Page 29

29

Reagan

When we pull up to the house, Jesse is still quietly reassuring Bea. He’s her rock, even as I sense tension rolling off him.

He white-knuckled the steering wheel the entire drive back, and from how he flexes his fingers as he climbs out, I imagine they ache from his grip.

Bea is still shaking when he takes her from me and carries her into the house. They retreat upstairs, and I imagine they have a lot to talk about. Between what Austin told Bea about her mother and the gunshot, Jesse is in for a long conversation.

I wait in the living room, trying to read and failing. Every creak of the upstairs floorboards steals my attention, and I find myself wondering how the conversation is going.

Wishing I could be a part of it .

But I’m not part of this family—not really. So I sit with my own anxiety and wait for what feels like forever before Jesse finally comes back downstairs.

He’s still fully dressed, from his jeans to his cut. But when I expect him to drop into the chair across the room, he lifts my feet and sits on the cushion beside me, draping my legs over him.

Jesse rests his head back against the couch, letting out a deep sigh.

“How is she?”

“Upset. Shaken. Sleeping… finally.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Austin told her about Sera.”

“I heard.”

His eyes snap to mine.

“She mentioned it at the store.” I shrug. “So I just heard. I told her she should talk to you about it, but all this happened before she got the chance.”

Understanding and defeat fill his expression. “It pisses me off because Sera doesn’t realize what she’s missing out on, and Bea is the one who has to live with that.”

“She’ll understand someday.” I reach for his hand. “And she’ll be thankful she has you.”

“I hope so.” He sighs. “How are you doing? I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“I’d be lying if I said I’m not still processing it. I didn’t realize…” I bite my lip, not sure how to word it. “I know the club handles some dangerous situations but being that close to it was different. I barely had time to think when it happened. But you were so fast. What you did—” I swallow ha rd. “Your aim.”

“Dad taught me to fire a gun the second I could hold one.”

That explains the perfect shot.

“Will you get in trouble? We just left the scene.”

“Steel’s taking care of it.” Jesse brushes my worry off.

It’s a reminder of what his club gets away with. Regardless of whether the other biker was pointing a gun at us, Jesse was the one who fired. He killed the man in the middle of the children’s clothing section and then walked away. And of all the things that happened today, that seems to be the least of his concerns.

How many men has Jesse killed that he’s completely unaffected by the fact that he just took someone’s life?

I don’t dare ask him.

Jesse rubs his hand up and down my thigh, watching my palm. “You stood in front of Bea when you saw the gun.”

“You would have done the same.”

“She’s my daughter.”

“Well, she’s—” I don’t know what she is exactly, but I know I care about her more than me just being her nanny. “Of course I did.”

“Thank you.”

My chest aches with all the things I want to say.

That she feels like mine.

That this feels like home.

But ever since Jesse went upstairs, I’ve been sitting with the truth that stops those words from coming out. Jesse has a club to focus on and a daughter who deserves his full attention. He has people who rely on him. I can’t ask him to add me to that list.

If anything, Lincoln texting me within the same moments of the biker threatening us is a reminder that all I do is aim more trouble in Jesse’s direction.

I meet Jesse’s gaze and steady my breath. “I’m leaving.”

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” His voice drops an octave, chilling the air around us.

“We always said this was temporary and that I’d leave once you found a permanent replacement. I found someone.” The words are nails in my throat on the way out. “When you were gone this week, I got a call from a coworker back in Glendale. She works in childcare, and she’s looking for a fresh start. She’s willing to relocate to Vegas, and I trust her. She has no attachments, no strings. She can give Bea her full attention, and I can get out of your hair. I’ll take Margaret back with me, and things can go back to normal around here.”

Damn, it hurt to get that out.

But it’s the right thing to do.

Jesse and Bea need stability, not one more rock shaking their foundation.

“Is this because of what happened today?”

“Yes and no.” I swallow hard. “It’s not because I’m scared or anything… even if it was a little terrifying. But I come with my own problems, Jesse. Lincoln is still hanging around Vegas with delusions of a relationship that never existed. He’ll find his way to get to me eventually. And you already have enough to focus on. I won’t be another burden you have to bear. ”

“That’s what you think you are to me?”

