Page 64 of Ryder

He gripped my thigh and leaned in. “Meet me inside the clubhouse. I’m gonna fuck you quick before they get started.” He hurriedly rose from his seat, then cursed when he saw Kena and Jagger walking toward us. No way in hell we were going anywhere now, and we both knew it. A few more expletives fell from his mouth, but he’d been sure to keep his voice low so as not to have Zoe hear everything. He’d learned to curb his language whenever she was around, although right then he was certainly struggling.

I laughed as I rose to my feet, hugging my sister and then Jagger before engaging them in small talk.

“It’s not funny,” Ryder growled in my ear, briefly interrupting my conversation.

“It kind of is,” I retorted, reaching for his hand which he readily accepted, squeezing a little too hard before I slapped his arm to loosen his grip. A smug grin spread across his face as he continued to hold onto me.

“Can you believe this is finally happening?” Jagger asked, looking first at Ryder and then shooting a glance at Kena, and not his usual smitten expression either. The silent communication was something more, but I didn’t have time to dissect it because Zoe was unexpectedly behind us.

“Dad, I have to go to the bathroom,” she announced, tugging on his free hand while hopping from one foot to the next.

“I’ll take her,” I offered, yanking my hand from Ryder’s. Or should I say tried to? “You have to let me go.”

He leaned down and nipped my bottom lip before swiping his tongue through my mouth. The kiss was quick yet it made my heart race.

“Never,” he whispered before pulling back.

“Gross, Dad.” Zoe made a face but smiled when I did. Then her expression was back to one of annoyance. “I have to pee. Hello?” She walked off toward the clubhouse and Ryder finally released my hand.

“Should I come with you?” He took a step forward and I stopped him with a hand on his chest. His very muscular, chiseled, hard chest. I lost myself in the moment until I felt his heart thumping harder against my fingertips. Breaking the brief spell of lust, I gave him a quick kiss before taking a step back.

“Later.”

He caught on to my meaning and laughed, shaking his head before turning his attentions back to Jagger. The two of them chatted as I caught up with Zoe. Once I stood beside her, we walked in perfect rhythm, her hand reaching out to connect with mine. I looked down at her and she smiled as she wrapped her fingers around my hand, the gesture signifying she’d accepted me, telling me I was welcome in her world without words.

The way her pale green eyes smiled at me made my womb hurt with longing, something I hadn’t experienced until right then. She was a part of the man I loved, and I wanted nothing more than to give him back a piece of myself.

A little one that was half of me and half of Ryder.

A baby.

The only thing to do now was decide when to let him in on my plans.

Marek

“I can’t find it,” I shouted, searching under the couch, then all over the living room. “Where did you say it was?” My frustration level increased as I continued to look for the goddamn stuffed animal Kaden had apparently thrown somewhere and was now causing a fit over because he didn’t have it.

Silence greeted me. Either my wife was ignoring me or she hadn’t heard me. My bet was the first option, so I flipped over cushions until I found the bunny wedged in the back of the couch. “Ha!” I yelled, shaking the toy back and forth in the air as if I’d just found lost treasure. But anyone who had small children knew what a win the find was for me.

Reflecting back on where I’d been a couple years before and where I found myself right then, my life couldn’t have been more different. Yes, I was still the president of my club, my vote the deciding one on most topics, although I always took the men’s concerns and comments into deep consideration. We weren’t only a club—we were family. A unit that had seen the worst in life, but a group that had also reveled in the gifts life had to offer.

I’d been staring off into space when Sully appeared in the doorway. “Did you find it?” she asked, cradling a very sleepy Kaden in her arms. Apparently his freak-out had worn him out.

The boy was attached to my wife, and normally I found it sweet. Then there were other times when he was a little cock-blocker. Plain and simple. I called it like I saw it. But I loved the little guy, more than I thought I ever would any child. Don’t get me wrong, I had a special place in my heart for my goddaughter, Riley, and would protect her until my last breath, but it was small in comparison to the way my heart swelled watching Kaden smile when he saw me.

I’d finally come to understand why Stone turned into a pile of mush when he held his baby girl, ignoring the razzing from his brothers and focusing on the little one who’d turned him from a hotheaded pain in the ass to a doting father. Wait, never mind. He was still a hotheaded pain in the ass, only now there was another, softer side to him we were able to witness.

Much like I’d become whenever Kaden was around.

“Yeah.” I passed her the stuffed animal, and in exchange she handed me the little boy, his hand resting on the side of my face as his blue eyes fluttered open for a moment before closing them and essentially passing out. “Did he go to sleep late? Why is he so tired?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, shrugging before walking out of the room. Sully was frustrated, and I didn’t have a clue as to why. I followed her, careful not to wake Kaden because I had a feeling whatever was bothering her wasn’t gonna be a quick fix.

After putting him down in his own room, I continued to our bedroom, finding my wife rifling through the closet. I didn’t say a word as I wrapped my arms around her and unknotted the silk belt of her robe, parting the material before my hands roamed over her naked body. Her long, jet-black hair was fixed in a fancy updo of sorts, so I made sure not to mess up the style because I knew she’d be pissed at me if I made her redo it.

Spinning her around to face me, I kissed her as I backed her against the wall, my teeth latching on to her bottom lip before she opened for me. Sully wasn’t gonna tell me what was wrong, but if I fucked her senseless, maybe that would help relieve some of the tension and uncertainty trapping her.

It wasn’t that long ago when the thought of touching Sully killed me because there was a possibility that she was my half-sister. A parting gift from her evil father, Psych, right before I destroyed what was left of him, stealing his last breath as I sent him to hell. It felt like the longest span of time before I found out the truth, but in the meantime, I’d also done my share of damage by pushing my wife away.

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