Page 20

Violet

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard what Caleb had said.

I stood frozen in the doorway of Knight’s office, my hand still gripping the frame.

I’d woken up alone, found Caleb’s note and decided to do a little exploring myself.

I ran into Hannah and she said she’d seen them in Knight’s office.

I followed her directions to Knight’s office where, sure enough, I found them.

And I’d arrived just in time to hear my twelve-year-old son ask a man I barely knew to forge marriage documents between me and Riot.

“Caleb!” I gasped, finally finding my voice.

All three males whipped around to face me. Knight looked mildly amused, Riot looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and Caleb… my son simply gave me a steady look, not in the least repentant.

“Mom, it makes sense,” he said, his voice perfectly reasonable. “If you’re legally married to Riot, Dad can’t touch you.”

I stepped into the room, my legs shaky beneath me. “That’s not how this works, Caleb. You can’t just decide who I marry.”

“Why not?” Caleb crossed his arms. “You didn’t decide who you married the first time.”

His words hit me like a physical blow. I flinched, and immediately Riot was at my side, his hand warm and steady at the small of my back. “That’s enough, Caleb,” Riot said, his voice gentle but firm. “Your mother deserves to make her own choices, especially about letting another man in her life.”

Caleb didn’t back down. “Are you telling me you don’t want to be with Riot, Mom?”

“I don’t know what I want, Caleb.” I tried to keep calm, but the fact was I was reeling on the inside.

Not because Caleb had, apparently, found me a husband, but because I wasn’t as opposed to the idea of marrying Riot as I should be.

Not because I loved him. I didn’t know Riot well enough to love him.

Riot represented safety and security and all the gentle, tender things I’d needed for so long but had never had.

He was also unfailingly kind to me and seemed willing to give me anything he thought I needed.

“Yes, you do.” Caleb didn’t flinch. “Or are you telling me he climbed into your bed without your knowledge or consent? Because if he did, Dad’s not the only one I’ll make sure has a miserable life.”

“OK, this is really getting out of hand.” I tried to use my sternest voice.

“Mom, it was out of hand the first time Dad put his hands on you. Now it’s time for you to belong to someone who protects rather than hurts.”

“Caleb --”

“No, Mom.” He was more forceful now, an Alpha male in the making. “I heard every conversation you’ve had with Riot. I know the best way for the rest of the men in this club to get involved in making Dad stay away from us is for them to see you as Riot’s woman.”

“We can’t expect these people to risk everything to help us. They’ve done more than enough already.”

“Then do it for me, Mom. Marry Riot. I don’t know if Knight could do something to have Riot adopt me and make it all legal and stuff before Dad catches on or not.

” He gave Knight a sneaky glance. Knight narrowed his gaze.

I wasn’t sure if it was because he knew he was being manipulated or if he was incensed that Caleb would doubt his skills.

Could be either. “If he can’t, at least he’s making it so Dad has no rights to me. ”

“I can do any fucking thing with a computer,” Knight said stiffly, straightening to his full height. “Anything.”

“Then marrying Mom and Riot and making Riot my legal parent shouldn’t be a problem for you.” Caleb didn’t back down, giving orders like he was not only an adult, but the adult in charge.

“I don’t know whether to strangle you or be proud of you,” I muttered.

“Be proud,” Riot said with a grin, giving my shoulder a little squeeze.

“I’m assuming you ain’t supposed to be given the opportunity to protest this union, Riot?” Knight turned to his keyboard and started doing computer shit without looking in our direction.

“Nope,” Caleb said. “He lost that right when I caught him in my mother’s bed. Cuddling her.” He made a face. “That’s just gross.”

I couldn’t help but laugh despite myself. “We were just sleeping, Caleb.”

“Uh-huh.” His skeptical tone made me want to simultaneously hug him and ground him for life.

I never had been able to get the upper hand on this kid.

Mainly because everything the child did, and I mean everything since he was old enough to realize something might be wrong with me and his dad, was to make my life better.

How the hell did you argue with a kid who was that observant and empathetic?

