Chapter 19 #2
When the last box is dropped off, my parents take their leave along with the last prospect.
I close the door, lock it, and lean against it with both hands for a moment.
Tessa’s here in my suite, safe and sound.
Our clubhouse is probably the most secure building in this entire town.
It’s fenced, patrolled by the prospects day and night, and we have a robust electronic security system. No one can get to her here.
It takes me a hot minute to muscle down all my possessive instincts so I can talk to her without seeming ownerish. I’m hoping that the longer she’s here, the more she’ll start to feel as though she belongs.
When I turn around, Tessa is standing near the far window, running her fingers lightly along the edge of the curtain like she’s fascinated with the fabric. I move slowly across the room and stop beside her.
Outside, it’s pitch black except for the floodlight in our parking lot.
It was already getting late when we arrived at her house, and that seems like it was forever ago.
From this vantage point, it’s pristine and the lawn well-groomed.
It’s not lost on her that our place is nice compared to her older home.
I can see that realization click into place on her face.
Still, I know she loves that house and would prefer to be there.
I hate that knowing me caused this kind of upheaval in her life.
“You alright?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah. Queenie talked to me about how starting over can be a blessing. Is your mom always so positive?”
“Not always. She likes you, so she’s trying to say things that make you feel better about this situation.”
She glances up at me. “Is it just me or has this day lasted forever?”
I see a hint of the wry amusement again. I slide my arms around her from behind and pull her close, mainly because I think she needs a hug. “Yeah, this has been one hell of a long day. You’re home now. Mi casa is your casa.”
She turns over her shoulder and gives me a tired smile. “Your place is really nice,” she says. “Not at all what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “Bunk beds. Beer cans. Leather everything.”
“This is an MC, not a biker-themed frat house.” My voice sounds a tad more indignant than I want it to be.
Her hand drops from the curtain and brushes against mine as she turns. Neither of us moves to pull away.
“I was scared,” she says quietly, “especially when that drone came. Because it wasn’t just my life anymore. You were in danger too.”
I swallow hard and stay quiet for a minute. She doesn’t have to say it, but I hear it in her voice. The realization that this is bigger than either of us now. That we’re not strangers caught in a storm anymore. We’re two people wanting to get to know each other and give this relationship a go.
“Bikers have a saying about being hard to kill,” I tell her.
Her eyebrows fly up, and she responds sincerely, “I believe it.”
“Look, I’m gonna be really honest here. Anyone who puts a hand on you is gonna regret it.”
She doesn’t flinch at the violence in my voice. Nor does she try to calm me down or tell me to be careful. Instead, she just says, “I know.” She gently leans her head against my shoulder.
My whole body goes still because I enjoy her sweet touches far too much. It’s not a sexual thing, more like a Tessa thing.
Her voice is quiet when she speaks again. “So, what’s the plan moving forward?”
I turn my head slightly, enough to feel her hair against my jaw.
“We take that drone apart,” I say. “We find out who’s financially backing the Hyenas and target them first. After that, we just pick the Hyenas off one by one.
They won’t last long without financial backing.
They fade into history, just like all the others. ”
Tessa’s voice is barely audible, almost lost in the hum of the overhead light.
“I just want to make sure no woman in this town gets trafficked and no kids end up on drugs.”
I tighten my arm around her. With no hesitation, I tell her, “If I can help it, none of them will. I promise.”
Tessa pulls away first. Not far, just enough to lift her head and meet my eyes.
“You look exhausted,” I tell her. “Want to grab a shower and hit the sack?”
“Yeah,” she answers. “I just have to unload all the stuff from the bed in your spare room.”
“Naw, take my bed. I’ll behave.”
She follows me down the short hall, her bare feet soft against the wood floors. We have to pass the guest bedroom to get to the master. Her boxes are stacked neatly along the wall, with the duffel bags on the bed, untouched since the prospects dropped them off.
“I’d better grab a change of clothes.”
