But it isn’t. I ran away because I couldn’t face him with the truth before. I won’t do that again.
“I should’ve told you what Viper did to me.” Beneath my touch, a shudder racks Ty’s big body, but his blue gaze never drops from mine. “A small part of me was afraid you’d choose the Bastards but—” I hesitate as I face what had really driven me to leave, the skeletal dread that had haunted me during that nightmare week before I left and tormented me for years afterward. “More than that, I was terrified you’d confront him and he’d end up killing you.”
“No.” His voice is hollow. “I would’ve killed him, Jas. No question.”
“And you would’ve been put away for life. How could I live with myself?”
A sad smile twists his lips. “I would’ve made sure his body was never found. I wouldn’t go to jail for that piece of shit.”
I believe him. Thank God I left. “You’re not a murderer. You have to let it go.” The way I have. “Otherwise, he wins.”
Harsh grooves score his forehead. “All the things I said to you—”
I press a finger across his lips. “If I’d stayed, I never would’ve escaped the shadow of the Bastards. Deep inside, I’d still be that scared girl, the daughter of their favorite lay. I had to leave to find who I really am.”
For a long moment, he doesn’t move. It’s as though he’s made from granite. Harsh. Uncompromising. And then he lets out a jagged sigh and rests his forehead against mine as the tension seeps from his rock-hard muscles.
Once I’d been afraid that if he knew the truth he’d stay with me through guilt. I used to be afraid of so many things. But he wanted forever before he found out.
Don’t go.It was the hardest thing I ever did, walking out on him again that day. Now he’s here, offering me everything, putting me first, and I’ll never let him go.
I don’t know how long we stand there, holding each other as long overdue healing slowly washes through us. Finally, he lifts his head, and I’m lost in the blue of his eyes.
“I need to hear you say it, babe.” His voice is gravelly, like he hasn’t used it in a hundred years. “Are you my woman? For keeps?”
Tears prickle the backs of my eyes, and I blink furiously.Not going to cry now.“I’ve always been your woman.” A tear escapes anyway, and he captures it with the pad of his thumb. “And you’ve always been my man.”
A slow smile cracks his harsh facade, wiping years from his face. “I’ve put my place on the market. Soon as that sells, we can buy ourselves a house so you can have your own backyard. Better late than never, huh?”
“Sounds good. It’ll be pretty crowded in my small apartment otherwise.”
“I don’t take up much room.” He grins at me, and I wrap my arms around him. There’ll never be a more perfect moment to tell him than this.
“That’s debatable, but I wasn’t thinking about you.” I kiss the tip of his nose. Unlike the last time, there’s no fear of the future mixed in with my joy. “We’re having a baby.”
His cocky grin fades, and something akin to awe flickers over his face. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. I only found out this afternoon. I planned to call you tonight.”
His eyes close. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”
“Not lately.” I sniffle back tears.Stupid hormones. But it’s more than that, and I know it. “I never stopped loving you.”
He gives a hoarse laugh and gently presses his palm over my abdomen. “I’ll make every lost day up to you, babe. That’s a promise.”
I slide my fingers through his hair. “You’ve already made up for them.”
His sigh echoes through my heart. “Nah, I haven’t. But I will.” He leans in close, his scruff grazing my cheek, and his familiar scent of leather and cologne wraps around me like a velvet caress. “I’m cooking dinner tonight. With cherries.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Ty
“You look beautiful. I love your dress,” Jas says to Grace, and I watch her as Amelia joins them. It’s the first time we’ve been back to L.A. since I moved to Florida, and truth is I don’t miss it. But Jas wouldn’t hear of us not being here for Zach and Grace’s wedding.
Sure, I’ve kept in contact with my brothers, and a couple of months ago Zach and Gage and their old ladies rode across the country to visit for a weekend. Jas and I had just moved and, like we’d always planned, it’s an old house that needs to be completely gutted. The guys helped me get a good start on renovating the bathroom and kitchen while the girls made sure Jas took it easy by talking weddings and babies. It was the only way to keep her from picking up a sledgehammer, and there’s no way she’s doing any hard laborperiod, never mind when she’s pregnant.
