Page 69 of Jack

Royal looked through me, like I wasn’t even standing there, staring, but Jack’s gaze caught mine and it was like everything fell away around us. For seconds we just stared at each other, then Calder punched him in the arm, laughing.

From that day on, I had daydreams about the mirror boys, as I used to call them in my head. It was in my little naïve teenage heart that I would meet and marry that boy one day, but, alas, it never happened.

The years went by, and with each one I would see him with different girls, and each time I knew that it would never happen between us. We were too different.

“You okay there, Lil?” I blink looking at Magnum, who is frowning.

“Sorry, I drifted off.” I give him a reassuring smile.

“Jack and the rest of the club brats had a way with the girls when they were younger, and then women, when they got older, and it seemed that it never stopped until they found their women. Over the years of knowing them when I came to stay with my cousins, I saw that it was Jack and Finan who would hold back from sleeping with multiple women a week, or in Calder’s instance, daily.”

“Fuck, I am surprised that boy’s cock didn’t fall off, the way he went through women, but Kady girl locked him down.” He smirks and I love seeing the mischief in his eyes.

They remind me of Jack and Royal. Both men carry familiarities from their parents, while the youngest Masters child, Perri, is all her mom. Stunning as the day is long.

“My cousin is good for him, but I think he is good for her too. I know that I only came to town a few times a year, but over those years I have seen those boys turn into men who live for this club and their families. I can see the pride in you when you watch them do something, Magnum. You have done the club and your family proud.”

“We are your family now too, ya know,” he informs me, making my cheeks heat up.

I hear what he is saying, but after living my life the way that I have, I know that nothing is guaranteed in life. So many things can be snatched away from you in the blink of an eye. Some people may look at my life and tell me that I had it good, but what people don’t see is not there in their eyes.

Not all trauma is on the surface.

I shrug. “We don’t know if Jack and I will work out. He could get bored of me, and if that is the case, I know I will lose so much, but I will never come between family. My own has done that for as long as I can remember.”

My emotions build up and my chest starts to ache at the thought of walking away from Jack and Dominic.

“My son will never get bored of you, honey. He has claimed you to me and his mother and his generation brothers. He will do it in front of the whole fucking club soon. The Rugged Skulls men only claim the one we know deep in our bones will be ours until we take our last breath. Whenever the fuck that will be. Knowing Slide and the rest of my brothers, who are stubborn as fuck, we will all reach the tender age of one hundred before we kick the bucket.” He laughs.

I laugh with him but again the pang of pain hits me at the idea of these men, who are strong and fierce, dying. These menwho have shown me more love and attention than my whole family since I moved here permanently and opened Wicked Sugar.

“I love your son, Magnum, and I love your grandson. They are my world. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would ever find someone after what my ex did to me. Even more so, I never thought me, quiet shy Lilith Cullen, would get the attention of a man like Jack. He was so sought after by women all over, hell I even saw one married woman hitting on him when he was sixteen.”

“That’s my boy.” Magnum winks at me. “When that bitch came here claiming to be pregnant with Jack’s kid, my woman wanted to beat the shit out of her, but she held off. After Dom was born and we did a DNA test, not that we needed one because that boy looked like his daddy when he was born, Risky wanted to cut Dom’s mom’s heart out. Now that was a show.”

He shakes his head as if that scene is playing out like a move in his head.

“You are good for them, Lilith. You may sit there and think that you are not strong enough to be a part of their lives, or in with the club, but you are wrong. What my woman and I see is someone who will do whatever it takes to make her man and boy happy. You are strong and independent in your own right, honey. Grab a hold of what you have and do not let any fucker take that away from you.”

I bite my lip to hold in the emotion that swirls through my soul. Tears fill my eyes as I watch Magnum step to me. He pulls me in for a hug, his arms wrapping firmly around my body, keeping me to him, as he gently rocks back and forth.

“You are where you belong, Lil, honey. Don’t ever think that you are not a part of the club.”

I nod against his chest, before pulling away after one last squeeze from him.

“Now, make your Pres and future father-in-law some breakfast before the savages wake up.” He winks and takes a seat at the small booth across from me.

“What would you like? I can make anything; cooking is my thing, ya know.” I wink back.

He laughs. “Anything. Ask my Ol’ Lady, I will eat whatever you put in front of me.”

I nod and get back to cooking, making big batches of the usual breakfast foods for everyone but I make Magnum a special omelet that Dominic loves. So I can assume that he will like it.

“I hope this is okay.” I put the plate down on the table in front of him and he rubs his hands together while grinning.

“This looks healthy as shit, but amazing at the same time. Finan would love this.”

“It is the omelet that Dominic likes when I make it. Eggs, cheese, some mushrooms, and peppers, but I add in some spinach, and a sprinkle of paprika.”

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