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  After the store, we washed clothes at the laundromat, played at the park, and ate. The entire day I waited for Jett to call, but he didn’t. By the time night rolled around, we were back in the bed and breakfast, and I had decided on a plan. We’d give him one more day to man up before we left for the city.

  A soft whimpering came from the bathroom. I rose from my bed and listened by the door. She was crying.

  I knocked. “Evie, are you okay?”

  She sniffled and opened the door.

  Her hair was soaking wet as she stood there in one of her new sets of jammies, staring at the floor. Tears streamed down her face, and she sniffled once again.

  I knelt down in front of her and put my hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

  “Aunt Paige? How come no one wants me?”

  My heart shattered and I pulled her into my arms.

  “Sometimes life throws us one curveball after another, until there’s a whole pile of balls crushing us. But just because they can’t be with you right now doesn’t mean they don’t want to. Okay?”

  She nodded slowly.

  I squeezed her again. “And guess what else?”

  “What?” She rubbed the back of her hand across her face, smearing tears and snot all over the place.

  “I want you. And I’m not going anywhere without you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jett

  My eyes stung and my muscles were sore. I was feeling the toll of the past few days, and of staying up all night. With Brick heading up surveillance on the Greenville City Pack, I was free to attend to my personal business. I could have gone after Paige the day before. I could have called her, or stopped by, or tried to reach out. But I hadn’t. I wasn’t ready. But I had something to show her now, something better than words.

  With Evie’s pink backpack strapped to my back, I drove my bike to the bed and breakfast. After I rounded the last turn, I noticed Paige’s car parked in front of the building with the trunk open. I slowed to a stop, and found Evie waving from the back seat at me. I waved back and smiled.

  The trunk closed, and there was Paige.

  The look she gave me reaffirmed what I already knew—she was pissed. At me. And I knew I deserved it.

  “Where are you two headed?” I asked.

  “Really?” She crossed her arms. “You come by and talk to me like you have a right to know what we’re doing, or where we’re going. Like everything is fucking fine? Because it’s not.”

  I deserved that. “I know. And I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for which part? For acting like an asshole, or for getting caught?”

  The accusation stung, but also confused me. What did she think I’d been caught doing? “Give me a chance to explain.”

  “Go ahead. We’re talking right now. Lay it on me.” Her eyes narrowed and she shifted her stance.

  I needed to choose my words carefully. I’d hurt her and I didn’t want to make things worse. I pulled up to the curb, parked, and climbed off my bike.

  Sweet with bite—her scent struck me like a bat to the chest. Between all the other shit going on in my life, I’d hardly given time to the woman who was my future. That was going to change. Everything was about to change.

  “I’d like to show you something.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and let her arms drop back to her sides. “Show me what?”

  “It’s just a short drive.”

  She frowned and turned her attention to the back seat of her car.

  “We’ll give you an hour. Then we’re going home.”

  She was really going to leave. After yesterday, I couldn’t blame her for being hurt, or blame her for running.

  “I can work with an hour.”

  She looked me over, and her face hardened once again. “Where’s your truck?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  Her back went stiff and her eyes narrowed. “Of course it is.”

  “I’ll tell you everything. I swear.”

  She considered me, and my heart beat a little faster as I waited for her to decide. Just one hour. All I needed was a chance to explain, a chance to show her. After she knew the truth, well, I wasn’t sure what she’d decide.

  “Fine. I’ll drive.”

  We climbed into the car, and two sticky little hands covered my eyes.

  “Guess who.” Evelyn attempted to lower her voice as she spoke, giving her usual softness a gruff tone.

  I reached up and patted my hands over hers. “Hmmm,” I said. “Is it Paige?”

  She laughed and let go. “Are you coming back to Murrayville with us?”

  The reminder that they were leaving hurt. “We’re going on an adventure.”

  “To the park?”

  “Better. But it’s a secret until we get there.”

  She leaned her head over my shoulder and whispered, “Is it ice cream?”

  “No,” I said. “But that’s fun, too.”

  Paige tapped Evelyn’s shoulder. “Strap in. It’s time to go.”

  Evelyn did as she was told, and I looked over at Paige beside me. She had her hands on the wheel, ready to go.

  “Where to?”

  “Follow this street to the end and take a right.” I didn’t take my eyes off her, and if it bothered her, she didn’t show it.

  The seatbelt flattened her loose shirt over her chest, highlighting the swell of her ample breasts. She really was gorgeous, from her thick eyelashes and full lips to the feminine curve of her thighs. I could look at her all day and all night and never lose this sense of awe.

  “A left up ahead.” We were reaching the edge of town. It wouldn’t be long before we were there.

  “That’s...a dirt road.” Paige glanced over at me.

  “Oh, I know where we are!” Evelyn kicked the back of my seat and tapped on the window.

  “Shhh,” I said. “Don’t spoil the surprise.”

  We turned down the dirt road and followed the trees to where the forest was thick.

  “You two have been out here?” Paige asked.

  Evelyn just kicked the seat and said nothing.

  “Veer to the right when the road splits,” I said.

