In the Arms of the Beast (Kings of Hell MC 5)

After the two deaths, after the uneven fight against the trees Knight himself had planted, unaware of their menacing power, he was drained and in need of support. Elliot had never imagined Knight needing his help, but now he felt the itch to hold Knight, even if he couldn’t offer any promises other than his unyielding love.

Because Knight’s world would never be the same.

He stroked Knight’s arm, wary of his lover’s every expression. “Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to take Xavier off you for now?”

It was the least he could offer despite having no idea what to do with a child. The boy was sleeping so it couldn’t be too hard to watch over him while Knight reloaded his batteries.

Knight blinked, staring at Elliot with a flat expression, but then his arm rose in a familiar gesture, and Elliot took his place under it with relief pooling in his chest.

“No, I just… she’s dead. She came here to be safe, I invited her, and now she’s dead. I should have known there was risk involved.”

Elliot wrapped his arms around Knight’s waist. “You couldn’t have known. No one could. And you couldn’t have told her about Baal either. I’m so, so sorry, Knight.”

Knight shook his head and let go of Elliot when his expression became even more serious. “You won’t like this.”

“Like what? Babe, you know you can do no wrong in my eyes,” Elliot said, desperate to offer his man some relief. He’d do anything to put a smile back on that handsome face.

Knight swallowed and moved his jaw, as if he were trying to relax the tense muscles around it. “Xavier can’t go back to his father.”

Elliot stared down at the baby sleeping in the carrier, but the meaning of Knight’s words didn’t sink in yet. “Oh. Where would he go then? Can one of your siblings take him in?” he asked, but deep down, he knew where this was heading already.

Knight chewed on his lip. “Can’t trust any of them with a baby. They’re too young. And Mom’s… she raised me, so I know very well she can’t be trusted with a child.” He took a deep breath and looked at the bulging ground under their feet. “Say something.”

Elliot found it hard to swallow, let alone speak. He wasn’t ready for this. He had no paternal instinct whatsoever and knew nothing about raising kids. His childhood had been traumatic and taught him nothing but self-hate and misery.

“I… I guess there will be many children at the clubhouse now,” he uttered with a nervous smile. Was this happening? Was this his new reality? Then again, he couldn’t blame Knight. It wasn’t like he’d suddenly changed his mind about having kids and was now giving Elliot an ultimatum. Knight’s sister had been murdered, and he needed to take care of her kid. That was all it was—life.

Knight gave a choked laugh and walked past the Moses basket before taking a seat on a tree that must have fallen during the earthquake.

“You’re radiating enthusiasm.” But before Elliot could try to explain himself, Knight pulled on his hand and played with the fingers. “I get it. Maybe… we’ll need to rethink living arrangements or something. This is my problem, not yours.”

“No,” Elliot said, sitting next to Knight. “It’s ours. Whatever burden you carry, I will be there for you. Not that Xavier is a burden. You know what I mean.” He would sooner take a dozen children crying all night than remove himself from Knight’s bed. If he vacated his spot, soon enough, some single yummy mummy would start hovering around his man. He wasn’t letting that happen. “You’re always there for me. I don’t think of it as a one way street.” he said and kissed Knight’s shoulder.

Knight smiled at him, even though there was sadness in his eyes. “I’ll have to make that bastard sign him off into my care. Or make him disappear if he’s not compliant.”

“The father?”

Knight hummed in agreement. “More like sperm donor. But yeah, he needs to be dealt with. We’ll see what the club does about Joker.”

Elliot entwined their fingers. “What choice did you have?”

Knight shook his head, rubbing Elliot’s hand with his warm thumb. “We were friends for so long. Why would he just… shoot her like that right in front of me?” He cleared his throat. “But I killed a member. We will see.”

Elliot only squeezed Knight’s hand more firmly. “How are you… coping with that? I know you were friends, but the situation was impossible.”

Knight leaned into Elliot, so his long hair fell on Elliot’s shoulder and tickled his neck. “I never felt like this, even after I killed someone for the first time. It’s like it didn’t really happen. I know it did, but not all of me has caught up with it yet.”