“Winter fucking Romero,” he growls, his hands curling into fists. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
Gabriel tenses beside me, his hand on my hip, the only thing keeping me on my feet as we freeze together, waiting for all hell to break loose.
25
Winter
Jaxon’slong dark hair is combed back, revealing his buzzed undercut. His lip ring glints in the fading light of the evening, making him look more dangerous than either of his two counterparts, Dean or Cayde. He’s good-looking, in a haphazard, devil-may-care kind of way, though I’d always been more drawn to Dean’s clean-cut look and even Cayde’s jock style in my past life.
Jaxon’s outfit could easily fit in with the bikers of the Devil’s Sons, which, ironically, I find more appealing than I ever had before. Except I know Jaxon isn’t one of them. Not really. He’s a Blackmoor heir, through and through, and while he wants to pretend he’s one of the bikers, slumming it with the fighters and racing wildly down the streets on his bike, he can never be one of them. He simply has too much money. The irony of the fact that I come closer to a biker than he does at this point doesn’t slip by me.
Uneasy silence hangs between us as Jaxon stands frozen beside Mark, his dark eyes reflecting the same confusion I feel. But by the way his hands ball into fists, I can tell he’s not at all happy to see I’m alive. And now, all of the Devil’s Sons have been implicated as well. The thing Gabriel has been warning me about from the very beginning, the fear he’s had at my discovery, is all coming to fruition. Now of all times. When I’ve finally found my path. And an intense will to live.
By the thunderous look on Mark’s face, this is it for me. He won’t be any form of protection. Certainly not for me. Probably not for Gabriel either. And I suspect that Gabe knows as much from the hiss of air that escapes him. Mark’s priority has always been his club, and right now, Gabriel and I stand between Jaxon and its survival.
I’m terrified, unable to speak for fear I will only make matters worse.How can this happen now?I just finally made up my mind to stay, to keep the baby, and live with Gabriel. And now this. Athena won’t accept that I’m alive. Won’t accept that I should continue breathing, that is. She’ll want me dead. Unbridled fear for my baby’s life consumes me in an instant. I can’t let anything happen to our child. Our little peanut is growing inside me. I’ve put my life on the line countless times to seek my revenge, but now, suddenly, my life is more precious to me because I have to keep my baby alive.
“Have you been hiding her this whole time?” Jaxon demands, turning to glare at Mark.
Mark raises his hands in surrender, his mouth working but unable to formulate words. The white scruff on his cheeks and chin stand out starkly against the waning evening light, making him look older, more worn than I’ve ever noticed before.
“You know what?” Jaxon cuts in. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want everyone in the club to end up dead because of whatever you decide to say.” The flat, deadly tone he uses sends a chill straight to my bones, and I shift uncomfortably, trying to determine whether or not I should intercede or keep my peace. After what Jaxon and his friends made Gabriel do to those brothers who raped Athena, I wouldn’t be surprised if they would kill everyone in the Devil’s Sons over keeping me hidden from them. I should say something to defend the club, but if I do, I might be putting my baby in danger.
“You, you’re coming back to the house with me,” Jaxon hisses, jabbing his finger at me from across the parking lot. “We’ll see what Athena, Dean, and Cayde have to say about this.”
I shiver with fear at the prospect of standing trial with Athena as my judge. I don’t have to hear the words to know she would condemn me. I was anything but kind to her when we were in the same circles. And now she has all the power. Not me.
“Like hell she is,” Gabriel growls, stepping in front of me to shield my body from Jaxon’s violent glare.
“You sure you want to question me, man?” Jaxon asks. “I’m your vice president. I outrank you, you dirty snake.” He pauses for a moment, eyeing Gabriel suspiciously. “I know you,” Jaxon says, stepping forward as he looks Gabriel up and down. “You’ve been looking me in the eye for months and not saying a word. Haven’t you? You’ve been keeping her from me this whole time.”
“She’s not going with you,” Gabriel repeats, avoiding the question, his hand gripping me more firmly as I start to tremble uncontrollably.
“That’s enough,” Mark growls, stepping forward. “Son, you don’t get a choice in the matter,” he says, looking Gabriel in the eye. “Jaxon’s your superior and one of the Blackmoor heirs. If he says he’s taking the Romero girl with him, then that’s what’s going to happen. I won’t let you destroy everything this club has worked for over some stupid girl. I told you that from the start.”
That’s rich coming from the man whose daughter just spent the morning sharing her deepest secrets with me. I wonder how Starla might feel about the words coming from his mouth.
I peer around Gabriel’s shoulder to see just how seriously Mark is taking this, and I know I’m doomed. Nothing Gabe says or does is going to stop this. If he tries to fight back, Mark will just order some of the Devil’s Sons to restrain Gabe while Jaxon takes me away. All the promises and strength in the world couldn’t stop what’s about to take place. Not when Mark has the numbers, and I know that none of his men would pick Gabriel’s side just to protect an insignificant girl like me.
“Nobody touches her,” Gabriel states, his feet shifting into a defensive stance as he prepares to take on as many people as he needs.
“Gabe,” I whisper, hoping I can talk some sense into him. No matter how terrified I am to think of my fate, it won’t help anything if Gabriel dies trying to stop Jaxon from taking me.
Gabriel shoots me a warning glance over his shoulder, silently telling me to keep quiet.
“Hand her over,” Jaxon insists, taking his own fighting stance. I’ve seen Jaxon fight before. I know how dangerous he can be. And while Gabriel has some muscle on Jaxon King, he doesn’t have much height, and he has far less professional experience. He doesn’t stand a chance against the Blackmoor heir, especially since it will be him against anyone else Mark sends to restrain him.
“Do you want to be scrubbing toilets for the whole year?” Mark demands, his threat sounding empty even to my ears. “Or would you prefer I exile you?”
“I don’t care what you do to me,” Gabe snarls. “You’re not taking Winter. She’s pregnant. She’s mine, and I’m not letting her go.”
I could cut the tension in the air with a knife. No one says a word as we all stand in utter silence. I can feel the anger rolling from Jaxon in waves as he takes in Gabriel’s words, seemingly torn between his loyalty to Athena and absorbing that I’m carrying an innocent child. I wonder if he’s debating whether Gabriel is lying or not.
“She’s… what?” Mark demands, stumbling back as if Gabriel pushed him.
“I’m pregnant,” I confirm, stepping forward. But I refuse to stand behind Gabriel any longer. I’m tired of all the pain and destruction I’ve caused. I can’t take it any longer. Placing my hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, I look deep into his sky-blue eyes. “And I’m going with Jaxon.”
A long silence consumes the air as I take another step toward Jaxon, ready to face my fate. I can’t do it anymore. I need to face this head-on, and that means confronting Athena, no matter the cost. I can’t continue to jeopardize Gabriel’s life or any of the Devil’s Sons. And all I can hope is that Athena and her men will find some pity in their hearts for my unborn child.