Mancave (Wild Men 3)

“I’m glad you’re coming with me,” I tell her, not willing to pull out of her just yet, loving the feel of her pussy around my cock, pulsing faintly, drawing tiny aftershocks from me.

She licks her lips. “I always come when you’re done with me.”

I grin down at her. “Heh. Coming to Destiny.” She likes teasing me, turning my world lighter, and I love her for it. I love her so fucking much. “We’re long overdue for some alone time. I want to fuck all night long, without fear that one of the kids will walk in.”

“Like that ever stopped you?”

“True.” Regretfully I pull out, and I roll over beside her, not to crush her. “Still, it might be nice to have you all to myself.”

Despite Evan’s troubles and my worry for the guy. But I mean it. I need her, need time with her, without the kids, and her siblings, before the baby comes. Maybe it is because of Evan and the reminder of how fragile peace and happiness is.

I talked to him today. He didn’t say much, but I got out of him what happened. A car accident, not his fault. A broken arm and collarbone seem to be the worst of the damage.

What a fucking mess. I wish he’d talked to me sooner, wish he’d told me more, but I’m gonna find out, on the spot. Not like he can stop me. He asked for my presence there, after all.

I wonder if this anger I’m feeling is the reason he held back all this time. He probably realized I’d have gone the moment he told me how things are and punched the living daylights out of all the motherfuckers who think they can toy with people’s lives.

Evan’s life.

She rolls on her side to put her arms around me and bury my face in her soft, sweet-smelling hair, dragging her close, pulling her leg over mine. She fits so perfectly against me, together with our baby in her belly, cradled between us.

“Are you all right?” she whispers, lifting her face to look at me, her blue eyes filling my vision like a calm sea. “You tensed.”

“Yeah, I…” I kiss her forehead, lift my hand to stroke a dark curl behind the shell of her ear. “I’m okay.”

“You’re worried about Evan,” she says.

I nod.

It’s not a question, and I’m glad, because I don’t want to confess that I’m worried about so much more. Not when being beside her is such a gift I don’t feel I have the right to complain or ask for anything else.

Even if it has to do with her father and bully of a half-brother—the one she’s so concerned about.

Dammit.

* * *

We’re due to leave town the next day in the morning. It’s a Friday, and I took today and tomorrow off, a

s well as Monday, but I’ll need to see if I’ll need more time, depending on what Evan needs from me. Kaden says he’s got everything at the Mancave under control.

And why wouldn’t he? I’ve never left the shop entirely in his care before, and I don’t know why the hell I’m worried he can’t pull it off. Kaden’s got as much experience as a mechanic as I do. He’s damn good at his job.

There ya go. Everything will be fine. Kaden’s got the shop, my mom and Octavia’s will look after the kids, and Gigi and Merc promised to take them to the movies and spend time with them. They’re in good hands, and they’ll be fine, even if I’ve never left them behind before.

Maybe that’s all there is to it. First time away from them since I got together with Octavia. Must be the reason why my stomach is twisted up in a knot.

It’s just for a few days, Jesus Christ. Let go, Matt. They’ll be okay without you.

I throw my duffel bag into the back seat of my double cabin pick-up truck and slam the door with unnecessary force, then kick at the tire for good measure.

They’ll be fine. They’ll be here, waiting, until you come back.

Christ, I’m still ruled by fear. Still fucked up in the head. I’ve had years to come to terms with Emma’s death, with the dark spaces in my mind, and it takes one bad turn of events such as this one to pull me off the damn track.

Well, I won’t fucking let it happen.

* * *