Page 17

VIRUS

Instead of leaving the cleaning up to Santa and Iron, stayed to help. They were the professionals at crime scene clean up, but he felt a bit of obligation. If you remove someone from the census, you should finish the dirty work.

On his last trip to the Eureka Cleaning van that was parked around back, Santa cornered him.

“Get the fuck out of here.”

“I will, as soon as it’s done.”

“Fuck it, youngin’, just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it is. We’ve still got a few more hours to obliterate the evidence.”

snapped his head up. First, because Santa argued about being old, but used it when he needed an air of superiority. Second, because was stunned. It looked pristine in the studio to him. Like nothing had ever happened. At that moment, he appreciated the fact that the club owned the crime scene cleaning service like he hadn’t before.

“Besides, you need to get to your woman. She’s gonna need you after this.” He tossed his thumb over his shoulder toward the back of the studio.

pulled his shirt over his head and scrubbed his face with it the best he could, as Santa tossed him a plain black tee. He was nowhere near clean, but from a distance, he’d look it through the window of his truck if he happened to pass anyone on the way.

When he pulled up, Croon and Wall Street had the burn barrel blazing.

barely noticed Croon’s limp from the shot to his leg he took while with the brothers in Montreal. “Leg all good now?”

wanted to talk about anything but what had happened.

“Ninety-nine-point-nine percent.”

“Maybe keep it that way for a while, milk it just a little longer.”

“Milk what?” Croon seemed genuinely confused. How could he not know?

“I don’t know, Marilyn . Maybe ask yourself why a certain video hasn’t been posted yet?”

He stripped all the way down, tossing everything into the burn barrel. “I hear Sway made Squatch promise to lay off until you healed. I’d say by the way you’re walking, the end of the truce is imminent.”

Croon cursed while Wall Street followed over to the grate and hosed him down, then filled his hands with the soap that came from Eureka.

didn’t touch anything but the towel he dried off with, which went straight to the barrel.

was shivering like a motherfucker. Cold as fuck after being pelted with cold water.

He could smell the chemicals Croon was dumping down the grate as Wall Street walked ahead of , opening each door and adjusting the knobs of his shower. didn’t understand the extra caution since he cleaned outside, but he did as told to do.

“Hotter.”

Wall Street closed the shower door behind him and left. A few seconds later, he returned with some clothes. “Need anything else, brother?”

“No. Thanks.”

Left to the silence of his mind as the water pelted his back, ’s shoulders slumped. He’d taken a life. One that wasn’t worth a shit, but the weight of that was still resting heavy on him.

The heavier it got, the more pissed off he got. Punching the tile, he cursed. “Fuck.” His knuckles were raw and the special soap from outside still fucking stung.

The fucker was planning on killing his son. The one he’d just found out about, but Barker had apparently known about from before he was even born. He wished he’d asked Barker about that before he killed him. But what good would it have done?

Everything that he’d learned made him sick. The things he planned to do, the things he’d already done.

“Sunny.”

Fuck, he was wasting time feeling sorry for himself while his sunshine was alone in his bed with all that had happened.

Finishing up his shower, he grabbed the clothes that Wall Street had left for him and went in search of his president. He wanted to get to Rae as soon as humanly possible.

Zombie and Outlaw had mercy on him, but it was still pretty fucking late before he unlocked his front door.

didn’t get two steps into the house before he had a gun in his face. “Jesus,” he yelped before Hook pulled it back.

“Welcome home,” he teased.

“That didn’t feel very welcoming. How are you not asleep?”

“I was, but then I heard you.” Yeah, knew not to question Hook’s ability to pull from a dead sleep to caffeinated squirrel in two point five seconds. There was a reason he was Enforcer.

“Adam?” He knew his son was good, he’d asked and Zombie had told him. He wanted to bust into that room and hold him tight, but he was in Hook’s old bed at the clubhouse. Along with Hook’s daughter and ol’ lady. As much as he thought Hook would understand, he wasn’t willing to chance catching Nova in a state that would send Hook over the edge.

So, he had to content himself with pressing his forehead to the door.

“Snoozing. Nova put him down after the kids gorged themselves on pancakes that they made themselves.” He sounded like a proud dad. hoped that’s what he sounded like when he talked about Adam.

“Thanks, brother.”

“Don’t mention it.”

stalked to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, handing one to Hook.

“The breakfast of champions.”

“So, how’s she holding up?” He needed an insight into how she was, what he’d find in his bedroom.

If Rae saw him differently after what she’d witnessed, he didn’t know if he could live with it. However, he could live with that a whole lot better than if he’d broken her … again.

didn’t wait for Hook’s answer. “He violated her.” At Hook’s puzzled look, clarified.

“Not like that. For years he watched her. He had cameras in her apartment. He had all these stills, and he used them to …” His voice trailed off. He couldn’t even say it, he could barely think about it. Of course, he didn’t have to, Hook would’ve been kept abreast of everything step by step. Their club was efficient like that. Every cog turning in time. It was why their brotherhood was so tight.

“I failed her, man. And Adam, he … he—” He choked back his own tears.

“I know, brother, but he didn’t, and he never will.”

“I know but?—”

“But nothing. He had cameras, but he didn’t have her. With time and help, she can take back what he tried to steal. Adam is none the wiser to what someone he loved planned.”

“But, my Sunny,” he practically sobbed.