  “Okay.”

  The trees broke to the field of grass I’d cut the night before, to the cabin that I hoped could be our home someday.

  “Where are we?” Paige turned to me, and the tension she’d shown before the drive had faded.

  I might actually have a shot at this.

  “Home,” I said.

  “Can I get out?” Evelyn already had her seatbelt off and was standing between us.

  “Sure.” I nodded. “Just stay in the front yard.”

  She hopped out of the car and ran around in the field with her arms spread wide. Paige made no move to climb out, so I didn’t either. This could be our chance to talk, for me to tell her everything without Evelyn overhearing.

  “What do you mean, home?” There was vulnerability in Paige’s soft expression. She wanted this to work as much as I did, or at least that’s how I chose to read her.

  “This is the cabin I grew up in. It’s mine. And it can be ours.”

  Paige huffed. “You’re unbelievable.” Her tone suggested this was not a compliment. “You talk about our house like there’s an us.”

  “I want there to be. Don’t tell me that you don’t feel the pull. We’re mates.”

  “I refuse to accept that my mate would abandon me and his kid while he’s fucking some—”

  “Wait.” What the hell was she talking about?”

  “Wait, what? And by the way, your hour is already a third of the way over.”

  “Paige.” I touched her hand and I felt it, a jolt of electricity spreading from such a simple contact. Her lips parted, ever so slightly, and she didn’t pull away. “Paige, I haven’t even looked at another woman since I met you.”

  “What?”

  “I only want you.”

  “That woman at the bar…”

  “Not
mine.”

  She flattened her lips into a line and watched Evelyn rolling in the grass. Was it that hard to look me in the eye?

  “Then where were you?” She turned, and her big chestnut eyes were glazed with unshed tears. “Why didn’t you show up when you said? Why didn’t you answer your phone or call me back?”

  “I want you to know that it won’t last.”

  “What won’t last?”

  “The threat.”

  She pulled her hand back. “What threat?”

  “There’s another pack, not too far from here. Greenville. They hired another chapter of the Silent Butchers, then betrayed them, turned them in to the Tribunal for the job Greenville hired them to do.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know. That’s why I went for a peaceful meeting, to hear their side of the story.”

  “That’s the meeting you asked me to watch Evie for.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So what went wrong?”

  “I probably should have seen it coming.” What should I say? What should I hold back? I didn’t want to scare her. “They attacked me. I was lucky to escape with my life.”

  She squeezed my hand.

  “I lost my phone.”

  “And your truck?”

  “Well, the truck belongs to my friend, Brick, but yes, I lost his keys, too.”

  “And that’s why you didn’t come for Evie.” Paige looked back to Evie, who was rolling in the grass.

  “Yes. It took me until morning to get home.”

  Paige looked back at me. “Are you okay?”

  “I am now.”

  Evie ran over to the hood of the car and waved at us. Paige waved back.

  “So they’re still out there...wanting to hurt you.”

  “Yes.”

  “So come away with us. Back to Murrayville.”

  She couldn’t know how much it meant that she wanted me to be with them. “I wish I could.”

  “You mean you don’t want to.” Her voice was soft, her tone bitter. But she didn’t let go of my hand.

  “No,” I said. “I mean, I can’t leave my pack. Not now, not like this. They’re the only family I’ve ever known, and they need me.”

  “We—Evie needs you, too.”

  “What do you have in Murrayville?” I asked.

  “An apartment, a job.”

  “What do you do?” I couldn’t believe I didn’t already know.

  “I’m a writer.”

  “Do you have to be in the city for your job?”

  She stared into my eyes, and I knew the answer. She was afraid.

  “No.”

  “Let me show you something.” I opened the door and climbed out. Paige did the same. “Down that way, there’s a treehouse Hawke and I built when we were kids. It’s still in pretty good condition. And over there...do you hear that?”

  “A stream.”

  I nodded.

  “And this cabin...well, it needs a lot of work.” I took a risk and captured her hand. She was warm and soft, and a perfect fit.

  Evelyn grabbed my other hand, and the three of us walked up to the door.

  “I want to go inside!” Evelyn said.

  “Me, too.” Paige smiled down at her.

  At the door, a pang of nerves hit me. Everything was going so well, what happened if Paige didn’t like it? What happened if I fucked this up?

  I turned the knob. “Remember, it needs a lot of work.”

  Evie raced in and ran down the hall. “Which bedroom is mine? Ooh, I want the big one.”

  There was the sound of squeaking springs.

  “No jumping on the bed,” Paige yelled. Then she looked at me. “There is a bed to make that sound, right?”

  “There is.”

  I’d pulled out the old generator for light, grabbed gloves and trashbags from the shed, cut the grass, and vacuumed up all the glass the night before. I’d tried to make sure everything was safe, and as clean as I could make it in a short time. If Paige said yes, I’d do more. I’d renovate everything. Paint the walls, tear out the flooring, remodel the kitchen. Everything was dated, and even if it wasn’t...I didn’t want it to look anything like the house I’d grown up in. It could be built from the same bones, but this time, it would be a real home.

