Chapter Twenty-Two
Vivian
It felt ridiculous in the best possible way to wake up in a bed that wasn’t in the clubhouse, in a house that smelled like Falcon’s signature mix of leather, pine, and smoke with just a hint of something that felt like home.
He’d taken me and TJ here last night, figuring that now James had admitted what he’d done, we were safe from any retribution.
I knew I shouldn’t get too comfortable and I shouldn’t read too much into staying at his place, but I couldn’t help it. Hope began to creep in.
Despite learning that my ex was behind everything that happened to me over the past three years, hope for the future sneaked under my skin.
Despite everything that happened, the violence and the gunshots and mayhem, I started to hope that maybe my luck was changing.
That maybe Falcon felt the same way I did.
I hadn’t said the words, not yet, but I showed him with my body how much I wanted it to be true.
All night we loved each other, savoring each other until the dark sky bled into daylight.
He reached for me, and I reached for him, insatiable for one another.
So many times I wanted to whisper that I loved him as he thrust into me, but fear held me back.
“Hey.” Falcon wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his erection against my back. “What’s on your mind?”
You. I wanted to say that but despite everything, he hadn’t given me any indication he wanted me to stay. I knew he wanted TJ. He’d said things that made me think his feelings had changed, but nothing explicit. “Just lost in memories of last night.”
Falcon groaned and pressed himself against me with more pressure. “I can’t stop thinking about it, Viv. The way you fucked my face while you took my cock deep in your throat? That shit is the stuff of fantasies.”
I shivered at his words. “That was really hot, wasn’t it?”
“I’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come,” he whispered, nipping my ear.
“I think we should do that again. And often.”
He pressed his forehead to my back with another groan. “I look forward to it, but for now,” his hand slid down between my legs and dipped inside my panties. “Fuck baby, you’re already soaked for me.”
I purred, grateful TJ was in the living room on his play mat. “You have that effect on me.” I let out a heavy sigh when he sank his finger deep inside of me. “Falcon, yes.” My head fell back onto his shoulder, and I gripped the edge of the counter.
“I love how you respond to my touch, Viv. How just a few strokes and I can get your sweet pussy weeping as it squeezes me tight.” He chuckled, the sound vibrated against my back. “How much you love it when I talk to you.”
“Mommy! Mommy!” TJ’s voice grew closer and closer, forcing our bodies to separate.
Falcon stepped back with a smirk just as TJ came into the room. “Mommy?”
“Yes, baby?” I answered TJ but I couldn’t take my eyes off Falcon as he slipped that long, thick middle finger past his lips with a moan.
“Go play?”
I tore my gaze away from Falcon and focused on my boy’s hopeful expression. I wanted to tell him no, that it wasn’t safe even though he wouldn’t understand, and I opened my mouth to do just that.
“You know what I think,” Falcon started, his voice louder than mine. “I think that’s a good idea.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “You do?”
He nodded, his smile bright as he bent to pick up TJ and the stuffed dog that was Chopper’s twin clutched to his chest. “Yeah. There’s two of us and one of him, I like our odds.”
My smile matched his and my shoulders relaxed. “I agree, a day in the park sounds perfect.” A day in the sun with the two men who owned my heart sounded absolutely perfect.
***
The park was sun drenched, filled with the sounds of squeaky swings and laughing kids, ripe with the scent of fresh cut grass.
TJ ran towards the sandbox as soon as Falcon put his little feet to the grass and buried his arms elbow deep with an amused giggle.
He showed off his sand-covered hands with a proud smile.
Falcon joined him, and the sight of father and son together wove itself together around my heart and the rest of the park, hell the rest of the world, fell out of focus around me.
But in the next second everything sharpened.
A movement at the edge of the trees and a flash of metal appeared in my periphery. I gasped and spun around but it was too late, a man in a black coat stood right behind me with a gun aimed at my chest. “Don’t cause a scene. Or else.”
I swallowed down the scream in my throat and nodded. “What do you want?” I asked, my voice just loud enough to draw Falcon’s attention.
“Viv!” he exclaimed before I heard the distinct click of a gun.
“Don’t fucking move,” the man with a thick Russian accent ordered.
I turned quickly and what I saw stopped me cold. Another man stood with his gun pressed against Falcon’s head.
“I’m okay Viv.” His gaze darted to where TJ played in the sandbox, barely aware of the tension around him.
I knew what he was saying but I also knew the risks. If I took even one step forward they could shoot us both and take TJ, or they could shoot all three of us in broad daylight and walk away.
But I had to try.
