Page 18 of Gunner

James folds his arms across his chest and leans back in his seat. “Explain,” he orders.

“That was Snake, a member of the Hell’s Outlaws.”

“I know who the fuck he is. What I wanna know is how the fuck he relates to you.” James narrows his eyes, barely keeping a lid on his rage.

I swallow the thick lump in my throat, reluctant to say what comes next. “Caleb’s father… He’s an Outlaw too.”

I bite my lip, glancing over to find James dragging a rough palm over his face, clearly furious over this new information. I rarely tell anyone about Caleb’s dad—I don’t even consider him an ex—but I know I have to continue because James will find out one way or another.

“His name is Striker and we met at a bar several years back. I was drunk, and lonely, and one thing led to another…” I’m embarrassed for my lapse in judgment, yet I’ll never regret the beautiful little boy who came out of it.

But my skin crawls as I remember that night, how my bare back rubbed against the dirty bathroom walls, how nasty I felt as he tucked himself into his jeans and left me there with his cum still inside me. Tequila makes people do stupid things and having sex with Striker was one of them. I hate the memory of that night, hate it with every fiber of my being. But I’ll never regret the outcome. How can I, when I received the most precious gift?

I stare at my fidgeting hands while wringing the hem of my worn t-shirt. “It was a dark time in my life and things got outta hand pretty quickly.” My voice is laced with remorse.

“A motherfucking Outlaw…” James snarls as he slams a meaty fist on my steering wheel.

“I’ve done some fucked-up things, James. So have you. But I cannot imagine living without my son. So view me how ever you want, take back all the things you’ve said to me over the past twenty-four hours. But I won’t apologize for a single fucking thing.” My voice wavers as tears well in my eyes, cresting over my lashes.

His head whips in my direction. Cupping my face, he swipes away the wetness from my skin with his thumb. “Sunshine, this doesn’t change a fucking thing about how I feel about you. Don’t you ever think that.”

His anger dissipates and I try to reel in my emotions, worried that I allowed myself to be hopeful and that it was a foolish mistake.

“Am I pissed? Yeah, I’m fucking furious. Furious that Striker is still the same piece of shit I always knew he was. Furious with myself because I let you go and this is what happened.” He gently urges me to lean forward with his hand so he can kiss my forehead. “But I’ll get over it. Right after I kill him.” James smirks but I have a suspicion he might be serious. I wouldn’t put it past him from what I know about his club. “What I hate the most is that out of all the men in the fucking world, it had to be one of those motherfucking Outlaw bastards. And it kills me that you had to suffer alone for so long, raising your kid by yourself.”

My throat squeezes and I want to cry again. Finally, someone sees me and acknowledges how hard it is to be a single parent.

“And now I have to kill two people because some other Outlaw fuckwit had the nerve to put his hands on what’s mine.”

My mouth twitches with a mix of renewed hopefulness and trepidation. “Yours?”

“Stop being stubborn, woman. It’s not becoming.”

I bark out a laugh, the tension in the car dissipating.

“Something funny?”

“Who are you? My grandma? No one under the age of fifty says becoming, James.” I start to giggle again, mirth turning the corners of my mouth upward, when his hand firmly grips my throat while he slams his lips to mine.

His tongue slips inside as he passionately kisses me, stealing the breath from my lungs. Then he lightly squeezes, and my head grows dizzy the longer he holds me still while exploring my mouth. Just as my mind begins to drift to a blissful calm, James tears himself away and removes his hand. I draw in several breaths, my chest rising and falling quickly.

“I’ll settle for a kiss for now,” he explains, licking his lips. “But I’m gonna punish you later.”

Wait? What?

“Punish?” My gaze narrows as I tilt my head.

He replies with a wicked grin. “Yes, Lily. Punishment. For not calling for me at the first sign of trouble. I’m always the one you call when you need anything. The only man you ever call.”

My chin lifts as I consider his words.

“Now, get your sexy ass inside that house so we can start making those brownies you promised.”

7

GUNNER

Everyone stares at us when we walk in. Everyone. You’d think I brought the cops to the clubhouse with how they all gawk at us, which I’m sure is making Lily and Caleb uncomfortable.

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