Chapter 4
BLITZ
The ride to the beach park with Kylan and Mylo was filled with the usual chaos of having two energetic toddlers in the back seat.
Kylan was singing something that vaguely resembled the alphabet but contained at least three dinosaur noises and what sounded suspiciously like a race-car engine.
Beside him, Mylo kept interrupting every few seconds to loudly insist that his version was better.
It was complete nonsense, and I chuckled as I glanced in the rearview mirror. “That’s not how the alphabet goes, buddy.”
Kylan immediately pointed an accusing finger at Mylo. “He did it.”
Mylo gasped like he’d just been framed for murder. “Did not!”
“Did too.”
“Did not!”
“Did too.”
“Okay, boys. It doesn’t matter who started it. Let’s just talk about something else.”
Kylan launched into trying his best to explain why dinosaurs absolutely could drive race cars, while Mylo passionately disagreed, insisting that trucks were the only logical vehicles for prehistoric creatures.
They went back and forth with impressive tenacity, each one determined to out-talk the other, as though the fate of the world hinged on the outcome of their debate.
I glanced in the rearview mirror again and felt a smile tugging at my mouth as I watched them.
It was funny how quickly I’d adapted to these types of conversations.
When Kane and Axle had first become fathers, I hadn’t imagined moments like this becoming a regular part of our lives. Yet somehow, they had.
The Kings were lethal, dangerous men, but the kids saw us as nothing more than their personal protectors and playmates. And we were fine with that. Hell, we thrived on it.
It would shock the shit out of anyone who knew our reputation to find out that a couple of crocodile tears from a tiny little human in a tutu would have any one of us wearing a tiara at an imaginary tea party to make it stop.
Adjusting my hands on the wheel, I took a deep breath, shifting my thoughts to the purpose behind today’s trip.
It had been a week since Kane had given me permission to handle Tripp, and I’d spent nearly every moment since then carefully planning and reconsidering my next move.
Aubrey’s dossier provided the initial information I needed, showing that she was a college student and a nanny with a predictable routine.
Without telling Jax why, I quietly asked him to pull surveillance feeds and phone data for the previous month, so I could pinpoint exactly where and when I could approach her without raising suspicion.
The information had come back quickly. Twice a week after school, she took the kids she cared for to a quiet beach park.
Aubrey would have no reason to suspect my approach because she had no clue about her brother’s undercover assignment.
She was entirely unaware of what Tripp had done or the betrayal he had committed against the Kings, and that innocence made her an easy target for my revenge.
But over the past few days, the plan I’d initially been so certain of began to sour in my gut. I’d spent hours looking over Aubrey’s photo, trying to convince myself of the righteousness of my intention, but the more I stared at her face, the harder it became to justify it.
She wasn’t responsible for her brother’s actions. She’d never hurt me or the club. And despite how deeply Tripp’s betrayal had cut me, using an innocent woman felt profoundly wrong.
The issue wasn’t if I could complete the plan; the issue was what it said about me if I did.
The Redline Kings didn’t operate like that.
Our code had always been crystal clear: we never targeted innocents or used uninvolved family members as collateral damage.
Kane had built this club on loyalty, honor, and a clear moral line—even within the world we occupied—and I’d never crossed it before.
The realization that I’d even considered doing so unsettled me deeply.
Then yesterday, I overheard Savannah and Ashlynn talking quietly in the clubhouse lounge.
With Kane and Axle away on a run, both women were exhausted.
Savannah was eight months pregnant, clearly needing rest, while Ashlynn was juggling a three-month-old infant.
Both dealing with that, along with Kylan and Mylo, who were both just shy of two and into everything.
Seeing their fatigue, I had immediately volunteered to take the boys for the afternoon, offering them a break and making their day a little easier.
It wasn’t unusual for me to do that. All of us stepped in to take care of the kids when needed, because that was what family did. And if we didn’t take care of the old ladies, their men would flay the rest of us alive.
Savannah and Ashlynn had gratefully handed the kids over without a second thought. But the timing wasn’t accidental. I’d made that decision partly because I’d known Aubrey would be at the park today. It felt like fate had handed me exactly what I needed.