She rummages around in one of the duffel bags and pulls out an oversized t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants.
“Did you pack toiletries?” I ask. “If not, I’m sure my ma can fix you up with whatever you need.”
“I’m good for tonight, I remembered to pack my toothbrush,” she says.
While she’s showering in the master suite, I use the guest room shower. Truth be told I’d love to join her, but I’m being on my best behavior.
After I’m done, I head back to my room. She’s still in the shower so I quickly try and tidy it up a bit. I’m in the middle of collecting discarded socks when the bathroom door opens.
“Are you sure you want me in your bed?”
She’s standing in the open doorway wearing nothing but a t-shirt that stops a few inches above her knees. It looks well-worn and covers up her curves.
Do I want her in my bed?
Fuckin’ right I do. In my bed… In my life… On my cock.
“Absolutely. You can have the left side,” I say as I pull back the comforter, then I hesitate. “Unless you’re a right side kinda girl. I pretty much sleep where I drop, so it doesn’t matter to me.”
Her smile is soft. “Left’s good.”
She walks over and sits on the edge, then pulls her legs up under her. I take the opposite side, easing down beside her. There’s enough space between us to be polite, but I don’t want distance between us right now.
She leans back onto the pillows, with a sigh. It’s clear to my eyes that she’s had a rough day and rest is the highest thing on her priority list right now. I shift to my side to face her.
After a while, she says, “It’s weird.”
“What is?”
“Being here. I know that being safe is the priority. But whatever this is flying back and forth between us is so new, I worry it might disappear in the blink of an eye.”
“I can’t imagine that happening. I like you far too much for that.”
Her gaze drops to her stomach. Her hand comes to rest just beneath her navel, almost reflexively.
I mirror the motion without thinking. I reach out, slow and deliberate, and place my hand gently over hers. There’s no bump to feel yet. Just the promise of something sweet and perfect on the way.
“She’s in there,” Tessa says, almost a whisper. “I don’t know why I keep thinking of the baby as a girl.”
I smile a little. “I do too. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be happy with either too, but my gut instinct is saying it’s a girl.”
Tessa looks up at me, surprised. “Do you ever wonder what our kid will be like?”
“She’s going to be stubborn, like her old man. A real honey badger.” I continue confidently, “fierce and smart. She’ll challenge everything I thought I knew.”
Tessa lets out a quiet laugh. “Sounds like you want her to take after her dad.”
“And her mom,” I add. “You might look soft on the surface, but you are fearless.”
I shift closer, enough that our arms touch. I keep my hand over hers, both of us holding that one quiet place where our baby is growing. This baby represents a future we didn’t plan for but now can’t imagine a future without her.
“I don’t have a damn clue what I’m doing,” I admit. “But I’m gonna learn every damn thing I can before he or she gets here.”
“Maybe we can do that together. Take a childbirth or parenting class,” she says hopefully.
“I’d be up for something like that,” I tell her, meaning every word of it.
Her eyes meet mine again, and something flares to life in them. It feels like she finally sees me as husband material.
She slides a little closer, her head resting against my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her without needing permission.
“We’re not going to have sex tonight,” she says gently.
“I know,” I say, mildly surprised she thought I’d expect that after everything she’s been through.
“But I want you here. I want… this.”
She doesn’t have to explain. I already know exactly what she means. She feels the same quiet need to be close to someone and know they’ll still be there in the morning that I do.
“I get it,” I say quietly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She lets out a slow breath and closes her eyes. The room goes still except for the rhythm of her breathing and the distant hum of the clubhouse downstairs.
I stay awake a while longer, my hand resting lightly over her stomach.
A new world blooms in my mind, and I start daydreaming of all the things I only vaguely thought of before.
Things like settling down with the one woman who sees me as more than my cut.
And having a child—the beginnings of my own legacy.
I know deep down inside that everything in my life is about to change.
All I have to do is rise to the challenge and protect what’s mine.