“But nothing. Do not underestimate the mama bear instinct. Women are not as delicate as you think, especially when it comes to their kids, and make no mistake, that boy is as much hers as Flower is mine.”

looked up into his enforcer’s eyes. It was hard to let him see him at his most vulnerable, but if anyone understood, it was Hook. The tables had been turned just months before when Nova’s ex tried some similar shit with Nova and June.

“Now, I’m going to go collect my family and Adam. Take ’em back to my place. Then show my woman just how much she means to me. I suggest you do the same.”

With that, Hook set down his still full bottle, embraced him for what would be considered a too-long hug, and left.

Stripping along the way, climbed into bed behind Rae and held her tight and slept.

The nightmares he expected didn’t come. Instead, he dreamed of a future with Rae and Adam. A future that was bright and happy because he had his personal ray of sunshine with him.

Soft moans brought him to the upper stages of sleep, and a curvy ass rhythmically rubbed against his growing erection. Sun Rae, her name floated through his mind like an invocation. The hand that rested against a soft belly was guided downward until it encountered heaven.

shook off the last vestiges of sleep when the small hand left his and reached around for his cock.

“Sunny,” he breathed at her neck. Nipping and sucking as she guided him home.

Home.

He was finally home, and he’d be damned if he gave anyone another chance to destroy his home.

There was nothing hurried about their lovemaking. It wasn’t even about reaching their climax, it was about connection. He could feel it. Rae didn’t wake him up because she wanted to get off. No, she needed reassurance. She needed home, too.

“Stay with me, Rae,” he begged one last time before his pleas became orders.

“No dating. No dragging your feet. We’re a family and that’s final.”

The slow rhythm of his hips remained steady despite the emotions welling up inside of him.

“I mean it, Ailene. I won’t … can’t lose you or Adam. I won’t survive it. Say yes.”

Rae said nothing, just continued pushing her ass toward him as he languidly pushed forward. The woman was maddening.

With the arm tucked under her, he gripped her throat, pulling her head back against him roughly. Pulling back his hips, he pistoned them forward, burying himself to the hilt and stilling there, holding her against him with the hand on her pussy.

“Fucking say it, Rae. You’re not moving an inch until you admit you belong with me.” He growled.

“Please?” she begged. He held her tighter with both hands, not sure what she was begging for. Begging to keep going, begging them to let her go. He’d be damned if either was going to happen. He needed her to say it more than he needed to breathe.

“Stop being so damn stubborn and fucking say it.” He pulled back and thrust violently into her and stilled again. She gasped.

“You love my stubborn streak.” She panted.

“Not right now, I don’t. Tell me, Rae.” He was back to begging.

Finally, she put him out of his misery with one word.

“Family.”

Relief flooded his entire body like an adrenaline dump. Pulling back enough to shift their position, he came up on his knees, pulling her hips up with the arm at her waist.

Repositioning himself, he thrust into her again. With a hand at her head keeping her upper body pinned down, and one at her hip, he pummeled into her with such force he feared he might hurt her, but he couldn’t stop.

When Rae cried out in pleasure, he followed her. Collapsing in a heap, he rolled off her and she curled into him in that familiar way that made his chest swell.

Lazily rubbing the smooth skin of her bare back was second nature to him. This—all of this—was. Thinking back, he didn’t know how he managed without her for almost seven years.

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Do you still think I infect everything I touch?” That statement had stuck with him because she wasn’t wrong. He had infected everything he touched back then.

“Yes,” she answered a little too quickly for his liking. “But not in a bad way like mono, but in a good way like … um, well.”

“Yeah, well, what?” he teased. “There is no good way to infect something, Rae,” he said with feigned annoyance.

“Yes, there is.” Rae levered up from his chest and looked at him. Those eyes, those deep blue eyes, held him prisoner. “Laughter is infectious. So is happiness and?—”

“And?”

“And love.” Rae always knew what he needed to hear.

“So, I’m a love ?”

Her answer was a laugh and a slap to his chest.

Pulling her on top of him, he entered her with a single thrust.

“Well then, sweetheart, I’d say you’re due for another exposure. I gotta make sure you’re good and infected.”

“Gross. Add referring to sex as exposure therapy to the list.”

“What list?”

“The list of words and phrases not to use for our sexy adult fun time or our,”—she air quoted—“private parts.”

She laughed as she pushed against his chest and rode him to bliss. He lost count of how many times they made love. At some point, sleep claimed them both.

When they woke, both were eager to see Adam.

leaned against the archway, watching Rae brush her teeth. The act had him feeling strangely at peace. Rae in his place like she lived there. Fuck, she would too. He smiled at the reminder of how he convinced her of it.

Multiple times and in damn near every room of the place.

She met his gaze in the mirror. “What?” Her question garbled from the toothpaste dribbling down her chin. Was it weird that he found that sexy?

Stalking to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, maintaining eye contact in the mirror.

“Just thinking, it’s a shame we didn’t test out this counter yet.” He dropped a kiss on her head as she rolled her eyes, then spit. gave her a little space to finish up. But she was moving too slow for his liking.

“Come on, come on.” He did his best to imitate Adam when he was excited. He hadn’t had much time with his kid yet, but his excited dance was already seared into his mind.

“I wanna go get our son.” ’s heart was damn near ready to burst.

Rae turned and gave him the same, albeit fake, indulgent smile she gave Adam. That sunshine that radiated from her when she was happy was back. He thought he’d never see it again, but there it was, directed at him.

They were taking Adam for pancakes to tell him the good news. Rae was staying too.