River puts her finger in the small cut on her arm, bringing the blood up to her face, rubbing it across her cheek.
Gage looks at me, dead-ass serious. “I’m keeping her.” He fucking bends down and picks her up off of the floor, carrying her out of the house.
River just laughs, looking up at me. “I’m okay, Maverick,” she reassures me.
“Gage, put her the fuck down before I put a bullet in you.” Gage turns around with her still in his arms. “Brother, you know me.”
I do fucking know him. My brother is the best, but he is also fucking crazy. He don’t give a shit about what he does, ever. He was a member of the Sinners but he decided to start his own club for people like this. The rebels.
“Bell,” I say, and River gives me a soft look. “I love my mother, more than life, but I have to live my life. This time I accept being kidnapped.”
Gage laughs. He puts her on his bike and gets in front of her. He gives me a fucking finger wave and leaves.
My brothers stand behind me, confused as I am, “Did your brother just kidnap River?” Smiley asks.
I laugh. “Actually I think she did.”
They all bust out laughing, but I got some fuckers to kill who thought it was a good idea to kidnap my girl.
What a great night.
Maverick
Twenty-five days later
Today is the day I finally put Michael out of his misery. It’s been a fuck of twenty-five days, but I’m tired of looking at him every day.
Popping open the door, he’s sitting in the corner in a ball in his own urine and shit.
I walk over, my gun in my hand. I bend over so I can talk to him. He is fucked up, but I have no remorse.
He revealed a lot of things Bell has never told me—that shit haunts me. “It’s been twenty-five days. It’s time for you to burn in hell. It’s time for you to suffer for all of eternity. I will live my life, happy, with Bell and my kids. You have nothing but a burning pyre.”
I press the gun to his skill, watching the life drain from his eyes, ending him. I turn around and don't look back. That part of Bell’s life is over.
Now we have one more mission
Her parents.
14
Bell
“Can we go to the park?” Anna asks, sitting with me, covered in a blanket while Ronny is practicing.
I pull the blanket up higher to make sure she stays warm. “We sure can, sweetheart. Practice is over any minute.”
I am pregnant.
With everything that happened with River, it slipped my mind. When Maverick came home and told me what happened, I flipped.
I can’t handle something happening to my babies.
I stroke the side of Anna’s face. She has adjusted well with us. The first week was hard; she was terrified of everything.
It took a lot of reassuring that no one was going to hurt her. Ronny was the biggest help. She trusted him completely first. She trusted his word that she is safe with us.
Then one day she approached and asked if I could hold her. That changed my life.
I was so happy, I cried for hours. I think it’s the pregnancy hormones. I’m not sure how I’m going to tell Maverick.
I know he wanted kids, but we have these two—what if this is all he wants? I close my eyes, letting the anxiety wash over me then pushing it down. There is no point in freaking out over something until I know.
I hid the test under the sink. Tomorrow we’re making a trip to Kentucky where my parents are.
Smiley and Adeline are coming. Adeline is going to watch the kids at the hotel while I see my parents.
I thought about letting Jessica watch them, but Anna overheard and she panicked.
She is super attached to me and Maverick. She’s still terrified that she’s going to be taken away from us.
She has nightmares every single night. With some she just rolls over and goes back to sleep, but the others terrify her to her core.
She will run to our room and cling to Maverick, then she’ll go back to sleep. I smile to see her fast asleep. I wrap her up tighter.
The one thing I’m not fond of for these games and practices is the cold. We’ve learned the hard way so we bring blankets, warm drinks and something to sit on because those seats are cold.
Maverick walks into the room. He looks around until he spots me and Anna.
God, he is so sexy.
All of the mothers turn to stare at him walking to me. I would watch too. He’s a great dad—the best. He’s there for every little moment, and there’s nothing more attractive than that.
“Hey baby.” He sits beside me, his arm around my back, pulling me and Anna into his side.
“Hi.” I kiss the underside of his jaw, smiling.
Just do it now, get it over with so you don't cause yourself a panic attack, I tell myself.
“I have to tell you something.” I sit up, looking at him, being serious.
His eyes widen at my expression. “What is it? Are you sick?” He runs his hand down my arm.
I shake my head. “I’m fine, a little sick to my stomach, but that tends to happen,” I hint, but I’m dying inside waiting for him to catch what I’m trying to say.
He puts the back of his hand against my forehead. “Do you want me to take you to the doctor?” He leans forward, kissing my forehead. “You’re not hot, no fever.”He smirks. “Well, you are definitely hot though.”
I laugh at him being cheesy. I hesitate for a second, but I know he loves me and I think I’m being completely ridiculous.
I take his hand in my mine, pressing it against my stomach. “I took a test this morning. It was positive.”
He looks down at his hand pressed against my stomach. “Pregnant?” he says, so low I can barely hear him, before he smiles a smile of pure happiness.
“I am so fucking happy.” He leans forward to kiss me, making sure not to jostle Anna.
Tears are falling from my eyes into our kiss, mingling. The weight of the world is off of my shoulders. I was scared for no reason.
I am so happy.
I am so blessed. Every struggle I have had in my life is worth it because everything I have ever dreamed about is happening.
He breaks the kiss, forehead pressed against mine. “I am so fucking lucky. You gave me a life, baby.” He chuckles, shaking his head slightly like he’s in disbelief that this is happening.
It is. I’m going to have a baby. It will complete our family. My hand drifts to the back of his neck, rubbing slightly, basking in this moment.
“We need to get you to the doctor ASAP.” He stands up abruptly, his phone out and to his ear.
Ronny gets off of the ice, stomping to his seat and taking off his skates. He looks over at us and grins. “Mom, what’s for dinner?”
He’s always hungry. “We’re having lasagna.”
He fist pumps the air and start unlacing his skates even faster. Maverick hangs up the phone. “I have an appointment for you in the morning before we leave. Maybe I should just go?”
I glare at him. “No, I need to do this. I have to have this last piece of the puzzle gone out of my life.”
He sighs. “Fuck, I know, darlin’, but you know this shit is hard to me. I’m taking Shaylin just in case. I’m not fighting that bitch, but Shaylin can.”