Page 31 of Big Easy
"Jaxson!" Sutton screams, rushing toward me. My shirt is wet—warm—and when I glance down, the darkness on my chest is unmistakable. Blood.
"He's been shot!" she shouts. Behind her, Sanders lies sprawled on the floor, a growing pool of red beneath his head.
"He's dead, brother," Riggs confirms.
Breathing feels like dragging air through a straw. My knees give, and the floor rushes up to meet me.
"We need to get him to the hospital!" Sutton cries as Wick lowers me onto my back. He yanks his shirt over his head and presses it hard against my chest. The fabric soaks through almost instantly, and the metallic tang of my own blood begins filling my nose. "From your labored breathing, the bullet probably punctured your lung." Wick says.
Brewer cuts the bindings on Sutton's wrists. Her voice is shaky, but her hands are steady as she leans down. Her lips crush against mine. "Don't you dare leave me."
I bring my hand up, brushing my knuckles over the bruise on her cheek. My vision blurs, but I force my eyes to stay on her. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"I'm fine. Now lie still." Tears spill down her cheeks, falling onto my face.
"I love you, Sutton," I rasp.
Her forehead presses to mine. "I love you too, Jaxson."
EPILOGUE
It's been a few weeks since Sutton was abducted, and I killed the man who took her. I step out of the shower and stretch out my side, still sore from surgery. The bullet from Sanders’ gun punctured my lung, causing it to collapse. It also damaged several blood vessels along its destructive path through my body, which required surgery. I wrap the towel around my waist and stand in front of the bathroom mirror. Grabbing a brush, I run it through my damp hair then work some oil through my beard. There wasn't much fall-out from authorities on the incident. With my dad's help, who knew a prominent lawyer here in Baton Rouge, it was an open and shut case of self-defense, and any investigation looking at the club was dropped.
The best outcome to the whole ordeal was Sutton deciding to move in with me, and I plan to make the move permanent. My woman saunters into the bathroom, completely naked, sliding in between me and the counter. She looks at my stitches. "They look good. Minimal swelling left."
"You're not dressed yet," I state with a grin.
"I don't mind being late." She trails her fingers down my chest and across my abdomen, then loosens the towel around my waist. Her eyes drop between us. "I'd say you approve."
Lifting her off the floor, I carry Sutton out of the bathroom, laying her down on the bed. "You're going to hurt yourself, Jaxson," she fusses, then gasps as I settle between her thighs and kiss her neck.
"If I want to make love to my girl, I will." I palm her breast and drag the pad of my thumb across her nipple—Sutton's breathing hitches. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me." My lips travel up her jawline. Stretching my arm above our heads, I slip my hand beneath the pillow. "Marry me." I kiss her lips. Taking her left hand in mine, I slip something onto her finger. Sutton's body stills, and her eyes pop open. Lifting her hand between us, she peers at the diamond ring.
"Jaxson," Sutton gasps. "How—when?"
I chuckle at her loss of words. "I had a little help. You're a hard person to keep a secret from. After talkin' with your dad…"
"You asked my dad's permission to marry me?" she says, shocked.
"Yeah, babe," I say, and tears pool in her eyes. I lift her leg to rest on my hip.
"And your idea of a romantic proposal is right before sex?" Her palms rest against my chest as I hover over her body.
Lining the head of my cock at her entrance, I slowly sink inside her heat, keeping eye contact between us. "It's a great fuckin' idea, babe." I'll never get enough of this—of her. My movements are slow as I rock my hips, her soft moans making it hard to maintain my speed. Dipping my head, I graze her lips with mine. "I'm keeping you forever. Marry me, Sutton. Make me the happiest man alive and become my bride."
Her fingers lace through my hair. "I want nothing more than to become your wife," Sutton replies, and my mouth crashesdown on hers, then I continue making love to the future Mrs. Carter.
