Shared by Her Brother’s Best Friends

Never Just One, Book 2

 Tia Quinn

© 2025 Tia Quinn

All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events, or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination.
Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented are 18 and above.
Kindle Edition

Table of Contents

About the Book:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Epilogue

Also by Tia Quinn

About the author

About the Book:

Three bikers. One shattered mom. And a little boy they’ll risk it all to protect.

After my husband died, I thought I could handle anything. Then a shadow from the past threatens my son, and I realize I’m out of my depth.

My brother offers an answer I don’t like—Iron Serpents MC. Three of his best. Now I’ve got three rough, inked-up bikers camped out in my life.

Mason’s intense stare promises protection, and the way he touches me makes me forget my fears.

Jax’s cocky grin hides a pain I understand all too well .

Then there’s Ty—  the quiet rock who holds me steady when I’m ready to crumble..

They’re here to protect me and Max, but they’ve given me more— something I never thought I’d feel again. Something my overprotective brother Jason would never approve of. He trusts them to keep me safe, not steal my heart. And that’s a betrayal he won’t forgive.

I never planned to fall for one of them… let alone all three. But when you’re caught between love and danger, sometimes your heart chooses for you.

This is a scorching stand-alone reverse harem romance with explosive chemistry, danger, and plenty of love. Get ready for a wild ride—HEA guaranteed!

“Never Just One” Series:

Knocked Up by Her Daddy’s Friends

Shared by Her Brother’s Best Friends

Quadruplets for the Vipers

Chapter 1

Emma

My husband’s ghost haunts me.

Not literally, of course, I don’t believe in all that supernatural stuff, there’s enough evil in this world without worrying about the dead. But still, four years after Adam’s death, I feel as though he might breeze through the door at any moment, reeking of booze and cursing about the lack of food on the table, despite the fact that he’s the one who spends all our money on gambling.

It’s crazy. Paranoid. My son Max and I moved back home to Oklahoma following his death. Our house in San Diego no longer felt like the dream home I’d wished for and the thought of raising a two-year-old completely alone terrified me. It didn’t take much persuasion from my brother Jacob to decide to come home. So, logically, there’s no reason why I should feel Adam’s presence, he never lived in this apartment with me and Max. Sometimes I swear I see him, on my drive to work, heading into a gas station, walking down the street, but each time the apparition is gone as quickly as it arrived, leaving nothing behind or perhaps a baffled stranger who resembles him, his sauntering walk, his sneering laugh, his blond golden-boy hair.

I can rationalize away these feelings, but the problem is, they seem to be impacting on Max. Not only is he adamant that his daddy visits him, but lately he’s described seeing strange people too. I’m confident they’re nightmares, but I want to get a professional opinion on how to handle the situation.

“Where are we going Mommy?” he asks me from the back of the car.

“We’re going to see a doctor,” I reply, keeping my voice light.

“Are you sick?” he asks worriedly, his brow furrowed.

“No. Mommy’s fine. The doctor just needs to see you for a checkup,” I reply calmly, my gaze again darting back at him in the mirror.

“But I’m not sick. I don’t have a tummy ache or anything,” he replies, wrinkling his nose.

“I know sweetie, but sometimes we have to visit the doctor just to make sure everything is okay,” I reassure him.

I’m not sure that visiting a child psychiatrist is right for him, but my friend Sally from work convinced me. Despite Max’s young age when his father died, his loss could still be impacting him, she explained.

Once we arrive at the doctor’s office, the psychiatrist gives Max some crayons and paper and he eagerly begins drawing away with in the corner while I explain as best I can my concerns. He nods as he listens, his face impassive, giving nothing away. When I’m done, he goes over to talk to Max, asking him questions about his drawings and other generic ones to make him feel comfortable.

“Is that you and your dad?” he asks gently, pointing to the picture Max is drawing.

Max nods enthusiastically. “Uh-huh.”

“And what’s he holding?”

“A big teddy and some candy that he won for me at the fair,” he declares proudly.

“Max, what have I told you about telling lies?” I chastise. “My friend who babysits him, Jessica, took him to the fair recently,” I explain.

“No! It was Daddy!” he scowls.

The psychiatrist holds up a hand to silence me, lightly shaking his head. He proceeds to question Max further, asking him to describe his father’s appearance. The description is uncanny, he was too young to have any real memories of Adam, but Max has seen photographs of his father which probably explains it.

“Now Max, do you know what dead means?” the psychiatrist asks gently.

Max nods confidently. “Yes. My daddy’s dead. It means he can’t come back and live with us because he had to go far, far away. Our hamster Hammy died too, he’s in Heaven.”

“Is that where your daddy is?”

“Sometimes,” Max replies.

“Your mom tells me that your daddy’s friends came to see you too, can you tell me about that?”

Now Max looks scared, and my heart breaks a little.

“Don’t wanna.”

“It’s okay, they can’t hurt you. You’re safe here,” the doctor soothes.

“I don’t like them. They’re scary and have no faces…”

“When do you see them?”

“At night…” Max replies.

“When you’re in bed?”

Max nods.

“And how do you know they’re your daddy’s friends?” the doctor gently probes.

“Because they said so. They say they’re going to take me to live with him.” Now Max gets even more upset and starts to cry. “But I don’t want to be dead, I wanna stay with Mom!”

I let my maternal instincts take over and embrace my son, soothing him and reassuring him I’m not going anywhere and that he’s not going to die for a long, long time until he’s a wrinkly old man. Once he’s calmed down and distracted again by the toy motorcycle his uncle gave him that I produce from my purse, the doctor and I move away to talk.

“You have nothing to worry about Ms. Miller, this is all perfectly normal,” the doctor assures me.

“It is?” I ask, chewing on my nails, a nervous habit.

“Perfectly. Max is at an age where he’s becoming more aware of his world. He goes to school with children who have fathers and wishes to have one too. Therefore, he pretends he has a father to fit in, a fun one who treats him with gifts and is the perfect father figure. It’s no different to other children’s imaginary friends. These shadowy figures in his nightmares are a manifestation of his fear and worry surrounding death. While he may not have known your husband, the concept of death is scary to a small child and the fear that he or the ones he loves may die also is incredibly common,” the doctor explains.

“So what should I do?” I ask, my gaze falling on the back of my son's head as he plays, his beautiful blond hair gleaming in the sunshine that streams in through the large windows.

“How often would you say he claims to see his father or these shadow monsters?”

“Not often, it usually seems to be when I’m not around when he’s at school or with a friend who babysits. Once or twice he’s waved at someone when we’re out and told me it was his father, but when I look there’s no one there,” I explain.

“Ah, well there you have it. He is likely struggling with some separation anxiety when you’re not around, and most likely he has a fear of losing you too. Spend time with him in the real world and he’ll soon forget his imaginary one. I’d like you to bring him back in a couple of weeks so I can check in on his progress, but for now, you have nothing to worry about,” he assures me.

“Thank you, Doctor,” I reply gratefully, feeling as if a weight has been lifted.

“Come on Max, let’s go get ice cream!” I declare happily, even though I know it’s a luxury I can’t afford.

Adam left us penniless and heavily in debt when he died. I’ve been working all hours as a waitress to make ends meet. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud I’ve done it alone, refusing to take money from my brother, whose lifestyle I’d rather steer clear of. I love him and he’s a great uncle to Max, but I don’t want to be indebted to anyone, especially not his motorcycle club, the Iron Serpents. After all the drama and danger Adam’s gambling addiction brought us, I want a quiet, law-abiding life for my son.

If Max needs a pretend-perfect father, he can have him. But I refuse to let Adam control me from beyond the grave. He haunted me enough while he was alive.

I know the truth, he was a mean drunk and a lousy father, but Max doesn’t need to.

I’m the one who's here now, and I’ll be damned if I let any man, dead or alive, get between me and my son.

Chapter 2

Emma

Two Weeks Later

“Hey Maxi, sorry I’m late!” I say as I race into the school’s reception. “Thank you, Miss Bright,” I add gratefully to Max’s teacher.

“That’s okay. Max and I did some reading while we waited, didn’t we Max?” she says to him and he nods, kicking his legs which are dangling above the floor, too small to reach the ground from his chair yet. “Wait there one sec, Max. Your mom and I need to have a little chat.”

Feeling like I’m back in school being sent to the principal’s office I follow her to one side, “Look, I’m really sorry I was late, it won’t happen again, just work was crazy and—” I start to explain but she shakes her head cutting me off.

“No, no it’s fine, really Ms. Miller, I completely understand, and Max is an angel. It’s just something happened that I thought you should be aware of,” she says, anxiously wringing her hands.

“What is it?” I ask worriedly, “Did something happen with another kid?”

“No, nothing like that. Did you ask a friend to come and collect Max today?”

“I asked my friend Jessica, but she said she was unavailable, but she’s on the approved list to collect Max. Did she come after all?” I say, confused.

Miss Bright looks uncomfortable, “No, we’d have let Ms. Woods take him, as you said, she’s on your list of approved guardians. A man was waiting with the parents at the gates. At first, we didn’t think anything of it, but then he waved at Max and called out to him. One of the teaching assistants went over since he was unfamiliar, and he claimed that you’d sent him to collect Max. She explained our policy and told him he couldn’t take Max unless he was on the approved list. The man was very polite and understanding, he told Max he’d see him soon and left.”

“Oh my god, why did no one call me?” I ask, a flare of anger flushing up.

“We tried. He really was quite convincing that he knew you, and when we asked Max if he knew the man he said he did,” she explains sheepishly.

“He did?” I ask surprised.

“Well, actually, it’s a little strange… but he called the man Daddy. Which of course is impossible… given that Max’s father is…”

“Dead,” I finish her sentence for her.

She bobs her head in one abrupt nod, “Right. So we thought perhaps he could be a boyfriend or something…”

“I’m single… What did the man look like?” I ask.

All of a sudden, I feel an irrational feeling of dread that Adam has somehow come back from the dead to carry out his promise, he always threatened he’d take Max away from me if I tried to leave. But it’s impossible. He’s dead. He drowned in a boating accident while visiting his mother in Mexico.

“He was tall, I’d say six foot, maybe, and he had a muscular build, with short dark hair and a big beard,” she explains, wearing a hopeful expression that I’ll recognize the description.

Though this description does nothing to quell my anxiety about a stranger approaching my son, it does at least relieve me of my paranoia about Adam. He was only around five ten with shaggy blond hair, a clean-shaven face, and a lean, scrawny build. Adam only enjoyed gambling on sports, not participating in them.

“I guess it could have been my brother or one of his friends…” I say uncertainly.

The description could fit Jacob, apart from the hair which he usually wears long and is salt and pepper gray. Perhaps he got it cut, and it looks darker now? Though why wouldn’t he say he’s Max’s uncle? And why would Max call him Daddy? We don’t see his uncle much, but I suppose it’s possible that, as his only male family member, Max has decided to view him as a father.

“Have you reported it to the police?” I ask.

Miss Bright clears her throat uncomfortably before replying, “Not yet. No. The school thought that, given the circumstances, we ought to speak with you before causing any undue panic. Perhaps you can speak to your brother, and we can go from there?”

“Right. Yes, of course,” I reply, hurrying over to Max, “Come on sweetie, time to go home,” I say my voice strained with the effort of trying to sound as if nothing is bothering me.

I ignore Miss Bright’s apologetic goodbyes and rush out to the car.

I feel dazed and long to take Max as far away from here as I can.

My thoughts run at a million miles an hour. All sorts of crazy theories and fears over what could have happened if the school didn’t have such stringent policies start to form in my mind.

What does someone want with Max?

No. I can’t let myself think the worst. It has to be Jacob behind this. Doesn’t it?

This kind of stunt is exactly the kind of thing my overly protective big brother would do. He wouldn’t think to check in with me or realize that the school has a permission system, he’d just show up and surprise us. It’s the reason why he’s not on the list of approved guardians. If I let Jacob back in too much he’ll go right back to being too involved in my life, treating me like a child and acting more like a father than my brother. Not that I don’t understand why. He’s twelve years older than me and growing up, our dad was absent, and our mom wasn’t around much, he’d been the one to raise me.

I feel a lot better now I’ve rationalized that it must be him. But just to be safe, I decide I’ll call him when we get home and ask.

We get in the car, and I ensure Max is safely strapped into his seat. “Did you have a good day at school kiddo?” I ask as we pull out of the parking lot.

“Uh-huh,” he replies, fiddling with his seatbelt.

“What did you learn?”

“We learned about dinosaurs!” he says animatedly, and I can tell that this heralds a new obsession for him.

“Oh, that sounds fun! You’ll have to tell me all about them later,” I reply trying to sound excited while desperately wanting to steer the conversation toward the man at the school gates. “Did anything else happen?” I ask cautiously, as I glance back at him in the rearview, I can see him squirming, uncertain if he should confide in me. “You know you can tell Mommy anything, right?”

He nods and then seemingly decides he can tell me. “Daddy tried to take me home today, but the teacher wouldn’t let him.”

“Maxi, that wasn’t your daddy sweetheart. It can’t have been,” I say gently. I know I need to emphasize how important this is without scaring him.

“It was!” he insists.

“Maybe it was someone who looks like Daddy, but it isn’t him. Daddy’s gone. Was it Uncle Jacob? Does he seem like a dad to you?” I probe.

He shakes his head vigorously, “No! It was Daddy.”

I sigh, frustrated and terrified at the same time of the ramifications if it wasn’t Jacob. “Max, I need you to understand that it can’t possibly be Daddy. Remember what we said about stranger danger?”

“That I shouldn’t talk to strangers,” he mumbles.

“Right, and that man is a stranger…”

“He’s not, he’s my dad!” Max yells.

“Max, he’s not your dad! I don’t care what he’s told you, that man is a stranger danger!” I yell back, my fear getting the better of me, “You mustn’t talk to him and if he ever comes near you again you must go tell an adult you know right away, okay?” He scowls and crosses his arms over his chest, glowering out of the window. “Max, promise me, this is very important. Stay away from that man, do you understand me?” I shout, using my best stern ‘Mom voice’.

“Okay Mommy, I will,” he replies, his eyes filled with tears that break my heart, but I need him to understand to keep him safe.

“Good boy,” I reply, my voice calmer than I feel.

My eyes land on a black SUV and I realize it has been behind us since we left the school. Usually, I wouldn’t think much of this, but in my already paranoid state, I start to watch it closely as we continue our journey. Whenever I think I’ve lost sight of it, it reappears in my rearview. As we take our exit toward the small town we live in, I start to get even more concerned when it continues to follow us. I decide to test whether or not it’s tailing us by going a longer route, taking random turns back and forth on myself, not wanting to lead whoever it is, right to our door.

“What are you doing Mommy?” Max asks when he realizes we’re not going straight home as usual.

“I’m playing a game. Do you see the car behind us? Well, it’s a bit like tag. We’re trying to get away from them,” I reply as my foot hits the gas.

I’m now certain that they're following us, and they know I’m onto them. I make the mistake of turning onto a quiet road with no other traffic and the car behind accelerates, coming up alongside our car. The huge SUV dwarfs our small Honda hatchback and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I realize what they’re trying to do. The car swerves, knocking into the side of ours and causing us to veer toward the side.

They’re trying to knock us off the road!

I grip the steering wheel with white knuckles as I stamp my foot down on the gas, focusing only on protecting my son and getting away.

“Mommy!” I hear Max say, his voice high with fear as he realizes this isn’t a game.

“It’s okay, Maxi,” I reply, trying to hide the tremor in my voice.

My little car is no match for theirs and soon they’re by my side again. Thankfully, an oncoming eighteen-wheeler forces the car to drop back, but it soon gains on us again. Luck is on our side again when I see a turn-off and I quickly take the exit, hoping to reach somewhere with more people.

Surely, they won’t try anything with dozens of witnesses?

Our pursuers must realize what I’m doing as they gain ever closer, ramming into the back of the car and sending us jolting forward. I let out a yelp and Max screams, crying in fear.

“It’s okay sweetie, Mommy’s gonna get away from them,” I try to comfort him, but my words fall on deaf ears.

When we reach the town, for the first time, I’m happy to hit traffic. The main street is busy with cars and pedestrians and the car behind me falls back. When we reach the most densely populated area, I pull into a busy diner parking lot, right up near the entrance where some people and cameras will see us. The car slows but continues to drive away and I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

“It’s alright now Maxi, we’re fine, it’s safe.” I soothe him.

I get out of the car and walk on legs that feel like jelly to the backseat where I unstrap Max’s seat and hug him tightly as he sobs into my arms. When he’s calmed down slightly, I tell him, “Come on, let’s go inside and have some hamburgers and milkshakes for dinner shall we?”

Max nods, rubbing his eyes and taking my hand, allowing me to lead him toward the brightly lit safety of the diner. I don’t want to risk going back out on the road and encountering them again. We’ll be safe here with so many other people around. But the stark reality of the situation is sinking in. Someone is after Max.

I can’t write this off as an overactive imagination, there’s a strange man who wants my son and isn’t afraid to run me off the road to get to him. I’m going to have to do the one thing I didn’t want and ask my brother and the Iron Serpents for help.

My brother might have his flaws, and I’m pretty certain the Iron Serpents aren’t exactly law-abiding, but I know my brother will do anything to protect us and it’s clear whoever we’re up against isn’t scared to play dirty either. 

As the saying goes, sometimes you’ve got to fight fire with fire.

Chapter 3

Emma

By the time I hear the familiar rumble of motorcycles that herald Jacob’s approach, Max has finally calmed down and is tucking into an ice cream sundae, his mouth ringed with strawberry ice cream like a clown, having already devoured a burger, fries, and milkshake. I dread to think what our final check will be but it’s worth the extra shifts to see him happy.

The bell above the door chimes and I look up to see the comforting shape of my brother striding in. He pulls off his helmet, revealing his trademark long, salt and pepper hair and bushy beard. These days he’s still muscular but he has a rather sizeable beer gut, resulting in Max calling him Santa on more than one occasion. Luckily, he sees the funny side and intends to get dressed up in full Father Christmas regalia this year as a surprise for Max.

Max notices me looking and swivels around in his seat, “Uncle Jacob!” he cries, leaping out and running over to hug his uncle, sticky fingers and all.

Jacob hugs him back tightly, not seeming to care about the residue of ice cream that gets rubbed all over his t-shirt in the process. “Hey, Champ, how are you?”

“I’m okay, some bad guys were chasing us, but we beat them and got to have ice cream and milkshakes and burgers as a reward!” he exclaims, his earlier terror forgotten with the arrival of his uncle and a belly full of treats.

If only I could forget so easily.

Jacob is already aware of the situation, though I only briefly explained what happened, before he insisted he was on his way and hung up. I know he’s going to grill me for more details now. I stand up as he and Max return to our table, allowing myself to be pulled into a bear hug by my big brother. His strong, solid presence makes me feel like a child again and I can’t stop the tears that well up.

“Shh, it’s okay now, J-Bird’s here,” he soothes, referring to himself as the childhood nickname I gave him, that he later adopted as his club name—though I’m sure he doesn’t reveal the true origins behind the name to his buddies.

Once I’ve collected myself, we sit down in the booth. The friendly waitress comes over to take our orders, seemingly on edge around Jacob’s intimidating presence.

“Can I get y’all anything?” she asks, plastering on a smile.

“Two beers , and a chocolate milkshake for the boy,” Jacob replies.

“Coming right up.”

“Jacob, I’m driving…”

He fixes me with a stern look that lets me know he won’t take no for an answer, “Em, after the day you’ve had, trust me, you need a drink.”

The waitress brings our drinks over and I reluctantly take mine. However, after a couple of sips, I realize Jacob was right, it is helping to calm my frazzled nerves.

Jacob encourages Max to watch something on his phone, making sure the earbuds are secure and then patiently waits for me to finish, no doubt noticing how my hands are no longer shaking so much, before he speaks. “I’ve got my men riding around within a few miles of here and your home, if they spot the car waiting for you somewhere, they’ll handle with it. I’ve also sent men ahead to check your home is safe.”

“I’m sure you didn’t need to…” I start but he holds up a hand to silence me.

“Em, I’m not playing around here,” he glances at Max to make sure he’s not listening, “You could have died. Who the fuck are these people, and why do they want Max?”

“I don’t know, but it seems as though this isn’t the first time they’ve come into contact with Max.” I hesitate before adding, “Max seems to think that the man who turned up at the school today is his dad.”

“What the fuck?” he exclaims, and I shoot him a look to tell him off for cursing within earshot of Max. “Why would Max think that?”

“He says the man told him,” I reply helplessly. “The thing is, he’s been talking about seeing his dad for a while now. I even took him to a shrink who agreed it was just an imaginary friend, but now I’m worried that it might have been this stranger all along.” I cry, my voice coming out in a strangled tone.

“Jesus Emma, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew you’d overreact and start following us around interrogating any man that so much as looked in our direction!” At his expression, I know he’s thinking that if he had done, things might have been solved by now. “I know, alright I was wrong, okay? But can we focus on who it might be and forget about it?”

“Fine,” he begrudgingly agrees. “Could it be some dude you hooked up with trying to get revenge or some bullshit?” Jacob asks, his tone implying he’d like to beat up any man who might have been involved with me.

“No. It’s impossible,” I insist. Upon noticing the doubt in his expression I add, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I haven’t dated anyone since Adam died.”

“Okay, well then maybe it’s some weirdo who has a thing for you? Have any guys at work or elsewhere shown an unusual interest in you or Max?” he asks, cracking his knuckles.

“No, nothing out of the ordinary, and no one who matches the description the teacher gave. They said he was around six-foot, muscular, with short brown hair and a beard.”

“So nothing like weaselly little Adam,” Jacob mutters.

While I agree with my brother, his dislike of Adam was always a sticking point between us while he was alive. “Jacob, he’s dead. Can you drop it?” I snip.

“Sorry,” he replies, holding up his hands in surrender before he signals to the waitress for two more beers.

“Right, so who else would be interested in taking Max from you? What about Adam’s family?” Jacob asks.

I consider it a moment but shake my head, “I don’t think so, but I suppose it’s possible… Adam wasn’t exactly close with them and aside from the odd phone call, Max has barely any kind of relationship with his grandparents. He’s never even met them. Surely if they wanted him in their life, they could just take the proper channels or ask me to meet him? I wouldn’t deny them access. There would be a whole host of options available to them before resorting to this.”

“True. But we can’t fully discount them. I’ll have someone look into it, just to be sure. Who else? Any enemies?” he probes.

“None. I’m a waitress, not a spy. I barely have any social life to speak of, I’m just a boring mom. I don’t have enemies,” I say, gesticulating frustratedly. Then, a thought occurs to me. “But you do,” I add leaning forward slightly and narrowing my eyes at my brother across the table. “Isn’t it possible that this is someone trying to get at you?”

Jacob clenches his jaw, “It had occurred to me, yes, and I am looking into it. Trust me, if it’s someone fucking with my family, they’ll regret it,” he promises menacingly, and I know he means every word. “I still want us to consider every possible angle though. If this person is claiming to be Adam, perhaps it’s got something to do with him, an enemy from his past.”

“I guess so, but Adam’s dead, why terrorize his family?” I ask, not quite believing it could be that.

“Money is a powerful motivator, Em,” he says, cocking an eyebrow and looking at me like I’m a naive fool. “Adam was a gambler with a shitload of debt.”

“Yes, but I’ve been paying that off on time every month without fail,” I reply, stung that he might be insinuating otherwise.

“I know that. But that’s just the legitimate loans that you’re aware of. What if he got into debt with loan sharks or other unsavory characters?” Jacob points out gently.

I take a deep breath. “The thought had occurred to me, but after four years, I figured that if he had done so, they’d have come knocking before now.”

“Unless it took them this long to find you. Em, you moved out of state and changed your and Max’s surname to your maiden name,” he reasons. “They might think you still have the money and want to use Max as leverage to get it back.”

Bile rises in my throat as I realize that my brother is right.

Fucking Adam. If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him for what he’s done to Max and me.

I bury my face in my hands, the horror of the situation I’m in fully dawning on me. Some strangers are after my son, and we have no idea who. And it turns out that there’s a pretty wide net of suspects that want to hurt me.

“Oh god, Jacob, what am I gonna do?” I moan.

“It’s okay, Em, you’ve got me, I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you or Maxi,” he assures me, reaching across the table to place a warm calloused hand on my shoulder.

“How?” I ask despairingly, “You can’t be with us both twenty-four-seven.”

“No, I can’t, but my club brothers can.”

I look up at him, dropping my hands from my face, “I sincerely hope you’re not suggesting a revolving constant bodyguard to sleep on my couch and follow us around,” I ask disbelievingly.

“No, not exactly,” he says carefully before explaining. “I don’t think you and Max should stay at your place at all. If these people know where Max goes to school, it’s likely they know where you live, and work. My suggestion is that you take some time off work and stay in one of our safehouses.”

“Jacob, I can’t just take off work and pull Max out of school, and even if I could, what if these guys find us all alone in some deserted safehouse?” I say exasperatedly.

“You can most certainly take time off, and just say Max is sick or something. He’s only six, what’s he gonna miss out on? Fingerpainting? And you won’t be alone. I’ll have three of my most trusted men staying with you at all times,” he replies, folding his arms triumphantly.

“No. Absolutely not,” I say, slamming my palms down on the table.

“Em, you don’t have much choice, this is serious and the only way to keep you both safe. It will only be for a short while, I promise. You have nothing to worry about with these guys, I trust them, they know better than to try anything funny,” he promises, and I can tell that he’s not going to back down, once Jacob’s mind is set, he’s as stubborn as a mule.

“Fine. But on one condition, Max still gets to go to school. It’s safe and secure there, they only let approved people collect him and I will ensure they keep an extra close eye on him. You can have your men watch the school too if you wish, but I won’t interrupt his learning. Despite what you think, he’s at an important developmental stage.”

Jacob contemplates it for a second, but he knows I’m as stubborn as he is. “Fine, agreed.”

He insists on paying the check and we all leave with Jacob following on his bike behind us. At home, I notice a couple of his men hanging around and they confirm to him that they’ve checked the place and there’s nothing to report before we go up and quickly pack our bags, ready to head to the safehouse.

Part of me regrets asking for Jacob’s help, I don’t exactly relish the idea of being sequestered with a bunch of scary biker dudes, but I know I need him. I can’t pretend this isn’t happening anymore and I’ll do anything to keep Max safe. I just hope this is all over soon, and that these bikers aren’t disgusting brutes. No doubt if my brother chose them to live with me, they’ll have the looks of chimps and the personalities of paint. I’ll just have to ignore them and hide away in my room. I packed plenty of books to pass the time.

I can’t say I’m looking forward to meeting these men. They’re part of my brother’s world, a world of danger and violence, hard men with no feelings beyond anger and lust. It’s a world I’ve been trying to avoid, yet somehow, I’m getting sucked right in.

I just hope they’re not too unbearable.

Chapter 4

Emma

As we pull up to the beautiful, stone brick house it dawns on me how remote the location is. On the one hand, that gives me a sense of security, it’s unlikely anyone would think to look for me and Max in this impressive home, but on the other, it makes me feel isolated and vulnerable. That feeling only seems to exacerbate as we park and get out of the car.

“Wow Mommy! We’re staying here?” Max asks in awe. “Look at the motorcycles!” he cries out with glee, pointing at the shiny impressive hogs parked outside.

Having never lived anywhere other than an apartment, this place must seem like a palace to him, and the bikers like rockstars. This is exactly why I’ve wanted to keep him far away from the Iron Serpents MC. I respect my brother’s decisions, but there’s no way I want this life for my son. If he grows up admiring the motorcycle club and seeing them as superstars, he’s bound to end up prospecting when he grows up. I want a nice, normal life for him with a respectable mundane job, a wife and kids, the whole nine yards. I want him to have what I tried and failed to give him with Adam. Or at least some safety and security, if nothing else.

“We sure are little man!” I reply, trying to put some enthusiasm into my voice and make this whole experience an exciting adventure for him rather than the harrowing ordeal it is.

Jacob hops off his bike and walks over to us, grabbing the bags from the trunk. “Come on then you two,” he says, jerking his head toward the front door.

“Jacob, how the hell did the Iron Serpents get a place like this?” I ask in amazement.

He shrugs, “I told you we have money. This place actually didn’t cost as much as you’d think either, it took a lot of us some serious hard labor to make it look like it does today.”

“Well, it’s beautiful and huge. How many bedrooms are there?” I ask, assuming Max and I will be sharing.

“Five, enough for you and Max to have your own rooms, and for Mason, Jax, and Ty too, they’ll be staying with you the whole time,” Jacob replies.

The names sound vaguely familiar, I’m sure I’ve heard Jacob talking about them before. Not that we talk much about the Iron Serpents. It also dawns on me that my brother is expecting three men to stay with me twenty-four-seven.

“Wait, all three of them are staying the whole time? I figured it would be one or two who rotate out, not three constantly in my space!” I reply with a groan.

“They’re the only men I trust to do this,” he replies earnestly.

“They must be pretty special to you,” I say, glancing at him sideways.

“Yep, they’re like family to me. I kinda wish I could stay with you all too and I didn’t have to get back to work,” he adds with a grin.

“Oh yeah I’m sure we’re gonna be one big happy family and this is basically a vacation, not a prison I’m being involuntarily made to hide out at from bad guys,” I reply sarcastically.

Jacob shakes his head at me, “You’re going to be fine. Nothing’s going to happen to you. You and Max are safe here.”

I nod, reluctantly accepting that he’s right. Here’s the best place for us until we figure out what’s going on. “Come on then, let’s get this over with,” I say with a sigh.

I just hope these guys aren’t all clones of my brother, one’s bad enough.

“Hey guys, we’re here!” Jacob calls out as we enter the hallway, dropping our bags down on the ground.

“We’re in here!” a deep, almost melodic, masculine voice calls back.

Jacob follows the sound, leading us into a bright and airy living room with three massive leather couches. Unsurprisingly, the football is on and there are empty beers already on the coffee table. Two of the men sit on the couches, their backs to us. 

If these guys think they’re getting a live-in maid, they’ve got another thing coming.

The thought is cut off when the two men stand up and turn to greet us.

Holy shit they’re hot!

One is about six foot four, his body lean yet muscular with tattooed biceps that strain out of his t-shirt. He has shoulder-length blond hair and a short, well-kept beard. He looks like that actor Chris Hemsworth in the Thor movies Max loves. That is, if he was also covered in tats and had a smoldering bad-boy vibe going on.

The other is no less impressive, he’s tall too, around six foot, with short tousled light brown hair and a smattering of stubble that highlights his impressive jawline. He’s even more ripped than the guy next to him, his arms similarly tattooed over his massive biceps, and I can see a tattoo on his neck poking out the top of his t-shirt. He has a dark brooding energy, the walking definition of tall, dark, and handsome.

I can feel the red flush creeping to my cheeks as I try not to stare. These are my brother's friends?

“Hey Prez, all good?” the tallest of the two asks, he’s the owner of the sexy voice we heard when we arrived.

“Yep, no sign of them. Mason, meet my sister Emma, and her son, Max,” Jacob replies, pointing to us, “And this is Ty,” he adds pointing to the dark, brooding one.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mason says with a kind smile, addressing both me and Max.

“Hi,” I squeak out, feeling tongue-tied and doing an awkward little wave.

“Hey,” Ty says with a nod of his head.

“Max, say hi,” I encourage him, reminding myself of why I’m here and it is not to gawp at hot strangers.

“Hi,” he says shyly, looking up at the men in awe. “Are you a giant?” he adds wrinkling his nose as he scrutinizes Mason.

Mason chuckles, a deep throaty sound, like a lion purring, “No. I bet if you eat all your vegetables you could grow up to be as big and strong as me.”

“Really?” Max asks with wide eyes, instantly charmed by Mason.

“Where’s Jax?” Jacob asks.

“In the kitchen,” Ty replies as Mason shouts out at the same time, “Hey, Jax, get your ass in here!”

I feel flustered enough around Ty and Mason, what the hell is a third one going to do to me? I feel like a schoolgirl, I need to get a hold of myself. I’m a mother for crying out loud!

“What’s up?” Jax says as he walks into the room.

My mouth pops open in surprise as I notice he’s wearing jeans and an apron with no shirt underneath, like some sort of naked waiter. Like the others, he’s over six foot, clearly works out, and is ridiculously attractive. He doesn’t have many tattoos on his arms unlike the other two, but he has a large chest piece that is visible under the apron and only serves to highlight his pecks. He has long brown hair that he’s tied into a topknot and is clean-shaven, though that doesn’t make him look like the boy next door type, in part because of the piercings in his eyebrow and lower lip.

In his hands, he’s carrying a pot with a wooden spoon in it, delicious smells of Italian tomato sauce waft toward me, and my stomach cramps, reminding me that while Max ate earlier, I couldn’t stomach anything because I was too nervous. Now it seems my appetite is coming back with a vengeance, and not just for food.

“Oh, hey Prez, sorry I didn’t hear you guys come in, I was in the kitchen. I thought that you guys might be hungry so I decided to make dinner, it’s nothing fancy just pasta,” he says apologetically shooting me a look, “You must be Emma and Max, I’m Jax, it’s nice to meet you,” he says with a wide, disarming smile.

He starts to walk over to us with his hand outstretched to shake my hand, but my brother cuts him off. “Jax, why exactly are you shirtless?” he asks, his voice somehow exasperated and warning at the same time.

“Oh, right, I forgot,” he chuckles, looking down at himself, “I spilled sauce on it.”

“In the future, you keep your clothes on in this house around my sister, got it?” Jacob growls, “That goes for all of you,” he adds grumpily.

“Yes, Prez,” they acknowledge in unison.

“No go put some fucking clothes on,” Jacob says to Jax, who smiles sheepishly and nods before backing out of the room.

“It was nice to meet you too!” I call out after him.

“Do you always have to be such an asshole?” I say, glowering at Jacob and swatting him with my hand. “He was trying to do a nice thing, and you act like he’s waving his you-know-what around.”

Mason and Ty snicker, evidently unused to their president being scolded.

“If he so much as takes his you-know-what out in front of you I’ll cut it off,” Jacob grumbles.

I roll my eyes, “They’re doing us a favor, remember?”

Part of me can’t help feeling a little bit disappointed that Jacob’s so clearly marked me as off-limits. Of course, three gorgeous hunks like Mason, Ty, and Jax wouldn’t look twice at someone like me. But a girl can dream…

Chapter 5

Mason

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of Jacob’s sister Emma. I presumed she’d look like him in some ways. A heavy-set, middle-aged woman with a kid, a nice lady, but not someone I’d be attracted to. If I’d known what a total smoke show she was I might not have agreed to move in and act as a bodyguard so readily. Resisting beautiful women has never been a strong suit of mine, and Emma sure is beautiful.

She’s everything Jacob isn’t. Short, petite, with big blue eyes, short blonde hair like a fairy, and an ethereal otherworldly beauty about her, high cheekbones, and full rosebud lips. She seems fragile yet the way she clapped back and bossed her brother around shows she’s no wallflower.

“Right well, it’s nice to meet you,” Emma says awkwardly to Ty and me before turning to her brother. “Is it okay if Max and I go and get settled upstairs? It’s been a long day, I want to take a shower and it’s time for Max to go to bed. He already ate at the diner.”

“But I’m not tired!” Max protests.

“Sure you are little man,” J-Bird says, scooping the boy up and throwing him over his shoulder, eliciting excited screams from Max. “Let’s get you upstairs to bed!”

Emma rolls her eyes and nods to us before following her brother upstairs.

“Shit man, she was nothing like what I expected,” Ty grumbles, watching Emma’s slender figure glide up the stairs.

“You can say that again,” I reply with a small chuckle.

A short while later, J-Bird comes downstairs closely followed by Emma, freshly showered and looking even more attractive without makeup. She smiles shyly at us as she sits down at the table next to her brother. I sit there wondering what I can say to break the ice, but luckily, Jax does that for us as at that moment, he walks in carrying a big bowl of spaghetti.

“Dinner is served, I hope you guys are hungry!” he declares, placing the dish on the table that Ty and I laid while the others were upstairs.

“Thank you, this looks great,” Emma says with a genuine smile that lights up her radiant face.

J-Bird grunts, “Don’t speak too soon, Jax isn’t known for being Suzie Homemaker.”

We dig in and the meal is surprisingly good. “You’ve been holding out on us Jax, I’m gonna make you give Chef some pointers,” J-Bird quips.

“I’d rather keep all of my fingers, thank you very much,” Jax replies with a chuckle.

“You guys have a chef working for you?” Emma asks curiously.

I shake my head, chuckling lightly, “Not exactly. Chef is one of my club brothers. He did time a while back and worked in the kitchens while he served his sentence, now he likes to cook for us all.”

“Rumor has it that while he was in jail one guy told him his food was too salty and he chopped off the guy’s middle finger,” Jax adds conversationally.

Emma looks shocked by the story and J-Bird glares at Jax. Clearly, he doesn’t want his sister to think of us all as thuggish criminals.

“I’m sure it’s just a silly rumor though, Chef’s a sweetheart,” Jax hurriedly adds.

Ty barely manages to suppress a small smile at these words, if there’s one word you’d never use to describe the beast of a man Chef is, it’s a sweetheart.

We continue to chat while we eat, steering clear of revealing too much about the club and studiously avoiding the topic of why Emma is here. As we talk, it becomes clear that Emma isn’t just attractive, she’s smart and funny too. Watching the ease with which she and her brother interact makes me wish I’d had siblings. She even brings out a softer side to him that I’ve not seen before, though he does his best to hide it. Emma makes us laugh and can come back with a witty remark at the drop of a hat.

By telling us a little about their childhood, with J-Bird pointedly telling stories of all the guys he beat up that tried it on with Emma, it confirms my suspicion that Emma must be quite a bit younger, which explains why he’s so protective of her.

“Mommy!” The sound of Max crying out in distress pulls our attention and we all immediately spring from our seats, ready to rush upstairs.

Emma looks at us with a mixture of surprise and amusement on her face, “Relax guys, I’m sure it’s just a nightmare. Jacob, you said so yourself this place is completely secure and there’s no way anyone followed us here.”

So she’s brave too, I think admiringly.

None of us move though, still uncertain.

“Mommyyyyy!” Max calls again.

“Coming sweetie,” she calls out to him before heading toward the stairs, “If anything seems off, I’ll shout out right away, okay?”

“I’ll come with you,” I insist.

She looks as though she’s about to argue, but the sounds of Max calling out again win out and she heads upstairs, allowing me to follow behind.

Emma pushes the door open to see Max sitting up in bed crying. She moves over to him, embracing him and soothing him. “Shush, it’s okay, it was just a bad dream, Mommy’s here.”

It’s clear that she’s right, he’s had a nightmare, which is no surprise after what the kid’s been through today. I back away slowly, leaving mother and son, not wanting to intrude further on such an intimate moment. I do a quick sweep and confirm there’s no one upstairs before going back down.

“All good?” J-Bird asks as he sees me.

“Yep, just a nightmare,” I confirm, taking my seat.

“Good,” he nods. “While Emma is upstairs, I want to take a moment to speak to you all.”

“You can save the ‘keep your hands off my little sister’ talk, Prez. You’ve made it loud and clear that you’ll chop our balls off if we try anything with your lil’ sis,” Jax says.

J-Bird looks a little irritated at Jax’s flippant tone, but he lets it drop, “I’m glad we have an understanding,” he says sternly. “Now, the sooner we figure out who’s trying to get to Max and Emma, the better,” he adds before running us through what Emma has already told him and who the potential suspects might be.

Ty confidently replies, “It seems to me the most likely candidates are a rival club trying to get at us, or even specifically at you.”

“I’m inclined to agree, the Hell Riders have been trying to muscle in on our turf for years, and they’ve got a new president who’s eager to prove himself,” I add.

J-Bird sighs, “It’s a strong possibility. I don’t know which I’d prefer, that it’s those sons of bitches or someone else. If it’s them, it means it’s my fault Emma and Max are in danger, but I can easily take those fuckers out. If it’s not, we’re facing an unknown enemy which I don’t like at all, but…” he says, his voice trailing off as he loses himself in thought.

He doesn’t finish his sentence, but I sense he’s thinking that at least he wouldn’t be the cause of his family’s suffering.

After a moment, he speaks again, “I’ll have the guys prioritize looking into the Hell Riders first thing. In the meantime, Mason, if you can get onto our PI, get him to look into everything that sleazeball husband of Emma’s got up to before he died. Both legitimate and illegal loans. If it’s got anything to do with his past, there should be something we can uncover.”

“Will do, Prez. What about the family?” I ask.

“Get him to look into them too, like Emma says, it seems unlikely, but it’s worth exploring every avenue,” he confirms.

At that moment, we hear Emma coming back downstairs and quickly change the subject, not wanting to worry her further. It’s our job to take care of her and Max now and keep them safe, she doesn’t need to know everything.

“Is Max okay?” Ty asks gently, surprising me a little. Ty isn’t exactly the parental type so his concern over something as trivial as Max having a nightmare is out of character.

