today when I imagined possibly losing him. It was a slap in the face. One that maybe I fucking needed.
The wave of hungry people moved past us, eager for food, though neither of us moved. Avery, because she was polite like that. Me, because there was something else about to go down, and I wasn’t about to let anything distract me.
“I keep thinking about Micah,” Avery whispered softly, dragging my attention back to her. I raised my brow and cocked my head at Avery, letting her know to continue.
She sighed. “How do these men get away with this stuff? They’re so rich. So powerful. So above the damn law. This guy, he took Emma, he took Gage’s mom from him, and he still gets to walk around like he’s fucking king. Like nothing can touch him.” Her voice caught, and I leaned in, grabbing her face and pressing my forehead to hers, but she didn’t stop, her hands twisted in my hair and curled into fists. “The guy who killed Micah, he gets to destroy my life, then sit in a cozy jail cell for the rest of his. Three meals a day. Someone to do his cooking, the cleaning—”
“Stop!” I growled, reaching for her wrist and removing the tight grip that had my scalp stinging. “Look at me.”
Her narrowed eyes were brimming with tears, the anger and injustice thick in them.
She talked a tall game, telling me she hadn’t been affected by what happened today, but it was beginning to sink in, and honestly, I’d been waiting for it.
“Money does not make them invincible. It makes them vulnerable,” I reassured her, making sure her eyes were connected with mine. I wanted her to hear this, and I needed her to see the promise in my eyes. “They will get theirs. Micah’s killer included.”
Her sparkling eyes opened wide. Her mouth fell open like she was about to ask what I mea—
“We’re ready,” Mix announced, flashing some papers casually as he walked past. Avery’s eyes moved between us then narrowed cautiously.
“Good,” I answered, not bothering to turn to my brother but keeping my eyes focused on the woman in front of me. After a few seconds of silence, I cracked a smile. “You’re not gonna ask?”
“Since when has it been my place to ask?”
“Since we started raising a fucking child together,” I rasped, taking her hips in my hands and lifting her from the bar onto the floor. There wasn’t a lot of height difference between us, so when I braced my hands on the bar behind her and pressed my hips forward, I couldn’t help but enjoy the way her breath hitched, and she reached for me. Leaning in, my mouth sided up to her ear while she clung to my leathers. “If you didn’t know already, I plan on making this something more soon. I’m just giving you time to get used to that idea. Time to really fall in fucking love with me before I put my patch on your sexy fucking ass.”
She shuddered, and I fucking grinned. I wasn’t sure if it was because my words scared her or because she fucking liked them. But I didn’t care.
I pressed my lips hard against hers, devouring her, delighting in the way she softened at my touch. Her hands moved up my chest, curling around my neck and tugging me in a little closer, pressing her body harder against mine. “Goddamn,” I cursed, pausing to take a breath and pressing my forehead to hers. “Better be careful, or I’m gonna throw you over my shoulder right now and carry you upstairs.”
One of her hands instantly slipped from my neck, and I caught it just as she reached for my belt, a mischievous smirk on her face.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she whispered, her tongue flicking out and brushing over my lips.
My cock was straining hard against my jeans. But unfortunately for me, I’d already called my brothers in, the plan to have church before we can sit down, relax, and eat.
“I’ll be less than an hour,” I answered, taking her hand I had a hold of and pressing her palm to the front of my jeans so she could feel just how badly I wanted her. “You better be in my bed, naked, touching yourself, so when I walk in, your pussy is already drenched, waiting for my fucking cock.”
Her mouth fell open, and she stood a little taller, moving her hips unconsciously, no doubt the throbbing between