Page 17 of Buried

“You’ve got to have a fucking death wish to come in here, Red,” River spoke quietly, but he may as well have fucking shouted it in Red’s face. When River spoke calmly while he was angry, it had the same effect as someone shouting. There was just something about his voice that raised the hairs on your body.

Red shrugged. “I knew she was working tonight,” he stated, nodding his head toward me, “and I knew that with me being in town, you wouldn’t let her come to work by herself. I need to talk to you, River.”

River shrugged. “I don’t really give a fuck what you want, Red. I’m a hairsbreadth away from bashing your head on this fucking bar top. The only reason I haven’t is because this bar is separate from club shit.”

“I was given guardianship of my son, River. I need family,” Red rushed out, knowing his time was limited. I straightened up as River stiffened beside me. “I can’t do this shit by myself, man. He’s a newborn, and I’m fucking lost. And I don’t want a kid, River. I’m willing to put aside our differences if it means this kid gets a good home.”

“What the fuck do you want me to do, Red?” River impatiently demanded. “Fucking spit it out already.”

“I want to give you the kid, River,” Red stated bluntly. I could practically feel River about to tell his brother no, but I couldn’t let that happen. The baby was innocent. It had donenothingwrong. “I can’t take care of this baby. He’s still in the hospital. His mother died giving birth to him. I can’t even fucking name him, River. I don’t want any part of him.”

Before River could answer, I jumped in. “I’ll take him,” I told Red. His eyes widened as they locked on mine. “Even if your brother doesn’t want him, Red, I’ll take him. I promise that I’ll take care of him.”

River turned me to face him, his brows pulled low. “You sure this is what you want, darlin’?” he asked, his voice gruff.

I nodded. I couldn’t let that little boy suffer. I knew if River and I took care of him, he would have a chance at a healthy, prosperous life. If the state got their hands on him, there was no telling what would happen to that boy.

“River, you and Red may have your differences, but that little boy hasn’t asked to be brought into this world, and he deserves to have someone that will love him and take care of him.”

River blew out a harsh breath but nodded his head at me. He looked at Red. “We’ll follow you to the hospital,” he told his brother. “Make sure you thank my old lady for giving your kid a home. She’s not heartless like I am, and she’s the only reason I’m allowing this shit. Once custody is turned over to Adelaide, you get your fucking ass out of this town.”

He nodded once as he slid off of his bar stool.

Chapter Eleven

River

Istood outside of the nursery at the hospital, my arms crossed over my chest. Red stood beside me, both of us watching Adelaide talk to the nurse on duty about the baby. I was pretty sure this was the longest that my brother and I had been civil with each other since we were teens.

Red went off the deep end not long before he was supposed to graduate high school, and he brought shit on the club all for power and money, almost getting our father locked up. He even had a hand in killing our mother in a bad car accident that left him hospitalized. Only for my dad, I hadn’t killed him, no matter how badly I wanted to. Even though he was in the car with the drunk driver that hit our mom as she was crossing the street to the supermarket, dad found it in him to forgive Red.

But I couldn’t. I was a bit less bitter about it as time went on, but I could never forgive him for that shit.

After a moment, Adelaide was led over to a clear bassinet that literally looked like a fucking clear tote where a baby in a blue hat was swaddled in a hospital blanket. The nurse saidsomething, and Adelaide nodded. Then, she reached in and grabbed the little boy, cradling him against her chest, a small smile tilting her lips as she looked down at him.

A small smile twitched at my own lips.

Fuck, I couldn’t wait to see her holding our own kid.

Adelaide made a fucking stunning mother. It was a sight that would warm any cold man’s heart.

She stepped out of the nursery and walked over to us, the baby still cradled in her arms. His lips were slightly parted, his eyes closed as he slept peacefully in her arms. “Guys, meet Axel King Boris,” Adelaide announced, smiling down at the baby as she adjusted him to one arm, reaching up to rub her finger over his soft, chubby cheek.

Red shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve signed the necessary documents for you all to be given temporary custody of him. I’ll have a lawyer draw up the necessary documentation so you two can adopt him.”

I nodded at him. Without another word, he turned and sauntered off down the hallway, his back stiff. Adelaide watched him for a moment before she turned those beautiful, brown eyes to me, stepping closer to me as she did so. “Do you want to hold him?” she softly asked.

Slowly, I reached out and took Axel from her, surprised at how light he was. I’d never held a baby before, and I was almost thirty. It almost felt like I was holding a fragile bomb. One wrong move, and the baby would explode all over me.

“The nurse said that he’s a little underweight, but otherwise he’s perfectly healthy, and we can take him home whenever we’reready,” Adelaide informed me as she reached out to run her fingertips over his chubby cheeks.

He was perfect. I never thought that I would say that about anything that was a part of Red, but this little boy, with all of his little innocence… he was absolutely perfect.

Red had done the best thing for him by walking away. Axel would be raised in a loving family with a gentle, soothing mother.

I stared down at Axel, blowing out a soft breath. Looked like I had a lot of shopping ahead of me, starting with a car seat and a car for Adelaide.

Tristan and Jesup were gone when we got back to the clubhouse, and Sam informed me that they would be in touch to set up our first exchange. Good thing they were gone too because I didn’t want Adelaide having the added stress of them being here while she was trying to handle taking care of a newborn, all while still preparing for our own kid.

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