“He’s fine, thank you,” Emma replies softly, her trusting blue eyes meeting his, “It’s been a traumatic day for him. You’ll find the bastards who are doing this, won’t you?” she says, her eyes flashing with steel that hadn’t been there a moment before, as she meets each of our gazes.

“We will,” her brother promises, squeezing her on the shoulder and we nod in agreement.

We stay up late, drinking and chatting until our Prez eventually decides to crash. “It’s late we should get to bed, we’ve got a big day tomorrow,” he says deliberately including us all in the statement.

“Of course,” Emma agrees, “Why don’t you take my bed? It’s too late and you’ve drank too much to drive home. I can share with Max for the night.”

“All right, thank you,” he agrees. When none of us begin to follow he stops and silently watches us.

“We’ll clear up and head to bed soon too, Scout’s honor,” Jax says, placing his hand on his heart and giving a mock salute.

J-Bird sighs but doesn’t fight it. “All right, no funny business,” he agrees looking pointedly at us all before heading upstairs.

With J-Bird gone, the atmosphere feels a little awkward. I’m not one to be tongue-tied, but quite frankly, meeting Emma has thrown me for a loop, and I don’t want to play with fire. Yes, she’s beautiful, but she’s also a nice lady and the sister of one of my best friends, who also happens to be the president of the Iron Serpents MC. I don’t wanna upset her or J-Bird by thinking with my dick and overstepping a line. He’s been good to me, to all of us, the Iron Serpents are more important to me than anything else in the world.

It’s clear that Emma doesn’t yet feel comfortable alone around us either as the second Jacob is gone, she pushes back her chair and starts to clear the table.

“There’s no need to do that we’ll tidy up,” I say, standing and taking the plates out of her delicate hands.

My fingers graze one of her slender fingers and she jolts back as if electrocuted. Her breath hitches and I realize I’ve invaded her personal space. I force myself to take a step back, my body feeling like it’s fighting an invisible gravitational pull emanating from her that wants to draw me in. 

Jax chimes in, detracting the attention from our awkward exchange, “Really, you’ve had a long stressful day, let us take care of it.”

She looks as if she’s considering arguing but decides against it. “All right, thank you. Not just for clearing up but for dinner, and for well, everything. I know you don’t have to do this. There are probably a million things you’d rather be doing over the next however many days other than being cooped up with a six-year-old and your friend’s sister, so thank you,” she says sincerely, though the slightly defiant slope of her shoulders suggests she’s not comfortable nor used to accepting help.

“It’s no trouble,” Ty says softly, his dark eyes smoldering as they trace the contours of her face.

“Yeah, we’re happy to help,” Jax adds with a boyish grin, his gaze involuntarily flicking a little further south than appropriate.

I know then for certain that I’m not the only one who’s fallen under Emma’s spell. I clear my throat and shoot them both a pointed glare and they immediately avert their stares.

Emma nods, though evidently, she doesn’t completely buy our Boy Scout routine. “Okay… Well, I’m going to head up to bed then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” we echo as we watch her retreat up the stairs and out of sight.

“We’re screwed,” Jax groans, voicing my inner thoughts.

“Yep,” I reply tersely, sitting back down, pouring a large shot of whiskey, and knocking it back in one.

“Hand it over,” Ty grunts, joining me.

I pass him the bottle and he pours himself a glass, Jax does the same, the dirty plates forgotten for the moment while we contemplate how the hell, we’re gonna behave ourselves spending every waking moment with Emma for the foreseeable future. Emma being forbidden fruit doesn’t make it any easier. I’ve never been very good at doing as I’m told. Usually, I want the one thing I’m not allowed.

“No wonder J-Bird kept warning us off so harshly,” Ty mutters.

“A heads up woulda been nice, if I’d known she was going to look like that…” Jax adds.

“You’d what? Have refused to help?” I sneer, not unkindly at my friend. “What was he supposed to say? Hey guys, I need you to help protect my traumatized sister and nephew's lives. Oh, by the way, my sister is a total smoke show, ten out of ten regulation hottie, don’t fuck her while her kid’s asleep. Jesus, we’re not animals, we can keep our hands to ourselves and respect Jacob and Emma,” I reply forcefully.

“Mason’s right, she’s terrified about the safety of her son, and from what little we know about her, it’s clear she doesn’t approve of the Iron Serpents, there’s no way she’d be interested in us,” Ty agrees.

“Good, so we’re in complete agreement, no one so much as looks at her in the wrong way. We do our jobs and try to think of her as a little sister,” I state.

“Agreed. She’s just one chick, it just caught us off guard is all,” Jax says, his voice a little defiant at the insinuation that he can’t control himself. “I was expecting… well I dunno, a soccer mom not a MILF,” he can’t help but add, already undermining his prior statement.

I shoot him a warning glare, “She’s not a MILF, she’s Emma, our Prez’s sister and a person we’re gonna protect, and that’s it. Got it?”

“Got it,” he replies sullenly.

I look over at Ty who holds his hands up in surrender. “I can control myself, can you?”

“I have to. We all do,” I reply taking another drink, hoping it will permit me a dreamless sleep.

The sooner we can get to the bottom of this and go our separate ways the better. The last thing I need is a beautiful woman complicating my life. Yet I already know Emma’s face will be seared into my mind, even when I close my eyes.

Chapter 6

Emma

It’s been a week since we moved into the safehouse, and we’ve settled into a sort of comfortable familiarity living together. Some days, I can almost forget the reason why we’re here. Max is still having bad dreams, but they’re less frequent and he hasn’t reported seeing his ‘dad’ nor the faceless men since. His school has been extra vigilant and there’s been no sighting of the man who tried to take him.

For the first few days, Jacob came every night for dinner to update us on what he’d found out and, mostly I believe, to make sure we’re behaving ourselves. But since then, his visits have dwindled off and now he simply calls Mason to update him. The guys are being frustratingly obtuse, keeping me out of the loop, much to my annoyance, but it’s clear they’re still no closer to figuring out who’s behind all this.

Max is at school and as usual, I’m rattling around feeling helpless and lost. While the guys have all been perfectly polite and friendly, they’ve kept their distance. Every time it feels like we’re getting to know each other better or having fun, they become distant. Although, if I’m being honest, it’s probably for the best. I can’t deny that I’m painfully attracted to all three of them.

I’m sitting in the reading nook in the window of my bedroom, trying and failing to focus on the pages in front of me. Feeling restless, I put down my book and look out of the window. I let out a small involuntary gasp when I see that the guys are out there working in the yard—if I thought they were sexy normally, watching them sweat in the midday sun takes them to a whole new level.

Although it’s early November, the day is unseasonably warm yet it’s likely to drop off cold later so they’re gathering firewood. I watch transfixed as Mason’s strong hands wield an axe, his biceps rippling as he lifts it high before swinging it down in one confident stroke, splitting the log in two. He’s wearing nothing but a wifebeater that’s damp with sweat and clings to his abs. Ty is similarly dressed, filling a wheelbarrow with prechopped wood, ready to bring it inside. He stretches and runs his hand through his tousled curls, and I watch appreciating the way his muscles contract and stretch with every movement.

My gaze is diverted away from Mason and Ty as Jax walks over carrying two huge logs on his shoulders as if they weigh nothing. My eyes practically pop out of my head as he’s forgone a shirt again and I can see his torso in its full glory. He tosses one of the logs toward Mason who impressively catches it with ease, and I find myself wondering what it would be like to be the one being carried and thrown around by these Adonises.

I’d always felt a bit superior compared to other women who fawn over ripped macho guys. Adam was anything but. He was my first love and one of the very few sexual partners I’ve ever had, and it was his personality that drew me to him. In the beginning, he was soft and gentle, romantic and shy, pretty much everything these men aren’t. Yet look how that turned out. Perhaps it’s because they’re so different that I find myself so drawn to them.

I know I shouldn’t be spying on them, yet somehow, I can’t seem to tear my gaze away. My skin prickles and my nipples harden as I watch them and there’s the telltale tingling of arousal between my thighs. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this turned on. I barely even masturbate these days, yet suddenly I feel like a horny teen. I find myself wishing I’d packed my vibrator, left forgotten in my underwear drawer back home. Almost absentmindedly I find myself stroking my nipple and biting my lip, my hand slipping inside the waistband of my pants to touch the slickness between my thighs.

I close my eyes, picturing them there with me, their strong calloused hands touching my soft skin. I glide my fingers in and out, my nerve endings on fire as I picture what it would be like to be with all three of them at once.

I’m vaguely aware of the sound of heavy boots entering the house but I’m lost in the moment, it’s been so long since I’ve climaxed that all of my senses feel dulled, and the aching need for more, for them, consumes me. The pressure builds until I can feel myself about to cum, I throw my head back, eyes closed as I arch my back and grind on my fingers, screaming out as I climax. Yet I still want more.

The door flings open wide, and I vaguely realize that the pounding sound I heard was not my heartbeat but the sounds of footsteps running up the stairs.

“Shit,” Mason blurts out in surprise, his voice aroused yet awkward. “Sorry, Emma, we heard a scream, and we thought…”

I come to my senses and realize what they must see, me with my hand still down my pants, my nipples hard from playing with them and clearly visible through the thin silk cami I’m wearing, my face flushed post climax as I sit by the window with a clear view of where they were working just a moment ago.

My immediate instinct of embarrassment is dampened when I realize that none of them have moved. They don’t look horrified by what they’ve just witnessed, dare I say it, but they almost seem… turned on. Emboldened by the fact that they’ve not immediately gone running out of the room in horror, I stand up and face them.

The movement seems to break the spell, and they all start to speak at once, “Sorry.” “We didn’t mean to…” “We’ll go.”

“Don’t,” I find myself blurting out.

And then I do something that surprises even myself. I hook my fingers into the loose silk pants I’m wearing, shimmying them over my hips and letting them drop to the floor. When none of them make any moves to stop me, I do the same with my top. The breeze on my bare breasts hardens my nipples further and my skin feels on fire under their gaze.

“Emma… we shouldn’t…” Mason starts but I ignore him and walk over to them.

I stand before him, eyes locked with his. His blue eyes are dark with desire, like the ocean before a storm. I place my hand on his chest allowing my fingers to caress the contours of his muscles, he lets out a hiss between his teeth, his body tight with tension like a coiled spring as he fights his urges.

I move to do the same with Ty, who stands there equally as stoic, but his eyes caress the lines of my body. I pull at the hem of his tank, and he allows me to pull it up over his head, revealing his rock hard pecks covered in a smattering of chest hair.

When I reach Jax, he has less self-control, he reaches out, his fingers gently tracing the line of my jaw up to my bottom lip. My lips part as I lightly graze my teeth over the end of his finger, my tongue darting out. It excites me further to see the effect it has on him.

“This is a bad idea…” Mason says, though he remains rooted to the spot, as though unable to pull himself away.

“I know,” I reply earnestly, meeting his eyes, “But I still want you. All of you.”

My words seem to break whatever resolve he had left as Mason leans down and scoops me up with one arm, hooking it tight around my waist, I wrap my legs around his torso, aware that he must be able to feel how wet I am through the plain cotton panties I have on. I kiss him and after a moment’s pause, he kisses me back passionately, carrying me to the bed and throwing me down on it. Jax and Ty follow Mason’s lead coming over to the bed on either side of me.

Jax eagerly kisses me, his tongue entwining with mine before he pulls away and begins trailing kisses down my neck, landing on my breasts and languidly teasing each nipple in turn while Ty passionately kisses me. At the end of the bed, Mason moves to part my thighs and I feel his strong hands gently guiding my panties off. I’m only too happy to help, arching my butt up, he scoops his arm under, keeping my already slick pussy exposed and angled slightly up to give him easier access. I feel his tongue flutter across my clit, and I let out a guttural moan, just the smallest of touches has me already feeling like I could explode.

My one hand reaches out to Ty, pulling at his pants and he obliges me, removing them. His already hard cock strains against his boxers and I spring it free, my hand working up and down the length of his shaft.

“Fuck, you’re divine,” he growls his dark eyes boring into mine.

I continue to tease him, though I can hardly focus as Mason expertly explores my clit with his tongue and Jax continues to fondle and tease my nipples, kissing me. My other hand trails to his pants and he too removes them, revealing his thick, hard erection, already slick with precum as I start to work his shaft.

“My god that feels good, but first we’ve gotta focus on you,” he says moving away and continuing to send shockwaves through my body as he kisses every spare inch of skin.

Mason’s strong, sure fingers are now inside me as he fucks me with them, his tongue lashing at my pussy and making me see stars as I already feel the orgasm building inside me. No man’s ever made me cum with just his mouth and hands without detailed guidance yet somehow, he knows exactly where to touch.

“I’m gonna…” I moan as my legs start to tremble and the climax builds.

“That’s it baby, cum on his face,” Ty grunts, his hand stroking my hair as he watches his friends pleasure me.

The orgasm tears through me hard and fast but it’s not enough, I need him inside me. This might be the only time we do this, and I want to make the most of it, I want all of them.

“Fuck me!” I beg.

Mason moves away but his absence is quickly replaced with Jax’s nimble fingers while he removes his clothing. He pauses for a moment looking concerned before asking, “Are you…?”

“Yes. The pill,” I answer his unspoken question.

He nods and moves toward me, positioning himself between my thighs, I can see that he’s huge, far bigger than any other guy I’ve been with. He places his tip at the entrance of my slit, and I moan, desperate for him to enter me. He does so slowly, inch by tantalizing inch, making sure my body can expand and accommodate him. He fucks me in long, languid strokes that drive me wild.

“Is that good?”

“Oh god yes!” I moan, completely lost in the pleasure.

“I want you to suck their cocks,” he orders and somehow, it’s the sexiest fucking thing that I eagerly agree to.

I take Jax in my mouth first licking and sucking, the taste of salty precum on the head of his cock, he groans as I take him in my mouth, swallowing him as deeply as I can. I do the same for Ty and begin to alternate between the two, teasing them with my hands at the same time while Mason fucks me, his thrusts getting harder and faster until I’m screaming out in pleasure, and I know the orgasm is about to hit me like a tsunami.

“Oh god, I’m going to cum Mason!” I cry out, my eyes locking with his, while I take his friends in my mouth, this seems to turn him on even more as he looks at me intensely, thrusting hard and fast.

The orgasm tears through me, my pussy clamping around his hard cock as it draws his own climax out. With one final thrust that fills me to my core, he releases inside of me, roaring like a triumphant warrior returning from battle.

My legs feel numb as the waves of pleasure still ripple through my body and my chest heaves as I breathe heavily, taking a moment to pause and allow myself to enjoy the post-orgasm high, but it’s not over yet. I’ve still got two hunks patiently waiting for their release, watching me with raw desire, and I’m determined to take them both.

“You ready for me beautiful?” Ty asks.

“Yes,” I reply breathily, allowing him to flip me over, his strong arms doing so with ease, so I’m on all fours.

Like well-practiced dancers, the guys move into position, Jax in front of me so I can continue to take him in my mouth, Mason sits to one side, content to watch, and Ty positions himself behind me, his hardness teasing me, his head stroking the length of my slit without entering me. He glides it between my slickness coming into contact with my swollen clit before pulling back again making me moan and back up against him.

“Please,” I moan, not knowing exactly what I’m begging for but just that I need to feel him inside me.

He doesn’t make me ask twice, he parts my legs further and enters me slowly. Though he’s not quite as big as Mason, the new angle feels incredible and he stretches me in a tantalizingly good way, hitting my g-spot as he thrusts in deep. I take Jax in my mouth, delighting in the way his breath audibly changes as I take him as deep as I can. With both of them inside me and Mason’s aroused stare watching, I feel more turned on than ever before.

I’ve always been too insecure about my body to fully let go during sex. My breasts too small, my frame too slight, my ass not big enough to feel sexy, but in this moment I feel like a fucking goddess.

I used to think porn was ridiculously fake, that there was no way that sex could feel that incredible that you completely lose yourself screaming and wailing like a banshee, yet here I am finding that I’ve been missing out on a whole world of sexual pleasures.

Chapter 7

Jax

To say I’m attracted to Emma would be an understatement, the first time I laid eyes on her I nearly dropped the scalding hot pan of spaghetti sauce I was carrying. But never in my wildest fantasies, of which I’ve had many in the week she’s been staying with us, did I imagine that she’d currently be giving me the best blowjob of my life while Ty makes her buck and moan in pleasure.

When we were outside earlier, I noticed her watching us. It gave me a thrill to know that maybe she felt the attraction too. When we heard her scream Mason and Ty ran up there so fast I went into autopilot, never occurring to me that it could be a scream of pleasure. But boy, am I glad we did.

Mason, Ty, and I have shared women before, but somehow this feels different, better. Perhaps it’s the fact that Emma is completely off-limits, more likely though it’s that she’s fucking amazing at this. It’s like we’re psychically connected, and she knows exactly what to do, when to change pace or use her tongue, when to go deep, and when to pull back, without ever being told. 

“You’re fucking perfect,” I groan and her blue eyes glance up through her long eyelashes to meet my gaze as she takes my cock in her mouth.

Her small, perky breasts bounce as Ty fucks her from behind with a slapping sound as their skin collides with each thrust. Mason lazily moves over to play with her clit, eliciting a guttural moan from her that vibrates down my shaft, causing me to nearly lose my composure and cum there and then.

“Oh god, I think I’m gonna cum again,” she moans almost apologetically.

“Yes beautiful, cum for us,” I groan, barely able to hold off myself. “Can I cum in your mouth?” I check, not wanting to lose control and do something she doesn’t want.

“Yes, but you don’t want to fuck me?” she pants, and I’m happy to note she sounds disappointed.

“Oh, don’t worry, I will,” I promise her.

As if our bodies are completely aligned, Emma cries out as the orgasm hits her, but like a trooper, she doesn’t forget about me for long and though she’s still cumming, she brings me to orgasm just seconds after Ty cums. To my surprise, she swallows my cum without complaint which helps me maintain my hard-on. As I promised, I’m not done yet.

I lift Emma with ease, positioning her so she’s sat in my lap, legs on either side of me and I cup her pert ass in my hands, positioning her above my cock and gently guiding her pussy onto it. She’s dripping wet from her own orgasms and the others, so she glides down the length of me, fitting me like a glove. She weighs hardly anything so I’m able to lift her up and down on my cock with ease she arches her back, thrusting those rosebud nipples out as she moans, her eyes lighting up with surprise that I can keep going.

Ty moves behind her, massaging her breasts and eliciting one of those fucking sexy moans from her lips. Mason kisses her deeply and when he pulls away, she notices he’s hard once more.

“Again?” she says, pleasantly surprised.

“Baby, we can go all night if you want us to.”

She bites her lip and moans, taking him in her hand before he stands so she can use her mouth too. Watching her suck him while I’m buried inside her pussy drives me wild and I start to fuck her faster wanting to feel her climax around my cock. Her pussy responds, gripping me like a vice and I wonder how I ever lived without her.

A week ago if you’d told me I’d be fucking the Prez’s sister, I’d have told you no way. If you’d told me she’d be the best sex I’ve ever had and that after just one lay she’d have me under her spell, I’d have told you you’re insane. And yet, as I lose myself inside her glorious pussy, watching her completely let go, unleashing all of her womanly power, I know that just once won’t ever be enough.

The Prez is gonna kill us. But honestly, right now, she’s worth it.

***

When Emma can finally take no more and we’re all well and truly satiated, we lie there on the bed, a mass of tangled, sweaty limbs as we enjoy the high that only incredible sex can bring. Emma kisses us each gently on the lips before collapsing back on the bed.

“That was…”

“Incredible,” I finish for her with a grin that she returns.

“A mistake,” Mason says, getting up and running his hand through his hair.

Out of all of us, he’s the one who is going to feel the most guilty for betraying J-Bird like this. For starters, he’s the next most likely candidate for VP and eventually president when the time comes, but he’s also the closest with J-Bird. Mason also hates letting go of control, and what we just did was the definition of losing control.

I can see the hurt in Emma’s eyes, which she quickly tries to hide. “If it was such a mistake then why do it?” she snaps. “Don’t try to pretend you didn’t want it as much as I did. A mistake is accidentally locking your keys in your car. This was not a mistake,” she insists, sitting up and glaring at him.

“Emma,” Mason says with a sigh.

“Save it, Mason. I’m sick of guys trying to excuse away their behavior by saying it was a mistake after the fact. You’re a grown man, if it was such as mistake you shouldn’t have done it.”

“You’re right. We shouldn’t have, I’m sorry,” he replies, pulling on his clothes, his jaw clenching in the way it does when he’s trying to regain control of a situation.

“Fuck your apology,” she hisses back at him, jumping up from the bed and covering herself with a sheet, throwing his tank at him.

Mason stalks out of the room and Ty awkwardly starts to gather his clothes too. No doubt torn between his loyalty to Mason and not wanting to hurt or embarrass Emma further.

“For what it counts, I don’t regret a damn thing,” I chip in, trying to lighten the mood.

Emma lets out a deep sigh. “Nor do I. But he’s right, we shouldn’t have done this. Sex only complicates things and this whole situation sure as shit is already complicated enough without us adding to it.”

“Whatever you want, Emma,” Ty says softly.

She studies him for a moment trying to read him and determine what he truly wants. Not that she’ll have any luck, Ty’s a closed book. I’ve known the man for fifteen years and even I have trouble reading him.

“I don’t know what I want,” she says with a sigh, “But I do know that my focus should be on my son right now.”

Ty nods and takes that as an invitation to leave, glancing back at her one last time before exiting the room. Emma looks so agonized and weighted down with responsibility compared to the carefree vixen that she was just moments ago that I want to reach out and kiss her to make it all go away, if only for a second.

But then she gasps, “Shit! What time is it?” she says rushing to find her phone as though it has just now dawned on her how long we were distracted. “Shit, shit, shit!”

“What is it?” I ask, springing to my feet.

“Max. I’ve got to pick him up from school.”

“Calm down, you’ve got plenty of time,” I say soothingly.

“I know, but I shouldn’t have gotten distracted. What kind of mother does that?” she says panicking.

I know she’s having trouble dealing with what just happened between us and I’m not sure if anything I say will help. So all I can offer as she rushes out the door is, “You’re an amazing mom and don’t you forget it.”

Chapter 8

Emma

I was spiraling by the time I was on the highway, now the post-sex euphoria has worn off, I feel foolish that I could have believed it meant anything to them. Mason’s harsh dismissal of me straight after tells me all I need to know. I literally threw myself at them. It wouldn’t have happened otherwise. They’ve made it perfectly clear they regretted it instantly. Sure, Jax has been sweet and said he doesn’t regret it, but I think he’s just doing that to allow me to maintain a scrap of dignity.

What must they think of me? And to top it all I got so caught up in what we’d been doing this afternoon that I lost track of time. Okay, no harm no foul, but what if I hadn’t realized it was time to leave?

Almost as if I’ve summoned up some karmic debt, the car engine makes a strange noise. “No, no, no!” I exclaim. There’s a grating sound and then I start to see smoke coming from the hood. Quickly pulling over to the shoulder I kill the engine and sit and stare at the dashboard as if it holds all the answers in the world. I experimentally try starting my car again—though what good that would do if it’s about to go up in flames, I don’t know—but there’s silence.

I pull my cell phone out of my purse and glance at the time, Max’s school is thirty minutes away and there’s no way I’ll get there in time to pick him up. I quickly call the school receptionist, but the line’s engaged.

“Damn it!” I exclaim. I try a few more times with no success.

In the end I do the only thing I can think of in this situation and call Jax. When he picks up, I breathe a sigh of relief as my words come out in a rush, “My car’s broken down, I’m not gonna be able to get Max, I can’t get in touch with the school, what am I gonna do?”

His voice is calm, “Don’t worry, just tell me where you are, and I’ll come with my truck. We’ll go get Max and the guys can arrange for your car to be towed. Just drop me a location pin, okay? I’ll be there in fifteen.”

Ending the call, I quickly sent him my location and sat on the verge waiting. I tried calling the school again, but I got nothing but the engaged tone. Thankfully, Jax turns up in record time and I jump in his truck.

“What kind of mother almost forgets her own son, a son who is already in danger, to have sex with three guys she barely knows? This is my punishment, isn’t it?”

“Don’t say that,” Jax says softly, and I realize that I’d spoken the thought out loud. “I’ve seen you with Max, you’re a great mom.”

“That’s sweet of you to say, but I don’t see how you can possibly think so, given the circumstances.”

He glances at me before returning his concentration to the road. “Emma, you’re allowed to have fun, to have a life and desires outside of being a mom. That doesn’t make you a bad parent. You didn’t forget him, you left in plenty of time, no one could have predicted your car would break down. I get the impression you’ve been putting Max and everyone else around you first for so long you’ve forgotten what it’s like to think about what you want. You shouldn’t punish yourself for being human.”

“Jax, someone is trying to kidnap my son. I don’t have the luxury of a life outside of that right now. Damn it!”

“What?” Jax asks.

“I still can’t get in touch with the school to tell them I’m running late.”

“You said yourself that the school won’t let him go home with anyone who’s not on the approved list. He’ll be there waiting for you. Anyway, if the school was concerned, don’t you think they’d have called by now? Surely no news is good news?” he reasons.

“I guess so. But I still feel like the world’s worst mom,” I reply glumly.

“Emma, trust me when I say this, I know what a bad mom looks like, and you are not it.”

He says this with such force of conviction that I don’t press the point. I sense there is something personal behind his words. He leans forward to absentmindedly rub his back, trying to scratch an itch he can’t quite reach.

“Let me,” I say without thinking, lifting up his shirt.

I gasp when I notice that his back is riddled with scars, deep straight lines, like those formed from a belt as well as small circular ones. The meaning behind his words then becomes clear.

“Oh my… Jax did…?” I don’t know how to ask, nor do I know if I should ask, how he got them.

“Yep, courtesy of dear old mom and the sick fucker she made me call Daddy gave me those. The cigarette burns are mom’s handiwork, my stepdad favored belts,” he says bitterly.

“Oh Jax… I’m so sorry,” I utter, imagining what he must have endured.

“It’s okay, it was a long time ago.”

“Still, you don’t just get over something like that,” I say gently.

“No, you don’t,” he agrees, “But you can let it make you stronger. I don’t hide my scars. When I was a kid, Mom always made me cover up, even on a hot summer day by the pool, so no one could see that she wasn’t the good Christian woman she pretended to be.”

“So that’s why you’re topless a lot,” I say, surprised I hadn’t noticed them before now.

“Well, that and my killer bod,” he says with a cheeky grin, making me laugh and relieving the tension.

“Thank you for confiding that in me,” I say earnestly.

He shrugs, “Just don’t call yourself a bad mom again.”

“I won’t,” I say with a small smile.

Somehow, Jax has done the impossible and made me feel like all of this isn’t my fault. That maybe I’m not doing so badly with Max after all.

The horrid tightness in my chest dissipates slightly and I feel grateful that Jax is here with me. I’m still terrified for Max, but I hope that Jax is right, and my fears will prove to be unfounded.

“You and Max don’t deserve this, you know.”

I shrug, “Max certainly doesn’t. But I don’t know, it’s seeming increasingly likely this has something to do with my dead husband’s debts. Which if it is, then I’m not wholly innocent.”

“How so?” he asks, a small frown appearing on his handsome face.

“I should have left Max’s dad long before he died. Then whatever financial troubles he got himself into would be his problem alone.”

Jax shakes his head, “I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that, loan sharks are nasty bastards, and they’ll go after anyone close to the person who owes them if they think they’ll pay. Ex-wife, widow, it’s all the same to them. Max is still his son.” A thought occurs to him, and he looks at me curiously, “That makes me wonder. If your husband’s family isn’t in on it, perhaps they’re also being harassed. Have you spoken to them?”

I shake my head, “Not recently, no, but you’re right it’s worth a shot. I’ll call them later when we get back.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, why didn’t you? Leave your husband, that is,” Jax asks.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. There was no one reason, more an accumulation of things. I got married and had Max when I was only nineteen. I was scared to raise Max alone and Adam could be very manipulative. He'd convince me he'd changed and for a while, he would, but then inevitably he’d drink and gamble worse than before. When he did, he took it out on me, not physically, but emotionally. My self-confidence was so low he made me believe no one would ever love me like he did.”

“You know that’s just bullshit assholes say to keep a woman they know is too good for them?”

I chuckle lightly, “You’re a lot sweeter than I expected.”

“As pie,” he retorts with a mischievous grin.

“So have you ever had someone in your life you thought maybe you could spend the rest of it with? Or has settling down never been something you wanted?” I ask boldly.

“Nope. Not that I’m against the idea. There were a couple of women I thought maybe things coulda worked out that way with when I was younger, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

“Why not?” I say, curiosity getting the better of me.

“The biker lifestyle isn’t for everyone. I didn’t want to give it up, and honestly, they were jealous of the bond I have with the guys, not just Mason and Ty, but the whole club. It’s a brotherhood, a family. They didn’t get that they would have to share me,” he explains.

“Like how you shared me earlier with Ty and Mason?” I ask cheekily.

He chuckles softly, “Not quite like that. Though color me impressed with your ability to share.”

The brief distraction and flirty banter between us are immediately forgotten as we pull into the town where Max’s school is. My heart starts to race as we approach the building. As we pull into the completely deserted parking lot fear and panic start to set in.

“It’s empty. Oh my god, Jax, it’s empty! Where is he?” I cry out in anguish.

“Maybe someone is waiting inside with him,” Jax says, though we both know that’s unlikely.

“All of the lights are off and there are no cars in the lot!”

“Maybe one of the teachers takes the bus,” he says, “Come on, let’s try the doors.”

We get out and I run over to the doors, pulling on them and banging on windows and doors like a madwoman but it only confirms what I already know.

“He’s gone.”

Chapter 9

Jax

“Emma, calm down, it will be okay,” I say placing my hand on her shoulder as she is in full hysterics having a panic attack.

“How will it? They have my baby!” she howls in anguish.

“Emma just think for a second. Is there anywhere else he might be? What about your friend? Didn’t you say her son is in Max’s class and she often takes him to hers after school for you?”

She shakes her head, less certain now though, “She does, but she’s never done so without telling me before. She’d have called or texted me to let me know, wouldn’t she?”

“Call her, it’s worth a shot before we jump to conclusions.”

Emma nods, her hands shaking as she retrieves her phone and calls her friend.

“The lines dead!” she says her breath becoming frantic again.

“Alright, take a deep breath for me, Emma, can you do that?”

She nods and sucks in huge gulps of air.

“That’s good, Emma. Where does Jessica live, is it close? Could you direct me there?” I ask calmly and forcefully, trying to keep her focused.

She nods again and I lead her back to the car. With a task to focus on, Emma’s breathing calms a little as she directs me to Jessica’s but I can see the terror still in her eyes. She’s clinging to this life raft with all she can. If Max isn’t there, I don’t know what she’ll do.

***

Jessica’s home resembles a normal family home, the front yard littered with toys carelessly strewn, forgotten by her two kids. I know from the small background check that we did on Jessica to make sure she is who Emma thinks she is that she’s a divorced mother of three. A homemaker who lives off child support from her ex and a small baking business on the side. Mercifully, the lights are on inside, I follow as Emma races out of the car and up the driveway, hammering on the door with a closed fist.

“What’s taking so long?” Emma says, banging the door again when it isn’t immediately answered.

Without thinking, I grab Emma’s hand, interlinking her delicate fingers with mine, the gesture feels natural, yet I can’t remember the last time I held a woman’s hand. Emma looks at it in surprise.

“Emma, just breathe, give her a chance to make it to the door.”

Emma nods, squeezing my hand. The door opens and a ruddy-cheeked woman wearing a flour-covered apron around her sizeable frame answers the door. The smell of baking wafts toward us and the sound of children’s laughter can be heard. The place feels warm and inviting, the kind of clean, yet messy household where children turn it into a home. Upon seeing her friend, Emma pulls her hand from mine as if scalded. The woman glances at us both, clearly having noticed, but doesn’t comment. Though she does seem slightly taken aback by my presence, I don’t exactly look like the kind of guy hanging around in suburbia. Her wary gaze shifts from me and instead, she focuses her attention on Emma.

“Emma honey, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she says her brow furrowing in concern.

“Is he here? Is Max here?” Before Jessica can answer Emma cries out into the hallway, “Max!”

“Yes, he’s here, Emma, what’s going on?” Jessica asks as the sound of Max excitedly yelling out, “Mommy!” rings out.

Emma visibly sags with relief as her little boy comes racing out of a back room and toward her.

“Mommy! We made cookies!” he declares.

Emma pulls him into a tight embrace, burying her nose into him and breathing him in before showering him in kisses.

“Mom!” he squirms and giggles, seemingly embarrassed at the display in front of his friend who had appeared behind him.

“Sorry sweetie, Mommy’s just so happy to see you,” Emma says, seeming to decide it is wise not to let Max know she thought he’d been taken. “Why don’t you go and get your things while the grown-ups talk?”

“Okay,” he agrees. “Auntie Jessica, can I take some cookies home for Mommy and our friends?”

“Yes of course dear, take as many as you like, Lucy will help you,” Jessica replies before calling out, “Lucy, come help the boys box up the cookies!”

A girl appears, the sound of pop music wafting out from the opened door. The girl’s still in the awkward phase of early adolescence where they’re too young to be considered a true teen but too old to be a child. She glances over at us, her face reddening as her eyes land on me and she scuttles off to the kitchen.

With the children now out of sight, Emma rounds on her friend. “Jessica, what the hell? Why didn’t you tell me you’d taken Max home? I was worried sick that something terrible had happened!”

Jessica tilts her head, “The school didn’t inform you? When I got there and saw poor Max waiting for you, I figured you must have gotten held up at work again, so I said I’d bring him home to wait for you, I asked them to let you know. Ben knocked my phone into the bath last night during bathtime, I haven’t had a chance yet to fix it or lese Id have texted you.”

Though she says this in a sickly sweet way, the subtle undertones of her judgment irk me. Not everyone can afford to care for their kids without working, Emma shouldn’t be seen as a worse mom for it. Perhaps I’m projecting, but I’m not buying Jessica’s holier than though, bit.

Emma shakes her head, Jessica’s words making her wince and I know she’s blaming herself already. “No, they didn’t… when I got there, I was worried sick that he’d been taken.”

Jessica looks at Emma with an expression bordering on pity. “Well, surely you must have realized he’d be with us, he comes here often enough and it’s not like there’s any danger in our small town. When Adam and I were little, we used to get up to all sorts of mischief after school, playing in the creek and returning home after dark, muddied and tan,” she says wistfully.

I glance at Emma in surprise, wondering if the Adam Jessica mentioned could be her husband. Surely it must be, but why wouldn’t Emma have mentioned that? Though I suppose why would she? It’s clear she doesn’t like to talk about him much. But, if Jessica has a connection with Adam and he’s the reason these guys are after Max, then her house might be known to them and therefore no safer than his own. She hasn’t confided in Jessica about the risk against Max, another curious choice. I resolve to talk to Emma on the way home about it.

“No, Jessica, I didn’t know where he was because no one told me,” Emma says through gritted teeth trying to keep her voice level.

“Oh, you poor thing of course you must have been worried sick! I’ll have a word with the school, they shouldn’t have scared you like that. Now of course I understand they must have been eager to get home, working as hard as they do, and that they can’t give extra care and attention to parents who need more help than others with caring for their children, but the least they could do was pass on my message.”

Again, I bristle at her barely veiled insinuations, while Emma wilts further. “Well, at least he’s safe, thank you for looking after him.”

“Oh it’s no bother, little Max is an angel, he’s just like one of my own to me!” Jessica pauses for a moment before looking around as if surprised to find us still standing on the porch. “My, how rude of me to make you stand outside this whole time! Would you and your… friend…” she finally looks at me, the disapproval evident in her eyes, “Like to come inside for something to eat? Dinner’s almost ready, you’re welcome to join us. Little Maxi could use a good meal, he’s been getting mighty skinny of late. Boys at this age need proper home-cooked meals, which I know you working moms can’t always provide, being so busy with your careers and all.”

Now this lady’s starting to piss me off. Emma again flinches at her words. No wonder she judges her parenting if this is the kind of friend she has.

I decide to answer for Emma, there’s no way I’m going to sit through a whole dinner with this woman showing off her ‘superior’ parenting skills and home. “Sorry, no can do, as much as I’d love to see the rest of your beautiful home and try your cooking, I promised Emma and Max I’d take them out somewhere special for dinner tonight. Perhaps another time.”

I flash her a grin and she’s barely able to hide her shudder, I intimidate her. Good.

“How nice of you Mr.?” she replies, her gaze flicking to Emma. I’m surprised the nosy bitch didn’t ask who I was the moment we arrived.

“Oh, yes sorry. This is my friend, Jax. Well, my brother’s friend…” Emma says, flustered and not knowing what else to divulge.

Jessica sniffs disapprovingly, though I can tell she’s aware of Emma’s brother’s connection to the Iron Serpents and that she’s correctly guessed I’m one, as she moves her hand to rest on the door as though involuntarily trying to get rid of us as fast as possible. “Nice to meet you,” she says, though her body language says otherwise. “Maxi, your Momma’s ready to go!” she calls out.

Max reappears clutching his school bag and a Tupperware container stuffed full of cookies. “Look, Mommy! Lucy said I could have extra to share with Mason and Ty when we get home!”

Jessica’s eyes widen with surprise, and likely jealousy, at the mention of two more men at Emma’s home. I chuckle to myself, I’ve got a pretty strong idea I know exactly the kind of small-town small-minded woman Jessica is.

“That’s nice of you sweetie. Now say goodbye and thank you to Auntie Jessica,” Emma says awkwardly, avoiding her friend’s questioning gaze.

“Thank you!” he says, giving her a brief hug before turning his attention to me. “Hi Jax, I have a cookie for you too! Do you want it now?”

“Thanks, lil’ man, I think I’ll save it for after dinner, we don’t wanna spoil our appetites, do we?” I say bending down so I’m at eye level with him. He shakes his head, and I ruffle his hair. “Go on and get in the truck with your mom, I’m gonna say goodbye to Miss Jessica.”

Emma shoots me a nervous glance, but I nod and smile at her reassuringly. “Bye, Jessica, I’ll speak to you soon,” she says before walking toward the truck, Max’s hand in hers.

Jessica looks startled to be left alone with me, caught like a deer in headlamps. “You be sure to get that phone fixed, as a mother, you know exactly how terrified she must have felt not knowing where her baby was. We don’t want that happening again now, do we? To her or anyone else.”

I let the words linger. I’d never dream of harming a child, no matter who their parent was, or what they’d done. But Jessica doesn’t know that. Hopefully, this will scare some sense into her, and she’ll think twice before waltzing off with someone’s kid without letting them know like she’s doing them a favor. Jessica shakes her head mutely with a gulp.

“You have a good night now,” I say before heading to the car, I hear the door immediately slam behind me by a shaken Jessica.

“Now, where do you guys wanna go for dinner?” I ask as I get in.

“Oh, you don’t need to do that…” Emma says shaking her head, “You’ve done so much already for us.”

“Nonsense, I want to. Besides, I figure you could use some downtime after everything,” I insist and Emma smiles gratefully at me.

Her smile lights up her face, I just know I’m gonna become addicted to making her smile. I also know Mason is going to tear me a new one when we get back. This is the exact opposite of keeping my distance and not getting involved beyond what we’re here to do.

But right now, with Emma and Mason laughing and smiling happily, I couldn’t care less about following the rules.

Chapter 10

Emma

Today has been a whirlwind of emotions, to put it mildly. I went from having the most out-of-this-world, mind-blowing sex with not one but three, super-hot guys—who are expressly forbidden, making it all the more naughty—to then having my pride wounded by Mason’s harsh dismissal, followed by the sheer terror of losing Max, then utter relief of finding him safe. I feel completely exhausted, both mentally and physically. Jax has been a rock to cling to throughout this nightmare, his strong presence and lighthearted jokes even in the most horrible of situations helped me hold on.

While I wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in bed with Max by my side, no way am I letting him out of my sight tonight, Jax’s offer of dinner turned out to be a welcome moment of normalcy. Max is having so much fun with Jax playing and goofing around with him and I feel like I finally let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Besides, it's helping me to delay the inevitable awkward encounter that’s about to happen.

Seeing Mason and Ty again is going to be unbearably awkward. I’ve no idea how I should act. Obviously, Jax and I haven’t been able to discuss what happened earlier. First, our focus was on finding Max and now he’s been with us the whole time, so we haven’t exactly been able to discuss what to do following our impromptu foursome. It’s not like this is a scenario I’ve been in before, or anyone else I know of, for that matter.

“So, what’s Jessica’s deal? Like how did you become friends?” Jax asks, tucking into an egg roll.

Max is happily digging into his plate of egg rolls, dumplings, and fried rice, paying little attention to the adults. Mason chose a Chinese restaurant for dinner, much to Jax’s surprise. It makes me proud that my little man enjoys trying new foods and isn’t a fussy eater.

