Page 166 of Beautifully Reckless

I chuckle.

“Love you too, Mills.” And then I point a stern finger at her. “You treat my wife with respect or we are going to have serious problems.”

She rolls her fucking eyes again.

“You’re soooo scary,” she mocks, walking away as my ma’s smile comes into view.

“The love you two have for each other never gets old.”

With her arms open, I step into them, practically bending myself in half to lower to her height as she gives me a squeeze.

“Be safe,” she whispers and I pat her on the back before pulling back.

“Always, Ma.”

She nods, giving my hand a gentle squeeze before giving me her back.

Fuck. I know what she’s doing. She’s trying to hide her tears.

She always gets like this when I have to leave. Every single time. And I always leave, yet this time, it feels different. I’ve never wanted to stay more in my life.

Needing to get the fuck outta here before I crack, I move to the door, grinning at Lans who’s spying out the door on JD and Jols outside.

“You’re being creepy.”

She shrugs. “What’s going on between those two? I was going to totally tap that but as soon as Jols showed up, JD has barely given me the time of day.”

“Fucking hell, Lans. I don’t want to hear anything about you tapping anyone.”

She shrugs, wagging her brows as she grins up at me. “If I have to hear you pleasing your wife, then you can hear all about me getting some.”

Shaking my head, I lean in, pressing a kiss to the top of her head too.

“Keep an eye on Ma. I think she’s unwell but she’s trying to hide it from me.”

Alana nods. “That’s exactly what’s happening. As soon as you go, we’ll be on nurse duty.”

I sigh, hating that my ma has to suffer through her lupus flare ups.

“Don’t worry, big brother. We’ve got this. You go do whatever it is you do, and make sure you bring me a big Easter egg next weekend. I want the biggest one you can find.”

I chuckle. “Sure thing, brat.”

She pokes out her tongue.

Leaving my house, I ignore Alana when she calls out to me to promise not to die, and Jols offers me a smile as I throw my leg over my ride.

“Bout fucking time,” JD complains, clearly in a fucking mood, and while he won’t admit it, I know it has everything to do with leaving Jols behind.

The fucker has done his nuts over her. I’m sure of it.

I fire up my hog, feeling her come to life between my thighs, and I don’t miss the look JD and Jols share.

They are both worried.

Ignoring the sinking feeling that’s telling me not to go, I secure my helmet and tear up the driveway, hearing JD follow, leaving the sanctuary of my home and hitting the road to Fox Pines.

The ride out of the windy roads of the Dandenongs and onto the freeway takes about thirty minutes. The rest of the ride takes another hour until we are weaving through the outer roads of Fox Pines, leading us to the old Vixen’s Lodge Estate.

---