Riot cleared his throat. “I think we need to slow down here.” His voice was steady, but I could feel the tension in his body where his hand now rested against my back. “Marriage isn’t something you rush into.”

“You don’t want to marry my mom?” Caleb challenged Riot, his eyes narrowing.

“Not what I said, kid.” Riot’s jaw tightened. “I happen to think your mom deserves to be wooed properly before she gets hitched again.”

Knight leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the show.

“Notice he didn’t say anything about having met her less than twenty-four hours ago.

” Then he shrugged. “I could have the paperwork ready within the hour. I backdated your divorce papers six months just in case getting married was what you needed to keep him away. So I can have a marriage properly filed, witnesses accounted for, even signed by clergy. No one would question it.”

“That’s not the point,” I said, finding my voice again. “The point is that decision like this should be made by the people actually getting married! Not a twelve-year-old with delusions of grandeur!”

“So, you’re saying you don’t want to marry Riot,” Caleb pressed.

I felt my face flush. “I’m saying that’s between me and Riot to discuss. Privately . Which means you don’t get to eavesdrop or manipulate the narrative.” I actually shook my finger at him before I realized what I was doing and quickly put my hands behind my back.

Caleb grinned. “You forgot to add ‘young man’.”

Just like that, all my outrage disappeared.

“I give up,” I said, opening my arms to hug my son.

“If all men were as protective of their families as you, Caleb, the world would be a much happier, better place.” I looked up at Riot.

“I really hope you know what you’re doing.

Because that is what you have to live up to,” I said, pointing at Caleb. “He’ll make sure you do.”

“‘Cause if he doesn’t live up to my standards, he may not live long.” Caleb gave Riot a bright smile and a big thumbs-up before scowling at him.

Riot shot Caleb an exasperated look, then held out his hand to me. “Why don’t we go talk about this?”

“Not sure why,” I grumbled. “Seems to me the three of you have taken matters into your own hands.”

“Paperwork isn’t done yet, Violet,” Knight said softly. Where before I thought maybe he’d been playing along, enjoying Riot’s discomfort, now Knight was sober and very serious. “No matter what I said before, I was only teasing. If you really don’t want to do this, I won’t do it.”

“I have the feeling I should have stayed in bed.” This was happening. I knew it like I knew my own name. Knight was going to get everything properly dated and filed, and I was going to be Riot’s wife. Mrs. Quinn Devereaux. How did I know this? Because my son said that’s what he wanted.

Caleb’s smile was radiant. “Awesome!” Then he turned to Riot. “You know there’s no way my dad can belong to an MC and not teach his son to ride a motorcycle. Right?”

“Nice try,” Riot said, without hesitation. “That’s one hundred percent up to your mother. And I have a feeling I know how she feels about you riding a motorcycle.”

Caleb shrugged. “I’ll get her there.”

“Christ, my life,” I muttered.

“Go talk this out.” My son plopped down in a gaming chair in the corner of the room. “I’m gonna be here for hours and hours.” He pushed off the desk to make the chair spin. “Gotta supervise. Make sure Knight gets everything done the way I want it.”

“You sure you can handle this?” I asked Riot.

The big man grinned. “Nope. Still not letting you back out.” He snagged my hand. “Come on. We got some things to discuss.”

Riot led me out of the office with Caleb calling after us, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

I was so nervous and excited and keyed up I thought I was going to puke.

Somehow I made it through the lift ride.

We didn’t get off on the fourth floor, however.

Instead, Riot led me by the hand halfway down the long hallway to the door to another apartment.

We passed a couple of guys on the way, but they greeted Riot and acknowledged me with a nod and a “Ma’am. ”

The second he opened the door and I stepped inside, I knew it was his room. His living area. He’d brought me into his private space, and I was going to get to see a little more of what he was really like.

Soon. We had more important matters to discuss first.

Riot shut and locked the door, then turned to me.

There was such longing and need on his face, it took my breath.

I knew the second we left Knight’s office what was going to happen.

Caleb had practically signed his consent for us to have sex, so I really had no other objection.

The only reason I hadn’t already fallen into this man’s arms was Caleb.

Caleb would always come first. No matter how old he got or pretended to be.