  “It’s…” Paige looked around.

  “I know,” I said. “Musty, shitty. But it won’t stay that way. I’m going to tear everything out.”

  Paige shot me a questioning look. “I was going to say charming.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Paige

  Jett slid his hands into his pockets and shifted his gaze. I could swear there was something off, maybe what I said, though I had no idea what was wrong with complimenting his house. He’d brought me here to show it to me. It was polite to say something nice. And really it was more than charming. It was a cabin full of potential.

  Let’s say we actually did the whole mating, baby making, family thing. What better place to raise a bunch of shifter kids than our own private forest? I didn’t mind leaving the city. I could work anywhere I could get cable internet, but that wasn’t what scared me.

  I was afraid to jump all-in with a man I still knew almost nothing about. I was afraid of the dangerous life he led. He said the threat was almost over, but who was to say there wouldn’t be another after that, and another? Constantly looking over my shoulder was no way to live.

  “The kitchen’s this way.” He started walking, closing himself off.

  A few moments ago, outside, he’d been holding my hand. I followed, wondering what had caused the change.

  “Did your parents move away?” I asked.

  “No.” Jett stopped and flipped on the light in the kitchen. “They both died.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He turned around. “The cabinets will all need to be torn out, but I know a guy who does amazing custom work. Imagine stainless steel appliances, butcher block countertops.”

  I touched his shoulder, but he didn’t turn around.

  He pointed and said, “Maybe take out that wall over there.”

  “Jett?” I stepped up beside him.

  “What about your family?” he asked. “Are they in Murrayville?”

  He didn’t want to talk about his parents. In the car, he’d said Hawke was his family. He cared for his pack, but not his kin. I wanted to ask more, but he made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it. I couldn’t get to know him if he didn’t let me in, but I also had no right to demand he tell me everything the second the question popped into my head.

  But what if they’d died because of the MC?

  I wanted to ask, but if I expected him to answer my questions, I should answer his. Relationships took time and work, fated mates or not.

  “No,” I said. “My parents aren’t in Murrayville. I didn’t really fit in so well back home, so I ran off to the city for college, then settled there. It’s just an okay apartment, but it’s mine.”

  I left off the last thought, that I wasn’t committed to staying in Murrayville. I didn’t have any ties anymore, without Marla and Evie there. And I couldn’t imagine going back without Evie. But I wasn’t ready to admit any of that to Jett.

  He took a step closer, and I breathed in his spiced cider scent. He brushed a hair from my cheek, leaving a pleasant warmth in the wake of his touch. “Instead of fitting in,” he said, “I bet you stood out. Just as you do here in Ashwood, or like you would anywhere you went.”

  Swoon. A touch of sweetness, and I was ready to tear off my clothes and jump him. Okay, maybe I would have felt the urge even if he was a dick.

  He could be a dick, but that was just his shell. Beneath that, I caught a glimpse of a man who was searching for his place in the world, trying hard to be a good person. For me. For Evie.

  “You used to live in Murrayville, too, right?” It’s where he’d met Marla, after all. And I still hadn’t gotten the full story on that. She’d said he�
�d lied about becoming a lawyer.

  “I went to law school there. Came back after I finished my degree.”

  So he was a lawyer. Lawyer and biker didn’t seem like they went together, but people were complicated. Jett was complicated, and full of surprises.

  “Ahhhhh!” The high-pitch squeal made my heart skip a beat.

  Evie.

  I raced down the hall, terrified that she’d fallen off the bed and broken her arm, or worse. I found her on the bedroom floor, with a huge grin. She hadn’t cried out in agony, but in delight. In her arms was a stuffed animal.

  “You scared me,” I said, my voice shaking with the adrenaline of my race down the hall.

  “Look what I found.” She held out her treasure—it was a rhinoceros...with a mustache.

  “You have good taste,” Jett said from behind me. I turned around and found him leaning on the doorframe with a crooked grin. “That’s Mr. Stabbyface. I’m surprised he’d still around. I figured he was gone a long time ago.”

  “Stabby...face?” I gave Jett a disapproving glare.

  He shrugged. “He has horns on his head.”

  “And a mustache.” Evie’s eyes sparkled and her grin was wider than I’d ever seen. “He was in a box in the closet. Can I have him?”

  She was using her big blues to their fullest, batting her lashes like a pro. It was a smart alternative to the pouty lip.

  I hoped Jett didn’t have anything inappropriate stored in his room, since it seemed Evie was making herself right at home.

  “Promise to take care of him?” Jett lifted a brow.

  Evie nodded emphatically.

  “Well, okay then,” Jett said. “He’s yours.”

  “Thanks, Dad!”

  Jett flinched and his eyes widened, but only for a second. After that, he smiled. This was the second time she’d called him Dad, and apparently it was going to take him some time to get used to it.

  “You’re welcome, squirt.” He turned to me and nodded toward the hall.

  I followed him out, wondering if he wanted to talk more about kitchen cabinets, or about something that really mattered. He stopped in the living room, far enough away from Evie that she wouldn’t hear us if we spoke softly.