Battle Hearts (Storm MC Reloaded 3)

“I’ve got work.”

“No, you don’t. Cleo’s sorted it.”

When she turns silent, I say, ?

??Did I fucking finally find a way to stop all your questions?”

She threads her fingers through my hair. “Highly unlikely. Don’t you know I have thousands stored deep inside?”

I chuckle. “I don’t doubt it.”

“I think I have something I want to tell you,” she says softly.

I slide a loose piece of hair off her face and tuck it behind her ear. “What?”

She bites her lip. “I’m not saying we should do this now or anytime soon, but I’d like us to look into fostering.”

“I’d like that, too.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. We knew this was always an option. I think it’s a good one.”

“I don’t know if I ever fully considered it. I think I always just assumed IVF would work eventually.”

“And now you’re considering it? Or you’ve already considered it?”

“Now I’m open to it. Maddox helped open me up.”

“Maddox?”

She smiles. “I think I’m more interested in fostering teens than younger children. Kids like Maddox need someone in their corner, and I think we would make really fucking good someones.” She pauses briefly. “And can we just discuss Maddox?”

“Okay.” She’s lit up and I fucking love it. At this point, I’d discuss anything she wanted.

“Why is he still living with that woman? She’s a drug addict, and she’s never home, and I’m sure she either has, or still does abuse him. Why aren’t we standing up for him and demanding something better for him?”

“I’m one step ahead of you, angel.”

“How?”

“I talked with Maddox yesterday while we were doing the gutters. I made it clear to him I don’t think that living with Eloise is the best option for him, and then I detailed alternative options I can help him with if he wants.”

She stops swaying. “And?”

“And he’s packing his bags today.”

“Oh my God, Winter Morrison, tell me already! Where’s he going?”

I kiss her again before giving her what she wants. “He’s coming to stay with us on a trial basis. If he likes it, he’ll stay. If not, I’ll help him find somewhere he does like. And while we’re overseas, he’ll stay at the clubhouse and the boys will look out for him.”

I don’t know what I expected from her when I told her this news, but it’s not what I get.

Her eyes tear up and she says, “You are the very best man in the world, and I’m so glad I chose you.” She kisses me through the tears streaming down her face, and when her lips leave mine, she whispers, “I will always choose you.”

“That’s a good fucking thing, Birdie Morrison, because I will always choose you, too.”

As we lay our hearts down for each other, I think back over everything we’ve been through. We’ve loved, we’ve raged, we’ve damn well battled. But at the end of every day, we found our way back to each other and fought for the only thing worth fighting for: our love.