“It will because we’re gonna end it.” Jag spoke with the kind of certainty I used to have when it came to the MC. But every year the other guys seemed to outnumber us, out gun us and worst of all, they were meaner than we were.
But we had no choice but to fight and to win. If we didn’t, our women and children would face a worse fate. “If you say so, brother. Come on Maisie, we’ll come back out later and play, okay?”
She looked up with pleading blue eyes. “Can Peaches come?”
I added apologize to the sexy hacker to the top of my to do list and nodded. “Anything for you, kid.”
“Love you, Gunny!”
“Love you too, Maisie.” Enough to do whatever it took to make sure the Reckless Bastards came out victorious against their latest enemies.
Chapter Twenty-Eight – Cross
Lying in bed with Moon nestled against my chest felt good. Hell, it felt damn good. This would be the first real holiday I’d spend with a woman other than Lauren. Instead of making me sad however, the thought brought a smile to my face. It had been a long road to recovery after I’d lost Lauren and the baby. Hard to forgive myself. Overcoming the guilt. And now I was living this, my second chance at life.
Moon woke up with a moan and a long stretch, her curves pressed up against me. “What’s that smile for?”
Nothing better than waking up with my woman in my arms. A smile on her face and her hands roaming all over my body made sure most days got off to a great fucking start. “I was just thinking about Christmas. Beau. Lauren. And how lucky I am to have you.”
“And what did you come up with?” That was what I loved most about Moon. She didn’t shy away from the hard topics and talking about my dead wife never made her uncomfortable.
“I was thinking how proud she’d be that I finally moved on and found such an incredible woman. About how I’d thought I’d never love anyone as much as I loved her. Then came you.” My statement was rewarded with a kiss. A slow passionate kiss that never failed to get me hard and aching for Moon. She was sensual in every sense of the word, from her graceful moves to the way she embraced pleasure and adventure.
“I think I’m the lucky one,” she purred against me, dotting my jaw with kisses. “I am so thankful to have you in my life. You are a special man and I love you with all my heart.”
Goddamn this woman had the power to bring me to my knees. If I wasn’t already flat on my back with her womanly curves pressed on top of me, I would have been anyway. “Right back at you, babe. I love you more than I can say and I can’t wait to make you my wife.”
Moon nipped my ear in that way she knew was guaranteed to drive me crazy. I thrust up against her until she threw her head back and moaned and ground against me. “As much as I want to make love to you right now, I’m on kitchen duty this morning.” She smacked a kiss right over my heart. “As soon as you win against your latest big bad, we can set a date. Okay?”
“More than okay. Happy Thanksgiving, babe.”
She smiled her beautiful, earthy, Zen woman smile that made my heart stutter and pushed off me, standing beside the bed in all her naked glory. “And happy Thanksgiving to you too, my love.”
When Moon left me alone with my thoughts, I couldn’t help but think of all the good things that had happened this year. Several brothers welcomed a new generation into the world, and some even added wives to the family. We all had something to live for, someone to fight for, which we needed because I had a feeling it would be necessary for the fight ahead.
I got dressed and stepped outside to inhale the cool morning air. Late November in Nevada could be hot as hell or cold as fuck but today the still chilly air felt good going down my lungs. I stepped back inside, bypassing my office and headed into the main area where the club mingled with the women and children playing games and setting the tables because according to Moon, this would be a typical Thanksgiving dinner where the meal was served just after noon to ensure everyone could eat nonstop. All day long.
“All right guys, we’re whipping up some breakfast to tide you over until the big meal is done,” Mandy shouted over the noise, her smile wide and her green eyes all business. “Someone bring in the coolers, please!” She clapped her hands a couple times, and just like that, several of the guys moved into action to do her bidding.
I grabbed up Dallas as he ran by, eager to help but too short to do anything helpful. “I gotcha little man. What do you think you’re doing?”
“Helping!” His smile was big and toothy, looking so much like Lasso they could be twins.
“Let’s help together.” We gathered a stack of napkins and I handed each one to Dallas who then set it on top of a plate. We didn’t stand on ceremony at the club so there was no point pretending with fancy napkin displays or holders.
Dallas and I were half finished adding napkins to the plates that Vivi’s friend Peaches had set out, when a crash sounded outside. Since everyone was inside the compound with a few exceptions, I handed Dallas off to Rocky who wore a worried frown. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t know yet, Rocky. Keep the women and kids inside. Got it?” She nodded, leaving me free to head out to see what the fuck made that noise.
“Any idea what it could be?” Lasso asked, stopping right beside me and scanning the parking lot the same way I did.
“None.” But then the culprit came into view. A red hatchback rolling down the driveway with flames coming out of all four windows. A busted up windshield with a brick through one side and most of the window missing on the other was headed straight for the light post. The cement light post. “Get a fire extinguisher! Now!” I didn’t recognize the car but that didn’t calm the icy dread from slithering into my blood and it had fuck all to do with the weather.
“What the fuck?” Savior ran outside, followed by Max, Jag, Stitch and Golden Boy.
“Do we know this car?” Jag looked around, his mind already spinning in about a thousand different directions.
Finally, the flaming heap came to a stop as it smashed into the light post with a sickening crash. For a long moment we all stood there, staring as the flames licked all around the car, a sick fascination passing through each of us, which said a lot because we were a jaded group of fuckers. Lasso came back, finally, with two fire extinguishers in his hands. “Let’s get this fucking fire out before it spreads.”