Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Later that evening, the Sabre crew plus Ravage and Brick gathered in Reid’s large backyard in Arcadian Hills for a group barbecue.
Jaxon filled everyone in on what happened at the police station and on his and Tazzy’s narrow escape from the SUV the night before.
None of his brothers was any happier than he’d been about either.
Now smoke rose from the grills where Reid and Hutch flipped burgers and bratwurst. The smell of grilled meat, fresh corn, and watermelon that the girls had cut up earlier filled the air.
Jaxon stood with a beer in his hand and watched the scene in front of him. For the first time all day, some of the tension in his shoulders eased. He was with his family, and they had his back. He had to admit, it was a little easier to relax behind the walls of this subdivision.
Ravage stood beside him with his own beer. “I heard you did good today at the station. You didn’t kill either the General or Thorne.”
Jaxon arched a brow. “It wasn’t for lack of desire, believe me. How did you even hear about that?”
Ravage didn’t answer, just leveled him with a knowing stare.
“It wasn’t easy,” Jaxon finally said. “The General knows exactly how to push my buttons. He mentioned the SUV. He mentioned Tazzy’s tires. Even admitting to knowledge of the protest that, by all rights, he shouldn’t know. Basically, he knows we’re watching him, and he doesn’t care.”
Law walked over and clapped Jaxon on the shoulder. “We’re all watching now. He’ll slip up eventually. They always do.”
Sawyer stepped up. “I have Mike Winters and his crew out at Tazzy’s place right now.
He’s a home security specialist, and so far I’ve been impressed.
You’ll have secure doors and a top-notch camera security system by tonight.
He’ll be back tomorrow to take care of the windows and anything else you want. ”
Across the yard, the real entertainment had started. The Musketiaras had discovered the box of water balloons someone had brought out for the Littles. What began as a few playful tosses had turned into an all-out war.
Tazzy led the charge with a bright pink balloon in each hand. Her laughter rang out clear and loud as she dodged behind a tree and fired at Georgia.
“Take that!” Tazzy yelled. Her aim was terrible, but her enthusiasm made up for it. She nailed Hutch square in the chest instead of Georgia. Water exploded across his shirt.
Hutch looked down at the wet spot and shook his head with a grin. “You’re going to pay for that later, little girl.”
Tazzy stuck her tongue out at him and ran behind Jaxon for cover. “Save me, Daddy! Hutch is trying to get me!”
Jaxon couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his mouth. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. “You started this war, Darkling. Now you’ve got to finish it.”
She looked up at him with sparkling eyes full of sass. “I never start something I don’t finish! Watch this!”
She darted out from behind him and launched two balloons at once. One hit Breezy in the shoulder. The other balloon sailed wide of Bliss and caught Sawyer right in the back of the head. Lele cheered like her team had just won the Super Bowl.
Sawyer turned slowly with water dripping down his neck. But instead of looking at Tazzy, he was speaking to Lele. “Half-Pint, you’re in so much trouble.”
Lele squealed and ran behind Connor, who just laughed and shook his head. “Don’t look at me.”
The water balloon fight grew louder and messier. Tazzy’s shirt was soaked through, and her hair stuck to her cheeks in wet strands. She was a mess, but one very happy mess.
Jaxon watched her with a deep sense of pride swelling in his chest. This was what he’d fought eight years to get home to. This freedom. This joy. This chance to watch his girl be silly and safe with her friends.
When the last balloon burst and the girls finally called a truce, Jaxon walked over and scooped Tazzy up in his arms. She was dripping wet and giggling so hard she could barely breathe.
“Time to eat, Darkling,” he said against her ear. “You’ve had enough excitement for now. There’s still the Easter egg hunt after lunch.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a wet kiss to his cheek. “I won, Daddy. Did you see?”
“You did,” he agreed as he carried her toward the tables. “And now you’re going to let Daddy fix you something to eat.”
He set her down long enough to grab a plate and load it up with a burger, some grilled corn, a small pile of carrot sticks, and a few strawberries.
Then he sat down and pulled her straight into his lap so she could eat while staying close.
Tazzy settled against his chest with a happy little sigh and opened her mouth when he offered her a bite of burger.
Around the big picnic tables the rest of the group had gathered. The Littles were still buzzing with energy while their Daddies tried to get them to eat something besides cookies and watermelon.
Georgia leaned over and grinned at Tazzy. “Did you see Hutch’s face when I got him right in the stomach? He looked so surprised!”
Hutch shook his head with a smile. “You’re lucky I like you, Peaches. Next time I’m keeping score.”
