CHAPTER 12
SAMMY
I fellasleep with my cheek on his chest, imagining his heart was beating out a message just for me.I love you. I love you. I love you.
When I woke, Juice stroked my hair and brushed it away from my eyes. “Hey there, sleepyhead.”
“What time is it?” He must have pulled a blanket over us at some point during the early morning hours. I looked around, surprised to see sunlight pouring in through one of the open garage doors. “Where’s Oliver? I need to go check on him.”
“He’s still sound asleep. Arrow checked on him a few minutes ago. It’s just after nine. There’s nowhere you need to be except right here with me, baby.”
I lifted my head and peeked over the back of the couch. Several of the bikes that had been lined up last night were missing, and a few guys strolled in and out of the open door.
“We’ve got to get out of here. What if someone sees us?”
“Too late for that. Why do you think no one’s come over here?” Juice smoothed his hand over the blanket and left it resting on my ass. “Everyone knows you’re with me now, Sammy. I won’t tell them we’re engaged until I get you a proper ring, but you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing except getting back to Silver Creek to check on the cafe,” I mumbled into his neck. My mom was staying at her sister’s in Billings, so I knew she was safe. And I’d left a message for my part-time server and Jeremiah to open up this morning.
“I think it’s best if you and Oliver stay here until we make sure any threat toward the two of you has passed.”
“What about the cafe? And what am I supposed to tell Oliver? He doesn’t even know you’re his dad yet. I need to handle things carefully with him. We still don’t know what he went through last night.” My gut twinged with guilt. I should have been snuggled up next to my son last night instead of hooking up with Juice. I’d gotten carried away. It’s not that I didn’t love him. I’d thought about the night we’d been together every day since he’d left. But marriage? That was a big step.
“Hey, we’ll handle it. My top priority is keeping the two of you safe. And we can tell Oliver when you think it’s right. I just want to get to know him. We’ve missed out on a lot.” He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “If you want to get up and go check on him, we can do that now. I’ve got to get ready to meet with some of the guys in a little while.”
“Where?” He was leaving me already? Fear had my heart skipping a few beats.
“I need to meet with Atlas, the president of the club, and fill him in.” He reached down and grabbed the clothes I’d been wearing last night. “Think you can get dressed while I hold the blanket? Otherwise, I can kick everyone out and give you the chance to change.”
The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention. I took the yoga pants and shoved my feet inside. “So, I’m just supposed to hang out at the club until when?”
Juice’s forehead creased. “Until we figure out how to stop the Savage Bones. I can’t have my woman and my son running around with no protection.”
Based on what I’d overheard last night, there was no telling how long Mustang Mountain would be under siege by the rival club. Juice and I had the same goal to keep Oliver safe. My best option was to trust in the Mustang Mountain Riders. Without Oliver, nothing else would matter.
“Okay. We’ll stay here.” I’d shimmied into my pants and Juice helped me clasp my bra behind my back. “Promise me you’ll be careful. If anything were to happen to you…”
“It won’t.” He sandwiched my cheeks between his palms and stared deep into my eyes. “I love you, Sammy. I’m going to marry you and the three of us are going to be a family. It’s all coming together, baby.”
The tightness in my shoulders relaxed as he held my gaze. “I love you, too.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
Juice and I parted ways. I headed up to the bedroom to check on Oliver while he met with the officers of the club. When I cracked the bedroom door open, Sirius jumped up off the bed and greeted me with a nose to the crotch. I bent down and ran my hands over his thick fur.
“Thank you for being there last night. I appreciate everything you did and as soon as I get a chance, I’m going to buy you the biggest, juiciest steak you’ve ever seen.”
He tilted his head, then licked me across the chin. I let out a soft laugh.
“Hi, Mom.” Oliver sat up on the bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
“Hey, honey.” I moved to the bed and sat down on the edge. Sirius hopped up and started covering Oliver’s cheeks in kisses. Hearing my son’s laughter soothed my anxious heart.
“Stop it, Sirius.” He put his hands up to deflect the kisses, but he was all smiles and giggles.
“He likes you.” I shifted to lean my back against the headboard. “You know he spent the night right here next to you to keep you safe?”
“He did?” Oliver threw his arms around the dog’s thick neck. “I wish we could keep him.”
