Page 80 of Never Wed an Outlaw

“Forget it, sis,” Firefly said next to me. “You need rest right now. We've got nothing to discuss.”

“He's right,” I said, laying my lips on her fingers again. “Past is the past, babe. Dom and his boys are gone. Ain't never gonna bother you again, and neither will anything else. Your job's getting well for me so we can go home. You rest, and we'll talk about the things that matter when you're good and ready, like naming our boy.”

She smiled. It was one of those slow burning lip curls that would've caused any man's heart to do a dive, seeing it on his woman's face. Especially when the waterworks came a second later.

I brushed away the hot tears rolling down her cheeks with my fingertips. She'd cried enough for ten lives, dammit.

“Hank,” she said softly. “That's what I want to call him.”

“Hank,” I repeated, rolling it over in my mind. “Hank Daniel Grayson's got a nice ring to it.”

No lie. It was a good name, a strong name, and it lined up with a couple of my favorite country singers, too.

“Shit, darlin', it's supposed to be tougher than this. Now, what're we gonna knock around when you're well enough to have lunch?”

She laughed softly. Must've taken all her strength because one quiet minute later, I felt her slipping away again, back into the peaceful, happy place she went to for healing.

When I turned around, Firefly had a smile on his face, staring off into the distance. “What's the word, brother?”

“Good old Uncle Hank kept everything afloat when Ma ranoutta money. Huge honor if you're giving your boy his name.”

“Didn't know him,” I said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “But if he had anything to do with you and Hannah growing into the people I love and trust, I'm sold. We're brothers by blood. Not just patch anymore.”

“Prez, a week ago, I still wanted to punch your fuckin' eyes out for dragging my sis deeper into this life. Just want to say, I was a damned fool. She belongs in this club. Same way she oughta be with you, Cap'n.”

I gave his shoulder one more firm squeeze before I brought both my big arms back around the baby, snoozing softly on my lap. Little Hank was part of this family, too.

I had a chance to give him the good, without the bad.

I'd shelter this boy from the violence, the evil, all the dirty shit that stained a man's soul. I'd watch him grow up with Lucy, Bingo, and Joker's Alex. All the brothers, their kids, their friends, and all the new women and babies to come for the boys who hadn't settled down yet.

Yeah, this boy in my arms was one tiny, beautiful blank slate who'd walk away from this life with nothing but the very best written all over him. Right now, all he had scrawled on him was love.

Two Months Later

Winter loosened her grip.Bones and bruises healed. Dom's ashes blew to the seven winds, meaning nobody ever had to think about his evil ass again.

We were a family. Finally.

Nothing made me happier than coming home to that woman and my son, helping her along as much as I could 'til she healed up all the way.

Always heard babies were a lot of work, and the people who told me weren't lying. Still didn't feel like much after what we'd gone through to get here, changing dirty diapers and rocking him to sleep, holding my boy on the sofa with my woman curled up next to me.

Heaven? Fuck yeah, I'd arrived.

Only thing missing was a proper entrance. I set everything up in secret, rounding up Ma, the boys, and their old ladies.

It was just a couple weeks after we'd finished cleaning Hannah's massive house, and passed it over to the new buyers at closing. She'd let the mansion go to liquidate her debts and restart her career. She'd made off with plenty, and we'd be comfortable as hell once we found something nicer, without the stress.

For now, she didn't mind my place. It was familiar, easy to manage, somewhere she could focus on what really mattered, and who the hell was I to argue?

When I came in that day, winding down the icy streets through town, straight from finishing business at the clubhouse, she wasn't expecting a thing.

“Oh, great timing. I was just about to leave to get Hank from your Ma.” She gave me that sass, perfectly timed to showing off the curve of her ass that made me want to forget everything, push her against the counter, and take her then and there.

“Forget it, darlin'. He's spending all night with grandma.” I stared at her, propping myself up with one arm, leaning on the wall.

She froze. Turned her little eyes my way, the laughter all gone, studying my pose. Couldn't figure out why I sounded so damned serious, when I looked so casual.

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