“She was Adam’s friend, really. They grew up here together and went to the same school Max and her kids now go to. Jacob and I moved here when I was sixteen, that’s when I met Adam. He was sweet, he knew I was new in town and had no friends, I was painfully shy, so he was kind to me, my only friend. Jessica didn’t pay much attention to me to start with, I was just this kid who Adam chatted to occasionally. But then when I was almost eighteen our friendship became something more and by nineteen, I was pregnant with Max.”

Jax raises his eyebrow in clear disapproval, but he doesn’t say anything about me and Adam. Instead, he says, “I’m surprised your brother didn’t kill him.”

“Oh, I think he would have if he’d known more. By the time he realized we were dating it was too late, Jacob was in jail for some stupid bar fight. I was eighteen and alone. When Jacob got out, I was pregnant and engaged. He certainly wasn’t happy and made sure Adam knew what would happen if he hurt me. But the damage was done. We got married and moved away shortly after Max was born, to San Diego. We didn’t see much of Jessica or my brother after that. I think Jacob was probably one of the reasons why Adam wanted to move so badly, he didn’t want my overprotective brother breathing down his neck,” I say with a shrug, taking a bite of orange chicken.

“Seems like you could have used overprotective. Given how things turned out,” Jax grunts.

I glance at Max, making sure he’s not listening too intently, he’s merrily kicking his legs and chowing down still, humming to himself happily while he eats.

“Yes. There are a lot of things about my life with Adam I wish were different. But I don’t regret it. Max is the greatest gift life ever gave me, I wouldn’t change a single thing if it meant I wouldn’t have him in my life.”

“You’re a great mom,” Jax says, smiling at me and leaning over the table to squeeze my hand, looking as surprised as I am by the gesture before quickly pulling it back. He clears his throat, taking a sip of his drink, “So why did you move back here?”

“I didn’t have any friends in San Diego, and after Adam died, there was nothing for me there anymore. I’d never been happy there. I don’t really have friends here either I suppose, but Jacob was here. He’s the only close family Max and I have left, it seemed right. When we got back, and Max started school I became reacquainted with Jessica. She’s been a godsend, helping out with Max.”

Jax grunts disapprovingly, “And I’m sure she never lets you forget that.”

“She’s just old fashioned sometimes, thinks that women should stay at home to care for the kids,” I say defending her, even though I know Jax has a point.

“Well, not all women have the luxury, do they.”

“Mommy, I’m full, can I get dessert?” Max interrupts our conversation.

“Eat some more of your broccoli, then you can.”

Max pulls a face and looks at Jax for back up. Jax holds up his hands, “Don’t look at me kiddo, do as your mom says!” he says with a grin.

After we’ve finished our meals, which Jax insisted on paying for, we can no longer put off going home. Jax has kept the guys informed of what’s happened, so they don’t worry about where we’ve gone. But they’ll no doubt question why we’re taking so long if we stay out longer, the last thing we need is them riding in here, guns blazing thinking there’s a problem. So reluctantly, we load back into the truck and head home.

***

Once we get to the safehouse, I’m hoping I can just avoid speaking to Mason altogether and go straight to bed, using Max as my excuse. However, luck isn’t on my side today since I notice my brother’s motorcycle, gleaming in all its glory parked in the driveway as we pull up. Great, the last thing I need is my brother noticing something’s off between the guys and me and figuring out what happened.

Jax and I exchange nervous glances—clearly, he’s thinking the same thing. “I take it Jacob didn’t tell you he was coming tonight?” I ask.

“Nope…”

“Well, let’s hope it’s just a random house visit. He may actually kill you guys otherwise,” I joke. At Jax’s stricken expression, I add, “I’m kidding. Or at least, I hope I am.”

“You’re not going to…”

“Heck no! Trust me, the less he knows the better,” I reply, glancing back at Max, grateful that he’s nodded off. Kids this age are like sponges, the last thing we need is him repeating something he overheard.

Jax nods, relieved, before looking back at Max. “Want me to carry him in for you?”

I shake my head, “It’s okay I can do it.”

Jax looks at me skeptically, eyebrow raised. “Emma you gotta be one hundred and ten pounds soaking wet. Let me help. Please.”

“Fine.”

We get out of the car and Jax lifts Max out of his seat with ease, Max stirs slightly before settling back to sleep, his cheek resting on Jax’s shoulder. The second we open the door Jacob comes running over, the guys close behind.

“Where the hell have you been? Do you care to explain what the fuck happened today?” Jacob demands, scowling at me.

“Shh, Jacob, Max is sleeping,” I reply, trying to buy time and wondering if ‘what happened’ refers to me being late to collect Max, or we’ve got bigger problems, and it means he knows about me and the guys. “We told you, we went for dinner on the way home from collecting Max from Jessica’s.”

“Why didn’t you call me, Emma? And why the hell didn’t you take all the guys with you to look for Max if you thought he was missing?” he hisses, lowering his voice.

I resolutely ignore Mason’s penetrating gaze as it bores into me, no doubt willing me to stay silent, Ty remains stoic and unreadable. I meet my brother’s eyes.

“Because I didn’t know anything was wrong. When I broke down, I called Jax to see if he could help, and he offered to drive me to the school. For all I knew, he was perfectly safe and sound still at school, and when we got there, he was gone. But before we panicked and called the cavalry, we’d did the logical thing and checked if Jessica had him. As it turns out that was the right thing to do as he was fine, and the school had simply forgot to inform me.”

I’m totally lying, of course, I was convinced that something bad had happened, but Jacob doesn’t need to know how bad it could have been.

“You still should have all gone,” he grumbles, but he knows what I said makes sense.

“Jacob, it was just a normal school pickup, we can’t all go every time. It would arouse attention and no doubt concern from other parents if Max got picked up by his mom and three bikers each day,” I say rolling my eyes at him.

“I guess you’re right. The last thing I want is people getting the wrong impression and thinking my baby sister is shacking up with three dudes,” Jacob says, as though the notion is ridiculous and beyond his comprehension to be something that could possibly happen.

Shit. He is going to blow a gasket if he ever finds out.

“Haha, yeah, right!” Jax laughs, a little too loudly if you ask me, pretending the suggestion is crazy.

If looks could kill, Jax would drop down dead from the side-eye Mason shoots him.

“Right, well, I need to get this little one up to bed and then I’m gonna take a long bath and then get into bed and relax, too,” I say, wanting to change the subject and get out of there as fast as I can. “Good to see you Jacob,” I add giving him a peck on the cheek.

If anyone thinks it’s odd that I’m going to bed before nine pm, they don’t raise it. Probably because the guys don’t want me around them any more than I want to be and my brother would like to believe I’m always in bed early, like a good pious and celibate girl.

“I’ll bring him up for you,” Jax says quietly, nodding to a still-sleeping Max in his arms.

I nod and allow him to carry Max upstairs to his bedroom. I should wake him for bathtime and brush his teeth, but he looks so peaceful that I don’t have the heart to. I’ll be sure to wake him early for a bath and make him brush his teeth for longer in the morning, I decide.

“Thanks, Jax, for everything. I don’t know how I would have coped tonight without you,” I whisper.

Jax shrugs, “It was no trouble. I had fun, despite the panic over Max that is. He’s a great kid, and you’re a brilliant mom, don’t let anyone make you think otherwise,” he says in a rare moment of sincerity.

I wait a moment, expecting some sort of joke, I’m learning this is how he handles serious moments, but none comes. So I just smile at him, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Thanks.”

“Goodnight, Emma,” he says with one final lingering look that makes me feel hot and bothered and start thinking about our sex earlier before he gently closes the door behind him, and I hear his footsteps receding away.

I tiptoe out of the room, quietly heading to the room next door to fetch some of my things. I try to avoid looking at ‘the scene of the crime’, my bed still crumpled and clothes from earlier scattered around. I quickly grab some pajamas, my towel, makeup remover, and my toothbrush and toothpaste from the small ensuite. I also grab my book from the bedside table. I’m going to soak in the tub which is in the main bathroom, my ensuite only has a small shower.

After drawing myself a hot bubble bath, I slide into it, allowing the warm water to soothe my tight muscles, still tense from the stress of the day. Between my thighs feels deliciously tender from the hours of sex. My nipples poke out through the bubbles and, unbidden, the memory of them being teased by Mason, his beard scratching along my skin, pops into my mind. I absentmindedly caress myself, closing my eyes and picturing their hands, mouths, and bodies entwining with mine. It was the single most incredible sexual experience of my life. I felt on top of the world, like a total sex goddess. That is until Mason opened his big mouth afterward. That memory snaps me out of my reverie.

Fucking Mason.

If having sex with me was such a huge disappointment that he regretted it instantly, then he should never have done it. We’re all consenting adults. Any one of us could have walked away or stopped it at any time. Yet we didn’t. We made a choice. He doesn’t get to pretend he’s better or gets to decide now what we should have done.

Jax doesn’t seem to think it was such a terrible mistake.

I wish I knew what the hell Ty thought, but I’ve no clue.

So why is it Mason’s opinion that’s bugging me?

Do I think he’s right?

Do I regret what happened?

I ponder this for a moment. By all accounts with how women are taught to behave when it comes to sex, I should feel regret, even shame. Yet I don’t. Given the chance, I’d do it again, even if it might be a reckless and crazy idea. I can’t deny the fact that I enjoyed it and that I find all three of them attractive, even pigheaded Mason.

Is it so wrong for me to enjoy some sexual pleasure?

I sigh and sink down underneath the bubbles, enjoying the echoing distorted sounds of the house around me for a moment before coming back up. Deciding I need a distraction, I dry my hands and open my book, turning to the page I was last on.

It’s only when the water is cold that I realize I’ve been reading for a while. I love how books can transport you away from your worries into another world, if only temporarily. Marking my place, I put the book down and climb out of the tub, wrapping the big fluffy towel around me and brushing my teeth before putting on my pajamas, a Chinese silk pair I got from Jessica for my bachelorette party. She was my maid of honor, as I had no other real friends and Adam forced the issue.

As I head out into the corridor, I can hear the sounds of the guys talking downstairs. When I realize it’s about me, I can’t resist the urge to eavesdrop and I creep halfway down the steps, straining to hear them.

Whoever warned that listening into people’s private conversations means you’re likely to hear something you don’t like was completely right.

Chapter 11

Mason

The second the door shuts behind J-Bird, I round on Jax. “What the fuck man? It’s bad enough we made the mistake of fucking the Prez’s sister like some common club bunny this afternoon, then you gotta make it worse by riding in like her fucking white knight? Acting the savior and then playing happy families taking her and the kid out for dinner? Wake up man, she’s off limits. What the fuck were you thinking?”

I know exactly what he was thinking, he’s got that hangdog look about him that tells me the stupid bastard has gone and started having feelings for Emma. Ty comes to the same conclusion as me, voicing my thoughts.

“Fuck, man. You like her, don’t you?” he says, raising an eyebrow.

I can tell from Jax’s stricken expression that he does. Hell, we all like Emma, there’s nothing not to like. But wisely, he doesn’t voice this, he lets his rational mind do the talking. I’m not about to say that either. The best thing for all of us is to pretend this afternoon was a meaningless mistake. 

“No. Of course not, I barely know the chick. I was just doing my job, making sure the kid was okay. Taking them for dinner meant nothing. I just had to sweeten her up, didn’t I? The last thing we want is for her to go running her mouth to J-Bird and tell him that his best friends fucking used her as a spunk rag,” he says, his crudeness giving away that he doesn’t see her that way at all.

He thinks he can lie to himself as well as us. That makes two of us.

“Fine,” I say, though I don’t believe him for a minute. “But from now on we keep things strictly professional around Emma. She’s just a girl, she’s nothing special.”

“Easy peasy,” Jax declares jutting his jaw out. “You know there’s a line of bunnies at the club waiting to suck my cock.”

I look to Ty who shrugs nonchalantly. “Sex is just sex, and beautiful or not, Emma is just one woman. The Iron Serpents come first. One fuck doesn’t change anything. I can control myself.”

I stare at them making sure my point is heard, that they know how serious I am. Having sex with Emma was a huge mistake.

“Good. The sooner we find out who is after her kid, the better. Then we can get back to the club and far away from Emma. First thing tomorrow, Jax and I will go pay a visit to Bess. She knows everyone and has eyes and ears throughout the county, if anyone can help us find out what’s going on, it’s her,” I explain.

“Is your contact the hot redhead with the massive tits?” Jax asks.

I nod. “You know damn well who she is,” I grunt, shooting him a look. “Hopefully, she’ll be willing to share some info with us, for a price. Doesn’t matter how close we were back in the day, with Bess there’s always a price.”

“Oh I bet I know the price,” Ty chuckles. “Why haven’t we gone to her sooner?”

I ignore his insinuation, answering the question, “Because Bess usually drives a hard bargain.”

“I’ll bet she does,” Jax chuckles.

I ignore him, continuing my explanation. “If we could find out another way it would be best, but it seems we need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”

“Ty, that means you’ll need to stay behind to keep an eye on Emma and Max. Think you can handle it?” I ask.

Tomorrow is Saturday so Max will be home all day with Emma, yet another reason I want to go out. I don’t want to have to be stuck indoors playing happy families. I wouldn’t even know how to act around them both. Fucking and fighting I can do. Hanging around with a young kid and a woman I find myself inexplicably drawn to but is utterly off limits, I have no idea how to act.

“Sure. Piece of cake,” Ty agrees with a shrug.

My guess is he’ll just quietly stand guard while they amuse themselves. He’s not one for small talk or worrying about social conventions or being polite. Which is why he’s the perfect one to stay behind. Jax will be too friendly and give off the wrong impression, and I’m cold and distant when I’m uncomfortable. I’d probably make Emma think I hated her guts just by trying to avoid getting into a situation like this morning again.

Not that I think I’m irresistible or anything. I’ve no idea what Emma’s thinking, perhaps she believes it was a mistake and regrets it. Chances are that’s exactly how she feels.

I don’t know why the thought makes me feel a little wounded.

At that moment, the sound of a creaking step grabs our attention. We freeze, listening for the culprit. A second later there’s the quiet but unmistakable sound of a door gently being closed.

“Shit, do you think she heard us?” Jax asks, looking guilty as hell.

“It doesn’t matter either way. It doesn’t change things,” I reply though I feel a knot in my chest at the thought of Emma hearing the callous way we were talking about her. “She’s probably relieved that we’re not going to be salivating over her and pushing for it to happen again. She probably regrets it. A nice woman like her isn’t going to be interested in guys like us. She had her fun, wild experience, but that’s all we were to her. Don’t kid yourselves otherwise. It’s better this way,” I insist, though the words sound hollow even to my ears.

***

It’s quiet downstairs when I wake up the next morning. Usually, Emma and Max are up early and in the kitchen at this time, fixing breakfast. But this morning the kitchen feels empty and cold in their absence. The smell of homemade pancakes and sizzling bacon are missing as are the usual sounds of chatter and laughter over the bright kids’ cartoons playing on the TV. It’s funny how quickly I’d grown accustomed to our morning routine, to seeing them there.

Without thinking, I head upstairs to check on them, it’s not normal for them to be in bed still at this hour, and they went to sleep early last night. But as I reach Max’s door, I can hear the sounds of him giggling inside, Emma’s melodic voice talking back in hushed tones.

She heard us last night. That much is clear. She’s obviously waiting for Jax and me to leave before coming out. Or perhaps she intends to hole up in Max’s room all day.

I feel like the world’s biggest asshole. But if that’s what I have to be to keep them safe and prevent this messy situation from becoming any more complicated, then so be it.

Fighting the urge to knock on the door and go inside to apologize, I spin on my heel and head toward Jax’s room. I rap on the door in two short, sharp bursts of my knuckles. I can hear Jax moving around inside and a second later he answers the door, his hair still wet and a towel slung around his waist.

“Hurry up. We leave in five,” I bark at him, already turning and starting to head back downstairs.

“What about breakfast?” he asks, confused by my urgency.

“We’ll grab something on the way,” I call out over my shoulder before making a beeline for the front door.

I need to get out of this house, away from Emma and the guilt I feel. I need to focus on the task at hand. On making sure she and Max are safe so that everything can go back to normal. Although I suspect that nothing will be the same again.

***

As we pull up to Bess’ house, I’m unsurprised to find her laying on the floor of her garage under an impressively large Harley with a wrench in hand and heavy metal music blaring out of the speakers.

“Bess!” I yell out, trying to be heard over the noise. After calling out to her a few times with no response I nod to Jax to go turn off the music. With the blaring metal coming to an abrupt stop, we finally have Bess’ attention.

“What the fuck?” she grumbles as she appears from under the bike.

When her eyes land on me her scowl turns into a smile. “Well, fuck me sideways if it isn’t Mace! What are you doing here?” she says coming over to hug me.

“It’s good to see you Bess,” I say, pulling back to take a look at her. “You look well.”

She’s in her usual outfit of a white tank stained with black grease, a pair of overalls slung low on her hips, and a bandanna wrapped around her forehead, the bright red flames of her hair pulled back into a messy plait. Her skin is tan and thick with grime from working for hours in the sun.

“And you look like shit,” she quips, flicking me with the rag she has in her hand. “I take it this isn’t a social call?” she astutely observes.

“Fraid not,” I reply with a shake of my head and a shrug.

“Well, why don’t you two come on up to the house for a drink and we can talk?” she says, not waiting for a response as she starts to stride confidently toward the house.

Chapter 12

Emma

After overhearing the guys’ conversation I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I felt like a stupid teenager with a crush hearing that the boy she likes doesn’t like her back. With my pride wounded, I slunk into bed with Max, vowing that I would avoid them at all costs the next day.

Max woke me up at the crack of dawn, I’m feeling decidedly unrested, having tossed and turned all night. Reluctantly, I groggily got out of bed after it became clear my excitable six-year-old doesn’t do lie-ins.

Max wasn’t thrilled about having his Saturday morning breakfast routine changed to silently eating cereal as quickly as possible before the guys woke up, but when I told him that after his bath, we were going to play a special game he perked up. The ‘game’ was mostly hiding in his room, making a fort from blankets, and playing whatever I could think of to keep an active six-year-old boy entertained in just one room. But he soon tired of it and started wanting to go outside.

“Mom, I’m bored can we go watch cartoons?” Max asks me for the tenth time that morning.

Finally, my resolve breaks. By the sounds of it, Jax and Mason left about half an hour ago and I haven’t heard them come back, so that’s something. With any luck, Ty will be as reluctant to see me as I am to see him.

“Alright, fine. But only for a little while,” I concede.

Max lets out a whoop of excitement and races out the door. “No running on the stairs, Max!” I call out after him.

I can hear Ty greeting him downstairs and Max excitedly chattering away before the sounds of his favorite cartoon come floating up the stairs. It seems I’ll have to face Ty after all. Not wanting to do so looking a mess, I quickly head to my room to shower and make myself presentable.

When I come downstairs some ten or so minutes later, Max is sitting on the sofa with Ty eating what appears to be a sandwich and chatting Ty’s ear off in between bites, explaining his cartoon to Ty with gusto. They both look up as I enter the room, Ty has the grace to look a bit sheepish so it would seem they know I overheard them last night. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

“Hi, Mom! Ty made me a PBJ sammich!” Max declares, proudly holding it up in his sticky fingers.

“I can see that, did you say thank you?”

Max nods his head vigorously.

“I hope that’s okay, he said he was hungry…” Ty says awkwardly.

“It’s fine, thank you,” I reply my tone coming out harsher than intended. “Where are Mason and Jax?” I ask, deciding to feign ignorance.

Ty contemplates how to respond for a moment, stroking his jawline in a gesture that is surprisingly sexy and has me feeling flustered. He glances at Max and me before answering.

“They went to speak to someone that Mason thinks might be able to help with… the situation,” he finishes, not needing to explain or wanting to elaborate for Max’s benefit.

“Help how?” I ask.

“The person they’re going to see has a lot of contacts all over, if anyone can find out who’s behind all this, it’s them.”

“If this person is so knowledgeable, why didn’t we go to them straight away?”

Ty again looks uncertain about how truthful he should be. “Mason has a history with her… it’s complicated. He wanted to leave her out of this if he could but well, we’re not making any progress.”

“And you want Max and I out of your hair,” I finish for him.

Ty opens his mouth to protest but I hold up a hand to silence him. “It’s fine,” I say bluntly, turning my attention to my son. “Max sweetie, it’s time to get dressed, Mommy and Ty have to go somewhere so we’re going to take you to Auntie Jessica’s to play with Ben.”

“Yay!” Max cries, happily getting up to go and get ready with the promise of a day playing with his friend and being spoiled by Jess.

“Where are we going?” Ty asks, confused.

I look at him, giving him my best no-nonsense mom stare. “If you think I’m going to sit around here while the guys speak to the one person who might actually be able to help find out who’s after my son then you are sorely mistaken.”

“I’m not sure it’s the best idea for us to…” Ty begins but again I cut him off.

“I don’t care what you think. Max is my son. So, you can take me to this person, or I can call my brother and tell him all about the ‘fun’ his best friends had with his little sister yesterday,” I threaten, though to be honest, I knew I wouldn’t follow through with it if he called my bluff.

Fortunately, I must seem more confident than I feel because Ty sighs and nods. “Fine. Emma Miller, you are a stubborn woman,” he says with grudging respect.

***

As I suspected, Jessica was more than happy to take Max for the day, though she did raise her eyebrows almost to the point of them flying off her face when she saw a different guy with me. Ty didn’t come to the door, instead opting to stay straddling his bike waiting for me. He’d insisted on riding behind me—whether it was because he found my presence intolerable, or the idea of making small talk in the car put him off, I don’t know. Probably both.

“Another friend of yours?” Jessica asks once Max says goodbye to me and runs off inside, her tone jovial yet judgmental.

Although Jess has been a good friend to me these past few years and I don’t know how I would have managed without her help, she has the uncanny ability to make me feel like the world’s worst mother. Perhaps that’s why I decided to do what I do next.

“Sure is. We’re just going for a drive. Thanks again, Jess!” I reply before walking determinedly down the path.

I grab the spare helmet in the trunk of the car and stride over to Ty. “I’m riding on the back with you,” I state as I plonk the helmet on my head.

He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, which perhaps I have. I can feel Jessica’s eyes on me as she watches in shock. “Why? I mean… what about the truck?” he sputters.

“Hey, Jess, we can leave the truck here, right?” I call out, not waiting for her to answer before saying, “Thanks a bunch, you’re the best!” and swinging my leg over the back of the bike. Ty stiffens and I wonder if he’s going to insist I get off. “It will be quicker this way,” I insist.

Luckily, I’m wearing jeans, a sweater, boots, and a leather jacket today, so I’m suitably dressed since this certainly wasn’t my plan when we left the house. Honestly, even I’m not sure why I’ve decided now is the time I’m going to finally go on the back of a bike. I’ve vehemently refused for years to go on Jacobs or anyone else's, being staunchly against them, seeing as they’re so dangerous and the reckless lifestyle that being in the Iron Serpents encourages. Yet for some reason, I feel determined that I want to prove something to Ty by going on the bike, to myself too I suppose. That I am not some weak damsel in distress who needs to be looked after while the men go out and fight my battles for me.

Ty must sense that there’s no point arguing with me since he just shrugs and says, “Alright, but hold on tight, wrap your arms around my waist. Your brother would kill me if anything happened to you.”

I reluctantly press myself closer, doing as instructed, I’m pissed off at the way my body immediately responds to being so close to him. The feel of his warm, hard body as I wrap my arms around him makes me yearn for more, despite the fact that is the last thing I should be feeling right now.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I say screwing my eyes shut and bracing myself.

The bike roars to life and I can feel the immense power between my thighs as Ty pulls away from the house. He is riding carefully but it still feels like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. As we hit the highway, he increases his speed, and I hold on tighter without thinking. The experience is exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, yet somehow with Ty’s reassuringly solid presence and skillful command of the bike, I don’t feel afraid.

In fact, as the journey goes on, I feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time. We blaze along becoming one with the wind, the trees a blur as we fly past them, nothing but the open road ahead of us. I feel like I finally get it. I’ve never felt more free than I do right now.

Without thinking I let out a cry of sheer joy and adrenaline. Ty chuckles, seeming to enjoy my awed reactions.

All too soon. He’s slowing down as we pull into a suburban neighborhood, not far outside of Oklahoma City. We pull up outside of a simple yet homely-looking red-brick house with a garage and a bright yellow front door. Mason and Jax’s bikes are parked out front.

We dismount and I get off the bike, my legs a little wobbly, “Wow!” I say breathlessly as I remove my helmet.

“Right?” Ty replies with a knowing grin, removing his own helmet.

“Well, shit. I feel bad for telling Jacob off for all these years,” I giggle, feeling almost giddy with adrenaline. “I never believed him when he described it but boy, was he right and then some!”

“That was your first time?” Ty asks, looking stricken.

I can’t help but laugh at his expression, still in a good mood. “Relax, it’s not like you took my virginity, Ty! Of all the things we’ve done together recently, do you really think popping my motorcycle cherry is your biggest concern?” I tease, poking him in the chest.

Ty smiles back at me, looking devastatingly handsome, and without thinking I take a step closer. His eyes darken and the sexual tension rises between us. Just as I think he might be about to grab me and kiss me, something I wouldn’t stop him from doing, despite how bad of an idea it may be, a voice calls out.

“Can I help you?” a woman’s voice interrupts.

Ty jumps away from me as though scalded, looking up to the front door where the voice is coming from. A beautiful woman stands there. She’s so tall she’s almost Amazonian, wearing a white tank and overalls, but there’s nothing masculine about her. She’s all curves with full breasts and a slim waist that tapers out to her hips, she has flaming red hair and cheekbones to die for.

The woman’s face breaks into a radiant smile as Ty turns to face her, “Ty! What a surprise!” she calls out as she walks over to us.

Ty walks over with me awkwardly following behind. As we near her, I notice that she has full lips and bright green eyes that sparkle with mirth. 

“Bess! It’s so good to see you,” Ty says embracing the woman fondly.

Oh great. Of course, this is Bess.

Chapter 13

Emma

Bess pulls away from Ty and surveys me with a genuinely warm smile. “You must be Emma. I’m Bess, it’s nice to meet you,” she says with no trace of malice in her voice, holding out her hand in greeting.

I shake it, noticing the callouses on her hand, and the nails cut short. “You too. Sorry to turn up unannounced.”

Bess waves it away. “Not at all, you’re more than welcome. The guys didn’t mention that you were coming too though.”

“That’s because they don’t know,” I reply sheepishly, adding, “I kinda forced Ty into bringing me when I heard that you might be able to help us find out who’s after my son.”

Bess lets out a warm chuckle. “My kinda girl. Don’t let these guys boss you about. You’re his mom of course you’d want to be here. Come on in you two,” she says, turning and heading toward the house.

She leads us to a cozy living room where Mason and Jax are sitting waiting. Mason looks decidedly furious to see us. “What the hell are you two doing here?” he growls getting up from his seat and turning on us with a face like thunder. “Couldn’t handle babysitting duty?” he snips, glowering at Ty.

Ty grimaces shrugging his shoulders, “Hey man, she insisted… what was I supposed to say?”

“Exactly!”

“I am a grown woman, I do not need to be babysat!” I chime in frustratedly. “Max is my son I have every right to be involved in finding out who is trying to take him from me.”

“It’s not safe for you or Max until we know who is behind it, leaving the safehouse is an unnecessary risk. Your brother put us in charge of taking care of you, which means doing as you’re told,” Mason insists jutting out his chin.

“If you think I’m going to just sit around like some damsel in distress while my son is in danger, you know nothing about me,” I reply, hands on hips glaring back at him despite the massive height difference between us.

“That is becoming abundantly clear,” Mason mutters before asking, “Do you really think Max is better off being left behind while his mom throws herself into danger?”

“Max is perfectly safe with Jessica,” I reply, though the truth in his question dampens my fire slightly.

“Is he?” Mason asks coolly, his tone implying that if something were to happen to Max while I’m gone the only person to blame is me.

“Mason,” Jax warns softly, sensing he’s gone too far.

All of a sudden, the crushing insecurity and certainty that I’m a terrible mother comes flooding back.

“He’s right. What am I doing here? I shouldn’t have let Max out of my sight. What if something happens to him?” I say, my body crumpling in defeat as I feel the bitter sting of tears rising.

A warm comforting hand is placed on my shoulder. “Nothing’s going to happen to him. I’m sure of it. Mason’s just being an ass,” Bess says comfortingly, shooting daggers at Mason who has the grace to look guilty.

I cringe realizing the whole confrontation occurred in front of a stranger I barely know, in her own home. “I’m sorry, Bess. First, we show up unannounced and then I make a scene,” I sniffle, embarrassed.

“Don’t apologize. You made the right decision coming here if you ask me. There are things you might be able to shed light on or clues you might give me without even realizing that may help us get to the bottom of this quicker than if you weren’t here. Mason’s just going all alpha on you because he doesn’t like it when people don’t do what he says,” she assures me with confidence.

Mason scowls back at her but to my surprise, he doesn’t comment on her observation.

“Please, come and sit with us. The guys have been filling me in on everything, but I’d love to hear it from your perspective and ask you a few questions,” she says, gesturing to the couch where Jax is sitting, looking uncertain of how to act, given the circumstances. “Mason, go grab us all some beers, will you?” she asks, though it’s definitely a command rather than a question.

To my surprise, Mason does as he’s told, sloping off to the kitchen and jerking his head at Ty to follow him. No doubt poor Ty is going to get a dressing down for bringing me here. I sit down and Jax gives me a small, comforting smile.

“I’m not sure how much help I will be. The guys and I have been running over possibilities again and again with my brother and we’re still no closer to figuring it out,” I say, looking to Bess and wondering how this mysterious woman could possibly shed any further light on the situation.

“Forgive me for making you rehash this all again, but if you wouldn’t mind running through it one more time for me, I’d appreciate it,” Bess says, her tone that of a psychiatrist or experienced interrogator and I wonder again who this woman is exactly.

Several beers later, I’ve finally finished telling Bess everything and answering all her questions, with some interjections from the guys. Thankfully, Mason seems to have thawed since we arrived. No doubt in large part due to Bess’ good-natured teasing and affable nature. She somehow has the uncanny ability to put us all at ease while still keeping the conversation on track.

“So, what do you think?” I ask hopefully.

Bess ponders for a moment before asking, “Emma, does the name Victor Kane sound familiar to you?”

I consider for a moment, racking my brain. “Maybe? I don’t think so… but I’m not sure. Who is he?”

“He’s the head of an organized crime syndicate he has connections all over the West Coast, including San Diego. He’s known for giving desperate people loans with extortionate repayment rates that leave them forever in his debt. He then forces them to work for him to pay it off, if they can’t, he’s not above extreme methods, including kidnap for ransom. Is it possible your husband may have encountered him?” Bess asks, her tone gentle so as to not scare me unnecessarily.

But already my heart is hammering in my chest at the kind of man that could be trying to take my son.

If there’s a worst-case scenario, this is it.

“Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me. Adam was a complete addict, he’d sell his soul for more money to gamble. I’d hoped that the debts he’d left us in were it, but now I’m not so sure. I think if presented with an offer from someone unsavory he’d have taken it, despite the risks. The name Victor vaguely rings a bell,” I answer with a sigh, rubbing my face wearily. “Do you really think that this Victor guy would come after a widow and small child, four years after Adam’s death?”

Bess and the guys share knowing looks, she takes a breath choosing her words carefully. “Emma, Victor Kane is an extremely dangerous man. Yes, this is exactly the kind of thing he would do.”

“But I don’t have any money, what would he have to gain from this?”

Again, Bess speaks carefully. “Sometimes these guys simply need to send a message. That no matter what, you don’t get out of the debt, dead or alive. Emma, how did Adam die?”

“It was in a boating accident while he was visiting his mother in Mexico, she retired there long before Max was born,” I explain, wondering what Adam’s death has to do with it.

Bess’ mouth draws into a thin line. “What sort of accident, Emma? What happened exactly?”

“Um… well I don’t know exactly. Just that he went out boating and his boat was found but his body was never recovered. It was officially ruled an accident, though there was speculation that perhaps he took his own life…” I stammer, now realizing how little I know about my husband’s death. “When I heard the news, I’d been shellshocked and, to my shame, a little relieved that Adam was gone, so I didn’t think to ask too many questions…” I admit guiltily.

“So no one was with him on the boat?” Ty asks, startling me slightly as he’s been silently listening throughout the conversation.

I shake my head, “Not to my knowledge, no. He went out alone and never came back. I didn’t hear much from the authorities or from his mother, just the basics. His funeral was out there. Max and I didn’t go.”

Mason looks at Bess. “Do you think it’s possible…?” he says, not voicing the question, yet Bess seems to know exactly what he’s asking.

“I think so,” she replies grimly.

“What?” I ask, feeling foolish that they all seem to be thinking the same thing and I’m missing it.

Jax decides to be the one to break it to me. “Emma, it’s possible that Kane could have even been involved in your husband’s death.”

My hand flutters to my mouth as I gasp, “Do you really think so?” I ask, looking around at the grim-faced expressions of the others as I realize the gravity of who we might be up against.

“It’s not beyond the realm of possibility of what Kane is capable of. Have you spoken with your mother-in-law recently or any other members of Adam’s family? It’s possible you’re not the only one being targeted.”

I shake my head. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of her since this all started, but I haven’t managed to get through. But that’s not uncommon. She only has a landline and is notoriously bad at answering it. As far as I’m aware Adam has no other family. His father died a while back, he was an only child, and he didn’t have any other relatives that he ever spoke of.”

Again, the other share concerned glances.

“Emma, could you let me know your mother-in-law’s details, name, address, her number, that kind of thing?” Bess asks, pushing a notepad and paper over to me and pulling her phone out of her pocket.

“Sure,” I reply, writing them down. “Why? Do you think she could have something to do with this? As I said to the guys before, I think if she wanted custody, she’d have taken the correct channels or at least tried to be part of Max’s life more. She barely speaks to him, only Christmas and his birthday, really. She sends extravagant gifts and calls to speak to him for about five minutes, but that’s pretty much it. Adam’s mother was always distant, they barely interacted when he was alive. That’s why it was so odd when he decided to go visit her when he died. I figured he was trying to get money from her. Adam had always implied she had money but cut him off when he was young.”

“When was the last time you spoke to her?” Mason asks, his eyes darting to Bess, an unspoken conversation going on between them.

“Not since Max’s birthday in June…”

Bess nods decisively. “Alright, let me make some calls,” she says before leaving the room.

“What’s going on?” I ask, looking toward Mason for reassurance.

“Bess has contacts in high places. I assume she’s going to verify your mother-in-law’s whereabouts,” Mason says.

When he doesn’t offer any further information, I probe him further. “But why? Does she think she might have something to do with all this?”

Mason studies me for a moment as if determining how much he can hide from me. “That’s one possibility,” he offers.

“What’s the other?” I insist, not wanting to be fobbed off with half-truths.

Mason doesn’t respond, and before I can press him further, Jax intervenes. “Mason, she has a right to know everything. If it is Kane… she needs to know what she’s up against.”

Mason sighs but seems to relent as he speaks up. “The other option is that Kane already got to her,” he says, his tone implying that if Kane has, she won’t have survived. “Emma, I really fucking hope that Victor Kane isn’t the guy behind all this. Fortunately for us, we don’t know him, and he doesn’t operate in Oklahoma, but even we’ve heard about him. He’s ruthless and dangerous. It doesn’t end well for those who become involved with him.”

A seed of panic starts to swell in my chest. If Mason and the Iron Serpents are afraid of this guy, what hope do I have of protecting my son from him? My breath quickens as my mind tries to fathom the notion that a dangerous mafia boss might be after my son.

“This can’t be happening…” I whisper disbelievingly, putting my hands on my head and slumping forward.

Jax moves closer to me, placing a comforting hand on my back. “Let’s try not to jump to conclusions, we just need to rule every possibility out,” he says though his words fall flat.

After what feels like an eternity but can’t have been much longer than ten minutes, Bess returns. We all snap to attention, our gazes turning to her, hopeful for good news, like sunflowers searching for the warmth of the sun.

My hope is extinguished when I see the pity in Bess’ eyes. She comes to sit opposite me, delivering the news like a doctor who’s just lost a patient.

“I’m sorry, Emma, there’s no easy way to tell you this. Your mother-in-law passed away.”

“How? When?” I ask, feeling numb.

“A few months ago. She fell down the stairs in her home, the coroner ruled it an accident,” Bess says gently.

“But you don’t think it was?” I ask, uncertain if I want to hear the answer.

“I’m not sure. But I don’t like coincidences.”

“Why did no one inform me before now?”

“The legal system is complicated and slow in Mexico, especially when working with another country. They were having difficulties locating you since you moved and changed your name. Apparently, they only recently found your address, and a letter was mailed to you some weeks ago. I imagine it could well be waiting at your home as we speak. I believe Max is the sole beneficiary of his grandmother’s estate,” she explains.

My mind tries to catch up and process the information. “So, you think that this Victor Kane could have killed both Adam and his mother? Why?”

“With men like Kane, he kills for two reasons, to send a message or for money. In this case, it could be both. By all accounts your mother-in-law was a wealthy woman,” Bess adds carefully watching my reaction.

“Killing them doesn’t make sense, he can’t make dead people pay a debt…” I say, shaking my head in confusion.

They all look back at me with sorrow and pity in their eyes and I finally catch up to their thinking.

“That’s why they want Max. He’s the beneficiary of the will. He’s their way to getting the money,” I say. My mind starts turning over the possibilities, “But we don’t have it yet, I assume Max won’t be able to touch it until he’s older, or I’ll be in charge of it until then… is that why they came after us both? What if we just get in contact and give them the money? Could we do that? I don’t want it,” I insist, frantically looking around the others for inspiration.

“We need to see the will to know what we’re dealing with, but Kane isn’t the kind of guy you can just pay off and he’ll go away. He’ll always come back for more or find a way to make you forever in his debt,” Bess says gravely.

My head starts to swim as the horror of what Bess is telling me sinks in.

There’s every chance that a deranged psychopath has killed my husband and mother-in-law and now is after my son, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him.

Chapter 14

Mason

I knew the moment I laid eyes on Emma I was in trouble. I just didn’t realize exactly how much trouble this woman was in. Victor Kane is not the kind of guy I want to go up against, and yet that’s exactly what we’re going to have to do. Emma and Max are J-Bird’s family, which means they’re part of the Iron Serpent family and we take care of our own. No matter what.

Breaking the news to J-Bird sucked. He understandably wanted to come and get Emma and Max and put them on the first plane out of the country. Unsurprisingly, Emma refused. I have to admire her bravery. I think perhaps she’s hoping that it isn’t Victor Kane behind it after all, I know I am.

J-Bird immediately went round to Emma’s apartment to check her mail. He confirmed that a letter from the attorney had come through confirming our suspicions, Max was the sole beneficiary to a sizeable inheritance with Emma having access as his guardian until he turns twenty-one. Good news in normal circumstances, fucking terrible if Victor Kane thinks he’s owed the money.

“So how are we supposed to find out if Kane is behind all this? We can’t exactly walk up to him and ask,” Jax points out.

“And we wouldn’t want to put ourselves on his radar if it isn’t him,” Ty adds bleakly.

“I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it,” Bess says, looking at me.

Bess and I have known each other since we were teens in foster care together. She knows me better than anyone. If she’s saying I won’t like her plan, I’m going to fucking hate it.

“What is it?” I ask reluctantly.

“Venom used to work with Kane. I can go and speak to him,” Bess says.

I can tell from her expression there’s more to her plan than she’s letting on.

“Who’s Venom?” Emma asks, confused.

“Venom is the vice president of the Hell Riders,” Ty explains.

“Would he speak to you? Share information?” Emma asks hopefully.

Again, Bess glances over at me. I already know what she’s going to say.

“No,” I grunt.

“Mason, it’s the only in I’ve got. I think it’s up for Emma to decide,” Bess insists.

“Decide what?” Emma asks her beautiful face scrunching in puzzlement.

“Venom will only speak to me if I bring a friend to entertain Breaker, the president of the Hell Riders. Breaker’s got a rep for being a womanizing scumbag, but there’s no way I can talk to Venom if I go in alone, I’d be stuck talking to Breaker,” Bess explains.

“And you want me to be the friend?” Emma surmises.

Bess nods, “Only if you’re comfortable with it. You won’t have to do anything with him, just keep him distracted. Smile and laugh while I talk to Venom.”

The thought of Emma having to deal with Breaker’s wandering hands and lecherous gaze makes me feel an overwhelming sense of rage.

“No. We’ll find someone else,” I insist.

Emma glares at me. “You don’t get to make that decision for me. I’ll do it,” she says determinedly, nodding her head at Bess.

“Mason’s right, Emma, it’s too risky. We won’t be able to come in to protect you,” Jax points out.

“The Hell Riders are our rivals, we’re not welcome on their turf, not without starting a war,” Ty adds.

