Chapter 23
Creedence
It was two weeks later, and we were at the clubhouse for a barbecue.
Just then, Lena called everyone to listen up.
“There’s a charity contest at Juices this weekend. All proceeds go to St. Morgan’s Autistic Clinic.”
I’d heard about that place from working at the hospital.
They did such good work.
The clinics were once a week, and it was where parents could go to get anything they needed to help their kids prosper.
I lifted my hand, “I’m in.”
She looked at me, then looked at Ripper and winced, “Umm, I don’t think you can enter.”
I frowned, “Why the fuck not?”
Alexander chuckled.
“Well, the contest is for the most indecently dressed woman who still looks classy.”
I nodded, “Got ya.”
Alexander squeezed my thigh, “You can enter it.”
I looked at him and lifted a brow, “Really?”
He chuckled, “I can control my murdering tendencies for a good charity. Watched your face light up when Lena said the name of it.”
I grinned, then I winked at him, then looked at Lena, “I’m in.”
She squealed, then Raine nodded, “I’m totally in.”
Ripper
I was having the best dream.
Creedence had her hand wrapped around my cock as she lowered her mouth... And then something occurred to me... would it feel real as fuck if I was dreaming?
And I knew that it wouldn’t.
I opened my eyes and looked up into the most stunning pair of hazel eyes I’ve ever seen, which were sparkling.
“Morning, Star Shine.”
She winked, “Morning, honey.”
I felt my eyes flare, “You only called me that once.”
She nodded, “I know. But... I love you. You love me. You’ve got the rest of our lives to make it up to me. So... fuck it. I need your cock.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
I growled at the interruption of this moment.
She giggled. “Probably my neighbor, Kristie.”
With a kiss on my lips that was too quick for my liking, she got up out of the bed and giggled as I reached for her while she stepped out of my grasp.
I watched her ass until she left the bedroom, then I reached down and adjusted my cock.
I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment, that was until I heard my woman’s uncertain voice ask, “Mom? Dad?”
Oh. Shit.
I jackknifed out of bed because I knew that they didn’t know anything.
Creedence
I smiled and licked my lips, already planning what to say to Kristie to get her to leave.
I unlocked the door, opened it, and opened my mouth, but the only words that came out were, “Mom? Dad? What are y’all doing here?”
My mom smiled, then said, “We’re here for the week. Wanted it to be a surprise. We’re also going to go to the beach.”
I stared at my parents, who were smiling at me with Connor and Gage at their sides.
Gage smiled, then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned up and pressed a kiss on his dark head, “Hey, buddy.”
“Hey, sis,” he said, then he stepped back and stood next to Connor.
I glared at him, his eyes narrowed, and then I felt him.
Shit.
Connor’s eyes went wide as his face paled, then he looked back at me and winced.
Alexander just entered the room.
"You are fucking shitting me," my dad growled.
I winced.
My mom winced.
“Garret. Valerie. Gage. Bro. What’s up?” he asked as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his side.
I didn’t miss the way he shifted his body to block my family.
And they didn’t miss it either.
My dad growled as he asked, “How fucking long have you been back?”
“Four years now,” he said.
Then my dad looked at me with a look I’ve never seen before. It was... fucking hell, he was disappointed in me.
“Why haven’t you told us?” he asked.
Alexander shifted and stepped fully in front of me, all the while keeping his hand on my waist, “‘Cause she didn’t know.”
“Like fuck she didn’t fucking know,” my dad growled. “You two were attached at the fucking hip.”
I stepped around Alexander, who growled, but I paid him no mind; this was my family after all, and he knew them.
“I didn’t know. Not until I started noticing a few things,” I shared.
My dad crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes on me, “Yeah. Like what?”
I winced, “Well...”
Alexander saved me from telling them about the perfume and the panties. “I was here at night. Sat in my truck outside, or I sat in the chair in her bedroom at night while she slept.”
"You are fucking shitting me," my dad growled, those same words again.
I winced.
My mom winced.
But who didn't wince?
Alexander.
No, the man simply looked down at me and winked.
Then he shared, “She calmed the storm inside of me with one fucking look. Made you a promise. I broke it. I get it. But above you and every fucking person on this fucking planet, there is her. And I promised her that even in the night, I would always be there. I've. Fucking. Been. There.”
My dad growled. Again. He growled. He was so angry. I get it.
My mom winked at me.
I lifted a brow at her.
She took my hand, and then walked through my apartment.
Once we were in my bedroom, she closed the door, pointed to the bed, and said, “Sit.”
