Page 67 of Rage's Heart

Mac attempted a smile. “It’s okay, Mama.”

“No, it’s not,“ Lillian corrected gently. “But it will be. Jack just needs time to... adjust.” Her eyes flicked to me, assessing. “And to see what I see.”

Mac withdrew slightly from my arms, wiping her eyes. “We’re going to head out, Mom. I don’t think Jack and I have anything more to say to each other tonight.”

Lillian nodded, understanding. “Of course. But promise me you’ll come back soon.” She looked directly at me. “Both of you.”

The inclusion surprised me. “Thank you for dinner, Lillian,” I said, meaning it despite how everything had gone to shit.

She reached out and patted my arm. “You take care of my girl, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you,” she turned, cupping her daughter’s face in her hands. “I raised you to follow your heart.”

Mac’s smile was watery but genuine. “I know, Mama.”

Lillian stepped back, gesturing toward the side gate. “Go on out that way. I’ll explain to Chelsea and the girls.” She hesitated, then added, “And I’ll have a chat with your brother.”

The drive back to our place was quiet, Mac staring out the window, lost in her thoughts. I kept one hand on the wheel and the other on her thigh, needing the physical connection.

When we finally pulled into the driveway, she let out a long, shuddering breath. “Well, that was…”

“A fucking disaster?” I chuckled.

A small laugh escaped her. “Pretty much.” Her hand covered mine on her leg. “I’m sorry you had to meet Jack like that.”

I killed the engine and turned to face her fully. “Baby, listen to me. You have nothing to apologize for. Your brother might be an asshole, but it’s not lost on me that he’s trying to protect you.”

She frowned. “I don’t need protecting from you.”

I traced my thumb along her jaw. So beautiful and trusting. I would never harm a hair on her head, but she was also very wrong. I was never letting her go and her brother saw it. He may have been concerned about her getting mixed up with a biker, but he also saw the monster beneath the surface that would kill anyone who tried to take her. She was mine.

“I just wish...“ she trailed off. “I wish things could be simple.”

I chuckled darkly. “Baby, nothing about us will ever be simple.”

Her lips curved into a small smile. “True. But would you change it? Any of it?”

“Not a fucking thing. You’re mine,” I replied immediately.

“You’re such a caveman.” She smiled, shaking her head.

I grinned, leaning in to kiss her.

She was probably right, but I was her caveman.

Chapter Eighteen

Mac

I nestled deeper into the couch, tucked under Rage’s arm with a half-empty container of Lo mein noodles balanced on my knee. On the TV screen, John Wick was systematically killing his way through dozens of bad guys, but I couldn’t focus on the carnage. My mind kept replaying the look on Jack’s face—the disgust, the disappointment, the absolute certainty that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.

“You’re not watching,” Rage murmured, his lips brushing against my temple.

I sighed, setting my barely touched dinner down on the coffee table. “Sorry. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“About your brother being an asshole?” He shifted, pulling me closer against his solid warmth.

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