“It’s what I know I am.” My words falter at the end as I choke back tears. “You don’t need more problems. Or worse, a distraction.” Emotion clogs in my throat, making my words wobble. “I’m sorry, I should leave.”

“Leave.” Jesse repeats the word with the kind of amusement that’s out of place for this conversation.

Especially considering there’s not one hint of a smile on his face.

His jaw ticks now, and I can no longer read his expression. “Do you want to leave us?”

I don’t miss that he didn’t just say him . He said us .

“No, of course not. I lo—” I cut myself off, realizing there’s no way he’s ready to handle that word. “I care about you and Bea more than anything. But if it’s for the best…”

He hums, not taking his eyes off me. Silence fills the room. My heart is a deafening drumbeat between my temples. And when he doesn’t argue, I think that’s it.

He agrees.

We’re done.

Instead, he takes my hand and pulls me from the couch.

“Where are we going?” I ask as he starts tugging me behind him.

“To take care of something I should have done weeks ago.”

“Wha—”

“Just let me do this, Reagan.” He looks at me over his shoulder. “We’ll talk when it’s over.”

This is the quietest I’ve seen the clubhouse. The few members mulling around are drinking and talking. There are no patch bunnies in sight, and the music is soft through the speakers.

It’s the middle of the night, but Jesse insisted this was important. He touched base with Margaret, and she promised to call him if Bea woke up. Then he dragged me out of the house and brought me here.

Now I’m sitting on a couch beside Luna, waiting for Jesse, who disappeared with the rest of his brothers into the room where they hold church.

Luna looks no more prepared for this than I was. She’s wearing a baggy gamer T-shirt that matches her fuzzy pink slippers. She followed Ghost out of their room before he went into church with the rest of the guys and decided to join me instead of going back to bed.

“What do you think is going on in there?” I ask her.

“Something urgent.”

“Because of what happened today?”

“Maybe. Ghost wouldn’t say.” She shrugs, tugging at her ponytail. “How are you doing after what happened at the store? I heard you were there with Bea.”

“I’ve been better.” I twist my fingers in my lap. “But I’m not worried about myself so much as Bea.”

“I can imagine.” Luna frowns. “She’s a tough kid, but that isn’t easy on anyone. You must be overwhelmed being thrown into the deep end like this. The club’s a lot to handle.”

I stare at the door that sits between me and Jesse. “It is. But at the same time, it isn’t. All I could think about today was how all this must impact him when he has Bea to worry about. How he carries it all on his shoulders by himself. I can’t imagine how hard this is on him.”

Especially after crossing paths with Sera when we first stepped into the clubhouse. Her glare was venomous.

“He has you helping him with that.”

Guilt courses through me. “Tonight, I told him I think I should leave. I can’t add myself to the list of people he needs to worry about or protect.”

“Reagan, that’s nothing to these guys.” Luna reaches for my hand. “Especially for Legacy. Did you know that when he got shot, it was because he was taking a bullet for me?”

My eyes widen, and I shake my head.

“Well, he did. Because he would do anything for the people he cares about. You aren’t just another burden. If anything, I’ve seen how he is with you. You bring out a side to him that I’ve heard Ghost mention, but I’ve never seen it myself. He’s happy.”

“Really?”

She nods. “I made the mistake you’re making right now. I got scared, and I thought it was better for the man I loved if I walked away. But I’ll cut to the chase and spare you the bullshit we went through: I was wrong. You can try to resist it. You can try to leave it behind. But it will only hurt everyone more than if you stick around and fight through it together. ”

She offers me a smile, and I realize how much I missed having real friendships.

“How did we get here?”

Luna laughs. “Wild coincidence. I still can’t believe you walked into the clubhouse.”

“I still can’t believe you live here. Or that you found someone like Ghost who loves you like you’re his whole world. I’m happy for you.”

And I really mean it after watching what she went through when we were younger.

Luna and I got along in high school because we both felt alone, even if for entirely different reasons. But Luna always had it worse than I did. At least I had a family. Luna hopped from one foster family to the next, never finding anywhere she felt like she belonged.

Until now, apparently.

“If I can be happy, so can you, Reagan. All you have to do is let yourself.”

“You make it sound easier than it is.”

Her eyebrow ticks. “It is if you stop fighting it.”