“If they realize who you are… your connection with the Iron Serpents, well then it won’t just be Kane you have to worry about,” I explain, imploring Emma to see sense.

But she’s too stubborn, her focus is on Max alone with no regard for her safety.

“Bess, is there any other way to get to Kane, to find out if he’s behind this and how we can resolve this?” Emma asks.

“I wish there was…”

“Well, then it’s decided. We’re going. Tonight,” Emma declares, glowering at me.

“Emma…” I start but she interrupts me, holding up a hand.

“Save it, Mason. Nothing you can say will stop me. Max is my son, and you can be damn sure I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect him.”

“Emma, Breaker isn’t like us…” I warn.

“I’m a big girl, I can handle myself,” she insists. “Maybe you’re just afraid Breaker and I will hit it off,” she teases.

“Emma, this isn’t a fucking joke,” I snap.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Mace. Emma said she’ll be fine,” Bess insists. “Besides, I’ll be right there. I’ll make sure nothing happens to her.”

“I need another beer,” I grunt, abruptly getting up and stalking out of the room.

I can’t deal with this bullshit. I open the fridge and pull out a beer, slamming it shut and aggressively twisting the top off before taking a slug. In the next room, I can hear the others planning what Emma and Bess will do. They agree that Jax, Ty, and I will wait outside in case things go sideways, and the girls will wear mics for us to hear what’s going on. Bess isn’t keen on the idea, but thankfully the guys insist on the compromise. If we can’t go in, we want to at least know what’s going on. They agree that there’s no point in waiting. The girls will go to the Hell Riders’ club tonight. I hear Emma making a call, presumably to Jess, who by the sound of it confirms Max can stay the night. The final hurdle to their plan traversed.

“Come on, Emma, if we’re going to the clubhouse we need to look the part,” I hear Bess say followed by the sounds of their footsteps going upstairs.

I don’t like this plan one bit.

Throwing Emma into the lion’s den. This is exactly why getting involved with Emma was a bad idea. She’s too good for this lifestyle. Too pure. I’m supposed to be protecting her and yet at every turn I’ve done the wrong thing for her.

I stalk back into the living room, tossing the guys a beer.

Jax chuckles, “You really hate that she doesn’t listen to you, don’t you?”

“If she had any sense she would,” I grumble. “Emma has no idea what she’s getting herself into. We should call J-Bird and tell him. He’ll put a stop to this.”

“And then what? We just sit around waiting for Kane to make his move?” Jax replies. “Look, I don’t like this plan any more than you do, but it’s the only one we’ve got.”

“Emma’s tougher than you think,” Ty says quietly.

The sounds of laughter drift down from upstairs as the women bond. I don’t know how to feel about Emma and Bess meeting each other. I’ve never introduced a woman I’ve dated to Bess before. Not that Emma and I are dating, but to say the situation between us is simple would be a lie. It wasn’t just sex, and she’s not just our Prez’s sister who I’m tasked to protect. As much as I might want to convince myself that’s all this is.

“Worried they might be hitting it off a little too well?” Jax teases, waggling his eyebrows.

I roll my eyes at him. I should never have told him about Bess and me. When I was younger, I thought I was in love with Bess. We were each other's first time. I was her last man. She realized pretty quickly that she was attracted to the fairer sex. These days it feels crazy to me to think of Bess as anything other than a sister. We love each other, but it’s totally platonic. But that doesn’t stop Jax from winding me up about it constantly.

When the girls finally come back downstairs, my jaw hits the floor. Emma looks drop-dead gorgeous.

I have to hand it to Bess, she’s been creative in dressing Emma, given the fact she’s several inches taller and far more curvaceous. Emma’s wearing an oversized band-tee as a dress belted with peekaboo cutouts that show off her sharp collarbones, and thigh-high fuck-me boots. Bess has spiked Emma’s hair into a punk-rock-fairy style and lined her eyes with kohl, making her already strikingly blue eyes pop. Her lips are enhanced with bright red lipstick.

Jesus Christ, she looks like sex on a stick.

There’s no way this plan is going to end well. The way Emma looks tonight is going to start a war. Our very own Helen of Troy.

Chapter 15

Emma

“Man, you had all three of the guys drooling! Their faces were priceless!” Bess chuckles, shaking her head and grinning, as we drive toward the Hell Riders’ clubhouse.

It was decided that Bess and I would turn up in her Mustang. Jax and Ty would follow in her other car and Mason on his bike, keeping their distance and parking nearby, where they’re still within range of the mics to hear us and come to help quickly, should anything go wrong.

I laugh too, Bess’ good mood is infectious. “I have to admit, it did make me feel good.”

“Damn right, it should, three hotties like that all fawning over you. Does wonders for the ego. It’s clear they’re all smitten with you, how do you feel about them?” she asks curiously with no trace of jealousy or malice in her voice.

“They’re so not. They’re just being guys,” I say dismissively, deliberately avoiding her question.

I’m not sure I even know the answer.

“They’re definitely not,” Bess says adamantly. “I don’t know Jax and Ty as well, but Mason and I practically grew up together. We were in the same foster home when we were thirteen, he’s like a brother to me. Trust me, I know it when he likes someone.”

“Oh, I thought maybe that you two were…” I trail off, not knowing exactly what I thought. Maybe she was an ex, or perhaps a casual partner since they get along so well. “... A thing,” I land on.

Bess smiles indulgently. “When we were young, we thought maybe, but after a disastrous encounter where we took each other's virginity, we realized we were definitely not meant to be. Not least because I realized that men aren’t my thing. Mason’s like a brother to me.”

“Oh, I see,” I reply, feeling more relieved than I have a right to be.

I don’t have any claim on Mason, if he and Bess were a thing that’s none of my business and it shouldn’t bother me. Yet I know it would.

“Mason’s never introduced me to a girl before,” Bess adds, grinning at me.

I shake my head, “It’s not like that. He and the guys are just helping my brother out. That’s all.”

“Sure it is…” Bess replies, her tone laced with sarcasm. “For what it’s worth, I know he can be a stubborn, rude, insensitive asshole, but he’s only acting that way because he cares about you. Even if he doesn’t know it yet.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I just nod and stay silent, mulling over her words.

Before long, we arrive at the club. Bess flashes a smile at the doorman, “Hey Chuck, long time no see.”

“Alright, Bess, I see you’ve got yourself another damn fine lady friend,” he replies, his eyes roaming over me shamelessly before he steps aside to let us in.

Bess blows him a kiss and leads the way inside, taking hold of my hand as we weave through the crowd. It’s dark and smoky inside, clearly, no one cares to abide by the smoking ban, and rock music blares from the speakers. Tatted bikers and scantily clad women gyrate against each other, the bar is crammed with men trying to one-up each other, and in one corner I notice a group happily playing strip poker, one woman sitting in just a thong, unconcerned that she’s in public.

Bess sashays in front of me, her jeans slung low on her hips. She’s wearing a skintight leather bustier that displays her ample chest and flat stomach. Several pairs of eyes watch us as we make our way to the bar.

“Two beers and two tequilas,” Bess shouts over the din to the barman.

We chug the beers and chase them with the shots as Bess surveys the crowd, looking for Venom and Breaker. She deftly rebuffs the advances of the men who try to approach us.

“Found them!” she says triumphantly, “Let’s move over this way so they can see us,” Bess shouts in my ear so I can hear her over the noise.

“We’re not going over to them?” I ask, confused.

“You don’t go over to them, they call for you.”

“What if they don’t?” I say, feeling panicked that this whole endeavor will be for nothing.

Bess shoots me a glance sideways, “You really have no idea how hot you are, do you? There’s no way Breaker won’t call us over.”

Sure enough, only seconds later, the man who I assume is Breaker holds up a hand and waves us over with a flick of two fingers. He’s a great beast of a man, baldheaded with a crooked nose and biceps the size of watermelons. Next to him, Venom is a small, weaselly man, with greasy hair and a thin mustache. He’s wearing a leather vest, and his bare chest is revealed to show off a giant snake tattoo.

“With a tattoo like that, you’d think he was an Iron Serpent,” I say to Bess as we walk over.

“Don’t say that to them. But you’re right. The Iron Serpents wouldn’t take him though,” Bess replies, making sure we’re not overheard.

“Well, well, well, long time no see, Bess. I see you brought a friend. She getting tired of that dry cunt of yours, and needs a real fucking?” Breaker leers grabbing his crotch for effect, as if we didn’t understand his meaning perfectly.

Bess laughs as though he’s said something funny, and I try to hide my disgust, plastering a smile on my face. “Shelly’s in town visiting from out of state and wanted to know where the best place was to party, naturally, I had to bring her here,” she replies, the lies rolling off her tongue with ease.

“Well, you came to the right place babydoll, come sit with me,” Breaker says patting his big meaty thigh.

Oh god, is he expecting me to sit on him?

I try to hide my revulsion as I smile tightly and scoot into the booth beside him. Immediately he places his giant paw on my waist, squeezing it and pulling me close to him so I’m practically on his lap.

“Tiny little thing, aren’t you?” he says approvingly as his eyes explore my body.

“Go easy on her, Breaker, she’s new to this,” Bess says as she sits down next to Venom, and I feel stupidly relieved that she’s trying to help. I didn’t think he’d be this full-on right away.

“Oh, I’ll take care of you, little bird,” he says stroking my thigh. “Let’s get you a drink, help relax you,” he says, gesturing to the waitress who immediately appears with a bottle of tequila and shot glasses, pouring us all one.

I down it, wincing slightly as the liquor hits my throat but needing the Dutch courage. Venom and Bess are talking across the table, but I can’t hear them over the music.

“Quiet, aren’t you,” Breaker observes.

“Sorry…” I reply, at a loss for words.

Turns out I’m no actress. Playing this part is harder than anticipated. Not least because Breaker stinks of stale cigarettes and sweat.

“Don’t be, I like it. The last thing I want is some broad always yammering in my ear,” Breaker replies.

Evidently, Breaker doesn’t feel the same way about himself as he proceeds to spend the next five minutes boasting to me about his sexual prowess and skills as a fighter and biker, all while insisting we knock back several shots, one after another. As he talks, he pulls me closer so I can feel his erection pressing against my ass cheeks.

Jesus, I hope Bess gets the info she needs soon.

“Hey, Shelly, Venom and I are just going somewhere quieter for a minute, you gonna be alright?” Bess asks me, concern and apology in her eyes.

I nod, trying to be brave, “Yes.”

“Course she will be! She’s got me looking after her,” Breaker shouts over me. “You to go ahead. We’ll follow you shortly.”

With one last look at me for reassurance, Bess heads off with Venom toward a back door.

“Come on little bird, drink up,” Breaker says, thrusting another shot at me. I do as I’m told. “Good girl,” he says approvingly.

Before I know what’s happening, I’m lifted to my feet. Breaker’s giant hand clamps around my wrist as he pulls me through the crowd that parts from him. I stumble a little feeling unsteady after so many drinks. “Need me to carry you?” he asks, looking as if he’d like nothing more.

I shake my head, “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

He leads me toward the same door that Bess went through just moments ago, so I happily follow. But then he takes me through an emergency exit into an alleyway outside. There’s no sight of Bess and Venom.

“What?” I say, confused and unable to form my thoughts into words.

“Don’t worry little bird. Venom called dibs on the back room, and I don’t fancy sharing. Course, as Prez I could kick him out, but thought you might want the fresh air. You’re so tiny we don’t need a bed, I can just pick you up and throw you around.”

It dawns on me exactly why he’s brought me out here.

“Let’s go back inside, it’s cold out here…” I say, trying to move toward the safety of the door.

“I’ll keep you warm,” he says, pulling me back to him, his hand like a vice on my wrist as he grabs at my breast, squeezing it painfully.

He pushes me up against the wall, the roughness scraping my back as he fumbles, his weight pinning me in place as he tries to hitch up my skirt and fumbles with his belt.

“Please, no,” I say, pushing with both hands against his chest.

“Don’t be such a fucking cock tease. You’ve been grinding on it all night like a bitch in heat. Look what you did,” he says, forcing my hand down to feel the bulge in his pants. “You know you want this. I’m gonna split that little pussy of yours in two.”

Panic sets in as I realize he’s not going to take no for an answer. “Stop, please!” I beg as I struggle but he pins me in place.

He simply laughs at my fear, spinning me around so my face is pressed against the cool stone wall. “That’s it, little bird. I like it when they fight,” he whispers in my ear.

“Help!” I scream as he tears my panties off.

There’s a dull thud followed by a clanging sound and all of a sudden, Breaker is no longer pressed against me. Dazed, I turn around to see Breaker lying on the floor unconscious, his head bloody. My eyes land on my metal baseball bat-wielding savior.

“Mason!” I cry, my legs buckling with relief.

He scoops me up into his chest as I let out a sob. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here. But we gotta go, he won’t stay down long, we gotta get as far away from here as we can.”

“We can’t leave Bess!”

“Bess will be fine, the guys will get her out. Please, Emma, just trust me,” he begs.

“Alright,” I concede. “I can walk,” I add.

“I’m not letting you go,” he says, holding me tighter.

Somehow, his words feel like a promise. As if he won’t ever let me go.

I don’t want him to.

Chapter 16

Emma

Mason rides like a man possessed with me on the back of his bike. He doesn’t say a word. From how white his knuckles are and how tense his body is, I get the impression he’s fighting the urge to turn back and finish Breaker off.

When we finally stop, we’re outside a motel.

“What are we doing here?” I ask.

“I’m not risking going anywhere else until we know it’s safe. We wait here until we hear from the guys,” Mason replies, stalking into the reception.

Once we’re in the room, Mason sinks down into a chair and runs his hands through his hair. “Jesus, Emma. I told you this was a bad idea.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault that asshole tried to rape me?” I reply incredulously.

“I told you he was dangerous,” he replies bluntly, getting up and pacing like a caged animal full of pent-up rage. “When I saw him on you… I wanted to kill him. Fuck! Do you realize what this means? We’ve just started a war between the Iron Serpents and the Hell Riders.”

“Jacob will understand. You had no choice. You were saving me.”

“No, Emma. He won’t. He won’t understand why the fuck I let you go in there in the first place.”

“Let me? You’re not my keeper Mason, this was my choice,” I fire back.

“Jesus, Emma, must you be so goddamn stubborn all the time?”

“Says you! You’re the most infuriatingly pigheaded man I’ve ever met! Why won’t you just let me make my own decisions!” I snap, poking a finger against his chest and trying to square up to him so he meets my eyes.

“Because I care about you!” he shouts, surprising us both.

We stand there looking at each other, surprised and breathless, and the angry passion between us turns into a different kind of passion entirely.

“Kiss me,” I command.

This time, he doesn’t hesitate.

His mouth crushes over mine in hungry desperation and I kiss him back with just as much enthusiasm. After what just happened, the last thing I would have expected to want is sex. But the need to be touched by someone else's hands, to feel in control of my body and expunge away the memories of that beast's hands on me is overwhelming.

I frantically tug at his clothing, and he allows me to undress him, my hands caressing the planes of his body, the tight muscles. He seems to sense the need for me to be in control, to be the one to take the lead, so he doesn’t rush me or try to take charge. I push him down to sit on the chair by the bed, throwing off my clothes so I’m just in my bra and panties. They’re nothing special, a practical comfortable set but his eyes explore my body as though I’m the sexiest thing he’s ever seen.

I drop to my knees in front of him, pulling his thick erection from his boxers. Gripping the base I slowly glide my hand up and down, feeling the length of him, the effect I have on him. He might claim what happened before was a mistake, but he can’t deny the way his body responds to me.

“Emma,” he breathes softly, whether a warning to stop or a request for more, I can’t tell.

Perhaps he can’t, either.

I look him in the eyes, leaning down and running my tongue around the tip of his penis, tasting the salty precum of arousal. He lets out a gentle moan of release as I take him in my mouth. I continue to tease him with my mouth, taking him in deeper and longer strokes. My eyes keep returning to his face, enjoying the look of pure pleasure on his handsome features. My pussy becomes slick with anticipation, and I use my other hand to massage my clit.

“Fuck, Emma, you’re gonna make me explode if you keep doing that,” he grunts as he notices.

Something about this whole encounter emboldens me and I decide to do something I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do before. I stop what I’m doing, standing back up and looking at him. I’d love to sit on his cock and ride him right now, but I force myself to stop, I want to drive him as mad as he drives me. He claims he doesn’t want this, that we shouldn’t do this ever again. Let’s see how he likes being teased.

“I’ll stop then,” I purr as I remove my underwear.

I step back toward the bed, not taking my eyes off him as I sink down onto it. Still maintaining eye contact, I slowly begin to caress myself. His pupils widen and he bites his lip as his eyes flicker from mine down to where my fingers tease my wetness, legs spread wide for him to watch.

“Fuck, you’re so goddamned sexy…” he groans, stroking himself as he watches me.

“Then why keep denying that you want this?” I challenge.

“You know why…” he groans, the inner conflict between what he should do and what he wants to do evident on his face.

“And you know that it’s bullshit. Only I get to decide what I do with my life and my body. If you want me, just admit it,” I reply. I defiantly meet his gaze, challenging him to stop me. All the while I continue to touch myself. “Because I want you, Mason.”

“God help me, Emma, I want you too,” he finally admits.

“Then come take me,” I tease.

He doesn’t hesitate, he crosses over toward me, his mouth finding mine in a passionate kiss. “Fuck me,” I order.

He positions his cock at my entrance, thrusting into my already soaking-wet pussy in a well-practiced stroke, grunting with pleasure as he does so. He thrusts in and out, my pussy getting wetter with each stroke as he fills me, and yet I want more. I want to be the one in control. I wrap my legs around his waist trying to pull him closer but it’s still not enough.

“Let me go on top,” I order.

With well-practiced ease he lifts me up to we’re standing, fucking me upright for a moment, his strong arms bouncing me up and down the length of him as I cry out with pleasure. Then he moves to sit on the chair with me straddling him. 

In this new position, his cock hits my G-spot, and I moan, grinding on him. His big hands squeeze my ass while his mouth kisses my neck before taking my hard nipples in his mouth, nipping and biting them. My skin is rubbed raw from his beard, but I don’t care. The sex is almost as incredible as it is when Jax and Ty are with us.

A fleeting niggle of concern for them crosses my mind but Mason quickly consumes my every thought as he massages my clit while teasing my nipples.

“Fuck, Emma,” he grunts closing his eyes as I bounce up and down on his cock.

I can tell he’s as close as I am. I can feel his cock pulsating inside me as I tighten and spasm around him, the pressure of my orgasm rising.

“Fuck, Mason I’m so close!” I moan.

“Yes, cum for me…” he growls now using his arms to fuck me harder and faster.

“Cum with me,” I beg, kissing him.

The pressure builds as, panting and sweaty, we fuck furiously, all of the worries of the outside world forgotten in the moment of pure pleasure until finally, we both come topping over the edge. We cry out, reaching climax just seconds apart.

“Shit, Emma,” Mason pants looking at me in wonder.

“Don’t you dare say this was a mistake,” I tease, half seriously.

He smiles and shakes his head. “No. You were right. I chose to let this happen just as much as you or the others. I wanted it. I have to suffer the consequences.”

“Oh, sex with me is something you have to suffer, is it?” I quip. I laugh at his stricken expression, tapping him playfully before climbing off his lap. “I’m kidding. Look, my brother doesn’t need to know about all this.”

Mason nods. “We’re all consenting adults. If we want to have sex, there’s no reason why he needs to know about it.”

Part of me feels a little bit wounded that Mason seems to be discussing it as though what’s happening is just casual sex, but really what else is this? We’ve only had sex twice, once of which was with his two best friends present, and if I’m being honest, I want to explore sex with all three of them. I’m attracted to all of them equally and for very different reasons.

“Do you think Jax and Ty will mind?” I ask, trying to gauge if Mason now somehow thinks because of what happened I won’t be interested in them too.

“They’ll probably be pissed that they missed out on the fun and that I’m not following my own orders. But, no, they’ll understand it’s ultimately up to you who you want to sleep with.”

“Right, good. I’m new to all this. I’ve never been… involved with more than one man at once so I don’t really know what the done thing is. How to act. Because I want all of you…”

“Right, yes. Speaking of, we should speak to the others, find out what’s going on, and let them know we’re safe,” Mason says abruptly, starting to get dressed.

I suspect there’s something else on his mind and I wonder if I said the wrong thing. But I don’t push the matter. He’s right, we should find out how the others are. A pang of guilt hits me. What if something happened while we were busy fucking?

“Yes, of course.”

While I’m gathering up my clothes and getting dressed. Mason pulls out his phone to call the others, avoiding looking at me.

“Did you get Bess out alright?” Mason asks.

I can’t hear the response, but the relief is evident on his face, so I assume the answer is yes. This helps to ease my guilty conscience a little.

“We’re both fine. It’s a long story. Where are you?” Mason replies to the person on the other line.

Clearly, he doesn’t want to give too much away on the phone.

“Right, we’re coming now. See you soon,” he says hanging up the phone.

“Come on, let’s go,” he grunts, hardly looking at me.

“Where? Is everyone okay?”

“Bess’s. Yes, they’re fine,” he replies, his tone impatient and stressed. “Go wait by the bike while I check out,” he says before striding out of the room.

With no choice but to do as he said, I head outside to the parking lot. I’d thought that things had finally thawed between us. Yet once again, I’m left feeling confused and uncertain about what he’s thinking. He seems so cool and distant suddenly.

What is it about this man that makes me throw caution to the wind and feel like a sex goddess the one minute and a foolish schoolgirl the next?

Yet again I’ve let my feelings get in the way of the task at hand. I just hope Bess was able to find out some information before Mason started a war for me.

Chapter 17

Ty

Emma and Mason arrive at Bess’ house looking guilty as hell. The stubble rash on Emma’s chest, mild hickey on her neck, and ‘just fucked’ hair, tell me that they found the time to make up while we were separated. The fact Mason can’t look at her confirms it. The fact she tries not to look at him makes me think the ceasefire may already be over. The sooner these two quit pretending there’s not something going on between them, the better.

One look at Jax and Bess tells me they’ve come to the same conclusion. Bess looks thrilled by it while Jax looks pissed.

“Where the fuck were you?” Jax demands.

“Laying low until we knew it was safe to rendezvous here,” Mason retorts.

“What happened? Bess, are you alright? Did Venom do this to you?” Emma interjects heading over to Bess looking concerned as she notices the faint bruise forming on her cheek.

Bess chuckles lightly. “I’m fine, just a scratch. Why don’t you come and sit down and have a beer, there’s a lot I need to share with you.”

Once we’re all situated, with Mason and Emma on the couch next to me and Bess and Jax opposite. Jax spends the whole time glowering at Mason. With everyone seated and beers in hand, Bess starts to explain everything to Emma.

“I’m afraid I haven’t been one hundred percent honest with you, Emma about who I am and what I do, why I know the things I do and have the connections I have,” Bess says slowly, turning to a perplexed Emma with a sigh. “As I told you, Mason and I lived in the same foster home. It was a shit hole, but we bonded regardless. However, I was new to the system while Mace grew up in it, I also didn’t stay until I was eighteen like Mace. My mom cleaned up her act and I went home, leaving him to deal with some shit. We stayed in touch but as we got older our lives started taking very different courses,” Bess pauses for a moment, glancing over at Mason to ensure he’s comfortable with her sharing this.

Mason clears his throat. “Once Bess left foster care shit got bad for me, I got into a lot of trouble and fell in with a bad crowd. Your brother and the Iron Serpents were the ones who helped get me out of it. Bess and I lost touch for a while.” Although he didn’t go into details, Mason looks uncomfortable revealing even a hint of the pain from his past.

“I could have gone down the same path as Mason, but I was recruited fairly young myself into a completely different group. I was a typical teen acting out, but I was real smart—always had been. I used my smarts to con people, I was good at it too, gaining people’s trust, and infiltrating groups and places I had no business being in. One day I tried to con the wrong man. Luckily for me, he saw potential in me and rather than sending me off to juvie, he decided to recruit me and put my talents to good use. That’s when I began working undercover for the FBI,” Bess says.

Emma gasps. Whatever she was expecting Bess to tell her, this clearly wasn’t it. “Wait, you’re with the FBI?”

“I was. I guess right now you could call me retired. I won’t go into the details, but some shit happened, a friend died, and I quit. Couldn’t take it anymore. But I’m still close with a lot of people, still have my contacts,” Bess says with a shrug trying to hide her pain.

“I’m sorry,” Emma says gently.

Even when her world is falling down around her and so much shit is going on in her life, Emma still manages to feel sympathy and concern for others. She’s far too kind, too good, for this lifestyle. I guess that’s why I’m trying to keep my distance. As drawn as I find myself to Emma, we’re no good for her. She deserves more than what any of us can offer.

Bess flicks away her concern, moving the conversation along. “Anyway, the reason I’m telling you this is because it’s pertinent to what happened today and to how I know Venom.” Now Bess looks around at all four of us, sternly fixing us in her gaze. “I need all of you to promise that you won’t share this information with anyone, especially not J-Bird, nor can you act on it. If I can’t have your word, then you need to leave and go out of earshot now, or I won’t be able to tell you what Venom shared with me. Can you promise me?” Bess asks stridently.

We all affirm our consent.

Bess takes a deep breath. “The reason I know Venom is because we worked together.”

“So Venom is working undercover with the Hell Riders?” I ask.

She nods. “Yes. That’s why I needed Emma to distract Breaker so we could talk privately.”

She was right to make us promise not to tell J-Bird. He’d kill for this information. He’s gonna be pissed if he ever finds out we knew and didn’t tell him. But a promise is a promise.

“And that plan worked out perfectly. Emma was nearly raped because you left her alone!” Mason snaps.

“What?” Jax demands angrily, “That bastard. I hope you killed him.”

“So that’s why you sent the signal to get out fast,” Bess says, comprehension dawning on her.

“I’m sorry, could someone fill me in on what happened?” Emma says, confused.

“When it became clear that you and Bess had separated, Jax was tasked to listen in on Bess and me on you. Mason insisted on getting closer to the club should he need to rescue either of you,” I explain.

“Which apparently he did,” Jax buts in bitterly.

“When I heard… what happened, we sent the signal to Bess to get out,” I continue.

“Luckily I was able to get out without the guys needing to come in and start a war between the Hell Riders and Iron Serpents,” Bess says.

“Not that it matters now. Mason beating the shit out of the leader sure as shit has started a war,” Jax says with a snort.

“What else would you have me do, let Emma get raped?” Mason snaps which shuts Jax up.

“How did you get out?” Emma asks Bess.

Bess winces. “Venom had to help me, and by help, I mean he had to put on a show of slapping me around to get me outside, hence the bruise. I’m sorry about what happened with Breaker, Emma, I didn’t think he would go that far, especially not so fast. I thought I’d have time,” Bess says mournfully.

“It’s okay, Mason got there in time,” Emma replies putting on a brave face, though it’s clear the encounter has shaken her. “Please tell me this disastrous mission was worth it at least?” she pleads.

Bess nods. “Yes, I think so. Venom was working undercover with Victor Kane before this. The usual protocol would mean he’d have stayed undercover with Kane until the case was closed, but his cover was almost blown and the team decided it best to fake his death. I’m not sure if you noticed, but Venom is missing a finger, that was sent to Kane as proof of his death,” Bess explains.

Emma’s face pales. “So, did Venom tell you anything?”

Bess nods, her eyes full of pity. “Yes, but I’m not sure it’s good news. Venom said that the Hell Riders have no knowledge of you and that it isn’t their work. However, he remembers your husband. It seems he dealt with Kane.”

“So it’s likely that Kane is the one behind the attacks on Emma and attempted kidnapping of Max,” I interject.

“I think it’s safe to assume so, yes,” Bess concedes, taking a slug of beer.

Emma’s face falls and I feel the overwhelming urge to jump up and embrace her, to tell her everything will be okay. But I can’t promise her that.

Things are about to get a hell of a lot worse.

Chapter 18

Jax

I’ve never been the jealous type before. Especially when it comes to Mason and Ty. But envy reared its ugly head when I saw Emma and Mason. They’d clearly hooked up while we were worrying about them and the thought that Emma may be choosing Mason hurt me more than I care to admit. I suppose it’s foolish of me to believe that Emma would want to be with all three of us, that we could have some sort of relationship. But if I’m being honest, that’s exactly what part of me has been hoping would happen. I can’t deny my feelings for Emma, I’d rather share her with my best friends than not be with her at all. Because I’ve realized I want to be with her. It feels crazy that I want to when we barely know each other, but I do. So the notion that my best friend doesn’t feel the same, or that Emma prefers him, stings.

I’ve been trying to focus on the conversation. We’re all trying to devise a plan, slowly realizing the hopelessness of the situation while getting steadily drunker. But my eyes keep wandering back to Mason and Emma trying to read their body language. Mason knows me well enough to know something’s up, so he’s resolutely ignoring me, further frustrating me.

“I say we kill him,” Ty suggests for the fifth time that evening.

“Ty, we can’t murder someone, no matter how horrible he is. I really think I should just go to the police,” Emma suggests, not for the first time either.

“The police will be useless, and then if we need to take him out their first line of inquiry is going to be to look into us,” Mason reasons.

“I still think moving you and changing your identity is the best solution, he’ll have to find you all over again, that at least buys us time,” Bess suggests.

Emma shakes her head. “No. I’m not uprooting Max’s life again. This is our home,” she says firmly.

The relief I feel is palpable. Although she’d be safe, the thought of never seeing her again, of not even knowing where she is or who she becomes, is torture.

“Why don’t I just speak to Kane? Try to reason with him. Perhaps I could even pay him the money, just to be rid of him. I might have to borrow it from Jacob, but I think he’d help me out,” Emma says with a small sigh of defeat.

“It’s too risky,” I argue. “He could hurt you, or worse. Besides, you can’t just go and speak to a man like Victor Kane.”

“But we could try,” Bess says, mulling the idea over. “I’ll make some calls in the morning.”

“Thank you, for everything,” Emma says with a wan smile.

Bess smiles back, stifling a yawn. “Right guys, I’m gonna hit the hay. You should all stay the night, we’ve all had far too much to drink to be driving anywhere. Emma, you can take the spare room, if you come upstairs with me now, I’ll show you where it is,” Emma nods and gets up, ready to follow Bess. “Guys, you can fight over the couches,” Bess adds with a wink at us before they head upstairs.

The second they’re out of earshot Mason rounds on me. “Alright out with it, what’s pissed you off?”

“Who says I’m pissed off?” I retort snarkily.

“You didn’t need to say a thing, your grumpy ass attitude and looking like a jealous teenager made it perfectly clear something’s up,” Mason snaps back.

“Maybe I don’t appreciate my best friend fucking the woman he specifically told us was off limits the second he got her alone,” I snap.

Mason has the grace to look guilty though I can tell he’s considering denying it.

“Don’t even try to pretend you didn’t hook up.”

Mason sighs. “Fine, yes, we did. But it wasn’t like I planned to.”

“What the fuck, dude? What were you thinking? You specifically told us that Emma was off limits and the moment our backs are turned you put your dick in her while we’re worrying about you. Not to mention the fact you’ve started a fucking war between us and the Hell Riders. I’ve half a mind to tell J-Bird, you’re lucky I’m not a snitch,” I snarl, curling my hands into fists and squaring up to him.

“I know, man. I wasn’t thinking.”

“So what, you just told us we couldn’t get with Emma so there was no competition, and you could have her to yourself? Is that what this is?” I demand.

“You know I don’t need to resort to dirty tactics to get a woman. Emma’s a grown-ass woman, she’s the one who gets to decide who she wants to be with. It’s not my fault if I’m the one she wants. You’re just jealous she didn’t choose you,” Mason replies angrily into my face, clenching his own fists.

“Only because you resorted to dirty tactics.”

“Alright guys, cool it, there’s no need to come to blows over this,” Ty tries to reason.

“Thank you, Ty,” Emma’s voice says from behind us.

We snap our attention to where she’s standing, arms folded, looking thoroughly pissed off.

“You two are behaving like children. Mason’s right, I’m a grown woman and I decide who I want to be with, not you,” Emma states.

Mason smiles at me smugly.

“Don’t look so pleased with yourself, Mason,” she snips. “I didn’t say I wanted you.”

Mason looks wounded and I feel a complex mix of emotions, sadness for my friend but also hope that maybe Emma wants me as much as I want her after all.

“Look. I know we barely know each other, and I’m not saying what we’ve done is conventional or that any of this makes sense, but I want to continue to get to know all three of you. I have feelings and attraction toward each of you, and we know that sex together works, or at least it did for me. So, right now here’s what I’m going to suggest, what I want. I want to be with all of you, to see how this works, even if it’s just us having some fun and it doesn’t last. I don’t want to overanalyze it. It’s complicated and confusing, but there it is. I totally get it if you don’t want that. But that’s how I feel. Obviously, this only works if you guys can handle it and don’t get jealous or argue among yourselves,” Emma reasons earnestly.

“I can handle that. I’m not usually jealous at all, but not when it comes to the guys anyway. I just thought Mason was being underhand,” I say looking at Mason.

My heart is soaring with the knowledge that Emma wants me, too. My anger and jealousy are immediately forgotten, and I feel stupid for my reaction.

Mason shakes his head. “I wouldn’t do that to you guys. You’re my brothers.”

“I know man, I just lost my head for a moment there,” I reply, shaking his hand and clapping him on the back with a smile, he grins back at me, our disagreement already forgiven and forgotten.

Mason turns his attention back to Emma. “Emma, if that’s what you want, I’m in. There’s no point pretending that there isn’t something here. We’ll just have to suffer the consequences with J-Bird.”

“Well, he doesn’t need to know does it, it can be our little secret,” Emma says playfully, and I immediately go from being pissed off to turned on.

The power this woman has over me is insane.

“Ty?” Emma says, looking at our stoic friend who’s quietly watching the events unfold as always.

“I’m in.”

Chapter 19

Emma

I can’t believe I just propositioned three men with a polyamorous relationship. Even more so, I can’t believe they accepted. The fact that I want this is remarkable enough, let alone that I had the confidence to suggest it. The guys are bringing out sides of me I never knew existed.

We stand there for a moment, all a little surprised by the turn of events.

“Well, come on over here then. I say if we’re breaking the rules we might as well have some fun right now,” Jax says, coming and taking my hand to pull me closer with a wink and a devastatingly handsome grin that makes my knees weak.

I giggle as he pulls me in close, pressing me against his hard chest. “We can’t, Bess is upstairs, she might hear us.”

“She won’t, and if she does, she won’t care,” Mason says, coming in close, his eyes hungry.

“See,” Jax murmurs, gently tilting my head up by the chin so he can kiss me.

His strong, masculine smell fills my senses, and I kiss him back. My whole world is falling apart. I’ve had some of the worst possible news today and so I cling to him like a life raft. I need them to distract me, if only for a short while.

We come up for air and Jax tugs my dress over my head. Mason moves aside and sits down to watch, gesturing for Ty to join us. Ty moves behind me, kissing my shoulder at the base of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. He gently unclasps my bra, revealing my hardened nipples which Jax lazily tweaks. Ty reaches between my legs from behind, stroking my clit through the lace of my panties.

Jax captures my mouth with his just as I gasp. Ty’s nimble fingers dance around my clit, forming a damp patch in my panties. Jax explores my mouth with his tongue, and I eagerly kiss him back. I stroke both of the bulges in their pants with each hand, enjoying how they harden under my touch, straining against the denim.

Jax pauses kissing me for a moment to remove his clothes while Ty continues making me wetter. His free hand comes around from behind me to caress my nipples. I moan, arching my back and pressing it into his chest as he kisses my neck, the stubble deliciously harsh against my skin.

I close my eyes but only for a moment, my attention diverted by the sight of Jax in all his naked glory. The elaborate twisting pattern of snakes and vines on his chest, his hard-muscled abs, and the trail of hair that leads directly into his boxers. He pulls them off, his hard cock springing free. I reach out taking him in my hand loving how his eyes are hooded with desire as he watches me and Ty.

Ty quickly removes his clothes behind me, the sudden loss of his hand on my pussy makes me ache with need and I tingle as I become even more turned on with the anticipation of what’s to come. He hooks his thumbs into my panties, pulling them down in one swift motion leaving me naked. I can feel his hardness pressing against the cheeks of my ass. He reaches his hand around the front of me coming close and teasing my clit.

“I’m going to fuck you now, Emma, okay?” he says his voice low and seductive turning me on even more.

“Yes,” I breathe.

He pushes his cock inside me, filling my soaking wet pussy as he supports me with one hand. Slowly he begins to thrust in and out of me his cock coming away slick with my arousal as I moan with pleasure.

“Fuck you’re so wet,” he groans.

I continue to tease Jax with my hand, running it up and down the length of him in sure strokes while he watches Ty fuck me. I glance over at Mason who’s doing the same. With my attention now on him, he removes his clothes confidently, a little show just for me, and I marvel at this impeccable specimen of a man.

I don’t even know how he manages to do it, but Ty lifts me while still fucking me, taking me to the couch so he can continue to fuck me doggy style. The new angle hits even deeper and I let out a deep guttural moan.

“Fuck that feels good.”

Jax moves in front of me, and I take his cock in my mouth, licking and sucking it before taking it as deep as I can. I can feel Mason’s eyes on me, and it turns me on even more, knowing he’s enjoying watching. I can tell he’s turned on by the sight as he strokes his erection, his eyes never leaving us. Ty fucks me harder and faster, his fingers deftly playing with my clit bringing me closer and closer to orgasm with each stroke.

My moan is stifled by Jax’s cock in his mouth, vibrating at the base of his cock and he groans.

“Fuck, Emma, I will never get tired of this.”

I feel the exact same way.

My legs buckle as the orgasm hits me like a tidal wave, but Ty doesn’t relent he continues to fuck me hard and fast until I’m screaming out with pleasure, unable to focus on Jax for the moment. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to mind, he languidly strokes his erection while he watches. With a final, deep thrust Ty reaches his climax too and I feel his seed trickling down my thighs, and he slowly pulls out of me. He kisses me on the small of my back before sitting back, satiated, to watch.

Jax doesn’t give me a moment to catch my breath, moving so he is sitting on the couch and positioning me so I’m sitting on his lap facing away from him. He enters me, the angle is new, and his cock fills me in different ways from Ty’s. Mason comes over bending down to kiss me. I stroke his cock and take it in my mouth as he stands up. This time is different from the first yet still incredible. We’re all more sure of each other, moving in harmony.

Jax spanks my ass lightly, grabbing my hips and grinding me on his penis. With three strong men passing me around I feel helpless to their power. But the loss of control is arousing rather than worrying. I like submitting to them, letting them enjoy me and pleasure me, passing me around as if I weigh nothing.

With an unspoken agreement, the guys move in sync so that I’m facing Jax. He takes my nipple in his mouth flicking his tongue over it and sending shivers across my skin. Mason comes to the side, and I eagerly continue to pleasure him, happy that the jealousy between him and Jax seems to be completely forgotten. The last thing I want is to get in the way of their friendship.

“Ah god, you’re so good at that,” Mason moans.

His words spur me on, and I continue to suck him with determination, wanting to drive him as wild as he drives me. I’m so turned on I’m gushing wet as Jax continues to delve into my slickness. I feel Ty’s hand on my ass as he strokes my cheeks and to my surprise his finger teases my ass, using my wetness to slowly push it in.

I’ve never done anal play before, and this isn’t what I expected. I’d thought it would be painful or off-putting, but it feels nice. Different and tight, but nice. It somehow makes Jax feel even bigger inside me, and I moan as all three of my men fuck me in every hole.

“Yes!” I gasp, my eyes widening as Ty inserts another finger, filling me even more while Jax holds me still on his cock.

I try to grind but Jax holds me firm, not letting me move. The sensation is incredible, and I can feel everything. Jax takes one nipple in his mouth while Mason teases the other with his fingers. The pressure inside me continues to grow, ready to send me over the edge but they take their time. With my own orgasm so tantalizingly close I throw myself into the task of making Mason cum with determination, taking his cock as deep as I can to the back of my throat.

“Fuck, Emma,” he hisses, and I feel a smug sense of satisfaction that I can drive them wild too.

I suck him off doing my best pornstar impersonation. Sex with Adam was never like this but with them I feel so uninhibited and unselfconscious.

“Fuck, Emma I’m gonna cum,” Mason growls.

He tries to pull out, but I hold him firm, wanting to taste him, seconds later he finds his release and I swallow it down. My attention shifts back to Jax, and I look him in the eye. Only now does he begin to move again inside me. Finally giving me what I’m desperate for. He plays with my clit while I grind on his cock, teasing my nipples with his tongue while Ty continues to play with my asshole. My senses are on overload, and I completely lose myself to the pleasure they’re giving me. Not caring how I look or how loudly I’m moaning.

“That’s it, Emma, let go,” Ty murmurs approvingly.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Jax groans, biting his lip. “I’m so close, baby, I need you to cum with me.”

