CHAPTER ELEVEN
HONEY
I stare at the wooden table, tracing the wood grain patterns with my finger. The same table I sat at just a day ago, laughing with Cora and the other women. Now I’m sitting here alone, praying to whatever gods might be listening to bring my babies back to me.
Every time the door opens, my head snaps up. And every time, my heart sinks when it’s not Dread with my boys.
The door swings open again, and I look up, hope rising in my chest, only to be crushed when I see it’s Cora and Memphis.
They rush over, concern etched on their faces.
“Oh, honey,” Memphis says, sliding into the booth and pulling me into a tight hug. The warmth of her embrace nearly breaks me.
Cora slides into the booth across from us. “Chief told me what happened. How are you holding up, sweetie?”
That’s all it takes. The dam breaks, and tears pour down my cheeks.
“My boys,” I sob, my whole body shaking. “Someone took my boys.”
Memphis rubs circles on my back as I cry. “The guys will find them. I promise.”
“I said such awful things to him,” I choke out, wiping uselessly at my tears. “I told Dread it was all his fault. I was so horrible to him.”
“He knows you didn’t mean it,” Memphis assures me, squeezing my shoulder. “You were scared. He’ll understand.”
I shake my head, crying harder. “You didn’t see his face. I hurt him. God, I’m such a bitch. What if they don’t find my boys?”
“Don’t talk like that,” Cora says firmly. “Trust your man to bring your boys back safely.”
“He’s not my—”
“He is,” Memphis cuts me off. “Whether you’ve made it official or not.”
Cora rises from the booth and returns a moment later with a glass of amber liquid. “Here, drink this. It’ll help calm your nerves.”
I take the glass with shaking hands and throw it back in one gulp. The liquor burns a fiery path down my throat, making me gasp.
“Holy crap,” I wheeze, my eyes watering. “What is that?”
“Kentucky’s finest bourbon,” Cora says with a small smile. “Chief’s favorite.”
She slides back into the booth across from me, her face suddenly serious. “I know what you’re going through right now.”
I wipe my nose with a napkin that Memphis hands me. “You do?”
Cora nods, her eyes distant. “They grabbed Beckett and me at the mall. Beckett’s my son.
Chief and I adopted him.” A small smile tips up her lips.
“Anyhow, this crazy asshole held a gun to my side and marched us through the service corridors and shoved us in the back of a van. They took us to a warehouse across town. He beat me viciously when I tried to protect Beckett. Asshole pistol-whipped me, and I lost consciousness.”
My hand flies to my mouth. “Oh my God.”
“Don’t ask me how, but we got out.” She shakes her head and continues, her voice barely above a whisper. “The fear in Beckett’s eyes still haunts me to this day.”
I reach out and grab her hand, offering her support.
“Spike kept talking about using me to make Mason suffer before he killed me, and in those moments, I truly believed I was going to die there.” Cora takes a deep breath.
“But the club was coming for us. Even if we hadn’t gotten out on our own, they would have found us.
These men—our men,” she declares firmly.
“They’ll walk through hell in gasoline boots to keep us safe. ”
My heart aches for her. I can’t believe what she went through.
Without thinking, I get up, go to the other side of the booth, and slide in next to her, wrapping my arms around her.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” I whisper.
She returns the hug, patting my back gently. “I’m telling you this because I want you to know that Dread will find your boys. The Saints take care of their own.”
A tiny sliver of hope blooms in my chest. “Do you really think so?”
“We know so,” Memphis says from across the table. “That’s what these men do.” A haunted look moves behind her eyes. “They protect their family.”
“But I’m not—we’re not family,” I protest weakly.
Memphis and Cora exchange a look.
“Honey,” Memphis says gently. “Dread wouldn’t be with you if you weren’t already his in his mind. That’s how these men work. It sounds crazy, but once they decide you’re the one. That’s it for them.”
Cora nods. “And once you’re theirs, you’re family. That includes your boys.”
I think about how Dread told me that the boys and I are his now.
How he looked at me this morning when we were lying in bed together. How he jumped into action the second I said my boys were in trouble last night.
The door to the clubhouse suddenly bursts open with a bang, and my head whips around.
Dread stands in the doorway, my boys in his massive arms.
“Oh my God!” I slide out of the booth and run across the room, my heart pounding in my chest.
Tommy’s eyes are half-open, but Jackson appears to be asleep. Dread carefully transfers Jackson into my arms, and I clutch him to my chest.
“Thank the Gods,” I sob, burying my face in Jackson’s hair. “Thank the Gods you’re safe.”
It only takes me a second to notice that something isn’t right. Jackson’s body is too limp, his breathing too shallow.
Fear grips my heart again. I look up at Dread, panic rising in my throat. “What’s wrong with him? Where were they? Who took them?”
Dread’s green eyes meet mine, and I can see a storm of emotions behind them. “I’ll explain everything later. We need Doc to check them over first.”
As if summoned by his name, Doc appears in the doorway. “Bring them this way,” he says, already turning to lead us down the hall.
We follow him to a room at the end of the hallway with a gurney in the middle. Dread sits Tommy down while I keep Jackson in my arms, unwilling to let him go.
Doc examines Tommy first, checking his pupils and vital signs. “What did they take?” he asks Dread, his voice clinical.
