“Not much has changed.”
As soon as we’re in front of the gate, waiting for it to open, she sits up straighter. “Some things changed. You had the driveway paved?”
“Oh. Yeah. We’d been planning to do it for years. It was getting rougher after every winter. And it was uncomfortable for Hope when she was pregnant so we got it done.”
“Geez. Rock spoils her more than I realized.”
I won’t correct her assumption and explain I’m the one who made sure it got done.
“Wow!” Chance yells as we pass the big Buddha statue that’s guarded our property since before we even purchased it.
I guide the truck around the clubhouse and park near the garage. Wrath and Ravage are busy clearing a spot next to our smaller garage.
“Sup, brother?” Wrath calls out, dropping the rake in his hands and jogging over.
“What are you two up to?” I ask as he grabs my hand and pulls me in for a quick slap on the back.
“It’s a surprise,” Ravage says, ambling over to join us.
Wrath slides his frosty glare over Lilly’s side of the truck. “She planning to join us?”
“Can you not be a dick?”
Like the epic asshole he loves to be, Wrath rubs his hand over his beard a few times. “I mean, I can try, but I make no promises.”
“Fucker.” I punch his arm. “Will you promise not to scare my son?”
Finally, he stops dicking around. “Yeah, brother. Glad you finally brought him by.”
“Where are the dogs?”
“At the house with Trinity. You’re going to need to take them on an extra run or two.” He rolls his eyes. “She decided to cook for them instead of feeding them whatever slop you were giving them.”
I burst out laughing, not at all surprised. “Great.”
I open Lilly’s door first. “You coming?”
She nods.
“We won’t bite,” Ravage promises. “Unless Z says we can.”
Wrath shoves him sideways, saving me the trouble.
Lilly chuckles and steps out, saying a quiet hello to Wrath and Ravage. I wouldn’t call either of them polite, but neither of them throw her the attitude I expected.
Chance shrinks away when I open his door. “Back off,” I mutter over my shoulder. “Chance, these are my brothers.” I pick him up and turn him to face Wrath. “This is your uncle Wrath.”
Wrath holds up his hand and Chance gives it a slap.
Ravage salutes us. “Welcome to the clubhouse, kid.”
Chance squirms and wiggles trying to get a look at the house behind us. It really looks more like a woodland resort. Mostly because that’s what it was, a new-age religious retreat, before we bought it over ten years ago and turned it into our den of deviance.
“Murphy has the UTV all gassed up and ready if you want to take Chance around the property,” Wrath suggests. “I’d go with you, but I gotta run down to Furious.”
He wraps one of the pythons he calls an arm around Ravage’s neck and squeezes. “He volunteered to come help while Jake’s out of town.”
“I did?” Ravage chokes.
Chance laughs.
“They’re silly, right?” I ask.
Reaching behind me, I grab Lilly’s hand. “We’re going inside.”
“Tell Murphy to get his ass down to Furious when Hope gets back,” Wrath says.
“Will do.”
The clubhouse is quiet. Not unusual during the day. Swan’s probably down at Crystal Ball. Sparky and Stash are most likely in the basement. The door to the office I share with Rock and Wrath is closed, as is the door to the War Room.
Murphy’s on the couch with Grace in her carrier next to him.
“You get babysitting detail?” I call out.
Murphy looks up from the papers scattered on the coffee table in front of him. “When’d you get here?”
“Just now. Wrath says get your ass to Furious.”
Murphy waves his middle finger toward the front door. “He knows I’m busy.”
As soon as Chance sees Grace, he wiggles and squirms out of my hold.
“Shit, I guess he remembers her,” I say to Lilly.
She laughs softly. “Told you.”
“She’s sleeping,” Murphy warns as Chance tiptoes over.
Chance glances at Murphy and frowns.
I reach down and grab Chance’s hand. “This is your uncle Murphy. Alexa’s dad. Remember her?”
“Yeah.”
“How you doing, little man?” Murphy holds out his hand and Chance squints at it before slapping Murphy’s open palm.
Chance is bouncing with energy and it’s only a matter of time before he wakes Grace up. “You mind if I take him for a ride around the property?” I ask Lilly.
“No, go ahead.” She eyes Murphy carefully. “I’ll hang out here.”
Murphy taps his head. “There’s a helmet in the garage that should fit him.” He nods to Chance.
“Thanks, brother.”
I give Lilly a quick kiss on the cheek and pull a reluctant Chance out the door. Once we’re outside and he sees the vehicle we’re taking out, he forgets all about Grace.
And I enjoy some time with my son.
Twenty-Four
Lilly
My heart’s pounding as Z and Chance walk out the front door. I have to get comfortable around Z’s family at some point and Murphy seems less threatening than Wrath, although I could be wrong about that from the way he keeps staring at me.
“So, how’d you end up watching Grace?” I ask, taking a seat in the corner of the couch.
He chuckles. “You kidding? Heidi and I owe Hope and Rock so much babysitting time it’s not even funny.” He glances over and fixes the baby’s blanket. “She’s easy to look after, though.” He glances at his watch. “Hope should be back soon.”
“How’s Heidi?”
“Busy. She’s at school now, but she’ll be here later with Alexa.”
“Oh, good.”
“You sticking around?” he asks. The question holds a lot of weight. His tone suggests he’s not asking if I’m sticking around for dinner.
“Go ahead and say what you want to say, Murphy.”
He sighs and flicks his gaze toward the front door. I brace myself while he runs his hand over his beard and seems to think about how to express what’s on his mind. “You did him dirty, Lilly. There’s no sugarcoating it. Everyone knows.”
“Great.”
He shrugs. “We’re tight. This is Z’s family. Z’s a good
guy, Lilly.” He waves a hand toward the front door. “Lot of guys out there might be thrilled to skip out on the responsibility of being a dad. Z’s not one of them.”
I can’t answer. What am I supposed to say? He’s right and I understand that now.
Plus, Murphy didn’t say it in a cruel manner. More matter-of-fact.
Honesty, it’s a quality I value, even if I fail at it myself sometimes, so I wait for him to continue.
When I don’t attempt to defend myself, he nods. “The thing about Z, he’s hard. Harder than most. But he’s also one of the most forgiving people I know.”
I’ve certainly witnessed that side of Z lately. I still can’t speak, so I nod.
He cocks his head and studies me for a moment. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever seen him fucked up over. He might not have come out and said it, but we all knew.”
“Jesus, I’m surprised I’m allowed at the clubhouse then.”
“You’re the mother of his kid, Lilly. We all respect that.”
Even if we don’t respect you.
Murphy might look gruff and mean, but he’s too kind to say that out loud. The thought hangs in the air between us though.
I rub my hands over my jeans and glance at the door again. “You said Hope will be back soon?”
“Nervous?”
“A little, honestly.”
He snorts and the corner of his mouth quirks. “She and Z are tight. If Wrath’s the big, mean older brother who picks on her, Z’s the one who protects her.”
Even before Rock and Hope’s wedding, I can’t remember the big, scary blond one being mean to Hope. Tease her, sure. More in an affectionate, older brother sort of way.
“But you two were friends long before Z, right?”
I nod.
“I think she’s happy you’re back,” he says.
“Thank you.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Crazy how much Chance looks like Z. I thought Hope was exaggerating.”
Uncomfortable with the topic, I squirm and try to change the subject. “Z says you and Heidi are getting married. Have you set a date?”
He snorts and sits back. “Depends on what you mean by ‘set.’ I think we decided on spring.”