Those words send me spilling over the edge and my pussy gushes as I climax, moaning as wave after wave of orgasm hits me. Only then does Jax allow himself to let go too and he shudders and grunts as he finds his release.

“Fuck that was good,” he says breathlessly.

“You can say that again,” I reply with a smile, looking at each of them in turn my eyes finally landing on Mason. “Don’t you dare say this was a mistake,” I warn him, my tone teasing.

“Now, why would I say something stupid like that?” he replies with a grin.

Just like that, we’re past the point of no return. This is really happening. However crazy and reckless this might be, right now I couldn’t care less.

Chapter 20

Mason

It’s been five days since we went to visit Bess. Five days since I dragged the Iron Serpents into a war. Five days since we found out Victor Kane is likely behind the kidnapping attempt. Five days since we finally gave in to our desires and accepted that we can’t resist Emma, no matter how much we should.

Bess has been busy trying to find out if there’s a way for us to speak to Kane and see if there’s a resolution that can be reached as per Emma’s suggestion. She’s been unsuccessful so far but assures us she’s getting closer.

J-Bird was understandably pissed to discover that I’d knocked out the leader of the Hell Riders, dragging us into a war with them, something Breaker had been waiting for an excuse to do. When he found out why I did it he was even more pissed. Not only had we put Emma in danger, but we’d not sought his approval before sending her in there. He did, of course, understand why I beat Breaker up. Though even that didn’t placate him since he argued that I ought to have killed him for trying to rape her. Honestly, I regret not doing it, but something told me that if Emma saw me kill him it would break her. Or if I’m being truly honest, I was worried it would change her feelings for me.

If that wasn’t bad enough, J-Bird turned apoplectic when we told him we suspect that Victor Kane is the person targeting his sister and nephew. For all his indignation about me starting a war, he was ready to throw us into an even bigger one by trying to take on Kane. He’s all for killing the man. Fortunately, we managed to convince him to hold off, at least until we’ve tried Emma and Bess’ way. In a way, the war with the Hell Riders is a blessing in disguise since J-Bird is too busy with that to go on a suicide mission after Kane.

Since that night, we’ve had sex with Emma every day, sometimes more than once, while Max is at school. Every time feels more incredible than the last and we can’t get enough of her. When we’re not doing our best to pleasure Emma in new and exciting ways, we’re hungry to learn everything we can about her. Slowly, she’s coming out of her shell and revealing more about herself. We treasure each new fact like a rare pearl.

I didn’t think a woman like Emma could be real. She’s the stuff of fantasy. Not only is she stunningly beautiful, but she’s also smart, funny, determined, fiercely loyal, and a great mother. If you’d asked me before meeting Emma if I wanted to have a family and kids someday, I’d have laughed in your face at the suggestion. But now I can picture it. I generally have very little tolerance for kids, but I find myself amused by Max and fiercely protective of him. He’s a great kid, he reminds me a lot of his mother but also of J-Bird in some ways. I’m surprised to find myself wanting to be a role model to him, and that being around him and Emma is making me a better man.

Thankfully since mine and Jax’s argument, there’s been no ill will between us and no jealousy at all. I’m genuinely happy to see my friends with Emma. Like me, it appears they’re finding her to be a good influence on them and that they’re smitten. Even Ty is coming out of his shell more around her. Emma herself seems to be flourishing, despite the circumstances. From what little she’s told us about her ex-husband, it sounds as though he did everything he could to dominate and control her, to make her feel less than.

If that bastard wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him for hurting her, for not realizing what an incredible wife he had.

“You look deep in thought, penny for them?” Emma says cheerily as she enters the room, pulling me from my contemplation.

Ty and Jax have gone to help J-Bird with an attempted negotiation with the Hell Riders. Understandably they felt it was best if I stayed behind, my presence would no doubt have a negative effect on coming to an amicable solution. Max is at school, which means I’ve got Emma all to myself.

“Are you worrying about how the meeting is going to go today?” Emma asks sympathetically, cocking her head to the side.

I shrug. “Not really. The guys can handle themselves.”

“Have you heard from Bess?” Emma asks hopefully, sitting down on the couch beside me and tucking her bare feet up under herself, curling up like a cat.

“Not today, no.”

“I just wish there was a way for this nightmare to be over,” she says biting her nails anxiously. “I feel so mad at Adam for leaving Max and me in this situation. What kind of man puts his family at risk like that?”

“A weak, selfish one,” I reply, jaw clenched.

I didn’t think you could hate a dead man, but I sure as shit hate Emma’s ex-husband.

“Perhaps that’s why I like you, Ty, and Jax. You’re the opposite of weak and selfish,” she says with a smile.

“I wasn’t always strong. I was a scrawny little kid. The bigger kids used to pick on me for it. Bess used to have to protect me,” I reply, thinking back to how she’d square up to even the biggest boys.

“Really?” Emma says with surprise, “What changed?”

“Puberty hit,” I reply with a chuckle, “And I started lifting weights. Bess taught me not to take any shit. In our world the weak don’t survive, it’s kill or be killed.”

Emma looks at me sadly. “I’m sorry that was your childhood.”

“It was a long time ago, I came out of it alright. I survived,” I say with a shrug.

“How did you end up in care, if you don’t mind me asking?” she says gently.

Usually, I don’t like to share my past with people, but with Emma, I feel comfortable. I know she won’t think less of me or pity me because of it.

“My mom killed herself when I was around Max’s age. I was the one who found her. Turns out my dad was having an affair. She’d always been fragile and suffered with her mental health, but hearing that the man she loved so fiercely was fucking his nineteen-year-old student broke her.”

“Oh, Mason, I’m so sorry,” Emma says, placing a comforting hand on my knee.

“It was less than six months after her death that my dad moved his mistress in and shipped me out. Supposedly there wasn’t room for me in the new family they wanted to build together,” I say bitterly, still stung by the rejection to this day. “No one wants to adopt a troubled six-year-old who has nightmares and wets the bed because of what he saw. They want babies or cute toddlers who they can easily mold into their own. So I was stuck bouncing around foster homes until I turned eighteen, each one more shitty than the last as I became labeled a problem child.”

“What your father did to you was terrible. People like that don’t deserve to have kids. Max is the most important thing in my life, I wouldn’t give him up for anything or anyone,” she says fiercely.

“I know, it’s the thing I respect and admire most about you.”

“Thank you. I know I’ve no right to ask… but if something were to happen to me, could I ask something of you?” she says, her sapphire eyes searching mine.

“Anything,” I reply earnestly.

“Will you help Jacob take care of Max? He’s a great uncle and he practically raised me when we were kids, but it’s tough and he’d need all the help he can get.”

“Of course I will. But nothing’s going to happen to you. Not on my watch. So there’s no need to worry about it,” I assure her.

“Thank you,” she replies with a small smile. “And thanks for telling me about your childhood.”

I nod, not feeling the need to respond.

“Do you think Jax and Ty will be mad again if we have fun without them?” she asks mischievously, immediately taking my mind off the past and pulling me back to the present.

“If they are, I’m sure a blowjob will quickly put an end to it and cheer them up,” I reply with a grin.

“From me or you?” she cheekily teases.

I laugh. “They sure as shit won’t want one from me.”

I pull her close, kissing her, reveling in the softness of her lips and the warmth of her body. J-Bird will kill us if he ever finds out about us and Emma, but for now, I don’t care.

Our make-out session is interrupted by the ringing of Emma’s phone.

“Ignore it,” I say between kisses, pulling her top up over her head.

But as soon as the phone stops ringing it starts again. Whoever is calling is determined to get ahold of Emma.

“Hold that thought,” Emma says planting a kiss on my lips before turning to answer the phone.

“It’s Max’s school,” she says worriedly looking at me before answering. “Hello, Emma speaking.”

She listens for a moment, her expression growing more concerned as whoever is on the other end of the phone relays their information to her.

“But Max is okay, yes?” she says frantically before sagging a little with relief at the presumably positive reply.

“Alright, I’ll get there as soon as I can. Please don’t let him out of your sight and don’t let anyone else collect him other than me, not even Jessica. Do not let him leave,” she orders.

The person on the other line responds and Emma thanks them before hanging up the phone.

She pulls her shirt back on while relaying the conversation to me. “Some people showed up at the school just now and tried to take Max.”

“What? Who?”

“They claim to be from Child Protective Services but after the scare the other week the school is understandably on high alert when it comes to Max. Normally, they would let the CPS people speak to a child without informing the parent in case the parent influences the child’s response, luckily the teacher who overheard them talking to the receptionist knew about our situation and called me. They’re going to try to delay them to keep them there while they determine if the IDs they showed are real or not—if they’re fake, they’ll call the cops. If they’re real, they’ll be forced to let them take Max.”

“Shit,” I hiss, heading for the door, “Come on, I’ll drive,” I say, annoyed that we can’t take my bike which would be faster but there’s no way we’re taking Max home on it.

“What if they really are from CPS? Do you think Kane might have called it in so they’d take Max out of school, and it would make him easier for them to kidnap him from their custody?” she asks, her eyes wide with fear.

“It’s possible,” I reply, not wanting to lie to her, my mouth pressed in a thin line.

“Drive fast,” Emma says as we buckle in as if I need telling.

“Call the others, let them know what’s happening,” I say as we pull off.

Emma does as she’s told, and I drive as fast as I can without getting pulled over. I just hope we get there in time. If they get Max out of school, whether they’re real CPS officers or not, getting him back will be ten times harder.

Chapter 21

Emma

“What do you mean you let them take him?” I wail, halfway between terror and anger.

“I’m sorry Ms. Miller, but it’s school policy. Once the CPS officers were verified, we had no choice but to let them take Max out of school. These kinds of allegations are taken very seriously, and they have to investigate them properly,” the stiff school principal replies rigidly.

“I have never and would never hurt my son,” I reply through clenched teeth.

“Then I’m sure the investigation will reveal that, and Max will be returned to you safe and sound in due course,” he replies unsympathetically, his tone more than a little judgmental as his eyes flit between me and Mason.

“I am not leaving him in fucking care!” I yell, unable to control my rising hysteria.

“Please, calm down Ms. Miller, there’s no need for profanity,” the principal replies condescendingly.

“I’d say if there’s ever a time for profanity it’s when your child has been taken from you against your will and knowledge for no reason, and the school allowed it to happen, despite knowing that said child was at risk of having been previously the victim of an attempted kidnapping on your premises,” Mason interjects icily. “I’m sure potential parents considering your esteemed school wouldn’t look favorably on it if they were to find out.”

“Do not threaten me in my own school, sir. Now, I’m going to have to ask you both to leave. If you have any issues with how the school has handled this you can submit a complaint to the school board, but I assure you, they will tell you the same as I have. The matter is with Child Protective Services now, I suggest you speak to them should you wish to get your son back, Ms. Miller,” he says before standing and opening the door to his office, dismissing us.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” I say breathing rapidly and tugging at my hair as we leave the school, “I can’t believe this is happening. What do we do?” I ask Mason, helplessly seeking answers.

“We go to the CPS office where they’ve taken him and try to straighten this out, any idiot can see you’re a great mom and whatever has been said is a lie.”

“But what if Kane’s men have already got to him? What if we’re too late? My poor baby!” I wail, tears springing to my eyes as my mind goes to the worst-case scenario.

“Shh, we don’t know that. It’s alright, we’ll figure this out,” he soothes me, pulling me into a warm embrace as I sob on his shoulder.

I take several great heaving gulps of air trying to regain my composure. “Alright, let’s go get my baby back. If Kane has got there first then we’ll come for him, he’s messed with the wrong mother,” I say with determination, ready to kill anyone who stands in the way of me and my son, like a lioness and her cub.

“That’s the spirit,” Mason says admiringly, kissing me on the forehead before rushing to the car.

***

“I’m sorry Ms. Miller, I know you love your son and want him back, but we have to investigate these allegations thoroughly and until we can be certain that Max is safe at home, he must remain in our custody,” the heavyset woman at the CPS offices informs me.

“Who would say such awful things?” I sob, shoulders hunched. “I would never hurt, Max, ever!” I say fiercely shaking my head.

“I understand this is difficult, Ms. Miller, but Max’s safety is our number one priority,” she replies gently.

At least the Child Protective Services have him safe in their custody and Kane hasn’t got to him. However, I can’t be sure how much longer that will last. The second they put him into foster care he’s a vulnerable target. He must be so scared and confused.

“Please, can I at least see him and tell him what’s happening?” I beg.

“I’m afraid we find that to be more distressing and upsetting for the child. At a suitable time, supervised visits may be arranged once he’s been placed in a foster home.”

My heart breaks even more. Knowing the horrible time Mason had in care awaits my son followed by the inevitable horrors that Kane will inflict once he finds them and there’s nothing I can do. I’ve never felt more useless and hopeless in my life.

“It’s my understanding that Max does not need to be placed into foster care if there is a family member or suitable guardian that could care for him. Max has an uncle who would happily take him in,” Mason interjects.

Hope swells in my chest and I look at the woman, praying she will confirm that Jacob can take care of Max.

The woman shakes her head. “I’m afraid that as the allegations include concerns over the associations that Ms. Miller and her brother have with the Iron Serpents motorcycle club and alleged criminal activity, his uncle’s home would not be considered a suitable alternative.”

I should have known that would be the answer, yet I feel crushing disappointment all the same.

“Alright,” Mason says through gritted teeth. “What about a friend then? Ms. Jessica Woods regularly babysits Max and I’m sure she would be happy to look after him until this gets straightened out. That would be far less distressing for both mother and child than putting him in a foster home with strangers.”

I could kiss Mason right now, I’m so glad he’s here. Why didn’t I think of that?

A look of recognition crosses the woman’s face, almost as though she knows the name, which I suppose she might as the school has likely informed them of the people in Max’s life. “It could be possible. Do you have Ms. Wood’s number? I shall speak with my superiors to see if this would be permissible and then call her to see if she is happy to care for Max.”

“Yes, thank you so much,” I gush, writing down Jessica’s number gratefully.

“Alright, please wait here,” she says before leaving the room.

“Mason, you’re a genius, thank you! Why didn’t I think of that? I’d rather Max was home with me but at least he’ll be safe with Jessica, or at least safer than with a stranger.”

“Let’s just hope they approve it,” he replies.

“They will,” I reply confidently.

I refuse to let myself consider what will happen if they don’t, the alternative is too terrifying to contemplate.

The minutes tick by agonizingly slowly as we await their answer. Mason’s strong reassuring presence is the only thing keeping me together, he holds my hand in his, not seeming to care that I must be squeezing it hard enough to hurt, my nails leaving little crescent moons in his skin.

When the woman returns to the room, we both spring from our chairs, anxious to hear the verdict.

“Alright, I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that Max will be staying with Ms. Woods until further notice,” she says with a smile that doesn’t show her teeth.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding, sinking into the chair with relief. “Thank you. When can I speak to him?”

“Ms. Miller, I must stress that you are not to try to see Max without prior approval while the investigation is ongoing,” she says sternly. “You can, however, call him once a day with a CPS officer on the call.”

“Thank you,” I reply, grateful for even the tiniest crumbs of contact with my son.

It’s the best result we could have hoped for other than him being returned to us and the allegations debunked. I just hope we can get him back quickly. The longer Max is away from my side, the more at risk he is of falling into Kane’s grasp. I need to warn Jess without alarming her. If she thinks her kids are in danger she’ll send Max into foster care, or if the CPS finds out, it will only give them further reason to believe he isn’t safe with me.

Just when I think this situation can’t get any worse, it does.

At least Max will be safe. But for how long?

Time is running out and we’re no closer to a solution.

Chapter 22

Mason

It’s been three days since Max was taken from Emma’s custody. Poor Emma has been walking around the house like a ghost, lost and confused without her son. It kills me to see her feeling so helpless. It’s like the fight has gone out of her.

On the first day, I attempted to go and watch over Jessica’s house since I’m the only one she’s not met. But someone called the cops about a strange man loitering and they took no time at all in moving me on, making it very clear that if me or anyone else like me was seen hanging around again there’d be trouble. It seems I’m far too conspicuous and threatening of a presence for Jessica’s nice neighborhood. Bess has asked her friend, an ex-cop, to drive by occasionally to ensure that nothing seems suspicious, which is something, but I wish we could have eyes on Max at all times. All it will take is for Jessica to take her eyes off Max for a moment to give Kane’s men the opportunity to swoop in and steal him. Fortunately, she seems to be taking her role as guardian seriously and so far, from what we can tell, she hasn’t let him out of her sight other than to go to school.

We’ve tried to cheer Emma up, but if I’m being honest, we haven’t been there for her as much as any of us would like to. We’ve been busy and distracted helping Jacob with the escalating war against the Hell Riders. We agreed that there was no way we were going to leave Emma alone. So, every day we rotate, one of us stays at home with her while the other two go to help the club.

The war with the Hell Riders is escalating. The meeting with Breaker didn’t go well. Unsurprisingly, he was a total asshole. His demands were simple enough, but we were never going to comply. First, he wanted to fight me, I’d have gladly taken him up on that, and second, he wanted Emma. I believe his words were that he wanted to, “Teach that bitch whore a lesson.” There was no way any of us would concede to that.

Of course, he didn’t realize who Emma was at that point. J-Bird educated him by breaking his nose. The guys were lucky that the meeting was held in a busy public place, else there’s no way they’d have managed to escape scathe-free. Thankfully, they also had Venom trying to avoid a public execution which worked in their favor, too. Since then, the violence between the clubs has been escalating. Yesterday one of our guys was run off the road, he’ll be lucky if he doesn’t lose a leg.

As you can guess, J-Bird wants revenge. So, when my phone rings in the middle of the night and it’s J-Bird, I know something big is about to go down.

“Hello,” I answer, immediately awake, turning on the light on my bedside table as I sit upright and check the time, it’s just after two a.m.

“Mace, the guys have gotten wind of something big going down with the Hell Riders tonight. Supposedly some big exchange that’s worth a fuck ton of money. We’re going to go fuck shit up and hit them where it hurts. Grab the guys and come now,” he says sounding both commanding and slightly excited at the prospect of taking our enemy down.

“What about Emma? We shouldn’t leave her alone,” I reply, still worried about the ever-looming presence of Kane.

J-Bird hesitates for a moment, contemplating his options before he lets out a sigh and responds. “You’re right. Though I could use my best guys on this. I could send someone else, but they’d take too long to get to you, and I need you guys on the road now…” he says, thinking out loud. “You make the call of who should stay behind and for god’s sake don’t tell Emma, she’d only worry or try to talk me out of it. I’m going to send you the location now,” he says.

“Okay, sure.”

“Oh, and Mace, make sure you come strapped,” he adds ominously.

It appears he’s preparing for a shootout.

“Understood,” I reply as he hangs up.

I head to Jax’s bedroom, already deciding that he should be the one to come with me. Ty is an incredible fighter and less hot-headed than Jax, but he has reservations about the use of firearms, to put it mildly, so I’d rather avoid dragging him into this if I can. I wake Jax, quickly and quietly explaining the situation.

“Did J-Bird say what the plan was exactly? Or who the Hell Riders are making the deal with?” Jax asks as he pulls on his leathers.

“Nope,” I reply with a shake of my head, my mouth a thin line.

“Great, so we could end up making an even bigger enemy in the process. What the fuck is the Prez thinking?” Jax mutters as he grabs his guns.

I’m inclined to agree with Jax. Our normally level-headed president is becoming increasingly reckless with this war. I don’t know if the worry and pressure of running the club while trying to protect his sister and nephew is getting to him or if it’s something else entirely, but it’s not good.

I shake my head and shrug, but I don’t answer him. As soon as he’s ready I head downstairs. While Jax writes a note for Emma and Ty, I hurriedly send a text to Bess, hoping she might have some answers about what we’re getting ourselves into.

Me: Hey, B, been summoned by the Prez to intercept a deal of some kind between the Hell Riders and another party. You have any intel from V on what we’re walking into? J-Bird wants to fuck up the deal in the hopes of cutting off their finances/hitting them where it hurts. Thanks, M.

I slip my phone back into my pocket, not expecting an immediate reply and we both head out, grim-faced and determined.

Part of me wishes I could wake Emma to say goodbye, but I’d only worry her. There’s a chance that either one of us might not make it back to her after tonight. If I could hold Emma, kiss her, and leave with her face ingrained in my memory I’d be happy. But that would be selfish and cause her even more worry than she’s already experiencing. I just need to make sure that everything goes smoothly tonight and that Jax and I make it home in one piece.

“Emma’s gonna be pissed when she wakes up. You know she won’t want us or J-Bird doing something this dangerous,” Jax says as we walk to our bikes, voicing my thoughts.

“I know. But what choice do we have? We can’t ignore a direct order from the Prez, or tell him what to do. Plus, the sooner we end this war with the Hell Riders the sooner we can get back to focusing on Max. Sometimes it pays to be proactive,” I reply more confidently than I feel as we climb onto our bikes and start them up.

As we ride off, I have a strange sense of foreboding. Like a death row prisoner walking the green mile or a man with a gun pointed at his head, I can’t help feeling like we’re being sent to the frontlines from which we won’t return. 

Chapter 23

Emma

The sound of motorcycles starting pulls me from my fitful sleep. The clock on my bedside table tells me it’s twenty minutes past two in the morning. I’ve not been sleeping well since Max was taken from me. What little sleep I do get is plagued with nightmares so for a moment, I wonder if the sound was simply a dream. But then the flash of lights and the sound of the engines rumbling quietly confirm I’m not imagining things.

I pad over to the window, wondering if it’s perhaps Jacob coming over late or the guys heading out, though why they would need to in the middle of the night I don’t know. I spot two figures on bikes riding away. Only Ty’s motorcycle remains in the driveway so it must be Jax and Mason. Immediately I feel sick with worry, surely something bad must have happened? What if it’s Max?

I try to remain calm and not panic, hoping there’s a reasonable explanation. Surely if Kane and his men had gotten to Max they would have woken and told me and Ty too?

It’s been three days since I’ve seen my little boy, but it feels like an eternity. I spend my days listlessly moping around the house waiting for the five-minute supervised phone call I’m allowed with Max. Hearing his voice is the only bright spot in my dark days. I’ve been trying to convince myself that he seems happy and with all of the attention on Max, Kane and his men are unlikely to be able to get near without being spotted. But what if they’ve snuck into Jessica’s house and stolen him from his bed? You hear horrible stories of that happening to children. What if tonight is the night that Kane has finally come to take my little boy away from me?

I can’t quell the hysteria and panic that begins to rise inside of me and, not knowing what else to do, I head out of my room and toward Ty’s. I rap my knuckles on the door lightly at first then harder when there’s no response. I don’t even hesitate before turning the doorknob and heading inside. Ty is fast asleep on his front, the blankets thrown off him. He sleeps naked so his bare body is revealed in all its glory, strong yet vulnerable in sleep, like a sleeping lion. Normally I’d admire the sight of his firm ass but I’m too worried to even think about it.

“Ty,” I hiss, “Ty wake up!” he doesn’t respond, only stirring, turning over so I can see his semi-erect penis, clearly, he’s not having bad dreams. “Ty,” I say louder this time, going over to shake his shoulder gently so as not to startle him.

“Emma?” he says groggily as he blinks awake looking confused. “What are you doing in here?”

“Sorry to wake you but Mason and Jax just left and it’s the middle of the night. I’m worried that something’s happened to Max. Why else would they go out so late? Why wouldn’t they tell me?” I start to ramble.

“Shh, Emma, calm down, I’m sure it has nothing to do with Max. Did they text you?” he says soothingly.

“No, can you check your phone?” I ask hopefully.

He does as I ask, the glow from the phone illuminating his handsome face. He rubs a hand over the stubble on his jaw.

“Nothing,” he says shaking his head.

“Oh god! What does that mean?” I say starting to pace.

“Calm down Emma. It probably means that they didn’t want to wake us if our phones weren’t on silent. Chances are they’ve left a note downstairs for us to find in the morning,” he reasons.

Without saying anything I immediately run downstairs to check. Sure enough, there’s a note on the kitchen table. I race back upstairs to Ty’s room. He’s sat up in bed having turned on the bedside light and pulled the sheets up to cover him from the waist down.

“Told you,” he says with a nod toward the piece of paper I’m holding. “What does it say?”

“J-Bird called me and Jax out on a mission to intercept a Hell Rider deal and hit back hard. Ty, I will update you with more info when I know and keep you posted. Don’t come after us this time. Emma, do as you’re told and stay put for once,” I read the note aloud smirking slightly at Mason’s bossiness.

“Well, there you have it it’s an Iron Serpent Hell Riders matter. It’s nothing to do with Max. Max is fine. And we’re to stay put,” Ty says with a small smile back at me.

I can’t shake the concern I feel for Max, I was so certain something had gone wrong. Ty must sense my confusion and inner turmoil as he continues to reason with me.

“Surely if something had happened to Max, you’d be the one to hear about it first? Jess wouldn’t hide it from you, would she? And since she’s with him, and you’re his mom, no matter what she or the authorities would call you, not J-Bird or the guys.”

“You’re right,” I reply, letting out a deep breath. “Not that I like the sound of the guys going on a mission in the middle of the night against the Hell Riders either,” I add.

Ty shrugs, his lack of concern helping to ease my worries. “It’s not that uncommon, motorcycle clubs don’t exactly keep sociable hours.”

I hover there, uncertain of what to say or do. “I’m sorry I woke you up,” I land on, feeling a little embarrassed at how hysterical I got.

“Don’t be.”

“How are you always so calm and collected?” I ask scrutinizing his calm expression and relaxed body language which hasn’t changed the whole time we’ve been speaking.

“Years of practice at hiding how I feel on the inside,” he replies candidly, his eyes meeting mine and holding my gaze.

“Right well… I guess I’ll let you go back to sleep. Sorry again… for well… you know…” I mutter awkwardly.

Despite the fact we’ve had sex together and done all kinds of things, somehow, it’s only just dawning on me how vulnerable someone is naked and asleep. How intimate it is to share that with someone, to allow them into your bedroom.

“I don’t feel tired now, and I know you won’t go back to sleep,” he says knowingly.

“No, probably not, at least not for a long while, I’m too worked up and worried now,” I reply truthfully.

“You can get in bed with me if you like,” he offers carefully, his voice sounding as though he wouldn’t mind either way whatever I reply.

I hesitate for a moment, somehow feeling more exposed in just my silk nightgown than when I’ve been naked in front of him. “Okay,” I say, climbing in next to him, feeling the warmth radiating from his body and the softness of his sheets.

We lie there side by side, neither of us touching the other but it feels as though there’s an invisible current connecting us. Ty lies back and places his hands under his head, looking up at the ceiling, seemingly unbothered by the silence and content not to speak unless I want to. I study him, the strong jaw highlighted by stubble, the muscled lines of his arms, the tufts of hairs in his armpits, and the well-defined obliques, shown off in this new angle.

Though I’ve seen him naked plenty of times, like this I can properly study his tattoos. Like the others, there are some snakes incorporated into the designs, and he has one of the club logo, he is an Iron Serpent after all. He also has a name on his side.

“Who’s Danielle? The one that got away?” I ask teasingly.

He stiffens, looking uncomfortable and I worry I’ve asked the wrong thing. If he’s got this person’s name tattooed on him, they were obviously very important to him at one time in his life, or still are. Maybe he’s still in love with this woman. The thought hurts me, and I feel a sharp stab of envy for whoever this Danielle is.

Not wanting to force him to answer I quickly add, “Sorry, that was nosy of me, you don’t need to tell me. It’s not like this… well whatever this thing between us, you, me, Mason, and Jax, is serious to you… For all I know you’ve got a partner to go back to and this is just some fun while we’re stuck here…” I babble.

He turns to study me, his eyes boring into me. “Is that what you think? That I would be unfaithful and lie to you about it?” he doesn’t seem hurt, merely curious.

“No, of course not,” I rush to explain. “I mean… you could be in an open relationship or just not looking for anything serious, so you don’t want to get too personal, keep things casual.”

“Is that what you think I want? Something casual?” he asks turning to his side and propping himself up on one elbow.

I mirror his body language doing the same. “I don’t know… You’re kinda hard to read. I never really know what you’re thinking,” I admit.

He smiles without showing his teeth with a soft, silent chuckle. “So I’ve been told. But if you had to describe the way I am toward you, or how you think I feel about you and this situation, what would you say?”

I’m caught off guard by his directness and naked curiosity. “Umm… well I don’t know, I suppose I sometimes feel like you can be… distant?” I suggest.

He nods taking on my words. “Yes, I suppose I can appear that way.”

“Why?” I ask softly.

“I find it hard to let people in, to know who to trust, and most of the time I prefer to watch and figure people out. First impressions aren’t always accurate.”

“That’s true,” I agree. “What was your first impression of me?” I decide to ask, fearing his candid honesty might sting a little, my eyes dropping down away from his shyly.

He reaches over and touches my chin gently, tilting it back up to meet his gaze. “I thought you were beautiful and a little bit broken, that something or someone had made you think you were anything short of incredible.”

My breath hitches with surprise at his words, so heartfelt and romantic yet also accurate and tragic. He sees me as some weak, broken thing, like a bird with a broken wing.

“Is that why you’re so distant with me? Why you haven’t tried to get to know me as much as the others and keep me at arm's length? Because you’re scared of breaking me completely? That I’m too fragile?” I ask boldly, trying to prove I’m not as fragile as he might think.

“You’re the strongest person I know, Emma.”

“Then what is it? Is it that you don’t want to be involved with a single mom? I get it. It’s a lot to have someone else’s kid in your life. You’re distant with Max, too,” I add.

Both Mason and Jax dote on Max and have made it clear they don’t care that he comes first, that I’m a mom. In fact, it seems that it’s one of the things they like the most about me. Ty is remote by comparison, he is kind and patient with Max and treats him respectfully, but like he does with me, he seems hesitant to let him in. 

“No. Max is a great kid. Any guy would be lucky to have you and him in their life. I’ve been distant because I’m afraid of getting hurt. You’re not the only glass with a chip,” he says softly, his dark eyes sad. He pauses for a moment, rolling onto his back, hands clasped together on his chest, and I think that he’s going to withdraw back into himself, that this shared moment of vulnerability and openness will disappear. But then he finally speaks.

“Danielle is, was, my daughter. She died,” he chokes the words out, not looking at me.

“Oh, my… oh Ty I’m so, so sorry,” I say softly my heart breaking for him.

“It was a long time ago, almost ten years. She was a little younger than Max is now when she died,” he explains his voice thick with emotion.

“I can’t imagine how horrible it must be to lose a child. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…” I stammer uncertain of how to respond or if I should touch him or not.

I tentatively reach out and place my hand on top of his. To my relief, he doesn’t move it away.

“Her mom and I were young when we had her, barely out of high school. I was working two jobs to pay the bills and put food on the table in the shitty apartment we lived in. Then Danielle’s mom cheated on me, moved in with some gangbanger, real trouble. I tried to tell her it wasn’t a safe place for a little girl to grow up, and that Danielle could stay with me, but she threatened to keep her from me. For a while I put up with it, only seeing my little girl on the weekends, but when I heard about the types of people around that house and the wild parties they had, I started legal proceedings to sue for full custody. But I was broke, and it was a slow process,” he pauses for a moment, lost in the memory his eyes watering slightly.

“It was my day to have Danielle, but when I turned up at her mom’s house they weren’t there. I was a little late and still wearing my uniform from my shift working as a delivery driver. I assumed Danielle’s mom had taken her out to the park or somewhere just to tell me off for being late. After it started to get dark, and they still weren’t back I went and spoke to some neighbors who told me they’d gone to a cookout being held by the gang. I knew how drunk and wild those parties got, they were no place for a little girl, so I got back in my car and drove around the neighborhood looking for them. When I saw the flashing blue lights, I knew something terrible had happened…” Ty gulps as though struggling for air.

“It’s okay, take your time,” I soothe, feeling with every fiber of my being as a mother how hard it must be for him to recall all this. The thought of losing Max makes me feel sick.

“There’d been a drive-by shooting. A rival gang. No one knew how it happened, or no one would admit to not watching her, but somehow Danielle had gotten in the way and been shot. She died on the scene.”

“Ty, I’m so sorry,” I say, moving in closer to hold him. He pulls me in closer, wrapping one arm around me and holding me tight. “Did they catch who did it?”

“Yes, though that didn’t make it any better. The police were aware of the gang's growing violence and turned a blind eye. The person who fired the shots was just a kid himself who was put up to it as part of an initiation. He went to juvie, his life was ruined by it too. It’s the adults, both members of the gangs involved that I blame, and my ex. She should never have taken her there, and someone should have been watching Danielle. When the shooting started, they all fled and ran for cover, leaving a little girl to fend for herself,” he says bitterly before adding. “Danielle was the only casualty. The papers and the cops didn’t care. If she’d been from a ‘good’ family there’d have been uproar, but as her mom was involved with one of the gang members, it was seen as bad parenting, and she was quickly forgotten.”

“I can’t imagine how awful that must have been. How awful it still is,” I say tears glistening in my eyes.

“I was in a dark place for a long time, the Iron Serpents helped save me, in more ways than one. I was reluctant at first, worried they were just another gang, but I quickly realized how different they were from the mindless thugs I’d known. They’re a family, a brotherhood. I know it might not seem like it to you, but it’s rare that there’s ever violence between the club and other clubs. It’s only because of this new leader of the Hell Riders that things have been escalating.”

“I feel like I’m starting to understand the Iron Serpents a lot more now. No wonder you’ve kept your distance. It must be so painful for you to be around me and Max.”

He tilts my head up to look at him with his free hand. “No. It hasn’t been. I’ve felt the happiest I’ve ever been since Danielle died while we’ve been here, because of you and Max. That’s what I’m afraid of. That I’ll lose you both too.”

“You won’t,” I promise, softly kissing him on the lips.

I feel as though something palpably shifts between us, that we’ve finally breached the invisible line dividing us and when he returns my kiss, perhaps as hungry to forget the world for a moment as I am, I allow myself to let go.

Chapter 24

Jax

When we arrive at the deal's location, J-Bird and a dozen or so of our guys are waiting for us. It’s an abandoned warehouse miles away from civilization, so we had to slowly drive the last leg of the journey without our lights on to avoid being seen or heard and arousing suspicion. We pulled over when we spotted the guys, parked about a half mile or so from the warehouse.

When he sees us pull up J-Bird stops looking through his binoculars and shakes both of our hands. “You made it just in time,” he says. “There’s no sign of anyone there yet but we can’t be too sure. We’re going to head down on foot in stages and find hiding spots around the site.”

“And then what’s the plan? How exactly are we meant to disrupt the deal without turning this into a suicide mission?” Mason asks, voicing my thoughts.

J-Bird raises an eyebrow at Mason’s tone but doesn’t chastise him. “We expect that there will be a drop of some kind, a no-contact exchange. We plan to intercept and take the drop. Whatever we end up getting, the money, or whatever the Hell Riders are buying, it will cause a war between the two. Either side will think they’ve been screwed by the other.”

“Or we get caught and we add another unknown enemy against us into the war,” I reply agitatedly.

“Jax is right, J-Bird, this plan feels half-cocked and reckless. We don’t even know who the Hell Riders are dealing with,” Mason adds.

“We can’t let them keep attacking us without retaliation. Three of their guys raped Chopper’s wife tonight on her way home from work. He’s in the hospital with her now,” J-Bird says barely able to control his anger.

“What the fuck?” Mason and I echo in unison.

“Is Jen alright?” I add.

“A little beat up, but she’ll heal, at least physically. You know Jen, she fought back, didn’t let those fucks take her without a fight. Chopper’s torn up about it and blames himself for not being there to protect her. That’s why we have to do this. No matter the risks,” J-Bird explains.

We both nod, completely understanding why J-Bird has decided to take such drastic measures.

“Alright, we’re in, let’s take these fuckers down,” Mason says with a determined expression.

“Agreed,” I add with a nod, looking at J-Bird for instruction.

“Good. Right, let’s head on in. We’ll split into pairs. You two work together. Keep the line open but don’t use it unless you need to,” he says handing a walkie to us while the rest are passed out among the group.

J-Bird then proceeds to instruct us on where we should each go. We don’t know exactly where the drop is going to take place so we need to cover as much ground as we can. We move out, moving quickly and quietly in stages toward the warehouse. Mason and I head inside the abandoned warehouse upstairs where we have a view of the dimly lit lot and the majority of the buildings. The place is eerily quiet, the only sound is the crunching of broken glass underfoot and the rats in the building running to hide as they hear us approach.

Once we’re in position, the only thing we can do is wait.

“I sure as shit hope that J-Bird’s intel is good and this isn’t a trap,” I whisper.

Mason grunts in response, checking his phone to see if Bess has replied.

“Maybe call her?” I suggest.

Mason nods and dials his phone, holding it to his ear and pacing as it rings. “No answer,” he says grimacing before putting his phone back in his pocket.

We’re both on edge and coiled tight with tension so we don’t talk much, both just staring out the window looking for any sign of movement. The time passes agonizingly slowly, and I begin to wonder if our intel was bad, that nothing is going to happen after all, but then two figures appear from the shadows, Breaker and Venom.

Mason’s phone begins to vibrate in his pocket and his eyes go wide with panic, he hurriedly declines the call and our gazes dart back out the window, praying we haven’t given ourselves away. Breaker and Venom are both looking up toward the window and they gesture to the shadows, pointing up to where we are. A man appears, coming into the building.

“Shit,” Mason hisses.

If this guy finds us it could blow the whole thing. We need to hide or take him out without arousing further suspicion. The room is empty, there’s nowhere we could feasibly hide. I pull the switchblade I’m carrying out from my pocket, popping the blade out. It glistens in the light of the streetlamp outside. Mason nods at me. I may have to take this guy out quickly and quietly. Otherwise, we jeopardize the mission and risk all of our men’s lives.

As quietly as we can, Mason and I move to stand on either side of the doorway, preparing to do what needs to be done if the guy comes in here. We hold our breath as we hear his careful footsteps coming up the stairs. I tighten my grip on the knife in my hand, I’ll need to move quickly and without hesitation, aiming for the carotid artery to take him out silently. I’ve never killed a man, and I don’t relish the thought of doing so now, but if it means saving all of my brothers, I’ll do it.

Mason gestures that he intends to choke the guy out. I hope that he’s able to do so but I don’t change my stance, just in case.

The man is almost upon us. A bead of nervous sweat forms on my brow as I ready myself for what comes next.

Then, as if by divine intervention, a trio of rats comes scuttling out from behind us, noisily rushing from the room and right into the man’s path. He jumps in surprise before sagging with relief when he realizes he’s not in danger.

“It’s just some rats,” he says into the walkie.

“Roger that, get back down here, Kane’s men will be here soon,” the voice on the other end responds.

My eyes dart over to Mason whose expression confirms I heard that correctly. We might have avoided being caught by the Hell Riders, but we’ve got another, far more dangerous enemy on the way.

Unable to use the walkie without giving our location away, Mason pulls out his phone. He looks at it for a moment before turning the screen to me, his expression grim.

Beth: Get the fuck out of there!! The Hell Riders are making a deal with Kane and the Feds are coming to bust them all!

Shit. Things are going sideways fast.

Mason relays the information to J-Bird warning him that we need to get the hell out of dodge. I’m not surprised when his response pings back almost immediately and Mason shows it to me.

J-Bird: Fuck that. This is good news, now we get to take out both our enemies in one go.

I shake my head at Mason, what the fuck is J-Bird thinking? Surely Venom wouldn’t be here if Kane himself was going to show up? Kane would immediately recognize him and the whole sting would be over. It’s more likely that we’ll end up getting arrested as well and then Kane will know we’re onto him. Of course, we can’t relay this without breaking our promise to Bess that we wouldn’t reveal Venom’s identity.

So, in essence, we’re fucked.

We both know better than to try to reason with J-Bird once he’s made up his mind. Nothing is going to stop him from going ahead with his plan and trying to kill Kane and take out the Hell Riders, all while attempting to avoid being arrested. It’s fucking insane.

But it’s ride or die. We don’t give up on our brothers. It’s our job to try to stop things from getting royally screwed up and to keep our men alive.

In the past, I’ve thrown myself into these situations with gusto, ready to fight and hurt anyone who stands in my way not caring for my own safety. But as I prepare for what’s about to come, I find myself feeling an uncommon amount of trepidation and I realize why. It’s because I finally have someone I care about waiting at home for me.

My thoughts wander to Emma, sleeping soundly, unaware of the danger we’re in and I wonder how she would feel if she knew. Knowing Emma she’d probably be royally pissed at us. She’d also likely want to come here and confront Kane herself about Max. For a reasonably reserved and timid person, she’s a lioness when it comes to her son. The thought makes me smile. It’s one of the things I love the most about her, how good of a mom she is.

I try to shake the thoughts of Emma from my mind. I can’t afford to be distracted tonight.

Distractions can be deadly.

I drag my attention back to the present, following Mason to look out the window again. Venom and Breaker move out of our view.

“They’re heading over to a dumpster. They’ve tossed a bag into it. Mace, Jax, they’re coming back your way,” the whispered voice comes over the walkie.

