Chapter 12
CROSS
When we arrived home, the house was quiet, lit only by the soft glow of the porch light and a couple of lamps we'd left on. My senses were alert as I carried Isa and smoothly guided Hannah inside. Her body brushed against mine as we entered, and despite the tension coiled tightly in my muscles, desire still sparked instantly through me—a possessive surge that I couldn’t ignore.
She offered me a tired smile, hopefully unaware of the dangerous currents running beneath my carefully calm exterior.
“I’ll get Isa ready for bed.” She lifted our baby girl carefully from the carrier. “Can you make her a bottle?”
“On it,” I replied easily, forcing my voice to sound casual and relaxed, not betraying an ounce of the vigilance riding just beneath my skin.
Hannah padded toward the nursery, her hips swaying gracefully.
My gaze lingered a second longer than necessary on the tempting curve of her ass, my body instantly tightening in response.
Even in moments like these, she had the ability to set me off, my cock stirring at the mere sight of her retreating form.
I quickly shook off the distraction, moving efficiently around the kitchen as I prepared Isa’s bottle.
The mundane task did nothing to ease the adrenaline coursing through me, and my thoughts returned instantly to the strange man outside the diner.
His lingering glance and subtle shift in posture hadn’t been much, but it was enough to set my instincts screaming.
But I wouldn’t let Hannah feel it. Not when she’d finally begun to trust me, to let her walls down. I was determined to keep her from feeling a second of fear or worry.
As I heated Isa’s bottle, I glanced at my phone again. Wizard had already responded to my text when I let him know I needed eyes because we had a possible tail.
Wizard
On it.
I let out a slow breath of relief, knowing Wizard would already be diving deep, utilizing every piece of tech we had at our disposal to figure out who was tailing us and why.
After testing the temperature, I carried the bottle into the nursery.
The sight that greeted me made something tighten deep in my chest. Hannah sat in the recliner, Isa cradled against her chest, the baby’s tiny hands resting gently on her chest. The soft light from the corner lamp illuminated Hannah’s golden-blond hair and the curve of her delicious body.
For a moment, it was impossible not to imagine her belly round with our baby. Possessiveness surged in me again, mixing seamlessly with the desire I always felt for her.
I stepped close, handing Hannah the bottle before bending down to press a soft kiss to Isa’s chubby little cheek.
Her baby scent hit me instantly, a reminder of the fragile innocence I’d vowed to protect.
Then I brushed my lips against Hannah’s mouth, unable to resist tasting her sweetness.
She sighed softly against my lips, and for a second, everything else faded away.
“Need to make a quick call.” My lips brushed her temple as I kept my tone casual. “Be right back.”
She nodded and gave me another warm, trusting smile before her attention returned to Isa. I stepped out of the nursery, quickly slipping onto the back deck, pulling out my phone again.
King answered immediately. “Yeah?”
“Saw something at Fuel and Flame tonight,” I explained without preamble, my voice hardening. “A man I didn’t recognize, watching a little too closely. He looked away a second too late when I caught him staring. Not exactly a massive red flag, but my instincts say something is wrong here.”
My hand clenched around the phone as I scanned the darkened property again, looking for anything out of place. “Wizard’s already on it. Said he’d keep me updated.”
King was quiet as he absorbed the information. “I’ll put prospects on it. We’ll ask around town, see if anyone’s spotted unfamiliar faces.”
Riverstone was small enough that strangers couldn’t blend in for long. And with its reputation for being practically owned by the Hounds of Hellfire, not many even tried.
“I'll send security to keep eyes on Hannah and Isa. No chances.” King’s voice was cold and lethal but entirely reassuring. “We’ll handle this, brother.”
“Thanks.” The tension in my muscles eased a little at his assurance. “Don’t know what the fuck is going on, or if this new development has anything to do with Gavin, but I’m not letting any of this bullshit touch my girls.”
“Never doubted it.” King’s voice softened just a fraction, enough to convey understanding and approval. “Head on the swivel.”
I grunted in agreement, then the call ended, and I let out a slow, controlled breath, staring into the darkness.
The timing was too coincidental. This had to be about my motherfucking twin.