I sat down.
She eyed the chair, and I watched a soft smile form on her face.
Then she sat down and looked at me, “Now, we are going to give them time to work this out. How are you?”
I sighed, then ran my hand through my hair, which had come loose during the night from the bun it had been in last night, “Still in love with him. I’m trying so hard to be strong and make him work to win me back... but...” I trailed off.
She smirked, “But it’s him.”
I nodded.
“I get it. I really do,” she told me as she took my hands in hers and squeezed them.
“Did you ever get so mad at Dad?” I asked.
She chuckled, “Oh, only about a gazillion times. But listen, baby, it’s not about the words they say that tell you what to do; it’s their actions.”
I recalled the things he did.
Sitting in his truck at night.
Following me around.
Sitting in that very chair at night and watching over me while I slept.
Not able to be here but still taking care of me when I was sick.
The Tahoe.
The lunch.
Paying for my things.
Taking my things.
I chuckled.
Then I decided. Yes, earlier I said fuck it because I missed his cock, but really... I missed his heart, his soul, I just missed him.
Mom lifted a brow and smiled, “You just get clarity?”
I winked at her.
She giggled.
Then she looked at me and asked, “Think we gave them time?”
I shrugged, “Well, there was no yelling. Nothing sounded like it was being broken.”
She chuckled, “Never thought I would find anyone that wasn’t scared of your dad... but here he is.”
I felt my chest puff up with pride.
She caught it and burst out laughing.
When we left the bedroom, Dad was glaring at Alexander, and Connor was explaining what he’d been doing for him while he was away.
Mom squeezed my hand and then headed to Dad
I walked into the living room, went to Alexander, and wrapped my arms around his waist. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pressed his lips to the top of my head, and asked softly, “You okay?”
I nodded, “Yeah.”
I looked at my dad, who watched the exchange. That was when my dad looked down, and then his mouth dropped open.
“You're not observant in your old age,” Alexander teased.
My dad looked at him and asked, “How?”
I squeezed Alexander’s waist.
“Overseas. Bad mission. It ended my career, I can’t say anything more than that,” he told him.
My dad looked at me and lifted a brow. I shook my head, “I won’t tell you and betray his trust.”
Alexander’s arm tightened around my shoulders.
***
Over the past week, Dad and Alexander had apparently talked and worked things out.
If I wasn’t at work, I was with my parents.
We went to the beach.
And seeing my baby brother enjoy the water was hilarious.
He squealed every time the water hit his toes.
Yes, he was twelve and still squealed.
I was lying on a beach towel with my mom when two guys walked over.
And before they could open their mouths, I heard two guns being chambered with bullets.
They turned and revealed my dad and Alexander.
Both of them with guns in their hands.
The guys nodded, then walked away.
They looked at each other, slid the guns into matching thigh holsters, and then bent to remove the thigh holsters and hand them off to a waiting prospect.
Then and only then did they head back to the water.I looked at Mom, who was shaking her head, then she looked at me, and we both burst into laughter.
It was finally Friday night, and I just left my dad, my mom, and Alexander to get ready with Lena and Raine in Storm’s bedroom.
Ripper
“Where’d Cree go?” Garret asked.
“To change. Said she would meet us there,” I told him.
As if my body wasn’t already wound tight from not having her in my sights, we had to wait on the rest of the brothers.
***
Seeing Creedence up on that stage, I damn near swallowed my tongue.
And yes, she was right.
I wasn’t going to be able to control my murdering tendencies where she was concerned.
Clip caught it and leaned over and said, “Breathe, brother.”
I inhaled a deep breath.
Then I took in my woman.
She was in a red leather mini skirt that stopped at the bottom of her ass cheeks, and if she wasn’t wearing fishnet stockings, I wouldn’t still be sitting here.
No, I’d have reloaded my 9mm ten times over from using the bullets to put fuckers’ eyes out.
She also had on a red leather bra-type thing that left all that gorgeous creamy skin on full display.
Add in the red painted lips, her hair in big curls that fell down her back in luxurious waves, and the black four-inch heels on her feet—I was ready to throw her over my shoulder and kidnap her so I could slide into my heaven.
She looked down at me and caught the heat I knew was written clearly in my eyes, then she licked her fucking lips.
I heard men groaning around me.
I fucking smirked.
And the big bastard at my side ruined the entire night.
“What the fuck is she wearing?” Garret growled.
I looked at him and gave him a shut-the-fuck-up look.
The big bastard paid me no mind.