They walk back into our eyeline, striding with purpose, presumably to go and collect the goods waiting for them at a designated spot. While the bag being remotely dropped is good news for us in some ways it also means that the Feds can’t yet move in on Breaker since the deal hasn’t gone down yet. It could be that we get nabbed for grabbing the bag.

J-Bird evidently doesn’t seem to share our trepidation. “Team A, move now. Retrieve the package.”

“Got it!” the triumphant voice of one of our men comes over the line.

“Oh shit. We got company!” another voice follows.

“Get out of there!” J-Bird orders.

“They’re clear. Kane’s men are looking for the money now. They’re reporting it missing,” another of our guys informs us.

“We’ve got eyes on three unknowns coming toward Venom and Breaker too,” Mason relays over the walkie as we try to ascertain who the shadowy figures are.

“Who is it? Is it Kane?” J-Bird asks eagerly.

“I think we should get out of here, Boss,” I reply.

“Is it Kane?” he asks again firmly.

“I don’t know. We can’t see. Breaker and Venom are reaching for their weapons though, so whoever it is, they weren’t expecting to see them,” Mason replies this time.

“It might be the Feds,” I whisper to Mason who nods, his nervous eyes dancing toward me before back to the action.

“Mason’s right, we should go. We got what we came for. Right now the best course of action is to let things take their course,” I speak quietly over the comms.

“Plans change. If it’s Kane, I want to take him down,” J-Bird growls. “I’m going in.”

Any further discussion is abruptly cut off by the deafening sound of a gunshot.

One of the three men stands there, the gun still pointed at Venom’s head. Venom drops to the floor dead. Then all hell breaks loose.

Chapter 25

Ty

When Emma kisses me, the final wall I had put up around me to keep her out comes crashing down. All of a sudden, I feel the overwhelming desire to lose myself in the comfort that being with her sexually offers. I can forget everything and just focus on her, even if only for a little while.

I kiss her deeply, my tongue exploring her mouth, enjoying the sweet taste of her as I roll her onto her back. I run my hands along the planes of her body, enjoying how the silk of her nightgown glides along her smooth skin. Her nipples harden under my touch, and she practically purrs with arousal as I lift up her nightdress to reveal her bareness underneath. I work my way down her body, trailing kisses along the skin leaving it goosepimpled as I make my way to finally stop, my head between her thighs.

I pause for a moment, breathing her in before I slide my tongue up and down the length of her tasting her arousal and enjoying how she becomes wet at my touch. She moans softly as I enjoy pleasuring her with my tongue. She tastes so good I could do this all day, and I can feel myself hardening without her having to touch me at all.

I slowly slide one finger and then another inside her, feeling how wet she is for me and moving them back and forth in time with the strokes of my tongue.

“Fuck, Ty…” she moans and my cock twitches in response.

I continue to tease her, enjoying how soaking wet she becomes as I bring her closer and closer to orgasm, her juices dripping down my hand.

I could pleasure Emma all day and never get tired of her.

“Cum for me, let me taste you,” I growl, burying my head between her thighs and pushing my tongue in her slit as I can feel her pussy pulsing on my fingers, her orgasm building.

“Oh god, yes, that feels incredible,” she moans in that ridiculously sexy way of hers.

She arches her back, writhing and moaning as I bring her to climax with my tongue.

“Fuck, yes, Ty!” she screams as she cums hard, her hands in my hair. I’d be perfectly happy to leave it at that, to just pleasure her and not find my own release but she commands, “Fuck me, please!” and I’m helpless to refuse.

She’s so wet that I push inside her with relative ease, her pussy fits around my cock like a glove. I hold myself above her, her legs wrapped around my waist, and allow myself to take in her beauty, For Emma naked and lost in the moment is even more beautiful than at any other time, especially now she’s in my bed and I’ve got her all to myself. I’m happy to share her with the guys, and always will be, but I can’t say I’m mad about it just being us for a change.

I want to make this last as long as I can. I lean down to kiss her as I start to move slowly inside her. I take my time, not wanting to rush things, simply moving slowly so we can feel every sensation. Alternating between kissing her on the neck, lips, and sucking her pert nipples.

“Oh god, Ty,” she moans biting her lip and looking at me.

Her eyes lock onto mine and I feel that same, deep connection that goes beyond words or even physicality. I lose all track of time as I continue to pleasure Emma until we’re both breathless, sweaty, and spent, crying out as we climax simultaneously.

After we clean up in the bathroom Emma picks up her nightgown and stands there holding it, seeming uncertain of what to do, perhaps debating if she should go back to her room. It’s the last thing I want, so I scoop her up and carry her over to the bed.

“Sleep in here with me tonight?” I ask my voice coming out as more of a demand than a question, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

I climb into the bed next to her, pulling her in close and she rests her head on my chest. “Thank you, for telling me about Danielle,” she says softly.

I don’t know how to respond so I simply kiss her gently on the forehead and promise, “I will try to be less distant, with you and Max.”

“If I ever get him home,” she says forlornly.

“You will,” I say firmly.

She yawns and nods, seeming satisfied with that response, at least for now.

“Shall I turn off the light?” I say.

“Maybe… but can we keep talking for a little while?”

“Sure,” I respond, turning off the light and plunging the room into darkness.

She gently asks me questions about Danielle, allowing me to think about my little girl for the first time in a long time and talk about her other than to tell people how she died. It’s nice and for once I don’t feel sad remembering her. I don’t know how long we talk before the conversation eventually dwindles and Emma’s breathing becomes deeper.

I lie there contemplating the night and how Emma and I seem to have formed a deeper connection than I ever anticipated. I will never know how I’ve been lucky enough to have someone like her in my life. After losing Danielle I thought I’d never find happiness again. But then in the most unlikely of places I find myself feeling like I can move on. I’ll never forget my girl, never get over the loss of her, but with Emma by my side, things feel a little brighter.

Chapter 26

Mason

Time seems to stand still for a moment as Venom drops to the floor, dead.

Did they shoot him because the money was missing? Or is the mystery gunman Victor Kane himself?

Breaker looks confused and surprised, immediately drawing his weapon but quickly realizing it’s three against one. Several of his men and Kane’s all appear from the shadows, guns drawn, awaiting orders. The gunman speaks to Breaker pointing to Venom’s corpse. Breaker lowers his gun slightly.

So, this could be Kane. He’d have immediately recognized Venom and realized that he was an undercover cop. I’m sure in normal circumstances they’d all be running now, knowing a police raid was incoming, but there’s the small matter of the missing money. Kane isn’t going to let that slide.

I squint through my binoculars, trying to ascertain if the man before us is indeed Kane or not. Bess sent me a photo of Victor Kane. This man certainly resembles him. He’s around six foot, medium build in a well-tailored suit. He wears his dark hair short and is clean-shaven. He’s non-descript, an average-looking guy. That’s part of how Kane evades capture, he often sends others in his place or muddies the water over his appearance. The man turns toward us, and I finally get a better look at his face.

I can’t be sure from this distance but something in my gut tells me this is the guy. Victor Kane is right in my sights. I’m certain it’s him. I could end all of this right now. Without thinking, I pull my gun out and point it at Kane. If I take him out, if I shoot, I end all of this. Emma and Max will be free. I take a deep breath, steadying my hand.

“Mace, what are you doing?” Jax asks me.

“It’s Kane,” I reply, not taking my eyes off him.

“Are you sure?”

“As sure as I need to be. I can end this now. If he’s dead, Emma and Max will be safe.”

Jax doesn’t hesitate in his response. “Do it. Take the shot.”

A shot rings out from opposite us just as I place my finger on the trigger. The bullet narrowly misses Kane. Kane turns to Breaker and asks him something I can’t hear but Breaker holds his hands up in surrender shaking his head vigorously, presumably denying it was his men. Kane nods to his men and a few of them peel off in search of the shooter. Kane points his gun at Breaker, seemingly uninterested in whatever else he has to say.

I again line up Kane in my sights, trying to get a clear shot. I try to slow my breathing and focus, at this range, I’m unlikely to get a clear shot, but I have to try. There’s no time to get closer, it’s now or never.

“Mason, we need to get out of here,” Jax says but I ignore him.

As quick as a flash, Kane points his gun and fires a shot into Breaker’s knee. He drops to the floor, howling in pain, and a shootout between the Hell Riders and Kane’s men ensues. The sound of gunfire echoes into the stillness of the night. Kane moves out of range and my chance is lost.

My heart plummets as I realize that Kane is going to get away. Our only hope now is that the Feds will arrest him.

“Shit. Kane’s men have found us, we need backup!” one of our guys shouts over the radio, all attempts at being quiet gone.

In the distance, there’s the sudden appearance of blue flashing lights on the horizon and the sound of police sirens. The two groups begin to scatter, still firing at each other as they retreat, leaving a wailing Breaker alone on the ground. Only two of his men have the balls to try to help him and they hobble along slowly. It occurs to me that I could take him out now, but the cops are likely to get to him before he gets away. If they don’t Kane will come for him. My eyes frantically search for Kane. He’s the one I want gone.

“Mace, come on! We’ve got to go, the others need our help!” Jax says firmly, his hand on my shoulder as he tries to pull me away.

All I can think about is Emma and how I want to protect her, to get rid of the threat to her and Max. But Kane is nowhere to be seen. He’s got away. Reluctantly I allow myself to be led out of the room. If we stay here, we’ll be arrested and we’re no use to Emma and Max in prison.

“Fuck!” I cry out in frustration as we race down the stairs, guns drawn and prepared to fight our way to help the rest of our team.

“Guys, we need backup now!” the frantic voice rattles over the walkie-talkie the sound of gunfire in the background.

The next words he says send ice through my veins and I look over to Jax in panic. We both start sprinting, praying that the worst isn’t about to happen. Emma will never forgive us. I’ll never forgive us.

The words rattle around in my brain as I pray we can get him help in time.

All I can think is, he can’t die.

“J-Bird’s been shot. Guys, it’s bad.”

Chapter 27

Emma

I must have fallen asleep, though for how long I can’t be sure, because when I’m woken by the sound of Ty’s phone ringing, the sun is just starting to rise, peeking through the gaps in the curtains.

Ty answers it and I lay there. I can’t hear the other voice but the expression on Ty’s face chills me to the bone.

After ending the call he turns to me and summarizes what he’s just learned. Something bad went down and Jacob got shot. It’s serious, really serious. 

My big strong brother who always seemed so indestructible is now fighting for his life in surgery. Jacob’s always been so much more than a brother to me. He’s my protector, my father figure, my best friend. I can’t lose him.

I hold onto Ty’s strong back, like he’s a life raft keeping me from drowning, as we ride as fast as possible on his motorcycle toward the hospital where Jacob’s been taken. I’m grateful for Ty’s stoicism and strength right now, for the solid warmth of him to cling onto. We pull into the parking lot, tear off our helmets, and rush inside.

“Jacob Miller, where is he?” Ty barks to the receptionist as soon as we get to the desk.

The frazzled and overworked receptionist looks as though she’s about to admonish Ty for his abruptness or perhaps ask us questions to ascertain our relationship with Jacob.

Not wanting it to take any longer than absolutely necessary I chime in, answering the unspoken question. “I’m his sister, Emma Miller.”

The nurse turns her attention to me, scrutinizing me for a moment before saying, “I’m afraid your brother is in surgery right now. His friends are in the sixth floor waiting room.”

“Thank you!” I reply breathlessly, already running to the elevator.

I tap my foot impatiently, willing the elevator to go faster as we go up. Ty takes hold of my hand, squeezing it gently.

“It’ll be okay, Emma. He’ll pull through. If anyone can it’s J-Bird,” he says soothingly.

“How did this happen?” I say in disbelief, my voice breaking.

He doesn’t need to answer. He already briefly told me what went down. I feel so guilty that while I was sleeping with Ty, the other men I love and care for the most were risking their lives. If it wasn’t for me, Jacob wouldn’t have been so reckless. He wanted to take on Kane to protect me and Max.

“It’s all my fault,” I whisper, almost to myself.

“No, it’s not,” Ty says firmly. I don’t look at him, my head hanging down in shame. “Emma, look at me,” he says turning me to face him. “It’s not your fault,” he says forcibly before pulling me into his embrace.

The elevator comes to a halt, and we rush toward the reception together, still holding hands. When we reach the reception area we slow down, realizing two uniformed police officers are talking to Jax and Mason.

“Like we said, officers, it was a hunting accident,” Mason says firmly.

The officers look like they don’t believe a word that he’s saying but they reluctantly tell him that they’ll be in touch. They might have avoided further questioning for now, but surely, it’s just a matter of time before the cops connect them to the scene. The realization turns my blood to ice as I realize I could still lose them if they’re arrested.

The cops leave, eyeing Ty and me up as they do so, but thankfully, they don’t ask us any questions, not yet anyway.

“Emma,” Jax says sorrowfully as he sees me.

“Emma, I’m so sorry…” Mason says at the same time.

They both step forward and then stop, looking as though they want to hug me but aren’t sure how I’d react. As if I might be mad or blame them for what happened.

I step toward them and fall into their arms. They embrace me from either side, holding me close and kissing my head as I sob, both murmuring heartfelt apologies.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” I reply.

“We should have tried harder to stop him,” Mason insists.

I shake my head, I know they’re going to be hurting almost as much as I am and that they can’t blame themselves for what happened.

“No. Jacob is stubborn and once he’s made his mind up there’s no stopping him, you know that. Don’t blame yourselves.”

They hug me harder kissing me in turn. Eventually, we move apart, and I ask them to tell me everything, exactly as it happened.

“I want the whole story, no details spared,” I insist.

They nod. “Alright, let’s sit down,” Jax says.

As they relay the events of the night’s events, I become more and more concerned. Now that they’ve seen what Kane is capable of, I’m even more concerned about Max’s safety. I can’t say that I would have acted any differently if I was in their situation. If Kane were in front of me right now, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if it meant protecting the people I love.

“Is Jacob going to die?” I ask, feeling like a little girl.

Not wanting to lie to me, Mason sighs and says gently, “We don’t know. The doctors say the bullet nicked an artery. He lost a lot of blood.”

“They’re doing everything they can. He’s strong, Em, he’ll fight this,” Jax adds, trying to assure me.

I smile wanly at his attempt to keep my hopes up when everything seems hopeless.

My son has been taken away from me, there’s a dangerous mobster still at large hoping to kidnap my son for ransom or worse, and my brother is fighting for his life in the hospital thanks to that same man.

The visceral hatred I feel for Kane surprises me a little. I’ve never hated anyone, not even Adam when he was at his worst, let alone despised anyone enough to want them dead, but that’s how I feel about Victor Kane. The man who’s brought my family so much pain. A man I’ve never even met.

Instead of trying to push that hatred down, that rage, and the pain I feel about Jacob, I decided to embrace it. To let it fuel me and give me the strength I need for what’s to come.

The old Emma would have tried to run, to hide. But I’m tired of running.

I’m not the same, scared woman I used to be when I was Adam’s wife. I’m discovering new levels of passion within myself I didn’t know I possessed. Love, lust, anger, rage.

I wipe my tears, taking deep breaths and pulling myself together, straightening my spine and finding every ounce of strength I have within me.

“It’s time we put an end to this. To Kane. To anyone else that tries to hurt the people I care about. I’m tired of sitting back and waiting for him to strike. It’s time we fight back. Will you help me?” I say, my voice firm and authoritative.

None of the guys seem surprised by my words. Perhaps they know me better than I knew myself.

“Of course. This goes beyond you and Max, Kane was dealing with our enemy, his men shot our president, the Iron Serpents must retaliate,” Mason agrees instantly.

“Hell yeah, I’m in,” Jax enthusiastically adds without hesitation.

“That fucker has to pay,” Ty interjects darkly.

With Mason, Jax, and Ty by my side, I’m feeling more powerful than I’ve ever felt. I will not let this get me down. I will not let Kane destroy my family while I stand idly by like the pathetic woman he thinks I am. It’s time to take action.

He messed with the wrong chick.

Chapter 28

Emma

The eight hours we were sitting in the waiting room seemed like a lifetime. Every time we heard footsteps, we all looked up hoping for news. Finally, we all stand to attention as the doctor enters the waiting room and calls my name. We jump up from our seats, our muscles stiff from the uncomfortable chairs we’ve been sitting in for hours, anxiously awaiting news while we try to devise a plan of action.

“Ms. Miller, I’m pleased to report that your brother’s surgery was a success,” the doctor says.

He has dark kind eyes and a professional bedside manner, exactly the kind of person you want caring for your loved ones.

“Can we go see him?” I immediately ask.

He nods, “You may,” he says hesitantly before cautioning, “However, because he had some seizures and our concern about any potential swelling on his brain from where he fell and hit his head after being shot, we’ve had to put him into an induced coma for him to properly heal. You can see him, but he won’t be able to talk to you.”

“But he’s going to live?” Mason asks, as anxious as I feel to hear the response.

“He’s not completely out of the woods just yet, but his chances of recovery are significantly improved now that the surgery was completed successfully,” the doctor says calmly.

“Thank you,” I reply, my eyes filling with tears of gratitude.

I don’t care how long it takes as long as I get my brother back. He’s a fighter, if he survived the surgery, I just know he will wake up.

“Please follow me, I’ll take you to him,” the doctor says, leading the way to a private room in the ICU where Jacob is.

He looks so small and vulnerable in the bed, lying there hooked up to countless machines that slowly beep and whir, keeping him alive. His eyes are closed, face slack, but he looks peaceful, and other than the bandages, otherwise unharmed. I go over to his bedside and take his hand in mine, it's large and warm but his solid presence is absent.

“I’m here J-Bird, Emmy’s here,” I say softly. “You’re going to make it through this do you hear me?” I add though I’m not sure if he can hear me at all.

I can see the confusion on the guys’ faces as to why I called him J-Bird, they’ve never heard me do so before. I look to them, answering their unspoken question.

“He’ll kill me for telling you guys this, but maybe if he can hear me, it might make him wake up to tell me off,” I say with a sad smile, looking at my brother and stroking his face softly before turning my gaze back to the others. “I’m the one who came up with the nickname J-Bird when I was a little girl. He used to sing so beautifully to me when I was small, I said he sounded like a Jaybird.”

Jax smiles at Jacob. “If you wake up now, I promise I won’t even tease you about that one, buddy.”

As much as we will it, Jacob doesn’t stir. We sit by Jacob’s side talking to him and filling him in on everything that’s happened since the fated raid.

According to Bess, Kane and the majority of his men got away. But there’s a manhunt out for Kane for the murder of Venom. Breaker and several other key players of the Iron Serpents have been arrested and are likely to serve lengthy jail times for several crimes that Venom managed to uncover before his untimely demise. The police still want to speak with Mason and Jax, convinced about their involvement, but for now, they’re sticking to their story. Fortunately, no cops saw any of the Iron Serpents there. However, Bess is trying to convince Mason that he and Jax would be an integral witness for the murder case when they catch Victor Kane.

For now, the guys are choosing to try to get to Kane themselves first. They don’t have much faith in the cops since they fucked this up and people died. If we miss our shot to get at Kane there won’t be another.

“I’m going to call Jessica and speak to Max. Now that we know Jacob is going to be okay, I should let them know that he’s in the hospital,” I tell the guys who nod in agreement.

The phone rings out and I feel a flare of terror that Kane has already managed to get to Max. I dial again and after an agonizingly long time, Jessica finally picks up.

“Emma, this isn’t your scheduled time to call,” she says sounding a little perturbed, in the background I can hear the sounds of children’s happy voices.

“I know, I’m sorry, but something happened to Jacob. He’s in the hospital,” I say, feeling annoyed that I need an appointment to speak to my son but trying to remain calm.

“Oh my goodness, what happened? Is he okay?”

“He’s in an induced coma right now, but the doctors are confident he’ll pull through,” I reply, deliberately avoiding her first question. “So, can I speak to Max?” I say impatiently.

“I don’t know… The social workers said not to distress him in any way…” she says hesitantly.

“For god's sake Jess, he’s my son, and he should know that his uncle is in the hospital,” I snap, losing my patience.

“Fine, but try not to upset him,” she replies haughtily, irritating me further.

I’m his mother. She doesn’t need to tell me not to upset my son. I have to bite my tongue, not wanting to piss her off and stop her from handing the phone over, so instead I say, “Thank you.”

“Mommy!” I hear Max’s happy voice on the other end of the line, and I feel so relieved that he’s happy and safe that I have to sit down.

“Hi, Sweetheart, how are you?” I ask, getting a little choked up.

I smile as he launches into a long-winded ramble about everything that’s captured his imagination since we last spoke. His voice is a balm for my troubled soul, and I close my eyes, allowing his innocence to soothe me, just for a little while.

“When can I come home, Mommy?” he asks.

“Soon, Maxie, real soon. Your Uncle Jacob’s had an accident, and he needs Mommy to look after him for a while. So, I need you to keep being a good boy for Auntie Jess. Can you do that for me?” I say gently.

“Yes, Mommy. Is Uncle Jacob going to go to heaven like Daddy?” he asks timidly.

I clutch the phone to my ear as my heart breaks a little for my brave little boy.

“No. Uncle Jacob will be just fine, don’t you worry. Okay?”

“Okay, Mommy,” he agrees, his childlike faith in me complete. “Auntie Jess says I have to go now.”

“Alright, Sweetheart. Mommy loves you,” I reply, trying to hide my frustration that Jess won’t allow me to speak for longer.

“I love you too, Mommy,” he replies sweetly before Jess comes back on the line.

“Hi, Emma, I’m sorry, I realized that I didn’t even ask how you’re feeling with Jacob in the hospital,” she says sounding chagrined.

“I’m doing okay, thanks Jess,” I reply wearily.

“Look, I know it’s not a good time, and I haven’t told the social workers, but I need you to trust me with Max and tell whoever it is that’s been watching the house to leave. They’re scaring the kids.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, thinking of Bess’ associate who’s been passing by.

“Just because they’re not bikers covered in tattoos doesn’t mean that these spy-looking guys in suits are any less conspicuous, Em,” she says dryly.

“Guys? As in more than one?” I ask, panicked.

“Well, it’s hard to tell they all look the same, but yes. I assume you hired some private security firm? Frankly, I’m a little insulted—” 

I interrupt her. “Jess. I didn’t send those men. Are they there now?”

“What do you mean you didn’t—”

“Jess, are they there now?” I ask again forcibly.

I can hear the sounds of her moving around in the house to go look out of the window. “Yes, there’s a black sedan car outside, just down the road, I can’t see very clearly as the back windows are tinted but I think there are two men inside,” she says, her voice now more panicked.

“Alright, lock the doors and windows and stay where you are, don’t answer the door to anyone other than me, do you understand?” I say, trying to remain calm.

“Emma, what’s going on?” she says sounding confused and scared.

“I don’t have time to explain Jess, just please do as I ask, you and the kids might be in danger. I’ll be there as soon as I can, just sit tight.”

I hang up the phone before she can waste any more time asking questions.

The guys are already on their feet, standing to attention having gleaned what must be happening from my side of the conversation.

“We need to go to Jessica’s now. Kane knows that the Iron Serpents messed up their deal this morning. If he knows that Jacob is Max’s uncle, he might choose to make his move soon as retaliation. Either way, they know where Max is, they could strike at any time. He’s not safe there anymore. We have to go get him,” I explain as I grab my purse.

The guys nod in agreement. “Ty and I will go on the bikes. We take on Kane’s men if they’re still there while you and Jax get Max. J-Bird will be fine here, they’ve got officers posted outside,” Mason says, and we all nod our agreement.

“Let’s go,” I reply determinedly.

There’s no way I’m letting Kane get anywhere near my son without a fight. We just have to pray we get there in time.

Chapter 29

Emma

When we pull onto Jessica’s road, there’s no sign of the car she described. Mason and Ty ride ahead in search of it, while Jax and I pull up to check the house. Worryingly though, her house is in complete darkness despite the fact it’s nighttime and her car is still in the driveway. The house stands eerily abandoned next to its brightly lit neighbors and before we even approach, I know that the house is empty. Max isn’t here.

We’re too late.

Which surely means only one thing, Kane’s men must have taken Jessica and her children too.

Despite my sickening certainty of what I will find, I race out of the car, barely waiting for Jax to come to a complete standstill, and head for the front door. The door’s the kind that self-locks when you close it. I ring the doorbell, knowing that no one will answer, so I don’t wait before I pull out my spare key and open it with shaking hands.

“Max!” I frantically call, my voice echoing down the empty hallway. “Jess!” I add, running around the house, checking every room.

“I’ll search upstairs,” I hear Jax call out behind me.

I don’t respond, I’m too eager to find some evidence that this is all some terrible mistake. Hoping that I’ll find them shut in the seldom-used dining room at the back, pretending for the watcher’s benefit that they’ve left.

When I reach the kitchen and my eyes land on the dirty dishes left on the table, I know for sure that something went terribly wrong. Jess is a fastidious housekeeper and would never leave the tidying up before going out. She can’t have left of her own accord.

I sink down onto the cold tiled floor, my legs buckling from under me as a strange, guttural moan escapes my lips.

“There’s no one up here,” I hear Jax call out, confirming that the worst has indeed happened.

That we’ve stepped right into a nightmare.

“Emma?” Jax calls out, searching for me now, but I don’t have the strength to reply.

I wrap my arms tightly around my knees, curling up into a ball as I slowly rock.

“I’m never going to see my baby again…” I mutter in disbelief.

“Emma!” Jax calls again, his voice closer this time, his footsteps quickening. “There you are,” I hear him sigh with relief a few moments later.

“They’re gone,” I say numbly.

“I know,” he replies softly, sitting down beside me and pulling me into his warm, tender arms. “But we’ll find them,” he adds with a conviction I don’t share.

“How?”

“Have you tried calling Jessica? Maybe she took the kids somewhere else because they didn’t feel safe with the car outside?” he reasonably suggests.

I shake my head, “Jess wouldn’t have left this mess,” I say, pointing at the dishes. “Besides, her car is here.”

Jax looks at me disbelievingly. “I hardly think that’s evidence enough to say that Kane took them. There’s no sign of a struggle or forced entry, the front door was locked, and you told her not to let anyone in. Maybe a friend came to get them? If anything, it’s more likely that Jessica took them someplace else. Call her. It’s worth a shot,” he urges.

Reluctantly, I pull out my phone and call Jess. There’s the sound of a phone ringing inside the house and Jax gets up and follows the noise in search of it. When he comes back into the room he’s holding Jessica’s cell phone in his hand with a grim expression.

“See? If they left of their own accord, she wouldn’t leave her phone behind, would she?” I say despairingly.

Jax seems a little less confident now but not wholly undeterred. “Perhaps she forgot it in the rush to leave.”

I don’t even bother to tell him how unlikely I think that is.

“Do you have the numbers for any of her kids?” he asks hopefully.

“She doesn’t let them have cell phones,” I respond shaking my head.

“Fuck,” he mutters, his eyes roaming around the room as he thinks. “Is there anything missing? Her purse and keys for example?”

“I… I don’t know…” I reply, feeling myself slipping over the edge as my mind keeps drifting to where my little boy might be and the monsters who have him.

“Where does she keep them?” Jax urges, trying to keep me focused.

“Umm… by the front door, there are hooks for her keys and she keeps her bag on the shelf next to it,” I reply vacantly, almost on autopilot.

Jax leaves the room and a moment later I hear him call out, “They’re not here.” I hear him walking back to me. “See, then maybe they did leave by themselves, Kane’s men are hardly going to take her keys and purse with them. Could CPS have called her in for any reason?”

“I don’t think so,” I reply dubiously. “I think they’d notify me if there was any change that warranted Jess having to rush to see them. Besides, I can’t risk calling and making them aware of the situation, even if we find Max, they’d never let me have him back if they knew the danger he’s in.”

“Fuck!” Jax hisses in frustration as he realizes I’m right.

“He’s really gone… I failed him. I’ll never see my little boy again…” I say helplessly as the thoughts dawn on me.

“Shh, don’t talk like that,” Jax soothes, “We’ll get him back. Mason and Ty have been searching for a while, maybe they found them,” he adds optimistically.

But as he says that, there’s the rumble of motorcycle engines approaching and our last shred of hope evaporates into thin air.

If the guys are returning that means they didn’t find Kane and his men.

We’ve failed.

Max is gone.

There’s an animalistic wailing sound, deep and guttural, and as three pairs of warm arms embrace me, I realize that the sound is coming from me.

Chapter 30

Mason

I’ve never felt more helpless than I do right now. Watching Emma completely crumble on the floor in Jessica’s empty house broke my heart. With few other options or leads, we decided to go to see Bess and seek her help. She’s home when we arrive, tinkering on a classic car this time.

“Hey Mace, what’s up?” she calls with an innocent smile as she puts down her tools and waves.

“Bess, we need your help,” I say urgently as I walk over to meet her.

“Of course,” she replies instinctively, her eyes then turning to the others. As she notices Jax carrying an unconscious Emma out of the car she gasps. “What happened? Is Emma okay?”

“She’ll be fine. She became hysterical and we had to give her a sleeping tablet,” I reply.

She took it without complaint, eager for the embrace of sleep to take her away from the nightmare we are currently living. Until we can find where Jessica went, there’s no need for her to suffer unnecessarily.

“Max is gone,” I add by way of explanation.

“Let’s go inside,” Bess replies, moving ahead of me to open the door for Jax to carry Emma inside. “Take her up to the spare room, she can sleep there,” she says. When Jax returns she turns to us all and says, “Tell me everything.”

We tell her as quickly as we can about the call with Jess and how by the time we arrived at the house, both the strange car and Jess and the kids were gone.

“You think Kane took her? Couldn’t she have simply gone out?” Bess asks.

“Her phone was left behind, and there were dirty dishes on the table, something Emma says Jessica would never leave the house without doing,” Jax interjects, his jaw tense with worry.

“It has to be Kane. He had men right outside the house,” Ty adds.

“We need you to tell us how to find Kane,” I insist frustratedly.

Bess looks at me sternly, folding her arms. “So you can go kill him?”

“So we can rescue Max, who knows what they might do to him.”

“And kill Kane in the process, ruining an entire FBI operation and spending the rest of your life in jail for that fucker,” Bess replies bluntly.

“It will be worth it to get Max back safely,” I replied stubbornly.

“Or you could assist the FBI in taking Kane down. We’d get Max back safely and with yours and Ty’s testimony, plus everything else we have on him, he’d never get out. Emma and Max would be safe, and you’d be free.”

I hate the idea of relinquishing control to the slow, bureaucratic process of the law. If we’re too late or they don’t do what’s necessary to stop Kane and protect Max, I’d never forgive myself.

As if she can read my mind, Bess adds, “Mace. I want to help get Max back safely, truly I do. But we have to do this the right way. The FBI probably already knows where Kane is and how to find him, but they won’t tell me, not when they know I’m likely to tell you and you’d go screw up their case by turning vigilante. This is the only way I can help. You have to cooperate. Both of you,” she says, turning her attention to Ty.

“If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it,” Ty responds determinedly. “I’m not letting anything happen to another kid on my watch.”

“Kane hasn’t issued a ransom yet. Surely if he took Max for the money, he’ll do that?” Jax chimes in.

“That’s a good point, he’d give a pick-up location, and we could go intercept the exchange,” I reply, wanting to get to Kane myself.

“There are so many ways that could go wrong. The Feds are still better equipped to help even if he does send a ransom,” Bess reasons.

“Doesn’t every kidnapper ever say the one thing you shouldn’t do is involve the cops?” Jax says dubiously.

“Exactly,” I agree.

“How long does it take kidnappers to usually issue a ransom?” Ty asks Bess, his brow furrowed.

“It varies. They’d want to get the victim to a secure location first.”

“So Emma could get a call any minute now, we should wait,” I reply.

I desperately need to feel in control of the situation, to be able to be the one to get Max rather than entrusting his life into the hands of strangers.

“We shouldn’t waste any more time than necessary,” Bess huffs.

“We should see what Emma wants,” Ty says.

“Emma just wants her son back,” Jax says glumly.

“Look, how about I at least put some feelers out, make some calls, and see what I can find out before we agree to anything more concrete?” Bess concedes.

“Fine,” I agree realizing that some help is better than nothing, at least until we hear the ransom demands, perhaps we can find Kane first.

I never wanted a family, not after the childhood that I had. But since meeting Emma and Max I know now that my past doesn’t define me. That I could be everything a father and partner should be for Max and Emma. I will do anything to protect them.

The guys and I sit in tense silence, unsure what to do or say. I don’t like feeling powerless. My legs twitch with restless energy and pent-up frustration. If I could find Kane and kill him right this second, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

After what felt like forever but can’t have been long, Bess comes back.

“So, I spoke with some friends and pulled some strings. No luck getting any info on Kane, they know about my connection with you and unless you’re willing to play ball and testify against him at trial, they won’t budge.”

“Fuck!” I snarl, pacing the room.

“Hold on, I’m not done,” Bess chastises.

“What? Without Kane we’re fucked how else can we find Max?” I snarl.

“Through Jess,” Ty says thoughtfully.

“Exactly,” Bess says gesturing to Ty while looking at me. “My guys searched for info about Jess and found some very interesting information.”

“What did they find?” Jax asks.

“Three months ago, Jess used a card to book flights to Mexico. Shortly after doing this, she closed the bank account that the card belonged to. That in itself isn’t too suspicious, she could be booking a vacation and people change banks all the time. But what is odd is that she didn’t book the flights for herself. She booked them for a Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and three children all with the same last name.”

“Friends of hers?” I ask.

“Well, we’ve no way to be sure since the surname is so common. But the flight is for next week. Given the timing and the fact that she only has two kids, there are some red flags,” Bess says slowly.

“So, what? Do you think Jessica is in on the kidnapping? That Kane paid her off to get Max out of the country?” Ty asks, stroking his chin.

“It’s possible.”

“Why the man though? Couldn’t she just fly with the kids alone? Why would she and her kids have to go with them at all? Hell, why would she be involved at all?” Jax asks, confused.

“To make sure she follows orders,” I reply darkly. “With someone there to keep an eye on her and her kids and keep her in line, she won’t be able to have any last-minute second thoughts. And I imagine her reason is simple and the same reason anyone does anything terrible, for money.”

“Exactly. Plus, a family traveling will arouse far less suspicion if Max is reported missing,” Bess explains.

“Shit. Okay, so why did they go today if the flight isn’t until tomorrow?” I say.

“Maybe they’re worried we’re getting too close, that Emma might get Max back before they can go?” Ty reasons.

“This is going to kill, Emma,” Jax says glumly, “She’s already been through so much, to learn that her friend might be in on it could tip her over the edge.”

“Then we don’t tell her. At least not yet,” I insist. “I know Emma won’t like us hiding things from her, but we need to keep her calm. We can’t worry about her acting irrationally.”

“Okay. But that still doesn’t solve our problem, we don’t know where they went. How do we find Jessica before they leave?” Jax asks before adding, “We might need to tell Emma, she’ll know better than any of us where her friend might go.”

“No need. I think we might be able to find her,” Bess says smugly, “I’ve asked my guys to run checks on Jessica’s cards, if she uses it, we’ll know, and it will lead us right to her.”

“If she’s smart, she won’t use it at all,” Ty mutters.

“Fuck! So we’re still no closer to finding Max,” I groan, punching the wall in anger before resuming my pacing.

We resume the same debate we’ve had going around in circles over the pros and cons of waiting for a ransom or for Jessica to use her card, or come up on the FBI’s radar in some other way, versus agreeing to work with the FBI and hoping they have the intel to bring Kane down and rescue Max in time.

When Bess’ phone rings we all jump up as if electrocuted, certain that this must mean there’s news. She answers it, her face impassive and neutral as she listens to the person on the other line.

“And that was how long ago?” she says. My irritation flares as I wait, unable to know what’s being said.

“How far?”

Again, I try to control my frustration at the lack of transparency in the conversation.

“Alright, thanks, Chuck, I owe you one,” she finishes before hanging up.

“Well?” we ask in unison, looking to Bess.

“We may have a lead. We picked up her card usage. My guys are going to send some cops to search the area and see if there’s any sign of them. There’s a chance she may have moved on straight away, but it’s worth a shot.”

“Come on, let’s go. Bess, you ride with Jax and direct him. Ty and I will follow you. Jax, grab Emma, she’ll want to be there if we find him,” I say, grabbing my jacket.

For once, no one disagrees with me. They nod in silent agreement and Jax rushes upstairs to get Emma.

I just hope that when she wakes, we’ll be able to safely reunite her with her son.

I can’t let myself consider the alternatives.

Chapter 31

Emma

I awake, confused and disorientated in the back of the car, unsure where I am or how Bess is somehow now with us. Bess quickly and calmly explains how they’ve found evidence of Jess using her card at an ATM and we’re heading there to see if anyone saw them or if, by some miracle, they’re still there. My phone is still stubbornly silent, no ransom yet, so this is the best option we have for now. The only one.

I feel a little calmer now I’ve had some sleep, and we have a plan—and at least something is happening, even if it is a long shot. However, something in my gut tells me they’re not telling me everything. Jax won’t meet my eye properly and I can’t shake the feeling that something about what they’ve told me feels off.

But I’m trying not to focus on that. I just need to pray that someone has seen Jess and the kids and can point us in the right direction. I don’t dare let myself hope that we might even find them nearby.

As we near the small transit town just off the interstate, dawn is breaking. In the distance, I see the brightly lit sign of a motel and the flashing blue lights below it.

“Do you guys see that?”

“Is that?” Jax says, straining to see.

“Police lights,” Bess confirms.

“It must be them, right? We’re so close to the ATM. They’ve found him!” I say, elated, my hopes inflating as we approach and see several police cars and an ambulance outside the shabby motel.

We pull up and I immediately yank at the door handle, eager to rush outside and find my son, but it doesn’t budge.

“Jax, the child locks are on, let me out.”

“Actually, I think you two should wait here. Let me go and speak to the officers and find out what’s happened,” Bess says as she surveys the police presence.

Jax nods at her and she gets out, heading over to speak with the two officers guarding the entrance. She holds up a hand, wordlessly telling Mason and Ty to stay put.

There’s police tape outside two adjacent rooms. As I look, two paramedics exit one of them, wheeling a gurney. I gasp in horror as I realize there’s a body bag on it.

“Oh my god, Jax, look! Do you think it’s Kane? Do you think the officers killed him? But where’s Jess and the kids?” I try the door again, but no luck. “Let me out, Jax.”

“I think we should wait. I don’t know who it is. For all we know this might not even be related, let’s just let Bess figure stuff out first,” he replies gently.

I swivel in my seat to look out of the back window as Bess goes to talk to Mason and Ty. Her expression is somber which immediately makes me panic. If Max was here, surely she’d have come to tell me, overjoyed.

The cold hand of terror grips me once more as I try to control my breathing and remain calm.

When Bess comes back to the car, Mason and Ty climb in on either side of me, like two pillars ready to hold me up. I brace myself as Bess turns her attention to me, delivering the horrible news with the calm authority of a police officer or doctor.

“I’m sorry, Emma, but Jessica is dead. She was murdered.”

“Oh my god!” I say, my hand flying to my mouth in shock as sharp tears sting my eyes. “And the children?” I dare to ask, though I’m terrified to hear the response.

“Lucy and Ben are fine, they were asleep in the room next door. But Max is gone.”

Her words echo in my head, this nightmare isn’t over.

Max is gone.

Chapter 32

Ty

The second Bess told us what had happened, Mason and I rushed to the car to be there for Emma. Upon hearing the news, she enters a sort of blank state of shock, her eyes glazing over as her brain tries to fight the horror of the news. I know that look. I wore it the day Danielle died.

“Don’t give up, Emma, do you hear me?” I say, grabbing her cheek and forcing her to look at me. Her eyes remain blank and unfocused as she retreats into herself further. “Emma, I know it’s hard, baby, but you can’t give up. Max is gone, but you’ve not lost him forever. You have to keep fighting. You understand? Max needs you.”

Finally, I seem to have broken through as her eyes come back into focus and she looks at me.

“Ty…” she murmurs so quietly I almost can’t hear, sounding surprised to see me. “Ty… how did you cope? How did you go on after you lost your baby?” she asks, her voice so desolate it tears me apart.

“Emma, you need to stop thinking like that. Danielle is dead,” I force myself to say, the words still stinging even now. “Max is alive, it doesn’t benefit Kane to hurt him. We just have to find him. And we can’t find him unless you’re strong. Can you do that for me?” I say my voice gentle yet firm as I cup her delicate chin in my hands.

She nods once, looking at me as if I’m the only thing keeping her from drowning. It’s all the push I need.

“Bess, I’ll testify against Kane. Just get the FBI to take him down right now and I’ll do whatever the fuck they want me to. I’ll do jail time if I have to. Just get Max back and take that fucker down,” I say, dropping my hands and turning to look at Bess.

Bess nods pulling out her phone she turns to Mason, “Mace?” she says. Although she doesn’t say the words, we all know she’s asking if he’ll do the same.

