I could barely breathe, my entire world turned upside down as it had been before. “I…”
“Come on, Doc. You can say it. Tell me you haven’t thought about me. Tell me you haven’t lain awake at night wishing you could return to the mountain. Go on.”
Butterflies were swarming my stomach and I was lightheaded. As I head the ping of the elevator reaching its destination, I knew I’d run out of time.
“I… can’t.”
“Meaning?” he pressed.
I couldn’t do this.
I needed him.
My heart wasn’t ready for any additional pain, yet just seeing the way he was looking at me, as if I was the only woman left in the world erased the long years, the hatred and fury. We were meant to be together.
No matter the consequences.
“Meaning I missed you. I need you. I want you. God, please fuck me.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.”
CHAPTER 26
Beckett
A long time coming.
A need that had never ceased.
A requirement in my life that I’d pushed aside.
No. Fucking. Longer.
That’s all I could think as I led Mallory down the hallway, Jax trotting behind us. He was just as thrilled as I was and perhaps just as skeptical. No, this wasn’t what I’d had planned. I hadn’t thought it a good idea, but the day I’d run into her, every resolve had crumbled. The moment I’d seen her walk into the bar, all bets had been off. My dominant nature had reared up, casting some fucking spell as if voodoo.
Even Mike had commented on the change in my demeanor.
I’d longed to see her, had done so from afar years before, but this wasn’t anything that I’d expected. I’d heard all about what she’d said to Mike, refusing the offer as if I truly believed she wasall about money. I hadn’t intended on insulting her, but I wasn’t good at peopling. That had become made painfully clear to me.
Feeling her small hand in mine brought out a wave of possessiveness that had never left. It was almost as if four years hadn’t passed with one exception. We shared a son, a beautiful child that deserved to have the best things in life and I planned on giving them to him.
I slipped the keycard into the lock and as soon as we were inside, I shoved her against the wall, both of us laughing from the force I’d used. “I’ve missed the fuck out of you too, baby.”
“I’m not your baby,” she threw out, but the smirk on her face indicated otherwise.
“You’re not? Then what are you?”
“Maybe a devil in disguise.”
The woman could still make me laugh, but my hunger was far too intense to continue the fucking charade.
Jax trotted inside, immediately heading to his bed. He knew when not to fuck with whatever I was doing, but I’d seen the look in his eye. He’d considered her his people and it had been rough as fuck to return to my side. I’d felt selfish taking him, but had known bringing him back would only cause her additional harm.
If only from the assholes who’d refused to believe I’d died on that mountain.
I’d spent months looking over my shoulder. I’d only been able to trust Mike at that point and he’d kept track of all those in the Valenti family, aiding and abetting me on my continued path of revenge.
He’d alerted me to whether anyone was asking about me. After four months the questions had begun to die off. I’d returned to a normal life of sorts, moving out west to start fresh. But I hadn’t been happy or content.