“I don’t have a problem with that, baby. You’re the smartest person I know, so I think you will do a great job when it comes to getting us out of trouble.” I grimaced. “We can get into some crazy shit, though. Are you ready to see the ugly side of what I do?”
I hadn’t really thought about how she would react to seeing that side of my life. I’d tried to keep it away from her as much as possible since we’d met, but if she took Jenkins’ offer, then I wouldn’t be able to do that any more.
“Hawk, I’ve seen ugly. My parents killed each other. Whatever you and your MC do, I can handle.” She brushed her lips over mine. “Nothing you do will ever stop the way I feel about you. I promise you that.”
I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes, soaking in the moment. “Good, because I don’t ever want to lose you. I couldn’t handle that, Gracie.”
We sat like that for a long while. It was peaceful, holding her and knowing that she loved me. She might not have said the words yet, but I knew just the same. I’d known from the moment she let me inside her tight little body. Gracie would have never given herself to me if she didn’t love me.
“I think you should take the offer, baby.”
Her eyes opened and she stared at me for a long moment before she smiled. “Okay. I’ll tell Jenkins tomorrow.”
Fuck, that had been so much easier than I’d imagined. I blew out a relieved breath and pulled her against me. “Now that is out of the way, let’s move on to more important things.”
Her smile turned seductive and my dick twitched against her in reaction. When I felt how much more damp her thin panties had become, I couldn’t hold back the growl this time. “Yeah, this is definitely more important.”
Chapter 14
Bash
Today was supposed to be a good day.
Raven was practically bouncing around the house in her excitement as the day of Jet’s release approached and it was putting everyone else in a great mood. Jet was coming home tonight and she was so happy I wanted to soak up this moment for a rainy day.
As happy as she was, I felt like I had pens and needles in my veins. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt like I was running out of time. Maybe it was because I was going to face Jet Hannigan man to man for the first time since I’d let him beat the mortal hell out of me. Or maybe it was because I was going to as
k the man that had basically raised the woman I loved if I could marry her…
Yeah, I thought with a grimace. That was probably it. I was scared shitless that Jet was going to say no. It wouldn’t matter, I was still going to marry her anyway, but I knew that having Jet’s okay would make Raven happy. Her happiness was the only thing I wanted in life. If she was happy, then I was happy. It was as simple as that.
It was ridiculously early when I went downstairs to eat breakfast. I was riding with the rest of the club down to met Jet and then we were making the four-hour ride back. Raven was getting the bar ready today for the first part of her brother’s welcome home party, and I had a few of the sheep setting up for his afterparty back at the clubhouse.
As early as it was, I wasn’t expecting Lexa to be up, but she was sitting in her usual chair at the kitchen table as Raven rushed around the kitchen putting food on the table. Colt, Raider, Matt, Tanner, Spider, and Willa were already at the table talking and eating anything she put in front of them.
“Can I have some more juice?” Lexa asked Raven as she set her pancakes in front of her.
Raven wiped her hands on a dishtowel and reached for the container of orange juice. Dropping a kiss on top of my daughter’s head, she poured the juice then helped Lexa cut her pancakes. Watching them together like this never failed to melt something inside of me that normally felt like a stone in my chest.
This right here, having my pregnant female taking care of my daughter like she was her own—knowing that she loved Lexa as much as she loved me, this was my idea of paradise.
That pins-and-needles feeling burned through my veins again, making me question for the hundredth time in the last few days my choice to go with the rest of the club today. I couldn’t shake this bad feeling.
“Morning, Daddy.”
I shook the odd feeling away and smiled down at my baby girl as I moved across the kitchen to take my place beside her at the table. “Morning, Lexa.”
Raven loaded down a plate at the stove and set it in front of me, humming. Raven rarely hummed and it just made me realize even more just how important today was to her. Jet was like a dad to her. Having him come home was definitely a day to celebrate.
Pausing long enough to brush a kiss over my lips she turned back to the stove, continuing to hum her happy tune. I ate my breakfast, watching her with a new tightness in my chest. Fuck, I didn’t want to go today, but I knew she would want me to. Having everyone there to meet Jet as he walked out of San Quentin was what mattered today.
By the time I’d finished my breakfast, Hawk and Gracie were downstairs. Hawk was dressed for the four-hour ride down to get his brother and Gracie was ready to go to work. She’d been working for Jenkins for a little over two weeks now and Jenkins had already told me that he thought Gracie was going to make an exceptional lawyer.
I was glad that everything was working out in that department. It meant that things were less tense for Hawk and in turn less tense for Raven. Anything that made her life easier, I was going to make happen.
“Okay, Lexa.” Raven picked my daughter up and sat her on her feet. “I’m going to clean up in here and then we’re going to watch some cartoons. Later, Aunt Willa is going to hang out with you while I go decorate for Uncle Jet’s party.”
“I’ll pick up the cake on my way over,” Gracie told her as she sipped her coffee. “Six thirty, right?”