Page 84 of Sniper

I smile and whisper, “Deep down, I didn’t care that you lied, because you’re my heart.” His eyes soften, but he soon chuckles when I state, “I was just pissed at myself for not being madder at you like I should have been, and then my fear took over because I realized I fell for a brother.”

He nods. “I know, Firecracker. Why do you think I tore the divorce papers up and dragged you here?”

I snort. “You knew I was going to leave.”

He nods again. “Yeah, I knew my Firecracker would run. I just thought I had a few more days.”

I smile, lean further into him, kiss his lips gently, and whisper, “I’m sorry for pushing you away this week, and for not helping you mourn; you lost her, too.”

He hums, kissing me again, and replies, “You needed to do what you needed to do. Am I hurting? Yeah, I am,” he grips the back of my hair, “but you had to go through it, Rory, you are the one who had two babies inside you, and yet you lost one. You needed time, which I won’t ever hold against you. We’ll mourn together throughout the years, but we’ll also ensure that our son knows how loved he is.” I kiss him again before he whispers against my lips, “Now, I believe we need to practice very gently because I plan to have at least another four kids after our son is born.”

I choke out a laugh. “Six kids, really, Theo?”

He smiles gently and corrects, “Seven, Firecracker….”

My tears fall again, and I nod and repeat, “Seven….”

He leans forward, pressing his lips against mine, his hands going to my hips as he lifts me a little, then slides me back down, and I moan against his lips.

“If you show even a flicker of pain, I’ll stop,” he promises, and I smile.

I kiss him, pushing my tongue into his mouth, tangling it with his, my arms going around his neck, holding him close as we make love.

This man is everything to me.

Yes, he lied, yes, he ensured I got pregnant, but how can I be mad that a man who owns my heart wants me the way I want him, and did everything to ensure he never lost me?

I can’t, but what I can promise, is that I’ll never let him go….

29

Sniper

I chew my lip as I watch my girl stare at the brown table in front of her as Autumn runs around the common room with Noah and April. Hannah sits beside Rory, looking my way, concerned, while Trent speaks to Doc on the other end of the bar from where I’m standing with my brother.

I’m trying to give my girl the space she needs right now, but fuck, I’m struggling. I know she wants to clear her head, but I’m itching to grab hold of her.

Snake squeezes my shoulder, and I look at him. Concern etches his features as he asks, “How is she doing? How are you doing?”

I smile at him as I grab my bottle of water. “She’s doing good. We had a heart-to-heart last night about my lies to her. She understands where I was coming from, fuck, she actually admitted that she was just mad at herself for not being mad at me.” I chuckle a little. “Plus, it helps that Hannah’s here; seeing her again gave Rory the reassurance she needed. For the past few years, she thought the fucker killed her, and the guilt was eating her alive,” I reply, taking a sip of my water, ignoring his question about me, but my big brother doesn’t let me off.

He nods, but then sighs, demanding, “Answer the other question, Theodore.”

I shrug. “I’m hurting, Hunter. Not sure what more you want me to say.” I look back toward my girl to see her rubbing her bump, her head on Hannah’s shoulder, her eyes following Autumn. I whisper, “She was raped, and our daughter was conceived through that rape.” I look back at him, his eyes showing sorrow, and I give him a half a smile. “The man that raped her and held her hostage for a year took her and beat our second daughter out of her. We’re lucky our son even survived, and now I have to watch the guilt in my wife’s eyes day in and day out. I’ll have to watch her give birth to our son, knowing a part of her isn’t going to be happy and full of joy because our daughter won’t be there….” I take a sip of my water and admit, “So yeah, I’m hurting, but I know my girl will be there for me just like I am for her, and I know I have you, our parents, and our club, and I know my girl does too. So, we’ll be okay, we’ll just need a lot of support.”

He nods and grips my shoulder, rasping, "And you’ll have it. Now she just has to learn to forgive her other family, and then she’ll have a full army behind her to keep her going.”

I smirk. “She will.”

Just as I utter the words, the door to the entrance opens, and Aurora’s dad walks in with Steel. Acid and Piston had to return to New York to inform the brothers of Axe’s betrayal, and tell them Aurora is safe and sound.

Apparently, most of their brothers and old ladies will want to hear her voice for confirmation. She was well-liked around their club.

Bill looks around the room until his eyes lock on his daughter’s, and I look in time to see her stand. I hold my breath, wondering what she will do, but I soon smile when she rushes in his direction. Everyone stays quiet as my wife runs into her father’s arms, holding him tightly.

Snake squeezes my arm again and whispers, “You're right, she’ll forgive him.”

I nod and pat his back, then I walk over to them. Bill looks at me with such emotion…and I give him a sad smile.

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