The door finally opens across the room, and Luna hops up as Ghost walks out first. A smile cracks in the corner of his mouth, and I didn’t think that was possible, seeing as I’ve never seen him look the slightest bit amused.

Luna tucks against his side, and he whispers something in her ear that has her wide eyes focusing back on me. But before I can ask her what that was about, Jesse walks out of the room like a man on a mission .

Those blue eyes of his are a stormy ocean, brewing with his thoughts. He’s the Bermuda Triangle, and I’m lost.

Jesse doesn’t slow down. With each step, my heart stutters. And when he reaches me, he grabs the sides of my face and claims me in a kiss that possesses me to my core.

Someone across the room hollers.

Everyone is watching.

But I block it all out as his hands cradle my face, and I sink into a kiss that feels a lot like he’s handing me his whole heart.

I’m still catching my breath when he pulls away.

“You still feel like talking?” He smiles, and it’s blinding.

Unable to manage words, I simply nod, and he leads me to the back of the clubhouse. A wall of windows and sliding glass doors separate the patio from the main space, and there’s a firepit crackling in the night.

The two prospects sitting outside excuse themselves immediately, leaving the backyard to just the two of us.

When I look up at him, framed by the starry sky, I’m reminded of that night in the back of his truck.

Stars overhead.

Hope that seemed endless.

“I want you to stay,” Jesse says, finally breaking the silence.

My eyebrows pinch because that’s not what I was expecting. “I already promised I’d stay until someone—”

“I’m not talking about as Bea’s nanny, Reagan. And I’m not talking about temporarily.” He grabs both my hands, towering over me when he steps closer. “I want you to stay. With us. For us. For me.”

It’s everything I want to hear, but I’m scared to.

“You don’t need me causing you more problems, Jesse. I understand why you protect Bea like you do. That girl deserves your whole heart. You’re an incredible father, and I would never ask you to divide your time or life to fit me into it.”

He grabs my chin, tipping it up. “Wasn’t it you who said love isn’t something you divide? It multiplies.”

I swallow hard, remembering that conversation with Bea. I thought he might have heard us talking, but he didn’t say anything at the time, so I assumed he hadn’t.

“That’s what you’re doing to me, Reagan.” He brushes his thumb over my lower lip. “You multiply everything to the point where I can’t get enough. You give me one kiss, and I want a million. You give me one night with you, and I want them all. You look at me, and I wonder how I ever spent one day of my miserable life not looking into your eyes. You don’t divide my love or my time. You make it worth living. So yes, Beatrice is my entire world. She’s my Earth. She’s what grounds me. But you’re the air. The stars. The universe. You’re the unknown and the infinite possibilities. You’re the hope that makes the hard days feel manageable. I need you. Bea needs you.”

“Jesse…”

“Before you say it’s been a long day and that I’m making a rash decision, hear me out.” He stops me. “Because I’ve known how I feel about you for weeks now, and I’ve just been too scared to do anything about it because I’m a fucking coward. I hide my heart behind my club and my daughter. I don’t let people get close. But you’re as close as it gets for me. For you, I’d give anything.”

Tears sting my eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

“With everything I am.” He brushes the tear that falls. “Remember when I told you that any man smart enough to make you his wouldn’t be dumb enough to let you go? Let me be the man who gets to have you—who gets to keep you. I’m tired of waiting around and not telling you how I feel. It’s been too damn long when I should have already done it. It’s why I called the guys without any notice. I’m not waiting another minute.”

“What did you do in there?” My gaze moves to the open door that leads to church, and I realize that the meeting wasn’t about what happened at the store at all.

It was about me.

“I want you to be my old lady, Reagan Brady. Or if you don’t like that term, then my girlfriend. My woman. My everything. Whatever leads to you being my wife someday because I’d be fine with that too. I don’t care what you label us, so long as it means you’re mine.”

My knees nearly buckle, and my heart is bursting at the seams. But my tears turn to something else as a smile creeps up my face.

It might be sudden.

It might be dangerous.

But I can’t find it in me to argue with him because I want to fight through this together. I want to choose him, like he’s choosing me.

“Yes.” I’m nodding uncontrollably, my hands shaking.

“You’ll stay with me?”

Tears spring to my eyes, and I barely manage another yes before he claims my lips with his. Before he claims my heart with his promises.

He claims all of me, even if I was already his from the beginning.