He doesn’t speak right away, and I turn to look at him.

“Mason. I don’t care what you do, and I don’t care if it means I’m out of the Iron Serpents for not following orders, but I'm doing this. With or without you,” I say determinedly.

Emma grabs my hand and squeezes it in a silent thanks.

“I’m in too. It’s our last option and I’d do anything to get Max back safely,” he says his expression imploring Emma to believe him.

“I know you will,” Emma says softly to him before turning to look at us each in turn, “All of you.”

“Alright. I’ll go make some calls,” Bess says, heading out of the car.

“Poor Jessica…” Emma says mournfully as she refocuses on the murder of her friend. “All she did was help me and it got her killed. Thank god those monsters didn’t hurt the children.” Her lip wobbles and I can tell she’s hoping the same applies to her own child. “If it wasn’t for me, Jessica would still be alive.”

Jax looks at Mason and me and I know before he speaks what he’s about to say.

“Emma, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you this before. We didn’t want to upset you further. But I can’t let you think that any of this is your fault. Emma, we found evidence that Jessica may have been working with the kidnapper.”

“What? No, that’s not possible. What evidence?” she asks, bewilderedly shaking her head.

We explain everything Bess told us about Jess and our suspicions, and she listens carefully. Her insistence that Jessica is innocent starts to slip but she seems reluctant to let her faith in her friend go.

“Why would Jess do something like that to us? Adam was like family to her. She loves Max.”

“Money,” Mason says simply.

Jax offers a kinder more forgiving reason. “Maybe she was being blackmailed or threatened.”

I stay quiet. Voicing my thoughts won’t help right now. I think she got what was coming to her. Whatever her motivations, I will never forgive any involvement in harming an innocent child and taking him away from his mother.”

“Yes, the kidnappers must have come to the house and threatened her or maybe they broke in and used her computer. All of this evidence against her is circumstantial at best. And if she was helping them, why would they kill her?” Emma asks.

She’s far too kind and forgiving. A great friend that Jessica sure as shit didn’t deserve.

“Actually, there’s something else that I haven’t told any of you yet,” Jax admits. “While we were driving and Emma was still asleep, Bess did some more digging into Jess. It turns out that she’s the one who reported Emma to Child Protective Services.”

“So that’s why the CPS officer acted strangely when we suggested Max stay with Jessica,” Mason says, sounding annoyed he hadn’t figured it out.

Emma’s shoulders slump as she finally accepts the truth of Jessica’s betrayal.

“I can’t believe I trusted her,” she says in disbelief.

“It’s not your fault, you had no reason to suspect her,” Mason soothes.

“But why would Kane kill her if she was helping?” she asks, her brow furrowed as she tries to work out what it means for her son.

“Maybe she got cold feet?” Jax kindly offers.

“Or demanded more money,” I add, coldly.

“Did Lucy and Ben hear anything? See anything? They were right next door. Was Max with them?” Emma asks, desperate for information.

“Bess said that the kids were asleep the whole time. Max was in the room with them and when they woke up, he was gone. The cops suspect that they may have been given sedatives. They’re on their way to the hospital to run checks,” Mason explains.

“Who found Jess? It wasn’t the children, was it? Those poor kids…” she says, and I am again amazed by Emma’s capacity to care for others even when her own world is falling apart.

“Luckily not. Lucy tried to go inside but the door was locked and there was no answer. The police arrived just as Lucy was going to see if they were in the reception,” I reply, offering some small comfort.

If she knows the kids saw nothing, she’ll hopefully believe Max didn’t witness the murder either.

“How did she die?” she asks, her voice small.

Me and Mason share a look, not sure if we should relay the information to her. Presumably, Bess didn’t tell her and Jax as much. I know that Emma will picture the method and place Max as the victim in her head. But I also don’t want to lie to her. Not ever.

“Are you sure you want to know?” Mason asks.

“Yes,” she says, nodding determinedly and bracing herself.

“She was quite badly beaten and strangled. The cops won’t be able to determine the exact cause of death until the autopsy. There were also signs that she’d recently had rough sex…”

“Or been raped…” Emma finishes.

I nod glumly. Emma puts her hands over her mouth and her eyes widen at the horror of her friend’s last moments. Tears pool in her eyes and I pull her close, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

The front passenger door opens and Bess returns. “Alright, let’s go. Jax, I’ll direct you,” she says buckling her seatbelt.

"Go where? Where’s Kane?" Mason asks.

I know from the fervent look in his eye he’s likely planning to ride ahead and beat us there to face Kane himself.

“To the station to give your official statements.”

“No way. The deal was that they bring Kane in immediately. We don’t have time to waste giving statements, we’ll give them after we have the fucker,” Mason insists.

“The FBI is headed to Kane’s last known location now to arrest him as agreed,” Bess calmly states.

“Then that’s where we need to go,” Mason replies exasperatedly.

“There is no way in hell that the feds are going to let four civilians screw up a huge operation by being there, two of which are key witnesses might I add, Mason. This is the only way. When we get to the precinct, they’ve agreed to give me a comms unit so I can stay up to date with the case’s progress, so we’ll know everything that’s going on, but we can’t go there.”

Before Mason can respond, Emma places a gentle hand on his. “Mason, she’s right. We have to do this their way. We have to trust them now and they need your statement to make sure he never gets out of jail.”

Her words soften him, and he nods. “Alright. We’ll be right behind you,” he says gently kissing her on the lips before leaving the car and going to his bike.

“Stay strong,” I say lightly kissing her lips and going to my own bike.

None of us like leaving the rescue mission in the hands of strangers. But right now they’re our best option and the only thing that matters is taking down Kane as quickly as possible to safely return Max to his mom.

Chapter 33

Emma

Mason and Ty are still giving their statements hours later when Bess gets the news on her comms.

“We’ve got him. Victor Kane is in our custody.”

My heart soars and Jax hugs me murmuring in my ear, “They got him.”

“Is Max okay?” I ask eagerly, praying this nightmare is finally over.

“And the boy? Do you have the boy?” Bess says into the comms.

There’s an agonizingly long pause before the reply comes through.

“Negative. There are no kids here.”

And just like that, the fragile bloom of hope shatters.

“What does he mean? Max is there! He has to be!” I say frantically as I jump up from my chair.

“Are you certain? We have reason to believe Kane kidnapped six-year-old Max Miller sometime in the early hours of this morning,” Bess reaffirms.

“Positive. He’s not here. We have teams searching all of Kane’s known haunts. If the kid’s there, we’ll let you know. We’re taking Kane in for questioning now, we’ll be sure to push him on that first,” the disembodied voice confirms.

It does little to assuage the dread that washes over me. If Max isn’t with Kane, where is he?

Is my little boy already gone? But why would that monster have harmed him? What would he possibly have to gain if he killed him? If he was after the money, he would need him alive. I try to hold onto this hope. That he’s being held somewhere safe and secure, and that Kane will reveal the location under interrogation.

“Don’t worry Emma, we’ve got the best interrogators in the country about to interview Kane. They’ll crack him and we’ll find Max,” Bess promises but she doesn’t meet my eyes, and I can tell she doesn’t know if we’ll find my little boy.

I start to hyperventilate as I become overwhelmed by everything that’s happened. Things keep going from bad to worse.

“Emma, just breathe,” Jax says soothingly.

“I can’t!” I pant getting more agitated.

“It’s just a panic attack, you’ll be okay,” he assures me.

But I know I won’t.

“Jacob’s in the hospital in a coma he might not wake up from, and my little boy is gone. I can’t lose them both. I can’t lose my baby. I’ll die without him,” I cry as Jax rocks me in his arms.

But still, my breath won’t come, and the terror isn’t abating.

Suddenly, the room feels stifling and claustrophobic.

“I need to get out of here,” I say, jumping to my feet.

“And go where? Emma…” Jax says but I ignore him already looking for the exit.

He follows behind me. “Emma wait, slow down.”

“Jax I just need some fresh air,” I respond, not looking back at him as I determinedly continue my search.

Finally, I find the exit and I bend over double. Vomit splatters onto the ground, bile from my empty stomach as I take huge choking breaths gasping for air. I feel a warm hand on my back as Jax rubs it gently.

When I finally catch my breath and the feeling of nausea passes, I straighten up shakily.

“Better?” Jax asks.

“No… I’m not sure it ever will be.”

“Don’t say that… Emma it—”

“Please, Jax, I know you’re trying to help. But just don’t,” I say, interrupting him.

He nods, remaining silent, but I can’t even let myself appreciate his kindness and how he respects my choices. I’m too consumed.

“Jax, please… can you go back inside? I just need some time alone to think.”

He hesitates so I continue, “Please. I promise I won’t go anywhere, maybe just to sit on a bench in the park over there,” I say pointing. “I just need to be alone for a moment.”

He studies me and I can tell he’s battling with what he wants to do and respecting my wishes. If it was Mason here, I’m sure he’d refuse. But Jax is different and after a moment of internal struggle, he nods.

“Okay, but call me if you need anything at all. If you’re not back inside in ten minutes, I’m coming back. Okay?” he says his green eyes studying my face.

“Fifteen. I’ll come back inside in fifteen minutes.”

“Alright. Everything will be okay, I promise,” he says kissing me gently on the lips before going back inside with one final lingering look back.

I walk over to the park, feeling numb and lost, allowing the sounds of the world going on around me to come in. It seems insane that people are going about their daily lives as if nothing’s changed when my entire reason for living is crumbling around me.

The sound of my phone pings, and I immediately pull it from my purse, praying for a dot of light in the darkest day.

Max is safe. Come alone. One hour.

This is your only chance. If you tell anyone or don’t come alone, you’ll never see your son again.

The text is from an unknown number.

A location pin follows. It’s almost forty-five minutes away.

I get up and sprint over to the parking lot, scrambling in my bag for the keys, feeling grateful that Jax put them in my purse. If I had to ask for them, he’d never let me go alone and I can’t risk not following the kidnapper’s orders. Although I hurriedly send him a text telling him I’m going to the hospital to see Jacob and to keep me updated on the interrogation. I hope he’ll buy my lie. As guilty as I feel for telling it, I need to buy myself more time. If Jax finds me gone in ten minutes and the guys somehow catch up to me before I have Max back safely the kidnapper might follow through on their threat.

As I get in the car and turn the ignition, a thought occurs to me. In any movie I’ve watched about kidnapping, you have to ask for proof of life. I hate to even entertain the idea that Max is already gone, and this is a plan to lure me there to kill me too, but I have to get confirmation that Max is safe.

How do I know you really have him? I need proof that he’s unharmed. I frantically text back with shaking hands.

The phone rings and I answer it immediately, “Hello? Who is this?” I ask hoping I can somehow reason with the kidnapper.

“Mommy,” I hear Max’s confused and frightened voice.

“Maxi! It’s ok Mommy’s coming. Can you—”

But before I can say anything else the phone is hung up. I try calling back right away but it just goes to voicemail.

With no time to waste, I drive away.

I’m the only person who can help my boy now. I will do whatever it takes to save him.

Chapter 34

Ty

I’m no stranger to police interrogations. But even still, I’m tired and frustrated by the time the police have finally finished making me repeat my story. Since Danielle’s death, I’ve been wary of the cops especially since in my mind they’ve been more vigilant and concerned with the Iron Serpents’ business than they ever were with the gangs responsible for her death. Perhaps if they’d done their jobs properly back then, she’d still be alive. Being back in a police station brings up memories of that fateful night that I’d rather stay buried.

But if it helps reunite Emma with Max, I’ll willingly embrace the pain.

When I come out of the interrogation room, I head to where the others are waiting. Only Jax and Bess are in the waiting room. They look anxious, but not unduly so.

“Hey, guys. Where are Emma and Mace?” I ask.

They glance at each other, an unspoken conversation taking place. “Mason is still being interviewed,” Bess replies.

“And Emma?” I prompt, feeling nervous by their hesitancy.

“She freaked out a bit and went to the hospital to be with J-Bird,” Jax admits.

“And you let her go alone?” I reply incredulously.

“Not exactly…” Jax says.

“Jax, I’m tired and grumpy. I suggest you spit it out before I take it out on you,” I grunt.

“The FBI has arrested Kane. He’s being interrogated as we speak.”

“The problem is, they didn’t find Max,” Bess adds. “But they’re hopeful that they will be able to find out his location from Kane soon, we have some of our best guys working on it.”

“Fuck! No wonder she freaked out. Mason’s gonna flip when he hears this,” I reply, feeling a whole range of emotions and not sure how to process them all at once.

Anger for us following the plan and it not paying off. Rage at those responsible for taking Max. Fear for his safety. Irritation for having agreed to testify against Kane for nothing. Concern for Emma’s wellbeing. Anxiety at the thought of what Max must be going through. Helplessness thinking that Emma might have to suffer and go through the pain of losing a child. And so much more.

“When I hear what?” Mason asks, coming into the room behind me.

“The cops have arrested Kane, but they can’t find Max. Emma supposedly rushed off to the hospital to be with her brother when she heard the news and these two idiots thought it was a good idea to let her go alone,” I explain.

“You did what?” Mason roars.

“It’s not like that. When Emma heard the news, she said she needed some fresh air. I went outside with her, but she was adamant that she wanted to be left alone. I told her I’d come back out in fifteen minutes. Just as I was coming outside, I got a text from her saying she’d taken the car to be with Jacob and that she didn’t want us to follow. She said she was fine but just needed to be with him alone for a while and to let her know if there was any progress in the investigation and interrogation of Kane,” Jax explains.

“That doesn’t sound like the sort of thing Emma would do. She would want to be as close as she can to the investigation to hear any news…” Mason says, thinking aloud.

“Mason’s right. As worried as she is about J-Bird, her priority is Max. It doesn’t make sense that she’d rush off, no matter how upset she was,” I agree.

“Are the FBI making any progress with their interrogation of Kane?” Mason asks, turning his cool attention to Bess.

She cringes a little under his glare, it’s evident that he blames her for the poor result from the FBI and now Emma’s absence.

“Let me go check,” she says, scuttling off.

Mason and I continue to quiz Jax as he becomes increasingly defensive, a sure sign he regrets taking his eyes off Emma. I know it’s not his fault, but I can’t help but feel a little bit annoyed with him for not keeping a better eye on her. Kane might be in custody, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have men on the outside who could hurt her. My concern for her grows as I try calling her phone and it rings out. The others all do the same.

“Should we call the hospital?” I ask.

“Good thinking,” Mason replies, immediately dialing.

After an agonizingly long time, Mason is finally able to speak to someone at the hospital who agrees to check if Emma is there. “You’re sure?” Mason says before thanking the person and hanging up the phone.

“Fuck,” he hisses under his breath. “Emma never went to the hospital,” he says, grim-faced.

Jax shakes his head, confused. “No, the person you spoke to must be mistaken. She said she was going there.”

“Well, she never made it. They even checked the system to see if the license plate for the car had flagged up on their system for the parking lot. She was never there. She didn’t sign in and the doctors and nurses on Jacob’s ward haven’t seen her,” Mason snaps.

“So where is she?” Jax asks.

“She’s not answering her phone, so I don’t like the options. Either she got into an accident on the way to the hospital, Kane’s men got to her, or something else made her rush off…” I say, my mind already going into overdriving thinking of what might have happened to her.

“Jesus, Jax, what the fuck were you thinking?” Mason growls, rounding on him.

“I’m sorry man, I didn’t… I don’t…” Jax flounders, blaming himself, the concern for Emma etched into his face.

“Arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to find her any quicker,” I reason. “Jax, how long has she been gone?”

“An hour or so, depending on if she left at the same time she texted or not.”

“Alright. Hopefully, Bess will be able to provide us with some insight when she comes back. In the meantime, Jax you figure out the furthest points she could have gone in any direction in an hour. Mason, you call around any hospitals in the area and see if there’s been any accidents in the past couple of hours,” I instruct. “I’m going to go to speak with the reception here, see if they know of any accidents or can track down the car.”

They both nod and we all get to work.

The person at the front desk of the station is sympathetic and helpful as I explain the situation to her. She agrees to check if any accidents or anything else have been reported in the past couple of hours. A short while later, she confirms that nothing has been reported. I’m not sure if the news should make me feel happy or more anxious. At least Emma isn’t lying broken in a hospital bed or on the side of the road, but we’re no closer to finding her.

Despite turning on the charm, the woman politely but firmly tells me that she cannot search CCTV cameras for Emma’s license plate without a warrant and probable cause. Since Emma messaged to say where she was going and that she was fine, there’s little else they can do for now without more evidence.

Feeling dejected, I return to the waiting room, hoping that the others have had more luck than me.

One look at their expressions tells me that we’re shit out of luck.

“I take it you didn’t find anything either?” I ask.

“Well, the good news is, she’s not in a hospital and I take it from your question that there haven’t been any major incidents reported to the police. But the bad news is we have no idea where she is and without knowing which way she went, it’s going to be damn hard to find her,” Mason states.

“So what do we do? I can’t sit around waiting for news,” Jaxon says in a strangled voice.

“We could just drive in a different direction each and try to find her?” Mason suggests half-heartedly, knowing that would be futile.

“I say we wait to hear from Bess, she might have found something out. If not, perhaps she can pull some strings to try to locate the car,” I suggest.

With few other options, the others agree.

Just when I think I can’t handle waiting any longer, Bess finally returns.

“Well?” Mason asks eagerly as we all jump up from our seats. “Did he confess?”

“He’s adamant he didn’t take Max—”

“Fuck!” Jax curses, punching the wall in frustration.

“Where is he? If he won’t admit to it, I’ll get the fucker to confess myself,” Mason threatens.

I try to remain calm, one of us needs to try to remain clearheaded, but I wouldn’t mind lashing out either.

Bess shoots Mason a warning look telling him to control his temper, “Would you calm down for a second and let me finish?” she says exasperatedly. “Kane says he didn’t take Max. However, he admitted to sending his men to watch Max and Emma occasionally, including the time that they were nearly run off the road by an SUV.”

This surprises me. Why would he admit to anything at all if he says he didn’t take Max?

When Bess continues to explain, answering my unanswered question, we’re left completely dumbfounded.

My brain takes a moment to process the news, it was so unexpected.

None of us could have predicted what Kane said.

Chapter 35

Emma

Having driven like a maniac to get there, I arrived at the location fifteen minutes early. It was a large park surrounded by quaint little shops, the kind of place where families go to stroll around and spend a lazy Sunday together. It feels cruel that the kidnappers should choose such a place. I alternated between sitting on a bench and pacing, biting my nails while looking at every person I saw with suspicious eyes, wondering if they were the monster holding my baby hostage.

Only minutes before the arranged meeting time, my phone buzzed making me jump out of my skin. I contemplated ignoring it, assuming it would be one of the guys, but some sort of intuition made me check.

Good. You came alone. You have 30 mins. The same rules apply. Come alone. If you tell anyone or bring anyone, you’ll never see him again.

As before, this text was followed by a new location pin and the words:

Park in the underground lot and wait for further instructions.

I could have wept with frustration as I realized it was back in the direction I’d just come from and again, I was set a deadline with barely enough time to get there. One traffic jam could mean life or death. The kidnapper was toying with me, it seemed.

I arrive at the new destination with just moments to spare. My blood pressure must be through the roof, and I feel like a tightly coiled spring. This location seems far more ominous than the last. It’s a deserted underground parking lot at an old shopping mall. With no other cars or people in sight, I park up and hesitate, uncertain of what to do. I take out my phone, ignoring the several missed calls and texts from the guys who’ve figured out I’m missing.

When my phone pings, my heart drops as I worry that the kidnapper is going to play the same cruel trick on me again. But, as promised, exactly on time, the message contains instructions.

Go to the third floor. Wait by the fountain.

With trembling legs I get out of the car, I don’t like this at all. The kidnapper hasn’t set any kind of ransom and I’m starting to feel like I shouldn’t have followed their orders after all. Perhaps I should have told the guys? If this person wishes me harm as well as Max, I’ve fallen into their trap perfectly. No one will ever know where I am and there’s nowhere safe to run to in this vast, empty place.

I contemplate calling them or sending a text, but I need to keep my phone on me in case the kidnapper sends any more instructions. They’re bound to check to make sure I have contacted anyone, so I can’t risk that either. But then, inspiration strikes. I rush back into the car and turn on the GPS tracking, praying that the guys will think to check it and find me. I don’t know who has access to the app, so it’s a long shot. But it’s the best I’ve got.

I race inside, opting to take the stairwell. There’s no way I’m going to risk my son’s life on a faulty elevator. When I arrive at the fountain—turned off and empty of any water—my lungs feel on fire as I gasp for breath. There’s no one in sight. The empty mall has an eerie apocalyptic feel to it, which is apt because this feels like the end of the world to me.

“Max!” I call out, my voice echoing in the vast empty space.

The sound of ruffling feathers and the flapping wings of birds, startled by the unexpected noise makes me jump until I realize it’s just a flock of pigeons that have gotten in through a broken skylight to make their nest.

My eyes continue to scan the area frantically as I start to panic that Max isn’t here at all, that the person messaging me is just toying with me.

“Please! I did everything you asked! Just give me back my boy!” I cry out, tears streaming down my cheeks as I shout into the emptiness.

The sound of footsteps pulls my attention and emerging from the shadows on the far side of the mall I see a figure. I can’t see their face, but they have the build and walk of a man. My heart jumps into my throat before plummeting back down again when I realize that the person is alone. Max is nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he? Where’s my boy!” I shout at the figure, somewhere between terror and confusion.

“He’s safe, Emma,” a familiar voice replies as the person steps into the light.

My brain struggles to comprehend what I’m seeing as the horrifying truth dawns on me.

This can’t be happening.

Chapter 36

Emma

“Adam?” I say incredulously as my dead husband emerges from the shadows.

I blink, as if I’m somehow imagining things, and when I open my eyes again, he’ll be gone. A figment of my imagination, conjured up by extreme stress. But he doesn’t disappear.

“Surprise,” he says with a smile, his voice so familiar and yet so alien.

He looks different, but I’d know my husband anywhere. It dawns on me, in a slow creeping dread, that Max wasn’t lying.

Adam was the man who came and tried to take him out of school that day.

In the time since I last saw him, Adam has gained weight and put on muscle. His long blond hair has been cut short and dyed and he’s grown a beard. He’s even wearing chunky steel-toed boots, making him a little taller. The man before me fits the description the teacher gave that day perfectly.

Max was so adamant that it was his father because it was. He wasn’t lying or playing make-believe. His father really did come for him. This means there’s every chance that Max was telling the truth all these other times. My husband has been secretly watching us, visiting our son and terrifying him.

“I’m sure this must be quite the shock,” Adam says.

As though he’s just told me a distant relative passed away, rather than literally coming back from the fucking dead! He moves closer and I automatically back away.

“Where’s my son?” I hiss.

“He’s safe. He’s nearby. I just wanted us to have a little chat first, my love.”

I feel as though I’ve stepped into a surreal alternate reality. My head husband is very much alive and here in front of me and he’s acting as if nothing’s happened.

“Don’t call me that,” I snap.

“I thought you’d be pleased to see me,” Adam says.

“Why? Why did you do it?” I snort, somewhere between hysteria and anger.

“You might have to be a bit more specific for me there,” he smiles at me again and part of me starts to think that this version of my husband must be insane.

“Why everything! Why did you fake your death? Why have you been traumatizing your son? Why did you come back?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he says, seeming surprised by the question.

“No. Enlighten me,” I reply sarcastically, hiding the very real intuition that something isn’t right, as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Obviously, it’s not. My husband just came back from the dead. But more than that, he’s changed. There’s a strangeness to him, a dangerous energy that wasn’t there before, even when he was angry or violent.

“Because I love you. I needed to keep you safe. Both of you.”

“Adam, you’ve been gone four years. We thought you were dead! How is that keeping us safe?”

He shakes his head violently. “No. No. You’re not listening, this isn’t… you have to listen to me!” he says agitatedly, and I realize just how unstable he is.

“Okay, alright, I’ll listen. Let’s go get Max and we can talk,” I say trying to keep my voice calm and soothing.

“No!” he yells so loud that it makes me jump. “See… this is the problem. The second the boy was born you only cared about him!” he whines.

“I’m sorry,” I say, trying to placate him. “I’m just so confused, I’m just trying to understand…”

“Of course you are, of course,” he says, all of a sudden calm again. “Please, let’s sit and I’ll explain everything,” he adds, pointing to some chairs.

Hesitantly, I move toward them and sit down. I desperately want to ask about Max. But I don’t dare after Adam’s last reaction. Is my son alone? Is he frightened ? Is he even here?

“As you’re aware, we ran into some financial difficulties as a family. As the husband, it was my responsibility to fix that,” he says, acting as if our money troubles weren’t entirely because of him.

I bite my tongue and nod. “Right…”

“The problem was that I owed money to some unsavory characters who would never let me out of their debt unless I was dead.”

“So you faked your death to stop Victor Kane from coming after you.”

He looks surprised that I’m aware of Kane. “Exactly.”

“Why come back now? Why come back at all? Kane thinks you’re dead.”

“Because you’re my family. We belong together. So I came back to get you. We’re going to start a new life in Mexico,” he declares proudly as if I’d be thrilled by the suggestion. 

While I don’t doubt he’s deluded himself into believing that Max and I belong to him and that he’s convinced we can ride off into the sunset as if nothing ever happened, I also know there’s more to his reasoning than he’s letting on.

“So it had nothing to do with Max’s inheritance?”

He flinches a little at that. “Of course not, though we will need the money to start our new life, of course.”

So, there it is. Same old Adam. Always after the money. I’m confident it’s no coincidence that Adam only decided to come back from the dead following his mother’s death and Max’s subsequent inheritance.

“So you knew Max was going to inherit your mother’s wealth. That your mother was dead?”

“Yes. Poor mom. I never wanted to hurt her…” he says sadly, losing himself in a memory. “If only she’d given the money to me…”

The wording plucks a chord of discontent. “You asked her for money to pay Kane?”

“Yes. I had to. It was the only way. She kept saying no. It’s why I had to fake my death. I just needed to keep Kane away for a while and buy myself time to raise the funds. But I couldn’t wait any longer, I had to convince her to help. You’d have thought she’d be delighted to see her only son alive and well. But no, she had to ruin everything!” he says, growing agitated.

“Adam… were you…” I can’t form the words as a terrible thought occurs to me.

“If she’d just given me the money… it was mine by rights! But she was selfish and cruel. All it took was just a little nudge… just one push. I had to, don’t you understand? I did it for us. For you and Max, so we can be a family again,” he says pleadingly.

Oh god, he killed his mother.

If he’s capable of killing his own mother, what will he do to Max and me if we don’t do as he says?

“You understand, don’t you, Emma? I did what I had to for the good of our family. With the money, we can live a wonderful life in Mexico. We can start again. You look so beautiful…” he says pleadingly, leaning over to touch my cheek.

I flinch away from his touch as though scalded. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard someone was planning to take Max to Mexico during all this. Suddenly, the jigsaw pieces start to slip together as I realize that Jessica wasn’t working with Kane at all. No. She was working with her oldest and best friend.

“Jessica was helping you to kidnap Max, wasn’t she?” I ask.

Jessica was always more loyal to Adam than to me. She was in love with him, always had been. She’d have done anything for him.

He nods smugly. “Silly cow, she really believed that it was her who was coming to Mexico with me. That I’d pick her and her two brats over you and my own flesh and blood. That I could ever love her back,” he sneers.

His laugh sends shivers down my spine, I recall the cruelty of it, how it would make me feel so small. His lack of care for the woman who loved him, who was a great friend to him feels unbearably callous. My first thought is that he must not know that she is dead, murdered. But then I realize something with horror. If Adam has Max, that means he was there. That he was the one who took Max while the children were sleeping. If that’s true, then he’s likely the one who killed Jessica.

Max and I are in danger. Kane might be a dangerous man, but he was a businessman, motivated by financial gain and power. We might have been able to talk our way out of it. But there’s nothing more unpredictable than a madman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Adam has gone mad and what he wants is us.

Chapter 37

Jax

Thank God for the GPS tracker in the car. I can only assume that Emma had the wherewithal to turn it on, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe, not by a long shot. If she hasn’t called or texted, that means she can’t. I’ve never driven faster. The second we got the ping we raced out to our bikes and rode like the wind.

I’m still terrified we won’t get there in time.

All this time we’ve been looking in the wrong place. Kane may have been following Max and Emma, but only because he knew something they didn’t. Adam is still alive. He wants his family back and will go to any lengths to get her. With Kane’s info, we’re now in no doubt that the person who killed Jessica and took Max must be Adam. 

He’s dangerous and unhinged. If Emma rejects him, who knows what he’ll do?

She will reject him, won’t she?

I shake the thought away, pushing the accelerator and watching the speedometer tick over a hundred mph. She doesn’t love him anymore. He treated his family like garbage, and she’s finally realized she deserves better. Emma won’t take him back, especially not after everything he’s done. He’s a killer.

Tires squeal as we roar into the abandoned parking lot under the abandoned shopping mall. Emma’s car is here, but there’s no sign of her.

“We’ll split up and search a floor each. Signal on the walkie if you see them. Bess, you take the first floor, I’ll take the second, Ty you take the third, and Jax take the fourth,” Mason instructs. 

“Got it,” we agree before racing off to our respective floors.

I race up the stairs, not wanting there to be any chance of Adam seeing the elevator going up and getting spooked. Gun drawn, I check each vacant store.

“Nothing on my floor so far,” Bess says through the walkie.

“Same here,” Mason adds.

“I’ve got eyes on Emma and Adam, third floor by the fountain,” Ty confirms.

“Is she okay?” I ask, my knuckles white as I clutch the walkie tightly.

My heart might bust out of my chest as the seconds drag on endlessly.

“Yes, she’s unharmed. Should I go in?”

“Are they alone?” Mason asks.

At the same time, I say, “Is Max there?”

“I can’t see anyone else. Max isn’t here,” Ty confirms.

“Alright. Hold tight, don’t engage unless Emma’s in danger. We’ll regroup and take him on together once we’ve confirmed no one else is here,” Mason instructs.

“Find Max,” Ty grunts, no doubt frustrated to be so close to Emma and unable to rescue her.

I reach the open central point, and the urge to peer over, look down, and try to see Emma is overwhelming. The relief I feel when I see Emma is quickly overwhelmed by concern. She’s terrified. Adam is gesticulating wildly as he boasts that he killed Jessica and his own mother.

“Don’t you see Emma? We belong together, I’d do anything for you. I’ve killed for you!” he shouts, his voice echoing around the empty building.

“Don’t say that. Don’t say you did those awful things because of me,” Emma replies, shaking her head in horror.

“But I did!” he wheedles, “Do you know that lying bitch Jessica tried to make me believe that you’d shacked up with three bikers? She even made our son join in her lies—you really should be disciplining the boy more. Once we’re together again I’ll make sure the boy learns some respect, a few blows from my belt should teach him not to lie. We can’t have him believing his mother is a filthy whore, can we?”

Emma looks stricken at the thought of this monster going anywhere near Max. My fists clench just thinking of it, too. I realize then that Max wasn’t playing make-believe either. He really had been seeing his father. If only we’d listened, but the idea seemed too far-fetched.

“You wouldn’t do that, would you? Spread your legs for some of your brother’s filthy biker scum friends. You wouldn’t desecrate the memory of your beloved husband by associating with that piece of shit brother of yours,” he snarls through gritted teeth as he gets up in her face.

“Don’t talk about my brother like that. He’s in a coma. He might die,” Emma says, a sob escaping.

“He is? That’s good. I was worried he would be a problem and get in the way of our reunion,” Adam replies happily.

Emma looks at him as if he’s insane, by the sounds of it, the man has lost his marbles. I'll never know how he ever managed to trick Emma into marrying him. By the baffled look on her face, I assume she’s wondering the same.

She takes a deep breath, holding herself back from replying how she wants to. “Alright, well, if we’re going to Mexico, we need Max to come with us. Where is he?”

Smart girl.

Adam eyes her suspiciously before pulling a phone out of his pocket and making a call. “Tweaker, bring the boy down here,” he barks before hanging up.

“Kid, quit messing around, you better come out now, your daddy wants to see you,” I hear the frantic whispers of a man not too far from me.

Shit. Adam has at least one other person helping him.

Worried that this accomplice will see me, I quickly dart into an abandoned store and hide behind some old display stands where I can still see. I quickly and quietly relay the information to the others. “Be warned, Adam’s got at least one accomplice.”

I hold my breath and wait. With the element of surprise on my side I can jump the man and rescue Max before they go downstairs. Soon, a man with an appearance in line with his moniker Tweaker, ambles into my view. Tall and painfully skinny, the man has wild eyes and the unkempt appearance of a long-term drug user. However, there’s no sign of Max.

“Fucking little shit,” he mutters under his breath scratching his head as he looks around.

So, Max managed to get away, good for him, I think with a small smile. Although I’m still worried about where he might now be. The world’s a dangerous place for a six-year-old.

“Tweaker, hurry the fuck up!” Adam bellows.

“Aw shit,” the man mutters to himself before reluctantly heading toward the stationary escalators and trudging down them.

Again, I quickly relay the information to the others before moving closer to hear better. Ty confirms that he too is watching and listening in while Bess and Mason continue to search their floors.

“Where is the boy?” Adam asks through gritted teeth.

“I er… well… Maybe Cindy has him?” Tweaker offers hopefully.

“Well did you ask her?” Adam says exasperatedly. “Where is she?”

Tweaker scratches his head, pondering the simple question. “I umm… she was on the first floor with Trev,” he says with a nod. “Patrolling,” he adds, pleased with himself for the blatant lie.

“Fuck! Stupid fucking meth heads. She’s getting high somewhere, isn’t she?” Adam explodes.

“We just had a little pick me up, nothing major. We only turned our backs for a minute before the kid disappeared on us,” he wheedles.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Adam pulls out a gun from his waistband and without flinching points it at Tweaker’s head and pulls the trigger before the man even registered what was happening. The sound of the shot rings out deafeningly loud into the silence of the space. At point-blank range, the man’s head explodes like a ripe melon splattering Emma in the face, and she screams in horror.

“Must I do everything myself?” Adam says almost casually, like a parent might about a slovenly child.

“Guys, Adam just shot his accomplice. We need to move on him now!” I hiss into the walkie.

“Bess, there are two more accomplices on your floor, a man and a woman. We need to take them down. They may have Max,” Ty relays.

“Bess, I’ll come help you. Ty, Jax, you handle Adam,” Mason says. I know it must kill him to relinquish control of the situation like this but he’s the closest to Bess, it’s the only way that makes sense.

As I’m heading toward the emergency exit stairs, planning to circle around to come at them from behind, I hear a small voice.

“Jax?”

“Max!” I reply in surprise as I see his little face peeking out from his hiding place.

Now confident it’s me, the boy comes running out, launching himself into my arms and I hold him tightly as he sobs. The rush of love I feel toward this child knocks me off my feet. If this is what being a father feels like, then I’m all in. I don’t care if he’s not mine biologically, I’ll love him with every ounce of my being until the day I die.

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay, it’s safe now,” I soothe.

“Daddy is being scary and mean, I want my mommy!” he sobs.

“I know little man, but you gotta be quiet for me, I need you to be a brave boy for just a little longer. You’re doing such a good job.”

“Okay,” he gulps, bravely trying to hold back his tears.

“Guys, I’ve got Max. He’s safe.”

Emma and Adam walk into our view down below and, spotting his mother, Max is unable to hold back his excitement. “Mommy!” he cries.

Immediately Emma’s attention snaps skyward and the look of sheer relief in her eyes when she sees her son with me is palpable. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one to see us. Adam’s face contorts into a twisted mask of wrath as he sees the love in Emma’s eyes.

“Who the fuck is that?” he yells, roughly grabbing Emma’s hair.

“Let her go!” I shout, pulling out my gun.

“Mommy!” Max cries.

“Max, I need you to trust me. Go back to your hiding spot and don’t come out until I tell you it’s safe. I promise I’ll help your mommy,” I quickly tell him, praying with all my soul that I can keep that promise.

He only hesitates for a moment before nodding and scampering off, his trust in me bolsters my confidence. I turn my attention back to Adam who’s screaming incoherently at Emma, calling her a whore. I’m trying to get a clear shot, but Emma is in the way. Adam ignores me, again yelling at Emma demanding to know who I am.

“My name is Jax. Leave her alone. Let’s settle this, man to man.”

“Did you fuck him you whore?” Adam snarls, yanking her head back roughly.

My brave lioness finally snaps, reasoning with him and pretending didn’t work, now she’s pissed as hell and fighting for her son. She kicks and tries to fight but she still can’t get away and despite my best efforts, I cannot get a clear shot without risking harming Emma. I can only assume Ty is trying to find a way to stop him while he’s distracted by me.

“Yes I did, and he was the best I’ve ever had,” Emma spits at him.

Adam lets out a wounded howl. “Do you love him?” he demands, pointing the gun at her head.

“Yes!” Emma cries out her eyes locking with mine. “I love you, Jax. I love Mason and Ty too. Please tell them if…” she sobs unable to finish her sentence. “Look after my baby.”

“I love you too,” I reply, meaning it with every fiber of my being.

Never have I felt more helpless than this. Watching the woman I love in harm's way and not being able to do a damn thing about it. There isn’t time for me to reach her and I can’t get a clear shot, I could just as easily be the one to kill her if I try. Adam roars with rage as he realizes that Emma loves not just another man but three, the final blow to his already shattered psyche.

The shot rings out its death knell.

Chapter 38

Emma

It takes a moment for me to register that the gunshot wasn’t from Adam’s gun, that I’m still alive and unscathed. Detachedly, I notice Adam’s dead body on the floor behind me, my ears still ringing as I look up to see Ty drop the still-smoking gun to the floor and rush over to me, cupping my face in his hands. His mouth moves but I can’t make out what he’s trying to tell me. I’m in shock, I suppose.

“Emma, are you hurt?” he asks with fear in his eyes.

“No. No, I’m okay,” I respond as the world starts to come back into focus. “You shot him,” I say, as the realization that Adam is finally gone starts to sink in.

“I had to.”

“But you hate guns…” I point out confusedly in my state of shock.

“Emma, I would do anything to protect you and Max,” he says seriously.

“Max!” I gasp, my focus snapping back to where I saw him upstairs before.

“Mommy!” I hear my son cry from behind me.

I whirl around to see Jax carrying him down the stairs further away from us, covering his eyes so he won’t see his father’s body. When they reach the bottom, he wriggles out of Jax’s arms and he comes racing toward me on his little legs, arms open wide. I rush toward him, not wanting him to see Adam either. I scoop him up into my arms, breathing him in and showering him with kisses as I squeeze him tightly, making sure to face him away from the body.

“Mommy loves you so so much. I’m so sorry baby. I should have listened to you about Daddy,” I sob.

“Daddy was being scary,” he cries, clinging to me tightly.

“I know baby, I know he was, but I promise you he’ll never hurt you again. He won’t come back,” I swear, rocking him gently.

“Promise?” he mumbles, nuzzling in closer to me.

“I promise. Ty, Jax, and Mason kept us safe,” I say looking at them gratefully. It’s only then that I realize Mason is missing.

“Where’s Mason?” I mouth at them, not wanting to alarm Max.

At that moment, Mason appears followed by Beth. Both of them are injured. “What happened? Are you okay?” I gasp.

Spotting Max and realizing the danger has passed, Mason replies, “We’ll talk about it soon, let’s get this little one someplace else. Bess has already called this in to the cops. They’ll need brief statements from us now and full ones in the morning, but we don’t need to stay here.”

I nod, allowing the others to take charge of the situation. I have so many questions and I want to thank them all. But my focus now is on getting my son as far away from here as possible.

***

After a hot shower and some food, Max is sleeping the way only a small child can, deeply and peacefully his small mind already working to protect him from the horrors of the day with rest. He’s been fairly quiet about the situation, but I know one day soon he’ll have questions that I’ll need to answer. Not for the first time my thoughts go to Jessica’s children, and I wonder who is taking care of them and how they’re coping with the tragic loss of their mom.

I’m still in shock that Adam has been alive this whole time, that he killed three people, that he’s finally gone for good. I knew Adam wasn’t a good guy, but I had no idea he had such darkness in him. He claimed that he was acting out of love, that he was trying to build a better life for us and our son, but he was lying. It was always about the money and saving his skin. He knew that Kane was going to get the money back from him, one way or another and so he decided to fake his death.

In hindsight, I realize now that he’d been planning it for a while. About a year before his ‘death’ he insisted we take out life insurance for the whole family. He wanted a ridiculously expensive policy for all three of us with crazily expensive monthly payments. For once, I put my foot down and refused, insisting we go for a more modest plan. It was enough to help Max and I survive in the months following his death but nothing else.

I was informed after his supposed death that Adam had taken out an additional, much larger policy with a company of ill repute when I was handling his estate, but unsurprisingly, the insurance company gave several excuses and eventually, barely gave us a penny. I’ve no doubt that had it paid out the full sum he’d intended, Adam would have resurfaced far sooner.

