Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
LILITH
Sipping my coffee from the mug in my hand, I flip the pancakes that are almost ready in the pan. I left Jack sleeping in his bed when I woke up not too long ago. Once I am awake, there is no going back to sleep for me.
So I decided to come to the club’s kitchen and get a head start on breakfast, which I know Risky usually does, but I hoped she wouldn’t mind me helping out for today.
When I woke up next to Jack this morning, he was lying on his stomach, facing me, with his arm draped over my midsection, and I was on my back, facing him. He looked so young while sleeping, his face relaxed, squished into the pillow.
I had to stifle a giggle and climb out of bed without waking him. Once I was done in the bathroom, I slipped on one of his T-shirts and a pair of clean boxer briefs, rolling them at the waist so they fit me better, and came down here to get the cooking started.
“Morning,” is said from behind me, making me yelp in surprise.
I turn to see Magnum step into the kitchen.
“Morning.” I stare at the man, and I have to say that he looks good for a man in his sixties.
This is what I have to look forward to with Jack, because he looks so much like his father. Oh hell, I am blushing thinking about how hot my boyfriend’s father is. Shit.
“Do you want a top up?” Magnum asks, nodding to my mug.
“Oh, um, yes. Please.”
“My woman usually makes breakfast for the club,” he states.
My stomach sinks. Risky is going to be annoyed at me for taking over.
“I am sorry if I overstepped. I’ll stop,” I mutter, turning around to turn off the stove.
“Lilith, darlin,’ you did not overstep; she will be happy that it is you who is cooking. She doesn’t usually let anyone else cook, but I know she trusts you to feed her boys,” he says with a gentle smile.
“Oh,” I reply.
“Keep going. You will need to cook enough to feed an army. What else are you doing?”
I list off the foods I had intended to prepare for everyone.
“Fuck, I am going to have to hit the gym more now with you cooking as well as my Ol’ Lady.” He winks at me, making me smile at him.
We say nothing else, both of us drinking our morning coffee. I have always thought that Magnum was a fair man, one who loves his family and his club. For years, I have seen this whole club grow, witnessing the different paths each of the members took.
When I got to meet the members of the Phoenix charter, it really hit home just how big and wide the Rugged Skulls MC is. They have a few other charters: one in LA, and one in Wyoming. They also have ties with other clubs such as the Unforgiven Riders MC in the UK, and the Three Kings MC in Vegas, plus a few other clubs.
They have a whole connection going on and if needed, they can call upon any of these clubs.
Knowing that Jack has such a wide support system calms some of my nerves but not all. I know how police think of MCs around the country, hell, the world. Reading books and watching certain TV shows have helped me get some understanding of the way clubs work, but since being around the Rugged Skulls, I have seen a different view on things.
The club members cherish their children; they would do anything to protect them, and it makes my heart happy knowing that for the future, if Jack and I work out.
God, I hope we work out.
The idea of losing both Jack and Dominic makes my stomach upset.
“You are good for him, ya know.” Magnum’s voice brings me back to the room.
I bring my gaze to meet his and see him looking at me intently.
“Both of them. For years, Jack held off dating anyone. He kept women in the space where they knew what they were getting with him, not that he gave them much; he was never like the other slutty brothers.” He grins, making me giggle.
He is right, every member of the club has had his way with women. Even in high school, I remember what Royal and the guys were like. The stories Tree and Kady used to tell me when I came to visit in the summer…
It was on my visit during summer that I saw the guys from the club for the first time. I had been to Fort Lauderdale before, but I was never into boys, not seeing them the way some girls my age did. Let’s just say I was a late bloomer, then, when I hit the age of fourteen, my body changed.
My boobs came into play, my hips filled out a little, then my skin cleared up and it was like seeing a different person in the mirror.
That was when I started noticing boys, when I came to visit. I can remember seeing Travis first and thinking that he was hot, that was until two boys walked out of the store, looking identical but different at the same time.
Royal looked through me, like I wasn’t even standing there, staring, but Jack’s gaze caught mine and it was like everything fell away around us. For seconds we just stared at each other, then Calder punched him in the arm, laughing.
From that day on, I had daydreams about the mirror boys, as I used to call them in my head. It was in my little na?ve teenage heart that I would meet and marry that boy one day, but, alas, it never happened.
The years went by, and with each one I would see him with different girls, and each time I knew that it would never happen between us. We were too different.
“You okay there, Lil?” I blink looking at Magnum, who is frowning.
“Sorry, I drifted off.” I give him a reassuring smile.
“Jack and the rest of the club brats had a way with the girls when they were younger, and then women, when they got older, and it seemed that it never stopped until they found their women. Over the years of knowing them when I came to stay with my cousins, I saw that it was Jack and Finan who would hold back from sleeping with multiple women a week, or in Calder’s instance, daily.”
“Fuck, I am surprised that boy’s cock didn’t fall off, the way he went through women, but Kady girl locked him down.” He smirks and I love seeing the mischief in his eyes.
They remind me of Jack and Royal. Both men carry familiarities from their parents, while the youngest Masters child, Perri, is all her mom. Stunning as the day is long.
