Page 28 of Phoenix

“Yummy,” Violet echoed, making me laugh.

“Sounds like I’m not the only one looking forward to a delicious breakfast.” I crossed the room to grab two mugs. After pouring coffee into both and adding cream to mine, I joined Beck at the table, where he had sat down with Violet on his lap.

“Thanks, baby.”

Dahlia slid a plate of cinnamon rolls on the table in front of us. “Aw, so sweet.”

“You sound like a sap,” Savage muttered from the doorway, earning a glare from Beck.

“Careful how much shit you give me,” Beck growled. “You know what they say about reaping what you sow.”

“Sure turned out that way for you,” Fox pointed out with a wide grin.

I mock-glared at Beck. “Why warn him when I’m the best darn thing that’s ever happened to you?”

Dahlia laughed. “She’s got you there.”

Savage looked smug until Beck brushed a kiss against my cheek and taunted, “You’d be lucky as fuck to find a woman half as incredible as mine.”

“Still sweet,” Dahlia murmured with a grin.

Savage shook his head as he stalked over to the coffee pot. “And so fucking weird since Phoenix isn’t known for his warm and cuddly personality.”

Dahlia’s smile disappeared when her daughter echoed, “Fuck.”

“Watch your mouth.” Fox slapped the back of Savage’s head.

“Sorry,” Savage muttered before keeping his mouth shut except for sipping his coffee and eating.

The rest of breakfast passed in a blur of caffeine, sticky fingers, and the kind of teasing that bounced from one end of the kitchen to the other. Nobody brought up business or me almost being kidnapped. Probably because we were all too busy cramming cinnamon rolls into our mouths to talk.

After the last roll disappeared and the kids toddled off for naps—or mayhem, depending on the family—we hung out with a couple of the guys and their pregnant wives in the great room. Beck didn’t say much, just held my hand and rubbed lazy circles against my palm with his thumb as though he couldn’t stand not touching me.

Later in the day, I kicked off my shoes and curled up sideways across the bed. He followed a second later, flopping down behind me and tugging me into his chest like I was the world’s most valuable possession. One hand slid under my shirt, resting warm and possessive on my stomach.

At some point, I must’ve dozed off. The next thing I knew, the light outside had shifted to darkness and Beck was stroking a hand down my back in slow, unhurried lines.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I have to head out for a bit.”

I rolled over to face him, blinking the sleep from my eyes. “Now? Where?”

“Club business. Nothing you need to worry about,” he reassured me.

I stared up at him, reading between the lines. He didn’t tell me anything more. I’d seen the time and location in the notebook. I knew where he was going.

“You want me to stay here,” I said slowly.

“Youwillstay here.” He cupped my cheek, his thumb tracing a soft line beneath my eye, softening the steel behind his order. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Beck…”

He claimed my mouth in a deep kiss, swallowing my words. “Gotta keep you safe. You’ve already been targeted once. I’m not risking it again.”

I swallowed hard and gave him a short nod even though every instinct I had screamed not to sit this one out.

He kissed me again, slow and lingering, then stood and grabbed his cut from the back of the chair.

“Be good,” he murmured. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

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