Winnie giggled from Reid’s lap. “I got Reid twice! He tried to run, but he’s too slow.”
Reid raised an eyebrow. “Too slow? I let you win, Tinkerbell. Don’t get cocky.”
Breezy waved a carrot stick like a sword. “Gage says I still have to eat veggies tonight even if I won the war. That’s not fair!”
Gage chuckled and popped a piece of corn into her mouth. “Life’s not fair, Sunshine. Eat your veggies and you’ll get extra chocolate later.”
The girls kept chattering and laughing while the Daddies exchanged amused looks.
Jaxon kept one arm wrapped securely around Tazzy’s waist and fed her bites between her own excited stories about the water balloon fight.
She felt warm and safe against him, and for a little while, the heavy weight of the day lifted.
When everyone had eaten their fill, the girls grabbed their Easter baskets with excited squeals.
Each Little took her Daddy’s hand as they walked together to the commons — the small park in the center of Arcadian Hills.
The grass was dotted with colorful “hidden” plastic eggs, but the real fun was about to begin.
The Daddies each taped bigger plastic eggs filled with candy to their shirts.
In addition to finding eggs in the tall grass, the Littles could get them by catching their Daddy and plucking the eggs off.
The Littles form a line at the edge of the park while their Daddies spread out all over the field.
“Ready?” Reid called. “Go!”
The Littles took off in a burst of laughter and squeals. Tazzy charged straight for Jaxon with her basket swinging wildly. He dodged left, then right, keeping just out of her reach while she laughed and tried to grab the eggs from his shirt.
“Come here, Daddy!” she cried, jumping to reach one clipped near his shoulder.
Jaxon grinned and sidestepped again. “You’ve gotta be faster than that, Darkling.”
She wasn’t the only one having trouble snatching eggs from her Daddy’s shirt.
Georgia chased Hutch in circles while he laughed and held his arms up high.
Winnie tackled Reid’s leg and managed to snatch two eggs at once.
Breezy climbed onto Gage’s back like a monkey to reach the ones on his chest. Lele darted between Sawyer’s legs while he pretended he couldn’t see her.
Lovie and Law played a gentle game of keep-away while Bliss tried to bribe Connor with kisses for just one more egg.
The park filled with shrieks of laughter and playful growls from the Daddies as the Littles hunted their prizes. Jaxon finally let Tazzy catch him. She yanked three eggs free with a triumphant cheer and dropped them into her basket.
Eventually, the Daddies were freed from all their eggs. They moved to specific spots on the park's edge to watch as the Littles raced around collecting the remaining eggs from the ground.
When the last egg had been claimed, the group walked back to Reid’s house still buzzing with excitement.
The girls compared their hauls and traded candy while the Daddies walked behind their tired but happy Littles, with one exception.
Jaxon kept Tazzy tucked against his side the whole way.
Once back at Reid’s house, Jaxon leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“Time to go home, Darkling,” he said softly. “You’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
The drive home was quiet. Tazzy leaned her head against his shoulder and hummed softly. When they pulled into the driveway, the security people were loading their trucks.
Mike Winters walked over and explained what they had done. There were passcodes to learn, but he would go over that with Tazzy later. Once Mike left, Jaxon carried his girl inside and straight to the bathroom. He stripped off her damp clothes and ran a warm shower for both of them.
Under the spray, he took his time washing her. His hands moved, gentle but possessive, over every inch of her skin. He paid extra attention to the fading bruises from the paintballs. Afterward, he wrapped her in a big towel and carried her to their bed.
He lay her down and pulled her against his chest. “You were beautiful today. Even when you were causing chaos with those balloons.”
Tazzy snuggled closer and traced a finger over the tattoo on his chest. “I felt safe because I knew you were watching me. Even if the General had shown up, I knew you’d protect me.”
Jaxon kissed the top of her head. “Always. I’ll always protect you.”
She yawned, and her eyes began to drift shut. “Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, Darkling. Sleep now. I’ve got you.”
He stayed awake long after her breathing evened out. The day replayed in his mind. Phillip Thorne’s oily smile. The General’s arrogant taunts. The way the bastard had looked straight at the mirror and threatened Tazzy without ever admitting to anything outright.
Jaxon tightened his arm around her. The General thought he could keep playing games. He thought he could get close to what belonged to Jaxon and walk away untouched.
He was wrong.
Jaxon was going to take Ravage’s advice. He was going to channel all that rage into destroying the General. Soon, he’d make sure the General never threatened what was his again.
For now, it was enough to hold his girl close and listen to her soft breathing. Tomorrow would bring new battles, but tonight she rested safe in his arms. That was all he needed right now.