A shiver runs down my spine as I wonder whether he might have considered killing us for the money had I agreed to a large policy for myself and Max. If he would murder his own mother for money, I don’t doubt he’d be capable of killing us too. If the guys hadn’t shown up when they did, we wouldn’t be alive now. The gratitude I feel to all of them, and Bess, for coming to our rescue is immeasurable. Tomorrow will be a long day, we need to go give our full statements to the police and then I want to visit Jacob in the hospital. But for now, we can unwind knowing that Kane is in custody and Adam is gone, no one is going to harm Max.

After showering I put on some comfortable clothes, shrugging into an old sweatshirt that hugs me like an old friend. I quickly call the hospital and check in on Jacob’s status. They assure me he’s doing well, that his condition is stable and they’re hopeful they can bring him out of the coma soon. With the good news bolstering me, I head downstairs. Bess has gone home so it’s just us in the house. A house I’m now starting to think of as home. The guys are all in the living room waiting for me, having cleaned up too. Mason’s eye is bruised and swollen with a large cut underneath. There are several bandages on his arms. Thankfully, Ty and Jax are uninjured.

Therefore, I head to Mason first, inspecting his injuries. “You should go to the hospital,” I tell him, my brow furrowed as I see that bright crimson blood is seeping through one of the bandages.

He shakes his head. “I’m fine, just a scratch.”

“What happened? Who did this to you? I know it wasn’t Adam.”

“Adam had help, some drug addicts we think he paid off. Bess and I encountered two of them, high as all hell, which made them crazy and strong. One of them was a big fucker, he did this,” he says pointing to his eye. “Once I’d dealt with him, I had to help Bess. The crazy bitch she was fighting pulled a knife and started slashing wildly, she got a few nicks in before we could stop her.”

“I don’t know what to say… Thank you, all of you, I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess.”

I look at them, my heart aching with love and fear. A different fear than when I believed I was about to die, but fear, nonetheless. Fear of losing them. Fear that today’s events have been the final straw. Fear that they don’t feel the same. I know Jax said he loved me too, but I wouldn’t blame him if it was a kindness bestowed on a woman who was about to die rather than his true feelings.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Mason insists.

“Never. When I think about how close that bastard came to…” Jax chokes out unable to finish his sentence.

“Emma, did you mean it? When you said you love us?” Ty asks, his brown eyes meeting mine.

Mason looks confused but not unhappy to hear this.

“Yes. I do,” I reply truthfully. “I know it’s unconventional, and we haven’t known each other long, but today made me realize that I’ve fallen in love with you. All three of you.”

“I meant it, too. I love you, Emma,” Jax says. He takes my hand and squeezes it, stepping closer to me.

“I love you, Emma. After Danielle… I didn’t think I would ever feel joy again, that I would never have a family. You gave me those back, you and Max,” Ty says, coming close to my other side and placing a kiss on my forehead.

I look to Mason. Out of them, Mason and I have the most volatile relationship. Is it too much for me to hope for him to love me back?

“Of course I love you, Emma, I’ve loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you,” he replies softly.

They kiss me tenderly, holding me close, making me feel safe and loved. None of them tries to take things further, innately knowing that tonight I just need to be held. Already I’m plotting in my head how we can move an extra bed into the biggest room and push them together to make one big enough to fit us all, I want to fall asleep with the men I love.

I’m in love, and they love me back.

Like the sun finally rising after a long, dark winter I know everything is going to be alright. Better than alright. Max is safe, Jacob is going to be okay, and I have three incredible men who love me.

Chapter 39

Ty

In my experience, happy ever afters don’t exist, or at least not outside of movies, but I can’t help feeling like the future with Emma will be just that. I’ll never stop missing my little girl but with Emma and Max in my life and my two best friends all forming our unique family, the future finally seems bright.

“How did it go? You were in there so long,” Emma asks, jumping up from her seat as I enter the waiting room at the police station.

We’ve come to give our statements and I’m the last one to finish, the others are all waiting for me. Jax is busy entertaining Max over in the depressingly cheery corner where there are a few old toys, some crayons, and used coloring books. None of us wanted to bring Max here, but neither were we about to let him out of our sight. Fortunately, the kid is tough, he’ll need some therapy and lots of love, but already he’s bouncing back the way only a child can.

Unsurprisingly, the police took the longest interviewing me. Though Bess and Mason incapacitated their attackers, both survived. I’m the only person who killed someone. I don’t like that I’m a killer, not one bit, but pulling the trigger and killing Adam was easy. I’d do it again in a heartbeat to save the people I love. Even if it means serving time in jail.

“It went how I expected. I was the one who fired the gun, so it’s not surprising they’d push me and test my story for inconsistencies,” I say, kissing Emma on the head and pulling her close.

“Are they going to press charges against you?” Mason asks.

I contemplate telling them no, knowing that Emma will be heartbroken to hear it, but I won’t lie to her. Not now, not ever.

“Unfortunately.”

“What?” Emma asks startled, pulling back so she can look up at me in horror. “But it was self-defense! You didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Emma, I killed a man, they can’t just let that go, they need to at least investigate thoroughly. Don’t worry, my lawyer is confident that the charges will be dropped. They’re letting me out on bail.”

Emma starts to silently cry, hugging in close to my chest and shaking her head.

“Emma, look at me, it will be okay,” I say cupping her chin in my hands. “Worst case scenario my lawyer says I can get a plea bargain, one that likely won’t even end up with me in jail. I’m not going anywhere.”

She nods, wiping her tears, and kisses me, “You’d better not.”

“I promise,” I reply, kissing her back. “How did it go for all of you?” I ask, looking at the others.

Mason shrugs, “Surprisingly not too badly, all things considered. They pressed me, but we expected that.”

He claps me on the shoulder, his silent way of telling me he’s here for me and that he sympathizes with my situation.

“I’ll speak to some people, see if we can get these bullshit charges dropped, you’re helping the feds as a key witness in a major trial, there’s no way that we want to fuck that up and see Kane back on the streets because they alienated their key witnesses,” Bess says angrily.

“I’ll still testify, no matter what. We need Kane behind bars to keep Emma and Max safe,” I insist.

“I know that, but they don’t, do they?” Bess asks with a wink, heading off to work her magic.

When we arrive at the hospital to visit Jacob a short while later, my phone rings just as we’re going inside.

“It’s my lawyer, I’ll catch you guys up,” I say as I answer.

Emma looks conflicted but allows herself to be dragged away by an excited Max, eager to visit his uncle to ‘wake him up’. The kid’s so confident I almost believe he might be able to do it by sheer force of will.

“Ty speaking.”

“Good news! They’re dropping the charges! You must have friends in high places,” he says with a chuckle.

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Something like that.”

“They need to speak to you again of course, and you may be called as a witness to the trials of the two accomplices, but you’re a free man. Enjoy it. I’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks, Bob,” I say, hanging up the phone and heading inside with a spring in my step.

When I reach Jacob’s room, I’m amazed to find my old friend awake and propped up in bed.

“Ty, look, I did it! I woke Uncle Jacob up!” Max declares excitedly dancing around the room.

“I can see that,” I reply with a smile. “Good to see you awake J-Bird, you had us worried there for a moment.”

“Nah, I’m indestructible,” he says with a smile, chuckling at his own joke and making himself wince in pain.

While Max is busy chatting away with his uncle and the others Emma comes to stand by me.

“We should probably keep Max’s magical healing powers a secret, the world will all want a piece of him if not,” I quip with a grin, making Emma laugh.

“Jacob woke up in the early hours of the morning, there was an administrative error, and they failed to notify us. No magical powers, just modern medicine,” she whispers back.

“I don’t know, I’d say Max is pretty special,” I reply, looking over at the boy.

“He is, isn’t he,” she replies proudly. “So, what did your lawyer say?”

“They dropped the charges, I’m officially a free man,” I reply enjoying the look of joy the news brings to her beautiful face.

“Ty, that’s wonderful news!” she replies with a smile, hugging me tightly.

“And this picture is of me, Mommy, and all my daddies!” Max declares proudly thrusting one of the drawings he did earlier in front of J-Bird.

J-Bird looks at it with a small frown on his face, the cogs turning. The drawing itself is innocent, but there’s no denying that Max sees us as a family. J-Bird’s eyes go from me, to Jax, and then to Mason.

“It’s just us in the house, isn’t it buddy?” Jax says hurriedly, as he tries to diffuse the situation.

J-Bird turns to look at us with a face like thunder. Sensing the inevitable blow-up, Bess tactfully says, “Hey Max, shall we go get some candy from the vending machine? Or maybe we can see if there’s ice cream in the cafeteria?”

“Good idea. Max, you go with Auntie Bess, bring back something nice for Uncle Jacob as a treat,” Emma quickly adds.

The second they’re gone, J-Bird looks at each of us, the fury emanating from him as he spits out his question. “Are all three of you are fucking my sister? What the fuck is wrong with you!”

“J-Bird—” Mason starts but J-Bird cuts him off.

“Don’t even try to fucking deny it, I’m not an idiot!”

“Jacob, it’s not what you think,” Emma says.

“Oh good, because what I think is that my three best friends fucked my sister, and my sister is fucking three dudes at the same time and exposing my nephew to it! Fuck me, I’m all for having fun and fooling around. But not with MY SISTER!” he yells before descending into a coughing fit that takes some of the wind from his sails.

“J-Bird, please, you’ve just woken up from a coma, you have to calm down,” Emma pleads handing him some water.

Begrudgingly he drinks some. “Lucky for these three, or else I’d be beating the living shit out of them right about now,” he growls.

“Would you stop being such an ass and just listen for once!” Emma snaps exasperatedly.

“Please, hear us out. It really isn’t what you think,” Jax adds.

“Oh really, well then please, enlighten me,” J-Bird replies sarcastically.

“I love them,” Emma says simply.

“Then you’re stupider than I thought,” he snaps. “These three will use you up and toss you away for the next piece of ass.”

“Don’t speak to her like that,” I growl, stepping between Emma and her brother.

“You have no fucking idea how we feel about her,” Mason barks, throwing his arms up in frustration.

He seems a little taken aback by my aggression but not convinced either. “So you’re telling me that you won’t toss her aside for the next hot chick that throws herself at you? Be real.”

“We are being real J-Bird. There’s no way we would have betrayed you like that and hurt Emma if we didn’t genuinely care for her,” Mason replies.

“We love her,” Jax adds, Mason and I nod in agreement.

J-Bird shakes his head in disbelief. “This is fucking insane. Emma, you can’t seriously have fallen for this bullshit? They’re obviously just telling you whatever you want to hear to get into your pants.”

“How the fuck would you know how we feel?” Mason barks frustratedly.

“Because I know you,” J-Bird retorts stubbornly.

“Not as well as you thought then,” Mason snaps.

“We wouldn’t lie about this. We’re in love with her,” Jax insists.

“We know it’s unconventional and difficult to understand…” Emma pleads before being cut off again.

“Damn right, it’s hard to understand. What about Max? What the hell are you gonna tell him?”

“Eventually, when he starts asking questions we’ll tell him the truth. That we love each other. But as long as Max is safe and loved, nothing else matters surely,” she finishes looking at her brother with wide hopeful eyes. “Jacob, I really need you to be alright with this.”

“How can I possibly condone this, Em? My sister and my three best friends?” J-Bird says, his voice softening slightly as he looks at Emma, not as the grown woman she is but as the little sister he practically raised.

“Because you love me, you love them, too. I don’t expect you to be happy for us, but please try to understand that we really are in love, and we want to try to make this work. Please don’t make me choose between them and you,” Emma begs, her voice small.

“Emma, I believe that you think you love them all, I do. I’m just not sure I believe that they feel the same way about you,” he replies with a forlorn sigh.

“Not that I should have to prove a fucking thing to you, J-Bird, but Emma challenges me in ways that no other woman has. She can make me mad as hell and I’ll still end up coming back and apologizing, I’ve not so much as looked at another woman since I first met her. I know I’ve been a bit of a player, but only because I never met anyone like Emma before. There was never a woman I wanted to settle down with and most certainly not one with a kid, not after a life spent in foster care. Not only am I fine with her having a child, I even want Max in my life, to be there for him as if he was my own flesh and blood. I’ve never said I love you to a woman before because I haven’t ever felt it, so you should damn well believe that when I tell you I’m in love with Emma, I mean it with every ounce of my heart,” Mason declares, his eyes not leaving J-Bird until his last statement where he looks at Emma with complete sincerity.

“I agree with Mason. But also, I love Emma’s tender heart. She’s an incredible mom and so loving and caring. When I told her about my childhood, she made me feel so safe but she didn’t pity me either. I’ve never known a more selfless gentle person, I would never, ever dream of hurting her. I’d rather die,” Jax says with feeling. “I love you man, you were good to me when I had no one else. The Iron Serpents are my family. But with Emma and Max in my life, I finally feel complete,” Jax adds.

I realize that it’s my turn to say something. I’ve let the others do the talking but I know J-Bird needs to hear from all of us. Perhaps my words could be the ones to sway him. However, openly expressing my emotions isn’t something I find easy. Of the three of us, I’m the quiet, stoic one. Mason is hot-headed and hides behind his rage and Jax similarly masks his emotions with jokes. But both of them have found it in themselves to drop those shields and expose themselves for Emma to win J-Bird’s approval so she doesn’t have to choose.

In all honestly, the last thing I want is for her to have to do that. Firstly, he’s her brother, no way would I want her to lose him because of me. Secondly, I don’t know if she’d choose us, he’s family after all, so I want to fight as hard as I can to win his approval.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself before speaking.

“After losing my beautiful baby girl you were there for me J-Bird, you and all of the Iron Serpents. You stopped me from giving up completely, but my life was still empty and dark. I thought it would remain that way until I died. Meeting Emma and Max and having them in my life changed things for me, it was like they turned on the lights again. Nothing will ever bring back my Danielle or replace her, but now I have Emma and Max I feel like I look forward to the future. I know I don’t deserve them. But I promise I will always keep them safe and love them both, that I will be there as long as they’ll have me and even beyond that.”

The room falls silent as J-Bird processes what we’ve all said.

“You know all of this about each other?” he asks quietly. “Mason told you about growing up in foster care, Jax about the child abuse, and Ty told you about Danielle?” he says in disbelief looking at each of us in turn as we all nod in confirmation.

“Yes, of course, we talk and share things and laugh together, just as people in love should. It isn’t just about sex, that’s what we’ve been trying to tell you!” Emma says exasperatedly.

J-Bird falls silent as he continues to unfurl his feelings and decide what he thinks.

“I love all three of them for so many reasons, some very similar to the ones they just shared. Mason is challenging and exciting, passionate but caring too. Jax makes me laugh and can be so soft and gentle. Ty might be strong and silent, but he is compassionate, brave, and fearless,” Emma continues.

I’m itching to go to Emma, to hold her and touch her, and I can see that she and the others are dying to do the same. We all want to express our care over what we’ve each just said, but none of us move, not wanting to piss J-Bird off and lose any progress we’ve made in convincing him.

J-Bird shakes his head, still unable to allow himself to approve of such an unconventional relationship of not one but three of his friends dating his sister. Emma continues to talk, now she’s got momentum she doesn’t want to stop.

“A lot has happened while you were in a coma and the only reason why me and Max are even alive and safe today is because of these three, wonderful men.” She proceeds to briefly explain everything that has happened since J-Bird fell into his coma. “Even though he hates guns, Ty didn’t hesitate to protect us, none of them did. They risked their lives for us. Surely you have to believe that we’re in love now?”

We await his response with bated breath and the seconds drag on endlessly until he finally says, “Well why didn’t you tell me that in the first place!”

We all burst into awkward laughter that helps to relieve some of the tension in the room.

When we finally stop J-Bird is serious once more, the fatigue of the conversation kicking in as he fights to stay awake a little longer. His voice is hoarse when he speaks.

“Look, I’m not saying I like it, or that I fully understand it, but okay. I believe that you really are in love, and you have my approval. But if you hurt her, I’ll kill you, understood?”

We all happily agree and promise that we won’t ever hurt her. Emma kisses him on the cheek thanking him with tears of happiness on her cheeks before she hugs us all. J-Bird soon succumbs to the sleep he desperately needs, and we tiptoe out of the room to go and find Max, happy that everything seems to be going our way.

Chapter 40

Jax

It’s well past Max’s bedtime when we finally get home from the hospital. He’s fast asleep in the back of the car and Ty is the one who gently unbuckles his seat and picks him up, gladly volunteering to be the one to take him up to bed. To my relief, Emma doesn’t fight this, she simply thanks him wordlessly with a smile.

I’m hoping that she feels as eager as I do for a proper reconciliation. Now that we’re all safe and we even have J-Bird’s blessing I’m desperate to hold her in my arms, to kiss her and touch her and show her how much I meant every word today. I can’t resist reaching out and taking hold of her hand as we walk into the living room, twirling her around into my arms I wrap my arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet slightly. She doesn’t resist and her mouth parts deliciously as she tilts her head back. I kiss her, our lips meeting gently at first before the kiss deepens and I savor the taste of her.

Immediately my cock twitches in anticipation, responding to her. I breathe her in and all of the tension and fear that the events of the last few days slowly start to melt away. Finally, when I can bear to stop kissing her, I pull away and look deep into her eyes.

“I love you, Emma, I’m so happy that this nightmare is over, and we can start our lives together.”

“I love you too, Jax,” she says breathily, her eyes filled with desire.

Mason hovers awkwardly nearby and I gladly allow him to have his moment with Emma. She turns to him, “I love you, Mason,” she adds, enjoying saying it.

He lifts her with ease, wrapping her legs around his waist as he kisses her deeply, murmuring words of love in her ear. He carries her over to the couch and moves aside allowing me to join them. She pulls at our clothes eagerly and we happily oblige, removing them while she does the same. With Emma’s naked body exposed before us in all her glory, I kiss her again before moving to leave a trail of kisses along her body. Her skin is soft under my touch and as my kisses near her thighs, I tease her, licking and kissing everywhere but exactly where she wants to be touched most.

“Jax,” she moans, digging her fingers in my hair.

I allow myself to take my time, flicking my tongue across her clit before circling it down her folds and away, building her arousal until she’s slick and panting.

I’m vaguely aware of Ty joining us and I’m aware that she’s enjoying teasing them with her hands and mouth as much as I am turned on by her, my focus is on her pleasure alone. I delve my tongue inside her wetness, my cock twitching at the moan this elicits as I then return to her clit, licking and sucking it slowly before speeding up and moving in small circular motions. Her juices are dripping down my chin and she’s arching her hips up, wanting more.

I happily oblige, slipping two fingers into her slick and ready pussy which clamps around me as she tightens and releases with each gentle stroke. My tongue continues to tease her clit as I move my fingers inside her. My cock is so hard it almost hurts as I lose myself in her pleasure, enjoying the taste of her in my mouth and how I’m turning her on so much that her juices as dripping down my wrist.

“Oh god, fuck that feels good,” she moans.

I look up to see she has both Mason and Ty’s cocks in her hands. She takes Ty’s cock deep in her mouth sucking while she pleases Mason too before moving to take his in her mouth next. The sight is so unbelievably sexy that I almost cum just looking at her. I tell her this before I return to eating her pussy with gusto, eager to make her orgasm.

She soon grants my wish, cumming hard as she screams out my name. “Oh god Jax, fuck I’m cumming! Fuck me baby!” she cries.

I don’t need to be asked twice. I gladly move to position myself at her wet and ready entrance pushing inside slowly until she takes the length of me. A perfect fit.

“God you’re so perfect,” I grunt as I thrust inside her, getting even more aroused as I watch Mason cum all over her beautiful perky tits.

I flip her over, fucking her doggy style as she continues to suck Ty and Mason moves to the side. She moans as I reach forward to play with her clit as I fuck her, and Mason languidly teases her nipples. Her ass looks incredible from this angle, and I can barely stop myself from shooting my load, but I’m determined to give her one more orgasm. I alternate my thrusts, moving hard and fast before slowing the pace down, holding myself still while deep inside her. She moans and tries to move back and forth on me herself and I enjoy the different feeling and her ass jiggling as she does so before I hold her firmly in place.

With my hands holding her hips in place, Mason takes over teasing her clit and together we soon bring her so close that she’s almost moaning too much to focus on Ty.

“Please!” she begs, crying out for release.

Only then do I begin to move again, and I soon feel her orgasm building as her pussy tightens on me.

“Cum with me,” she groans.

Her words are like a command I’m helpless to resist and I see stars as I let myself go, reaching my climax as I feel hers simultaneously. I collapse back, satiated and happy to watch her continue with my friends.

Chapter 41

Emma

For the second time that evening, Jax brings me to a screaming orgasm. While the shockwaves are still rippling through my body, Ty moves so he’s sitting on the couch and positions me on top of him. I slide down on his cock, my pussy ready and wet for him, the new sensation of his shape bringing a fresh wave of arousal as he allows me to set the pace. I can feel Mason and Jax’s eyes on me as I fuck him, enjoying feeling every inch of his cock as I slowly lift myself up and then drop down again before changing so I roll my hips backward and forward so his tip hits my g-spot.

Every time we have sex, I feel like I’m discovering more about my own sexual pleasure as well as how to drive my men wild. I can’t imagine things ever getting old or stale between us when each time feels like a new discovery.

I kiss Ty deeply as he runs his hands all over my skin, wanting to touch every inch of me and worshipping me. Mason and Jax watch me with unconcealed awe as if I’m some sort of goddess. Under their gazes, all of my bodily insecurities melt away. I no longer worry about my c-section scar that’s jagged and rushed following the emergency surgery, I don’t worry if my breasts are too small or if I have cellulite, with them, I can just let go and focus on the pleasure. It’s unbelievably liberating.

Ty’s dark eyes watch me with adoration and arousal. “Fuck, I love you.”

“I love you too,” I respond, and my words spur us both on until we reach a mutual orgasm.

Already Mason is hard again and Jax is close, and I know that we’re not done for the night yet. We take a breather, gently kissing and caressing, enjoying being naked in each other's arms. Satiated for the moment but aware that once won’t be enough for any of us today. It’s been too long, and we came too close to losing each other for good.

Hours later, when we’re finally done, me having lost count of the number of orgasms I’ve had and the guys all cumming at least twice, we fix ourselves some food and pour some drinks. It’s late but we’re all too happy that the nightmare we went through is over to even consider going to bed yet. We want to celebrate. 

We cuddle up on the sofa, clinking our drinks together before taking a sip.

“I can’t believe it’s actually over. I don’t know how I will ever be able to express how grateful I am and how thankful I feel for all of you,” I say. “I can’t bear to think how things might have turned out if you didn’t find us, or if I’d never asked Jacob for help…”

“Shh… you don’t need to think about that. Not now, not ever. You’re safe, that’s all that matters,” Mason says.

“That must be why Jacob begrudgingly accepted our relationship. After all, if he hadn’t introduced us, this wouldn’t have happened but in the same breath, you’re the ones who saved us,” I say with a grin.

“Yeah, that must piss him off big time. Though I wouldn’t say he’s accepted us…” Jax replies, smiling back at me.

“He’ll come around eventually when he realizes how serious we are,” Mason adds.

The others murmur their agreement, and I reply, “I hope so. He’s my brother and I love him, but I don’t think I could give any of you up.”

“Good, because you’re stuck with us,” Jax says happily.

“I can’t believe that everything worked out alright in the end. There’s just one thing that’s still bothering me," I admit.

“What?” Ty asks with concern.

“It’s Jessica…”

“What she did to you was unforgivable!” Mason replies ever eager to rush to my defense.

“I know. But I also know how persuasive Adam can be, the lies he told her. She wouldn’t have willingly gone along with Adam’s plan, not if she knew he was just using her. I don’t doubt that he will have made up some lies about me being a bad mom too.”

“Well then, she’s an idiot if she believed him, any idiot can see what a great mom you are. Fuck, even the Child Protective Services people were embarrassed as all hell and immediately gave you custody of Max again once the police informed them of the situation,” Jax replies.

“I’m not explaining myself properly. What I mean is, while I am hurt and betrayed by what Jessica did, I can’t stop thinking about her poor kids and wondering what will happen to them.”

“Won’t they go to live with their dad?” Ty asks with a small frown of confusion.

“Honestly, I don’t know. He left Jessica for another woman when Lucy was still a baby and said he wanted nothing to do with her. He remarried and had kids with another woman and moved out of state. According to Jessica, they had an affair resulting in Ben’s conception. He immediately said he wasn’t interested and went back to his other family.”

“What an asshole,” Jax says with a snort.

“Quite. However, I can’t help now wondering if Jessica could have been lying… that maybe Ben is someone else’s son, and she didn’t want people to know…” I say, voicing the niggling thought I’ve been having.

“You think Adam could be Ben’s father?” Ty asks astutely figuring out where my mind is going.

I nod. “Potentially. I never met Jessica’s husband, but the whole story seemed a little off, not that it wasn’t believable, but she was always very guarded about the circumstances around Ben’s birth. She was very forthright about how he left after Lucy was born and how he had a new family and never got in touch or wanted to see her, but she was always vague about how it then came to be that they had another child that he also abandoned. I always knew she was in love with Adam, but now I know how he was manipulating her, I wonder if there’s more to it, if they’d had an affair and Ben is his. The boys look awfully similar, and we were living around here when I fell pregnant. It would also explain why Adam wanted to move to San Diego once Max was born. Perhaps he felt guilty.”

“Or he was worried you’d start to suspect something or that Jessica would spill the beans,” Mason says icily, not wanting to give Adam the benefit of the doubt.

He’s probably right.

“Okay, so let’s say Ben is Adam’s, what do you want to do about that, if anything?” Ty asks.

“I’m worried that Jessica’s husband will deny him, that he won’t take him, heck he might not even agree to take Lucy on. Jessica’s parents died a long time ago and she was an only child, so there’d be no family left to care for them,” I explain, biting my lip.

“So they’d end up in the care system,” Mason states.

“Exactly,” I reply with a nod. “Those children are innocent in all of this. They’re great kids who deserve a loving home. I hate to think of them losing everything or even potentially being split up.

“So what can we do about it?” Jax asks in confusion.

I take a deep breath as I brace myself for what I’m about to ask. “I would like to ask about fostering or even adopting them myself. While I know I’m not responsible for Adam’s actions, those kids are like family to us.”

The guys take a second to process what I’m asking, and I almost backtrack before Mason answers first.

“I think that’s a great idea if they have nowhere else more suitable for them and the social services will allow us to, I’d happily help take care of them.”

“Me too,” Jax agrees. “I’ve always wanted a big family.”

Ty takes a second longer to reply and I know he must be thinking about how difficult it could be having an almost teenage girl in the house. Max might be close in age to what Danielle was when she died, but he’s a boy. Watching Lucy grow up and go through milestones that his own daughter will never get to experience might be too painful for him. My heart is in my throat as I await his response. I don’t want to hurt him or force him to do something he doesn’t want to, but I also can’t bear the thought of letting those kids down, of not doing something to help if I can.

“Yes, I’m in. Those children deserve a mother as wonderful as you,” he says before softly kissing me.

“Thank you, I don’t know how I got to be so lucky to have you all,” I say as tears of happiness spring to my eyes.

“We’re the lucky ones,” they reply, echoing each other and making me smile that for once they seem to agree on something.

First thing tomorrow I resolve to go and find out about Jessica’s kids. I know Max will be overjoyed by the possibility of Lucy and Ben living with us. He loves them like they’re his siblings already. I hope that they will help him to heal and have a normal childhood too, despite the horrors he’s already experienced in his short life. Our unique and chaotic family might be getting even more vibrant and big. But honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Epilogue

Emma

Six Months Later

“Mommy! Santa’s been!” Max’s excited voice wakes me at the crack of dawn as he comes rushing into the bedroom with his stocking.

“Shh, Sweetheart, you’ll wake the whole house,” I chastise gently.

“Ben’s awake already, he’s waiting in our room while I wake you up,” Max informs me, proud to have thought of it but missing the fact that the rule ‘knock and wait for mommy to tell you that you can come inside before entering’ also applies to him.

I roll my eyes and smile at him indulgently, it is Christmas day after all. “Well go and get him then, but do it quietly!”

Max races off and I turn on my bedside light and sit up in bed. I slept alone last night, fully aware that this exact situation was not only likely but almost inevitable and not wanting to give the CPS people a reason to deny our claims to Ben and Lucy.

After lots of meetings, legal jargon, string-pulling, and favors being asked, we have finally gotten somewhere with the adoption of Ben and Lucy. As predicted, Lucy’s dad didn’t want to take on his estranged teenage daughter and denied ever having slept with Jessica again, let alone fathered a child. We then ran a paternity test which confirmed Ben is indeed Adam’s biological son as we suspected. Both of these facts have helped to move the process along in our favor as, since Max and Ben are half-siblings, we have a claim to Ben, and with no one else wanting to take on Lucy, they’re almost grateful that we do.

It will take time, but we’re hopeful that the children will join our family officially soon. For now, they have been staying with us under supervision and have been allowed to spend Christmas here too, something I fought tooth and nail for.

I smile as the boys return looking adorable in their matching pajamas, dragging along a half-asleep Lucy with them.

“Max, I told you not to wake anyone,” I chastise gently.

“It’s okay,” Lucy concedes with a yawn.

Throughout all of this, Lucy has amazed me with her strength and resilience, she’s a smart, mature young girl who loves her brother dearly and while she misses her mother, she seems happy with the plan to live with us.

“Well, hop onto the bed, and let’s see what Santa brought you all shall we?” I say, reveling in their joy. I wink at Lucy who smiles and mimes zipping her lips to show she won’t reveal to the boys the truth about Santa.

As the children begin taking turns to open the small gifts in their stockings, a familiar handsome face pokes around my door.

“I thought I heard you were up,” Jax says with a smile, his hair tousled from sleep.

As much as I love seeing him shirtless, his usual preference for wandering around early morning, I’m grateful that he remembered to pop on a t-shirt, it’s a silly Christmas one that makes him look almost boyish.

“Jax!” the boys exclaim happily while Lucy’s cheeks turn red.

The boys love the men who never tire of roughhousing and playing games with them. Lucy has a slightly more tentative and complex relationship with them. She’s understandably wary and also hyper-conscious of their masculinity, but they’re working on building her trust every day. Each of them patiently asks about her day, listening carefully when she responds, or helping her with homework.

Jax perches on the bed, giving me a chaste peck on the cheek and wishing me a merry Christmas before happily making all of the right noises as the children show him their gifts. We soon head downstairs for breakfast, making pancakes and having fun letting the kids help. Mason soon comes to join us and gets stuck into the festivities with gusto, giving me a quick kiss.

“Merry Christmas beautiful,” he murmurs.

Not long after, Ty joins us. He hovers in the doorway watching us for a moment with an unreadable expression on his face and I worry that this will be too much too soon for him. I move to stand next to him, taking his hand in mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. He pulls his hand away and I worry he’s about to go but instead, he wipes away a tear that’s rolled down his handsome face.

Alarmed, I quickly ask, “Is everything okay? Is this too much? Do you need to go?”

I’ve never seen him cry before and I fear we’ve asked too much of him.

“No… no, I’m okay. It’s just… I really wish Danielle could be here, she would have loved our family,” he says gently.

“I wish she could too,” I reply gently, moving away to allow him to take his time before joining us.

Jacob and Bess arrive later on, joining us for the Christmas dinner. Bess brings her new girlfriend, a beautiful and funky rock chick with heavy kohl eyeliner and punk clothing that is almost a juxtaposition to her sweet personality. Jacob is healing well and has a great time with his nephew and new niece and nephew, treating them as his own. He turned up dressed as Santa, much to the delight of the boys who believed that he was the real deal—with his beer belly and big beard sprayed white he made a convincing St. Nick for sure—so much so he eventually had to ‘leave’ and come back as Uncle Jacob, listening and feigning annoyance when he discovered he’d just missed Santa Claus.

The day passes in a blur of food, drinks, presents, games, laughter, and fun. There are typical Christmas mishaps you’d expect in any family, burnt stuffing, and some good-natured arguments over charades, but all in all, it is a wonderful day that we all thoroughly enjoy.

With our guests gone and the children in bed, we finally have a moment alone. Cuddling up in front of the fire we discuss how well the day went.

“I have one more present to give you,” I say, heading to retrieve the small package hidden away at the back under the tree.

“No fair, we don’t have anything else to give you!” Jax protests.

“You’ve given us too much already,” Mason adds.

“Well, this is only small,” I say holding it out in front of me.

Confusion flits across their faces as they wonder what it could be.

“Who wants to open it?” Ty asks.

“I think, maybe you should as you’re in the middle, if Mason and Jax don’t mind…” I say tentatively.

They nod their approval, scootching closer to Ty to get a better look. He rips off the paper and opens the box. They all look at what’s inside, their mouths popping open in surprise as they realize what it is.

“Is this?”

“Are you?”

“Are you telling us…”

“I’m pregnant!”

I study their reactions carefully quickly being sure to add, “I don’t know who the father is of course…”

“I don’t care who it is! We’re going to have a baby!” Jax exclaims excitedly, more than happy to welcome another child into our family.

“I don’t need to know either, this is amazing news, Emma,” Mason adds sincerely.

We all look to Ty uncertain of how he will take the news that he could be becoming a biological father again. I don’t know how he will feel, and it scares me to death.

When his eyes meet mine, I know that it will be alright. They’re filled with so much love and happiness I think I might burst with joy.

“This is the greatest Christmas gift you could have given us, Emma. I love you, I love our family.”

His words permit us all to finally celebrate as they kiss and hug me in turn, excitedly talking about the baby and making plans for the future, including a bigger home to house our growing family.

I’m not sure I could have hoped for a more special, magical Christmas.

Epilogue 2

Emma

Eighteen Months Later

It’s Lucy’s twelfth birthday and, much to my amazement and delight, she wanted to have a birthday party at home. I’m sure the time when she finds her family to be embarrassment incarnate is on the horizon, so I’m determined to savor every minute of today.

Lucy wanted a murder mystery party, not the usual theme you might expect for a young girl. I was worried about what it meant, considering her mom was murdered, but Lucy’s therapist assured me this could be a positive way for her to feel as if she has some control in her life and to work through what happened. Lucy has aspirations to become a detective, something her dads and uncles weren’t thrilled about but are slowly coming around to. I do not doubt that her current fascination isn’t just because of her mom, she also adores Bess and looks up to her like an aunt.

Bess and the guys have been busy planning the main murder mystery game we’ll play later. Jacob is going to distract the boys with a movie after their little sister Olivia has gone to bed. While it might be healthy for Lucy, Max, and Ben aren’t mature enough to handle it, and Olivia is still too young to understand what’s happening. Lucy and her friends will end the night with a sleepover once the ‘crime’ has been solved.

I look out of the large bay windows into the yard and watch everyone. Mason is over by the grill with Jacob, in their element flipping burgers and sausages. Jax is racing around with Ben and Max playing cops and robbers, their squeals of delight pealing through the sounds of the summer’s day. Ty and Bess are keeping an eye on Lucy and her friends as they play with Olivia, cooing over how adorable she looks in her detective costume. Olivia has been the glue that’s bonded our family even closer together. Her dads, siblings, aunt, and uncle all dote on her. She is the easiest baby, everyone who meets her can’t help but fall in love with her. We don’t know who her biological dad is, nor do we want to, and though I know it’s impossible, I can see traces of all four of the men I love in our beautiful child.

Shortly before Olivia was born, we moved into a bigger house with plenty of space for our growing family. I adore our new home and the life we’re building here, even if it is unconventional. Most nights I share my bed with one or more of the guys, though these days it’s rare we are all together. Raising a baby and three children is a team effort, that’s for sure, but it does make things ten times easier, or should I say four times. I sometimes marvel at how I was able to raise Max almost singlehandedly before I met Mason, Jax, and Ty.

Right on cue, I emerge from the kitchen carrying Lucy’s cake as the party erupts into an enthusiastic chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ as they gather around the birthday girl. Lucy blushes bright red, hating being in the spotlight as usual but embracing it, nonetheless. As she blows out her candles, she scrunches up her face tightly in concentration making her wish.

“What did you wish for?” one of Lucy’s friends asks eagerly.

“Did you wish for the new iPhone? I did and I got one!” another declares proudly.

“She can’t say else it won’t come true!” Max interjects.

“I know what she wished for!” Ben declares proudly, “I’m going to wish for the same thing too when it comes to my birthday! She wished for you to officially be our adoptive mom!”

Lucy blushes deeply, swatting her brother on the arm. “That was a secret, dingus!”

I’m touched by the fact that they both deeply want to be an official part of our family. Although they are already, the paperwork is still going through. It’s such a lengthy process that it’s taken a long time and many hoops to jump through. We’re at the final hurdle and the kids are a part of the family, there’s just one tiny slip of paper needed to make it one hundred percent official.

“I thought you guys were already adopted?” a friend asks Lucy who proceeds to explain the situation, mumbling and her cheeks reddening.

Immediately I start to rethink the surprise gift that we planned to give today. I catch the guys’ eyes, and I can see they’re thinking the same thing. Will it inadvertently cause Lucy embarrassment?

“It’s a dumb wish…” Lucy finishes trying to shake it off, worried her friends will think her childish.

“Well I think that’s a really cool wish, and I hope it comes true soon for you. Your family is awesome!” Lucy’s friend Abby declares.

I could kiss her right now for the happiness and confidence this brings to Lucy’s eyes. Abby is my favorite of the three girls Lucy invited to her slumber party, she’s always so kind to Lucy, even when others haven’t been.

I hope for Lucy’s sake that her friend Ashley doesn’t chime in her thoughts on the family. More than once I’ve overheard the girl commenting that Lucy’s dads are hot or saying she’s overheard her mom say she’d like to have three men at home too. While amusing, I know it embarrasses Lucy to no end, and I don’t want that happening today of all days. Mercifully, she simply agrees with Abby, which makes Lucy grin from ear to ear.

I nod at Ty who understands exactly what to do and he quickly slips off, returning a moment later with the wrapped gift. Lucy’s eyes immediately light up with anticipation of another surprise gift. Ty hands it to me.

“Lucy, I know today is your day, but I hope you won’t mind that this next gift is something for all of the family,” I say with a smile. “Maybe you and Ben can open it together?”

“Max and Olivia too?” she asks, always thinking of her adoptive siblings.

“Of course,” I reply with a smile.

Lucy’s friends immediately start speculating on what it could be, tickets to Disneyland or other extravagant suggestions come up and I worry that now it might be anticlimactic. Lucy, Ben, and Max tear at the paper while Olivia claps, not understanding what’s happening but enjoying their excitement. When they open it, they fall silent. Olivia and the boys all wear expressions of confusion, not understanding what the words on the framed paper mean. Lucy grows very still, her eyes filling with tears.

“What does it say?” Ben demands.

Lucy is too emotional to reply for a moment, but she gathers her strength and replies, “It’s an adoption certificate. Ben, we’re officially part of the family. Our wish came true.”

The whoops and holler of excitement that come from Ben and Lucy bring sheer joy to my heart and Max is over the moon. They rush to me and hug me before embracing the rest of the family. We stand there all hugging and crying with happiness as our family is officially complete. While we’re careful with how affectionate we are in front of the kids, especially when they have friends over so as not to confuse them, the guys hug me in turn whispering words of love in my ears. Bess and Jacob astutely take over, keeping them busy to afford us a moment alone to watch the children play.

“I’m so happy that it’s finally official and we no longer need to worry about anyone taking our kids away from us ever again,” Mason murmurs.

“I can’t believe how lucky I am to be a part of this adventure with you,” Jax says proudly.

Out of all my men, this must be the most bittersweet moment for Ty whose own daughter will never meet her siblings. But right now there is only a small echo of sadness in his eyes. “I think Danielle would want me to let her go and fully embrace my new life. She’d want me to be there completely for these children instead of holding onto her too tightly,” he says. “I’ll never forget her, but it’s time, these kids deserve to know they’re completely loved. That they will always come first. As do you, my love.”

“Thank you, all of you. I love you all so much, I love our kids, I love our life. You and the kids make me happier than I ever felt possible,” I say, meaning every word.

With the three men who love me by my side and a family filled with love and laughter, I can’t help but feel that Lucy was exactly right.

Maybe wishes really can come true.

THE END

Hope you enjoyed the book!

The next book in the series is Quadruplets for the Vipers

Also by Tia Quinn

“Never Just One” Series:

Knocked Up by Her Daddy’s Friends

Shared by Her Brother’s Best Friends

Quadruplets for the Vipers

About the author:

Tia Quinn is a caffeine-fueled romance junkie with a soft spot for possessive anti-heroes and the fearless women who drive them wild. She writes steamy, high-stakes stories packed with passion, danger, and all the delicious chaos that comes with sharing a woman who was never meant to belong to just one man.

When she’s not crafting wickedly addictive love stories, Tia is busy juggling life with her two kids and two dogs, getting lost in a good book, or indulging in way too much dark chocolate.