“Cough medicine,” Dread answers, his jaw tight.
My eyebrows shoot up. “Someone drugged my sons?”
Jackson stirs in my arms, his eyes fluttering open. “Mommy?”
“I’m here, baby,” I whisper, stroking his hair. “You’re safe now.”
“Daddy took us from the reindeer,” he mumbles, his words slurred.
I freeze, my eyes darting to Dread. “Eddie had them?”
Dread closes his eyes briefly before nodding once.
When he opens them, I can tell by the look on his face that there’s more to the story, but I don’t press. Not here, not with my boys barely conscious.
Doc finishes examining both boys, taking blood pressure readings and checking their reflexes. “They’ll be fine,” he announces finally. “Just sleeping off the buzz. They might be groggy for a few more hours, but there won’t be any lasting effects.”
Relief floods through me, making my knees weak. Dread’s strong arm wraps around my shoulders, steadying me.
“Thank you, Doc,” Dread says, his voice gruff.
Doc nods. “Keep an eye on them tonight, but they should be back to normal by morning.”
“Let’s go home,” Dread says softly in my ear.
I nod, too exhausted and relieved to do anything but follow his lead. He scoops Tommy back into his arms, and we make our way back outside to his truck.
To my surprise, Dread pulls up in front of his house instead of mine. I stay quiet and watch as he hops out, rounds the hood, and opens my door. “Watch your step, baby.”
I slide out and watch as he closes my door, then moves to the rear to get both boys out of the backseat. Taking my hand in his, he says, “Come on, boys. Let’s get inside.”
With the nightmare behind us, I follow him into his house. It’s like stepping into a different world compared to my rental.
“Boys,” Dread says, crouching down to their level. “There’s a game room upstairs with an Xbox. Why don’t you go check it out while I talk to your mom?”
Despite their grogginess, both Tommy and Jackson perk up at the mention of video games.
“For real?” Tommy asks, suddenly more awake.
Dread nods. “Up the stairs, first door on the left.”
The boys take off, their energy seemingly restored by the promise of getting their game on.
“We need to talk.”
I follow Dread into his kitchen. It’s gorgeous—with navy cabinets, white countertops, and high-end appliances. Everything about it is a chef’s dream.
He opens the refrigerator and pulls out two beers. When he holds one up in silent offering, I nod. “Yeah.”
He twists off the cap and hands it to me before opening his own.
I take a long sip, letting the cold liquid soothe my nerves. Then I move closer to him and grab a fistful of his shirt in my hands.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, looking up into his green eyes. “What I said earlier—it wasn’t your fault. None of it was your fault.”
Tears start falling again, but these are different—tears of relief, of gratitude, of fear he’ll tell me to go to hell after the things I said to him. “I know it’s crazy. It’s only been a couple of days, but I’m in love with you, Caleb Reeves.”
His brows go up, and he slips a strong arm around my waist, pulling me flush against him.
Eyes searching mine, he dips his head until his forehead rests against mine.
“I love you too, baby. I don’t care that it’s fucking crazy and makes no sense.
I knew the second I saw you that there was something special about you. ”
My heart soars at his words. He loves me too.
His lips find mine in a gentle kiss that quickly turns into more, both of us pouring all our emotions into each other.
When we finally break apart, I ask the question that’s been burning in my mind. “What happened with Eddie? How did you find the boys?”
Dread’s expression darkens. “Eddie took them from the tree farm. I found them, and I made it clear that he won’t bother you or the boys ever again.”
“You can’t be sure of that,” I argue. “Eddie’s not the type to just back down.”
“You’re going to have to trust me on this,” he says, his eyes begging me to believe him.
I search his face, seeing the conviction in his eyes. “I do trust you.”
And I mean it. Despite everything, despite only knowing him for such a short time, I trust this man with my life—with my children’s lives.
He kisses me again, deeper this time, his hands tangling in my hair. When he pulls back, his eyes are serious. “You and the boys are moving in with me.”
I laugh, thinking he’s joking. “What?”
“I’m serious,” he says, his expression leaving no room for doubt. “That rental is a shithole, and I’ve got plenty of space here. Four bedrooms. The boys can each have their own room.”
“But we’ve only known each other for two days,” I protest weakly.
“And?”
I bite my lip, considering. The rental is awful, and I was already worried about how I’d afford repairs if something broke. Then there’s the fact I love this man, and he loves me.
What the hell.
I’ve never been happier than I’ve been since he came into my life.
“Okay,” I say softly.
His eyebrows shoot up. “Yeah?”
I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Yeah.”
He lifts me up and spins me around. When he sets me down, his smile is so bright it makes my heart skip a beat.
Merry Christmas to me.
“What about our stuff?” I ask, suddenly practical again.
Dread shrugs. “I’ll send a prospect over there to box it all up and haul it over here.”
“Mom!” Tommy’s voice calls from upstairs. “Jackson’s trying to change the game!”
I sigh, leaning my forehead against Dread’s chest. “You sure this is what you want?”
He lifts my face, his eyes serious. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
“Okay.” I smile.
When I start to turn away, he catches my hand and pulls me back for one more quick kiss. “Honey?”
“Hmm?”
“Welcome home, baby.”