Page 16 of Sex & Cigarettes

“I got him. Get some rest while you can.” He kisses my forehead and carefully gets off the bed.

I turn to my side attempting to get comfortable. I switch sides three times and catch my husband laughing at me.

I scowl and he only smiles bigger.

I watch Abel with Smith, and I know he’s going to be a great father.

Abel

I pace the floor of Ainsley’s hospital room staring into the deepest and darkest blue eyes. He peers up at me growing sleepy from the bottle he greedily devoured. I never knew a love like this existed in reality. Everyone always says you’ll understand when you have kids of your own. I never understood quite what that statement meant until the moment Smith entered this world. Without a doubt there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him. Nothing I won’t give him. His eyes flutter shut, and I kiss his forehead.

I’m grateful I’m here for this. I was going out of my goddamned mind without her. Wondering if she were even still alive. If I’d ever meet my son. Axel said the Doc confessed to conspiring with that bitch behind my back. He sang like a canary. My men sent him on a permanent vacation. No one and I mean no one is going to fuck with my family and live. My actions have sent a clear message, solidifying my hold on my territory until some dumb fuck gets brave enough to try me.

I cradle Smith to my chest and drop down to the chair next to Ainsley’s hospital bed. As I rub my palm over his bald head the corners of his mouth tip up into a grin. I glance over at my gorgeous wife as she too sleeps, exhaustion evident in the creases around her eyes. My wife who is so goddamn beautiful it almost hurts to look at her and know I nearly lost her. Both of them. I hug my son a little tighter. I’ll never let either of them out of my sight.

My cell vibrates in my pocket but whoever or whatever it is will have to wait. Right now there is nothing more important than this. Being here with my wife and our newborn son.

One of the nurses enters the room quietly to check in on Ainsley and the little guy. “I’m just going to check her blood pressure. Do you want me to take him back to the nursery?”

“We’re good right here.” We’ll be even better once I get them home.

Chapter 9

Coralie

Axel and I make it to the clubhouse or what I heard Axel refer to as Hell’s Kitchen in the car Uno set us up with. This place is nothing like the Roadhouse back in Drag Creek. I don’t know anyone here either. Outside of Axel and Abel and well now Ainsley.

I can see why Axel was drawn to her. She’s beautiful and sweet. Most women would probably be pissed off being the one to help get the chick your man (or I suppose at the time he was my ex at the time) fucked during your split to the hospital to give birth to a baby that could possibly be his, but I saw for myself that she only has eyes for Abel. Not to mention Axel seemed completely unbothered by seeing Ainsley or the baby.

I cling to Axel’s side as he leads me into the bar area hoping we can find some food and get some sleep.

“Axel. How you doing, brother?” A guy by the name of Murphy slaps his shoulder.

“Be a lot better with some food and a place to lay our heads for the night.”

“No doubt. Goldie,” he calls over his shoulder and a chick sitting at the bar jumps up from her stool. “Get Axel and his Old Lady here anything they want.”

“Of course.” She saunters over to us with a smile, but there’s a sadness behind her eyes.

“This is my daughter.” Murphy gives her a side hug.

Goldie is a bombshell. Strawberry blonde hair that curls around her shoulders. She has a tan going on, but it doesn’t hide the teardrop shaped birthmark under her left eye. I’d say this girl has been blessed in the ass and boobs department. I can’t imagine her not being claimed by one of Abel’s men, though I don’t see a property patch or any indication she’s taken.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Coralie.”

“Goldie.” She steps away from her father to loop one of her arms through mine. “You look like you could use a beer.”

Axel nudges me to go on with her, so I do, leaving him to talk business or whatever with this Murphy guy. There aren’t a lot of members around, but I suspect they are still dealing with all the shit that went down. And man, if there wasn’t a lot of crazy that transpired. I haven’t fully wrapped my head around it all.

I take up a stool at the bar and Goldie dips behind the counter to grab me a beer. “So which one of the guys is your old man?”

Her lips curve into a salacious grin. “Yeah right. My father would eat their hearts for dinner if any of them tried it.” Her hazel eyes roll. She slides a beer to me.

I shake my head and take a drink of the ice-cold beer. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“He’s protective and well I’ve been around enough motorcycle men to know I don’t want to marry one. No offense.”

“None taken. My family hates Axel and did everything they could to try and keep me away from him, but I love him.”

---