“My cousin is good for him, but I think he is good for her too. I know that I only came to town a few times a year, but over those years I have seen those boys turn into men who live for this club and their families. I can see the pride in you when you watch them do something, Magnum. You have done the club and your family proud.”
“We are your family now too, ya know,” he informs me, making my cheeks heat up.
I hear what he is saying, but after living my life the way that I have, I know that nothing is guaranteed in life. So many things can be snatched away from you in the blink of an eye. Some people may look at my life and tell me that I had it good, but what people don’t see is not there in their eyes.
Not all trauma is on the surface.
I shrug. “We don’t know if Jack and I will work out. He could get bored of me, and if that is the case, I know I will lose so much, but I will never come between family. My own has done that for as long as I can remember.”
My emotions build up and my chest starts to ache at the thought of walking away from Jack and Dominic.
“My son will never get bored of you, honey. He has claimed you to me and his mother and his generation brothers. He will do it in front of the whole fucking club soon. The Rugged Skulls men only claim the one we know deep in our bones will be ours until we take our last breath. Whenever the fuck that will be. Knowing Slide and the rest of my brothers, who are stubborn as fuck, we will all reach the tender age of one hundred before we kick the bucket.” He laughs.
I laugh with him but again the pang of pain hits me at the idea of these men, who are strong and fierce, dying. These men who have shown me more love and attention than my whole family since I moved here permanently and opened Wicked Sugar.
“I love your son, Magnum, and I love your grandson. They are my world. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would ever find someone after what my ex did to me. Even more so, I never thought me, quiet shy Lilith Cullen, would get the attention of a man like Jack. He was so sought after by women all over, hell I even saw one married woman hitting on him when he was sixteen.”
“That’s my boy.” Magnum winks at me. “When that bitch came here claiming to be pregnant with Jack’s kid, my woman wanted to beat the shit out of her, but she held off. After Dom was born and we did a DNA test, not that we needed one because that boy looked like his daddy when he was born, Risky wanted to cut Dom’s mom’s heart out. Now that was a show.”
He shakes his head as if that scene is playing out like a move in his head.
“You are good for them, Lilith. You may sit there and think that you are not strong enough to be a part of their lives, or in with the club, but you are wrong. What my woman and I see is someone who will do whatever it takes to make her man and boy happy. You are strong and independent in your own right, honey. Grab a hold of what you have and do not let any fucker take that away from you.”
I bite my lip to hold in the emotion that swirls through my soul. Tears fill my eyes as I watch Magnum step to me. He pulls me in for a hug, his arms wrapping firmly around my body, keeping me to him, as he gently rocks back and forth.
“You are where you belong, Lil, honey. Don’t ever think that you are not a part of the club.”
I nod against his chest, before pulling away after one last squeeze from him.
“Now, make your Pres and future father-in-law some breakfast before the savages wake up.” He winks and takes a seat at the small booth across from me.
“What would you like? I can make anything; cooking is my thing, ya know.” I wink back.
He laughs. “Anything. Ask my Ol’ Lady, I will eat whatever you put in front of me.”
I nod and get back to cooking, making big batches of the usual breakfast foods for everyone but I make Magnum a special omelet that Dominic loves. So I can assume that he will like it.
“I hope this is okay.” I put the plate down on the table in front of him and he rubs his hands together while grinning.
“This looks healthy as shit, but amazing at the same time. Finan would love this.”
“It is the omelet that Dominic likes when I make it. Eggs, cheese, some mushrooms, and peppers, but I add in some spinach, and a sprinkle of paprika.”
He digs in, closing his eyes and moaning when he takes his first bite. He looks at me, pointing to the plate while still chewing. “That is damn good.”
Pride swirls around my body, making my heart happy. It makes me so pleased and happy when people enjoy my cooking. Seeing someone’s face light up when they see one of my custom cakes or sugar sculptures, makes all the pain of training and the heartache of moving here worthwhile.
“Fuck, something smells good in here.”
I look over my shoulder, seeing Jack strolling into the kitchen, wearing nothing but gray sweatpants, hanging low on his hips. Without looking at his father, he comes to me, gripping the back of my neck, making me gasp. He takes advantage and kisses me, slipping his tongue into my mouth.
He kisses me hard, letting me know that he missed me.
“I really fucking hate waking up without you,” he murmurs against my lips, making me blush harder.
Jack’s focus is solely on me, and I get lost in his gaze as he keeps me against him. He makes me forget everything around me, showing me that he is my world.
“I didn’t want to wake you, so I came down here to get a head start on breakfast. Your mom does it all the time, so I thought I would help out,” I explain.
The smile that he gives me makes my heart swoon. Full white teeth, bright eyes, no longer sleepy, look down at me.
“Love that, baby.”
“You have a good one there, Son,” Magnum says, making me jump.
I had completely forgotten that he was there, which makes me blush when I see him wink at me.
Jack’s arms tighten around me, his smile widening even more, if that is possible, as he looks from his father back down to me.
“I know.”
It is all he says, and my heart falls completely over the edge for him.