Cross My Heart (The Devil's Riders 8.50)

It was something that Jack nor I ever indulged in, even when we were single. Tank lived like an actual monk from what I could tell. And I wasn’t sure about Moose.

But Drake was a bonafide manwhore.

“Someday,” I said ominously, lifting my drink. “Someday a woman is going to bring you to your knees. And I personally cannot wait to see it.”

A rumble made me look at the big guy leaning against the pillar. Jack was… laughing. It didn’t last long. A lost look crossed his face before he shut that down too.

But he’d laughed for a second.

He raised his drink solemnly.

“I’ll fucking drink to that.”

“Me too,” chortled Moose. Even Tank raised his beer. Only Drake look disgruntled and suspicious.

Almost like a gorgeous lady somewhere had walked over his bachelorhood’s grave.

CHAPTER NINE

Devlin

“You ready?” I asked, opening the door to the master bedroom. I glanced around. There was no sign of my wife. I checked the master bath I had added onto the cabin so my woman had the soaking tub of her dreams.

Nothing.

And then something caught my eye.

Bright pink.

A familiar looking box was sticking out of the waste can. I walked over and saw she had covered it in tissues. But I saw it anyway.

I knew what I was looking at before I fished it out of the can and stared at it, just to be sure.

A pregnancy test.

My woman was apparently very fertile. I had been hoping we were expecting another little one. All the signs had been there. Her breasts were juicer than ever. She was glowing with an inner light that was somehow softer and even brighter than usual.

Happiness filled my heart as I stood there with that box in my hand. And then doubt crept in.

Kaylie hadn’t said a word to me about this.

I frowned. Why hadn’t she told me? Where was the test? Or maybe she hadn’t wanted the news she got?

We already had a lot on our plates. It was possible that she was disappointed. Or scared.

Or maybe she didn’t want another baby with me.

Fuck that.

I turned to find my woman. To talk to her. To make sure she knew I would support her whatever happened. But I wanted her to want my babies. I wanted her to want all my babies.

A half dozen at least.

I wanted a houseful of babies with her. Only with her. I needed to hear her say she wanted more babies with me.

“Kay?” I called out as I walked through the house. “You here, babe?”

Even I was not fooled by my nonchalant tone. I sounded tense. I was fucking tense.

Give her a chance to tell you, you beautiful dumbass.

The voice of reason was loud in my head. It was always the same. It sounded an awful lot like my ma. She was an amazing woman, raising two sons on her own after my dad had passed. Of course, the club had been there for her. My dad had been club president before me. But she had done most of it on her own, hustling two jobs and managing two boys with a smile.

She had taught me the value of hard work, loyalty, and love.

I missed that lady every damned day.

It was hard not to think about what life would have been like if she and my brother were still around. If that driver had stayed home that day, instead of driving drunk. How much fuller the house would be for the holidays. How much louder and livelier the dinner table would be.

But in a way, she was always with me. Ready to give me a playful smack upside the head when I needed one. Or wag her finger at me in reproach.

I’ll hear what she has to say before I go nuclear, I silently promised ma in heaven. Say hi to Johnny for me, I added.

Then I saw her. The other lady of my life. The love of my life, and then some. She was checking on our kids and talking softly to the babysitter she’d lined up. It was one of the girls from Janet’s dance studio. I waited for her to notice me and step away.

She smiled and walked towards me, her eyes bright and beautiful. Happy to see me. Not panicked. Not freaking out.

My heart skipped a beat, just like it always did. My lady was just too gorgeous for words. She didn’t look real. And she was mine, damnit. I wanted to stop worrying about that. It was stupid.

She loved me. I knew it in my heart. She showed me she loved me in a thousand ways, every single day.

Just like I showed her.

She walked straight up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Her warmth and special soft scent filled my nostrils, making me instantly aroused. I grunted at the feel of her, pulling her close for a quick kiss.