I couldn’t be all mad, though, since his irresponsible ass had brought me Isa and Hannah.
But that wouldn’t mean much if it also ruined what we were building.
They belonged to me, and I’d destroy anything or anyone who tried to threaten them.
When I finally went back inside, the tension was still riding me. I forced it down, locking my anger deep inside as I moved through the house back to the nursery.
Hannah glanced up as I entered, clearly sensing something was off despite my careful control. Her brows drew together, worry darkening her soft brown eyes. “Everything okay?”
I kept my expression neutral, stepping close again to stroke a finger lightly down her cheek, needing to touch her. To reassure myself as much as her. “Sorry, sweetheart. Just some club business. Didn’t mean to be distracted.”
Her eyes held mine for another long, searching moment before she finally nodded, accepting my words without pushing further. “Okay.”
It was clear she wanted to know more, but she trusted me enough not to push. Something eased in my chest, even as my protectiveness heightened further. Whatever threat was hovering would never touch her or Isa.
I'd make damn sure of it.
Later that night, the quiet hum of the house felt louder than usual as I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom, unable to stop my racing mind.
I glanced down at Hannah beside me. She was lying on her side, sound asleep, her hair spread across her pillow like a silky waterfall.
The sheet was tangled low around her waist, leaving her back and shoulders bathed in soft moonlight.
My cock stirred instantly at the sight, my body craving hers all over again even though I’d already taken her twice tonight.
I moved in closer, wrapping an arm firmly around her waist and drawing her lush curves snug against me.
She stirred slightly, releasing a soft, breathy sigh that tightened every muscle in my body.
With a fierce effort, I reined in my desire, gently brushing her hair back so I could press a lingering kiss to her temple.
Closing my eyes, I tried to let sleep pull me under again, but my mind was a chaotic storm, spinning with Wizard’s words and the unknown threats that lingered far too close to what was mine.
Protectiveness surged inside me, and I tightened my grip on Hannah.
She was safe in my arms, exactly where she belonged.
Whoever these assholes were, they’d find out real fast how badly they’d fucked up.
My pulse steadied, tension easing slightly as Hannah shifted in her sleep, melting even deeper into my chest. Tomorrow would bring more answers. Tonight, I held her tighter and let her quiet breathing soothe me, reminding me exactly what I was fighting to protect.
The following morning, I woke to the faint buzz of my phone vibrating against the bedside table.
Carefully untangling myself from Hannah’s soft, warm curves, I grabbed the device, my gaze landing on a text from Wizard saying that he needed to meet me in his office as soon as possible.
A sharp surge of anticipation and caution tightened in my chest. Wizard wouldn’t be calling me in unless he had something substantial.
I glanced back at Hannah, still sleeping peacefully with her hair spilled across the pillow, golden lashes against her cheeks, her lips parted softly.
Despite the security that was watching the house, I didn’t want to leave her and Isa alone, even for a quick meeting.
Deciding to bring them along, I quietly got up and moved toward the bathroom to get ready.
By the time I was done, Isa was fussing on the monitor, but I’d turned it down low to avoid waking Hannah. I grabbed Isa and changed her, dressed her, then made her a bottle. Cradling her in one arm, I went back to the bedroom and padded over to the bed.
I kissed Hannah awake, smirking at her sexy, disheveled state. She rolled her eyes at my obvious leering but blushed adorably.
“Need to go in for a meeting. I’d like my girls to come with me. Maybe meet some of my brothers and their families. Got Isa taken care of, so we’ll go whenever you're ready, sweetheart.”
Then I brushed my lips over hers again and left the room before we traumatized our little girl by seeing something X-rated.
An hour later, after carefully bundling Isa in her car seat and helping Hannah get her things together, we drove to the clubhouse.
She shifted nervously in the passenger seat, twisting her fingers together in her lap as she stared out the window.
But beneath the nerves, I caught glimpses of excitement.
I reached across the console, resting my hand firmly on her thigh and squeezing gently in reassurance.
When we arrived at the clubhouse, it was bustling with activity.
A few brothers stood around their bikes, joking loudly as they polished chrome and wiped down leather.
Hannah hesitated, clutching my arm tightly, then shot me a grateful look when I wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her inside.