It was my job, my purpose in life to protect TJ at all costs. “Fuck it,” I growled and lunged for the sandbox, scooping my son against my chest and pressing a kiss to the top of his head before I could second guess my actions.
“That wasn’t very smart,” the man said.
“Well, it’s done,” I whispered, ignoring how my voice wavered.
He nodded once, short and sharp. “Don’t do anything else stupid and everyone will live through this.”
“What do you want?”
“Your woman doesn’t know when to shut up,” the guy with the gun against Falcon’s head growled. “Get a handle on her.”
Falcon laughed. “My woman handles herself. Tell her what she wants to know.”
The man with the gun now pointed to my side nodded. “We want the kid, that’s all.”
“That’s all? You might as well ask for the fucking sun.” My laugh came out brittle and tinted with fear. “I’m not giving you my son.”
“If you don’t, we will take him.” The threat was clear and real, but just to drive his point home the man pressed the gun harder against Falcon’s head. “The choice is yours.”
I shook my head. “You’re not taking my son,” I growled. “That just isn’t going to happen. Forget it.”
“TJ is the priority, Viv.” Falcon said the words in a loud, harsh tone meant to intimidate. “Always.”
My gaze flicked from Falcon to TJ, indecision weighed heavily on my chest. I knew what I needed to do, what had to be done. But I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t hand over TJ and I couldn’t do anything to put Falcon in danger.
An idea came to me, foolish and reckless, but possible.
I swung TJ to my left hip and slid my fingertips over the front pocket of my jeans.
Even though Falcon had told me that it was all over, I’d found myself reaching for the knife I always carried when I got dressed earlier, and I’d slipped it in my pocket.
But I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to use it.
“Why?” I asked, hoping the question would provide enough distraction to do what I had to do. “What do you want with my son?”
“Boss wants St. John to watch his son die before he kills him.” He said the words so casually, in such an emotionless manner, that the fear returned, cold and icy and real.
“James St. John doesn’t have a kid,” I insisted, my tone pleading. “TJ is Falcon’s son, I can prove it,” I explained.
The man’s expression was blank. “Liar. What else would you say?”
“I’ve got the paperwork here, we just got the results back,” I insisted as I put my hand into my pocket, my fingers closing around the knife. “Please, let me show you the papers.”
“Boss’ orders,” he said with a careless shrug.
“Then I’m sorry.” I turned TJ away and spun around, flicking open the knife and leading with my right hand, as the blade slid across his throat.
I heard the gurgling before I let my gaze land on him and I watched as his expression froze in a terrifying mix of shock and horror.
His hands flew to his throat as if that could stop the straight line that split his throat in two, gasping and groaning as he dropped to his knees.
Silence tore through the air. Even TJ stopped moving as if he understood the gravity of what had happened as I shielded him from the reality of it.
In the next second there was movement. The other Russian had been so surprised at what happened, that before he had a chance to react, Falcon spun, got to his feet, and took the gun that had seconds ago been pressed to his temple.
He gripped the weapon with absolute confidence, pushing it against the man’s throat. “Do you want to die today?”
The man shook his head.
“Good because I don’t want to kill you in front of my son.” He nodded. “Viv, do you have the results on your phone?”
I shook my head. I’d been bluffing about that.
Falcon reached into his pocket with one hand and pulled out his phone before tossing it to me. “I do. Show him.”
I put in the code he gave me and swiped through the photos of Falcon and TJ until I found the paperwork that proved the truth. “Here,” I said, shoving the phone in the man’s face. “This was done recently, I wasn’t lying.”
His gaze tracked over the page, widening when they landed on the truth. “Fuck. I will call Anton right now.”
“Do that.” Falcon took a step back but kept the gun aimed at the man.
We both listened as he spoke in rapid-fire Russian before he switched to English. “The DNA test was completed last month. The biker is the father. Yes, Pakhan.” The call ended and the man sighed. “The boss sends his sincere apologies.”
My eyes went to the man lying on the ground bleeding out.
An apology, as if that changed anything. “Falcon, take us home. Please.”
He nodded. “Thank her for every breath you take after today. Get the fuck outta here.” Falcon lowered the gun and turned to me.
My body shook as the adrenaline wore off and shock settled in over what I had done. I didn’t regret it, I’d do it again a thousand times before I’d let someone harm TJ, but I’d never killed anyone before, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to live with that.
“Come on babe, let’s get you home.”
Home. I liked the sound of that, I just hoped it wasn’t a slip of the tongue because wherever Falcon was, it felt like home to me.