of shit. You're smart, organized. I thought maybe you'd be interested in running the office side of things.”
I watch as she processes what I’ve said. “You'd trust me with that?”
“Babe.” I reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Wouldn’t have you here if I didn’t trust you.” Brae’s loyalty is one thing I know I don’t have to worry about. She’s always been solid.
She leans into my touch, a smile spreading across her face. “I'd like that. To help out, I mean.”
I grin, pulling her in for a quick kiss. “Good. We can head over after breakfast and check things out.” It’s going to be the biggest fucking hurdle, getting shit up and running again. I’m a fucking felon now, and that’s going to make it hard getting my foot back in the doors I used to be in. Not to mention I can’t legally carry anymore.
After we eat and get Ryder ready for the day, we head downstairs to my office. It's nothing fancy, but it served its purpose. I unlock the door and step inside, flicking on the lights. There’s a thin layer of dust covering everything, but otherwise, it's just as I left it. “Well, this is it,” I say, turning to gauge Brae’s reaction.
She looks around with wide eyes, taking it all in. “It's... something,” she says diplomatically.
I can't help but chuckle. “I know, it needs to be cleaned up, but it’s functional for what I needed it for.”
She nods, a smile tugging at her lips. “Definitely needs some cleaning, a fresh coat of paint wouldn’t hurt either.”
She moves around the space, Ryder cradled against her chest. When she stops at my desk, she runs her fingers over the dusty surface. “It’s dusty, but it’s kinda cool in here.”
“Once things are finalized, I’ll be on the road a lot,” I say, coming up behind her and pointing to a smaller desk in the corner, “But if you want it, that could be yours.”
She turns to face me, her eyes shining. “Yeah. I want it. I want to pull my weight.”
I wrap my arms around her, careful not to squish Ryder between us. “You already contribute more than you know, baby. But I'm glad you want to be a part of this too.”
The next couple of hours are spent getting the office cleaned and put back into a semblance of working order.
Once it’s to Brae’s liking, I switch on the computer and show her the filing systems and scheduling software. She’s got an eye for organization, something I already knew about her. Her closet back in Jacksonville was something else. “I think a couple of days going through all this stuff and cataloging it into spreadsheets will make finding information a lot quicker.”
“Whatever you say.” I chuckle. She’s clearly in her element with all this shit. As long as it works for her, I don’t care what she does with it all.
Brae looks up at me and rolls her eyes, and that’s when it really hits me.
Her showing up. This thing between us. Having her be a part of my business and permanent in my life.
It’s everything I never knew I wanted.
“Want a beer?” I glance over my shoulder at Brae curled up on the couch.
She looks up from the baby book she’s been working on and shakes her head. “No thanks.”
I grab one for myself and shove the refrigerator door closed.
Dropping down beside her on the couch, I lift her legs onto my lap.
“I’ve been thinking,” I say before taking a swig of my beer.
“Well, that’s dangerous.” My lips turn up. Over the last few days, Brae’s found her sass that was missing when she showed up. Not going to lie, I fucking missed it.
“Wiseass. I’m being serious. I’ve been thinking about you coming to work for me and I think it’s a great idea.” I like the idea of having her close. In my world, shit can go sideways in a split second. Working together feels like an added layer of protection.
Braelynn closes the book with the pen wedged inside and sets it to the side. “I do too, and honestly, I'm excited about it.” Her face sobers, and I start to worry a monkey wrench is about to get thrown into the mix. “Except that paint color has got to go.”
My head falls back against the couch and I laugh. She’s told me a dozen times the puke green has got to go.
“No, seriously. All kidding aside. I really am looking forward to it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “It'll be good to get back to work, you know? Plus, it’ll be good having Ryder come to work with us.” It’s one of the things she brought up earlier and I’m in agreement. It’ll save us a lot of scratch not having to fork out money for a sitter.
She scoots closer. “I'm glad you want me involved. I was worried when I got on that bus and came here.”
I frown, setting my beer down on the side table. “It guts me you felt that way. But I want you to know that I thank the gods every fucking day you did. You and Ryder are everything to me. Understand? You're my family. I’m thrilled you’re jumping in with both feet, but if all you wanted to do was stay home and raise our kids, that would be perfectly fine with me.”
Her brows shoot up to her hairline. “Kids?”
I smirk. “It’s too soon to knock you up again, babe. But it’s gonna happen.”
She shakes her head, a grin tugging at the corner of her lip. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy about you, woman.”
Brae climbs onto her knees and throws a leg over my lap, my hands settling on her hips as she makes herself comfortable. She closes the distance, her lips a whisper from mine. “I’m crazy about you too.” I knew before I got sent in that she was. I think it’s why I made it a point to put so many roadblocks between us. I wasn’t ready to settle down before, but after sitting in a concrete box for a year, everything has changed.
I cup her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing across her cheeks. “I’m never letting you go, baby.”
I lean in, capturing her lips.
She responds immediately, her hands gripping my shirt, pulling me closer. I deepen the kiss, my tongue exploring her mouth as my hands roam her body.
Just as I’m about to move this party to our bedroom, Ryder's cry breaks through the baby monitor. Fuck. My boy had the worst timing.
“I should...” Braelynn starts, her cheeks flushed.
I nod, reluctantly letting her go. “Yeah, go ahead. I'll be there in just a second.”
As she heads to the bedroom to tend to our son, I lean back on the couch, running a hand through my hair. It's crazy how much both of our lives have changed in just a few days.
A week ago, I was getting out of prison, unsure what the fuck I was going to do with myself, and now I have a son, a woman I'm falling hard for, my club at my back, and a partner to help with my business.
I know things won’t always be fucking roses. Fuck, do I know that. Especially trying to balance the club, my parole restrictions, and now having two more people who depend on me.
Yeah, it's going to be one helluva juggling act.
But as Brae comes back into the room with Ryder cradled in her arms, there’s not a doubt in my mind that it’ll all be worth it.
“He okay?” I ask as she settles back onto the couch next to me.
She nods, a soft smile on her face. “Yeah, just a wet diaper. He's already falling back asleep.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“What do you think about getting a bigger place?” It’s something I’ve been thinking about ever since the strange meeting with my parole officer. Out here is more secluded, which is something I’ve always liked. But if I’m off chasing a skip, it leaves Braelynn vulnerable.
Braelynn lifts her eyes from Ryder’s sleepy face and looks around the room. “What’s wrong with this place?”
I blow out a breath. I haven’t told her about Turner or the fuckhead’s clear bias towards bikers.
“Nothing. I just don’t like the idea of me being away and you being out here by yourself. Wouldn’t you like a house with a yard for Ryder?”
Her eyes light up at the idea. “Can we afford it?”
I grin, thinking maybe I need to show her our financials. We’re not rich, but money isn’t something she needs to worry about. Ever.
“I think we can make it work.”