Priest Priest (Hell's Ankhor Book 10) - Aiden Bates Page 0,83
he said as he sat down on the blanket at my side.
“I haven’t gone anywhere,” I said. “Don’t plan on leaving Elkin Lake anytime soon.”
“Good,” Ankh said. He smiled and took my hand in his. “I’ve been keeping an eye on things, you know.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, unsurprised and grinning. Of course, he’d been looking out for us—I’d felt it so many times. “How’s the club looking? Up to snuff?”
Ankh hummed faux-thoughtfully, and I swatted at his knee.
He tilted his head, then shot me a half-smile, an expression so beloved and familiar that my heart clenched in my chest.
“I’m so proud of all of you,” Ankh said. “Blade’s really stepped up as president—he’s doing an incredible job. Brought down the Vipers and met the love of his life at the same time? Lucky guy. And our Coop got over his cop-hate because of Logan’s brother? Unbelievable. Tex and Jazz got their heads out of their asses… Maverick got the family he always dreamed of… And our own prospect got Dante to settle down.” Ankh shook his head fondly. “I can’t believe it, honestly. And that’s not even mentioning everything that’s happened to bring Hell’s Ankhor and the Liberty Crew together.”
“And what about our son?” I asked. “What do you think about that?”
Ankh’s hand tightened around my own. “Gunnar’s so good for him.”
“Raven looks so much like you,” I said. “More and more, the older he gets. And he’s so happy with Gunnar.”
“They’re going to have a kid of their own pretty soon,” Ankh said. “I can feel it.”
“Never thought I’d see the day,” I said, then laughed. “Gunnar, tending to a baby. He sure does love Grace, though. It’s going to be wonderful.”
“Yeah,” Ankh said softly. “It is going to be wonderful.”
Under the warm summer sun it was easy to lean against Ankh, rest my head on his shoulder, and let him wrap his arm around me. “I miss you, Aaron. We all do. But I really, really miss you.”
“I know,” Ankh said. “I’m proud of you for keeping on living. You know that, right?”
My heart twisted. I’d hoped he was but hearing it in that warm voice soothed an ache inside me I hadn’t realized was still there. “You are?”
“Mal was the man who encouraged me to get my act together and come back to you. Without him, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I’m so grateful, though. In a way, he started our life together.” Ankh turned and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You two are good for each other. You’ll take care of each other. To have that friendship become something more, when you both needed it most… It’s such a blessing.”
I leaned heavily against Ankh. “Life’s easier with him at my side these days.”
“You deserve that,” Ankh said. “You deserve to keep loving. You have so much love to give.”
Then Ankh placed his hand on my cheek and guided me in for a soft kiss. It stole my breath away, though it only lasted a moment. “Let me ask you something,” Ankh said.
“Anything,” I answered.
“Is he still a shit kisser?”
I laughed, loud and surprised. “Was he really that bad? So bad that you still remember?”
“Awful,” Ankh said. “It was embarrassing, really. I almost offered to give him lessons.”
“He’s improved a little since then,” I said, patting Ankh’s cheek.
“Good,” he said. “Nothing but the best for you.”
I snuggled closer to Ankh, leaning heavily against him as his hand rubbed small circles on my arm. With my toes in the clear water of Elkin Lake, and the sun shining above, it was easy to let my eyes flicker closed and drift off.
I woke up in bed in my cabin, with a sense of completion and warmth settled deep inside me. Mal was on his side facing me, already awake, watching me with love in his rich brown eyes.
“You look happy,” he said, low and adoring. “Good dreams?”
“Very good,” I said. I reached out and tugged Mal closer, rolling onto my back so his body covered mine. “Waking up with you only makes it better.”
He smiled, and then kissed me, slow and deep.
I was so in love with Mal—and I was in love with Ankh, too. This was the next chapter of my life, and now I knew, deep in my soul and without any doubts, that Ankh was happy for us.
We’d continue to lead this club together. We’d keep being the port in the storm for the club—the same way Mal had become mine.
“Love you,” I murmured into the kiss. “So much.”
“Love you, too,” Mal said. “I told Dante we’d meet him at the clubhouse and help him make a brunch for everybody, since there’s nothing on the schedule today. How’s that sound?”
My heart swelled with love as I tugged him in for one more kiss. “Never heard anything better.”
Have you checked out Touch And Go yet? It is the first book in my Vanguard Towers Series!
Available Now!
Touch And Go
Have you checked out Touch And Go yet? It is the first book in my Vanguard Towers Series!
Available Now!
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Priest
Hell’s Ankhor: Book 10
Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda
© 2021
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).