“What did she have?”
“The axe.” He lets out a sinister laugh from deep within his gut. “Bitch played me. Once she was gone, I had the damn thing checked for my fingerprints. But better than that it wasn’t even the same one. She knew the weapon and too many details though. Someone inside the club fed her information on me.”
“Who would have done that?”
“Maybe Nickel. Can’t ask him now being he’s dead.” He scrubs a hand over his head.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“But?” he stares at me with those dark eyes that have tortured me for years.
“It doesn’t change anything between us. Too much has happened, James.”
He grabs my hand. “Baby, I’ve been in hell all these years. Unable to touch you whenever I wanted. Unable to raise my daughter. You think I’m just gonna give up after all we been through. I prayed you’d find a better man. I thought that man was gonna be East, so I stepped aside and tried to make peace with the fact that I was gonna be stuck with Ruthie till the day I took my last breath.”
“Let’s not talk about East.” I make a sour expression at him.
“Heard you was pretty rough on him and Wylla Mae.”
“I was. I could see our daughter going down the same path as me, but East is nothing like you. I didn’t want the Old Lady life for her, but she’s happy.”
“Thank God for that.” His lips twitch into a wide smile.
“Yeah. So now I know about Ruthie.”
“You trying to kick me out?”
“What’d you think would happen? That you’d show up and tell me about her betrayal and I’d be relieved? Throw myself at you?”
James shrugs. “A man can hope.”
“I don’t hate you. Sometimes I wish I could. I want you to find happiness. It’s just not going to be with me.”
“You need to go get in the shower and get ready so I can take you to the BBQ at The Devil’s Playground to show you off.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind?”
“Never claimed to have it to start with.” He moves in close, breath fanning over my lips smelling of cigarettes and coffee.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Assume I’m going to kiss you.”
Hands sliding up either side my throat he holds my stare. “Who says I want to kiss you?”
My mouth drops. “You don’t?”
“Do you want me to kiss you?”
“I...”
“Yes or no question, babe.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what? I’m asking you. Do. You. Want. Me. To. Kiss. You?”
My pulse spikes and my stomach dips. “You’re making me nervous.”
“Since you wanna be all shy I’m gonna make this real simple for you. I’m gonna go start the shower. You’re gonna take these clothes off and clean up. I’m gonna start making some calls about selling this house and mine then see what’s what with a piece of property I’ve had my eye on. Then we’re going to the clubhouse so I can have a beer with my woman. Sound good?”
“Sounds crazy.”
“Never said I was sane.” He moves to stand.
“Hey,” I tug on his hand.
James peers down at me. “What?”
“You forgot something.”
“Nope. Think that covers it.”
“You forgot to kiss me.”
My man smiles big and wide flashing me his teeth through the unruly jungle that makes up his beard. He comes in slow and sweet, cupping my jaw as he descends back to my bed. Mouth fusing with mine he makes love to my mouth softly.
James pulls away much too soon for my liking. “Know what?”
“Hmm?”
“I think we’re gonna be late.”
“Very.” I pull him in for another kiss knowing I must be insane. He’s giving me everything I ever wanted. I’d be a liar if I said I’m not terrified that I’m going to wake up and find this to all be a dream. Ruthie kept us apart for the past eighteen years. Put us both through hell. I never thought this day would come. He’s saying and doing all the right things, but every bone in my body screams for me to run fast and hard. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to give him my heart a second time. “Can it really be this easy?”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Ruthie...after everything. She’s just gone from our lives? She’s walking away and leaving you alone for good. I don’t trust it.”
“I’ve got Grudge tailing her. If she makes a move, I’ll know.”
“Okay.”
Brushing a knuckle along my cheek, he murmurs, “As natural and easy as breathing.”
“What is?”
“Being with you. I want to do it right this time, Alexa.”
“I think it’s a little late for that.”
“Just get in the shower. Wylla Mae will be there.”
**
James rides through the gates of the clubhouse and rolls to a stop in his parking spot. I reluctantly follow him off the bike and allow him to hold my hand as we go around back to where everyone is hanging out by the picnic tables. I’m only here because our daughter is supposed to be. I scan the crowd for Wylla Mae’s face not finding any sign of her.
“Heard the good news, Prez.” James let’s go of my hand to do some sort of weird back slapping hug with a brute of a guy. The name on his cut says Viking. I’ve seen him in passing but don’t really know the guy. He’s a tall blond with tribal tattoos running the length of both his arms in full sleeves. “Ding dong that bitch is gone. Fuck me.” His gaze roams over me. “Looking fit as fuck, Alexa.” He releases James and comes straight at me. Hands going to my hips, lifting me into a spinning hug. Viking plants a sloppy wet kiss right on my mouth.
“Hands off my Old Lady,” James snaps through his gritted teeth at the guy.
I slide down his tree trunk of a body and return to James’s side.
“Shit. Didn’t waste no time. No disrespect meant, man. I’m gonna go see about a beer.”
“Yeah you do that before I stick a boot in your ass.”
“He seems friendly.”
“Too damn friendly.” He tucks me into his side.
“I