Yet as I drove closer to the beach, each mile brought more doubt and an increasing sense of disgust with myself.
This wasn’t who I was, and it definitely wasn’t who I wanted to become.
Even thinking about manipulating Aubrey felt cowardly and fundamentally opposed to the man I had always tried to be.
By the time I pulled into the parking lot and brought the SUV to a stop, my mind was made up.
The plan was over—I couldn’t do it. I would take the boys to the playground, watch them enjoy their afternoon, get them ice cream afterward, and then go home.
Aubrey would never even know I’d been here.
No manipulation or hidden agendas. Just an afternoon with two rambunctious toddlers, helping out their tired mothers and letting the rest of it go.
As I climbed out of the SUV, the boys were already arguing excitedly about who would go down the slide first. I chuckled, rounding the vehicle to open the door for them. When I opened it, the boys had worked themselves into another argument.
“Kylan pushed me.”
“I didn’t.”
“He did.”
“You stole my truck.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
I rubbed my forehead and muttered, “For fuck’s sake.”
Two sets of little eyes blinked up at me, and I sighed. Shit. “Sorry. Uncle Blitz forgot little ears are listening.”
Mylo grinned. “You said fuck.”
I closed my eyes briefly. Double shit.
“Yeah.” I sighed to myself. “That’s my fault.”
Kylan cocked his little head to the side, his expression thoughtful. “Can I say it?”
“No.”
His tone was indignant when he asked, “Why not?”
“Because your mom will murder me.”
That answer seemed to satisfy him. For now.
I unbuckled both boys and lifted them out, one after the other. Their hands immediately found mine, and we started toward the playground. As I scanned my surroundings, my entire world suddenly shifted on its axis.
Aubrey stood near the swings, a smile lighting her face as she carefully helped a child onto the seat. Seeing her, my carefully made decision began to fracture at the edges.
Attraction surged, hitting hard enough to momentarily blur out the background noise of the playground and the laughter of children around me. I hadn’t expected this intense, overwhelming wave of desire that narrowed my attention to the woman standing just yards away.
Aubrey was captivating, her chestnut-brown hair spilling softly over her shoulders, catching hints of sunlight that turned the strands golden. The photo hadn’t even begun to capture the warmth in her expression or the gentle ease with which she smiled at the child beside her.
I felt my body respond instantly, a rush of heat tightening every muscle as my heart rate quickened.
Unbidden, images began slipping through my mind—visions of her spread across my sheets, naked and glistening, her dark hair framing flushed cheeks and those clear blue eyes heavy with pleasure.
I imagined her wearing one of my old shirts, nothing else beneath it, the fabric just long enough to tease and tempt me.
I pictured sliding it off her shoulders, baring her soft skin to my touch, her body arching beneath my hands as she whispered my name.
Looking up at me with those beautiful eyes while I got lost in the sounds she'd make for me as I buried myself inside her again and again.
The force of that thought left me breathless, desire tightening in me so much that I had to physically remind myself to breathe again.
But it wasn’t just lust that caught me off guard.
Underneath the fierce attraction, something deeper and even more powerful stirred inside me.
A possessive instinct rose fiercely within me.
One I’d never experienced before that said she was mine, even though logic argued otherwise.
My entire being suddenly demanded to claim her, protect her, and keep her safely wrapped in my arms and far away from the ugliness of what I’d originally intended.
I swallowed hard, the guilt slamming into me a second later, almost as powerfully as the attraction. I’d already decided I couldn’t follow through with the revenge plan, but even standing here knowing I’d considered it felt wrong.
Aubrey was so damn innocent. She didn’t deserve to become collateral damage just because of my anger. I steeled my resolve to stay away from her and forced my eyes away, taking a slow breath to steady myself. The boys needed me, and they deserved my full attention.
I turned, ready to bring my focus back to the playground, just in time to see Mylo misjudge the last step coming off the climbing structure. His foot caught awkwardly, and he hit the ground hard enough to skin one knee.
The cry came instantly, the startled hurt of a little boy who’d suddenly discovered gravity wasn’t his friend.