Road to Redemption (19 page)

I dropped the nutcrackers in the cart and left it where it was. Anna watched the carts while Bailey, me, and Mom went looking for Lily.

I walked down the third aisle to see her talking to a man hunkered down in front of her. I don’t know why, call it my new mom intuition, but I pulled out my cell phone and snapped a photo of him. “Lily!”

“Hi Mommy.”

“Come here, baby,” I said, but the man rose to his feet and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Lily and I were just getting acquainted, Payton.”

“I believe you have me at a disadvantage.” I held my hand out to Lily. “Come here, Lily.”

“Ow,” she squeaked, and I saw red.

I advanced on him. “You need to let my daughter go.”

“We’re not done.”

“Lily, honey, close your eyes.”

She did and I slammed my palm to his nose, pushing up, not enough to jam his nasal bone into his brain, but hard enough to draw blood.

“Fuck,” he bellowed, but released Lily.

I grabbed her arm gently and pulled her to me.

“There you are,” my mom exclaimed, and I spun to face her.

“Take Lily, Mom. I need to take care of something.”

She frowned, but held her hand out to Lily. “Come with Nana, honey. We’ll go find your aunties.”

Lily rushed to my mom and I pulled out my phone again, video on.

“You fucking bitch,” the man hissed.

“I don’t know who you are, but I
will
find out and if you
ever
come near my daughter again, you’ll have to deal with Hawk. No one wants to deal with Hawk, so heed my warning.” I turned and walked away, hoping the people milling around didn’t try to find out why I left a man bleeding from the face in the middle of the aisle.

I fired off the video and photo to both Alex and Brock, and then called Alex.

“Not a good time.”

“Sorry, honey, but I just sent you a photo and a video. That man hurt Lily.”

“What the fuck?” he snapped. “Hold on. Be back, Booker.” There was silence and then I heard a door close. “What happened?”

“I lost her for about a minute and she was talking with that man. He knew her name and mine… Lily could have told him I guess, but I don’t think so.”

“He hurt her?” he said, carefully, like he was holding back rage.

“He squeezed her shoulder when she tried to come to me. She’s with my mom. I think he scared her more than anything.”

“Fuck!”

“She’s okay, honey, but you need to find out who he is.”

“Fuck.”

“Alex, she’s okay. I’ve got her. You’ll see the guy’s face on the video… I took care of him for now. You get to do the follow-up.”

“I want to talk to her.”

I nodded and went back to the aisle I’d left the carts. Lily was in my mom’s arms, her arms around her neck. She looked a little shaken up, but surprisingly okay.

“Daddy wants to talk to you, baby.”

Mom set her down and she took the phone from me. “Hi, Daddy. I’m okay. Unh-huh. Payton bought cwackers for nuts.” She smiled. “Okay.”

Lily handed the phone back to me. “Hi.”

“She’s fine.”

I smiled. “I know.”

Alex sighed. “Thank you, baby. If you hadn’t… well, thank you.”

“You can thank me properly later.”

“Promise.”

“I’ll let you go. I’ve got our girl, honey, so you find out who this bastard is and deal with him.”

“Yeah.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too,” he said, and hung up.

“Payton,” my mom whispered as she pulled me away from Lily, Anna, and Bailey. “What
is
going on?”

“I don’t know yet, Mom. Alex is going to find out.”

“Did you do that to that man?”

“Yeah, Mom, I did.”

She smiled. “Brock did a good job teaching you how to fight.”

Okay, not the response I expected. I giggled. “Yeah, he did.”

“Should we get Lily home do you think?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t want her to get scared, and I think if we run home and hide, it’ll worry her more.”

“Whatever you think, honey.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

We walked back to the group and I noticed Bailey was on her phone. “Lily, can you stay with Nana and Anna for a bit? I want to show auntie Bailey something.”

Lily nodded.

“I mean, it Lily. You stay with Nana. If you run off again without telling an adult, you’re going on time out.”

She wrinkled her nose, but nodded again.

“Mom, we’ll be right back.”

Bailey ended her call and followed me around the corner.

“Was that Brock?” I asked.

“Yeah, he got your texts. I guess he tried to call you, but you must have been on with Alex.”

“I’ll call him back.” I nodded toward her purse. “Do you have your gun with you?”

Bailey grimaced. “Always, but please tell me I’m not going to need it.”

I smiled. “I hope we don’t. But if we do, I’ll take it from you.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I know Brock wants me to carry at all times, but I still get nervous at the shooting range. I can’t imagine pointing it at an actual human being.”

“It’ll get better. I remember being nervous as well.”

“Where’s
your
gun?” she whispered.

“Locked up tight at home.” I bit my lip. “I haven’t had the ‘I own a gun and know how to use it’ conversation with Alex yet. Plus, I didn’t think I’d be in a position where I’d need it, especially shopping with my family.”

“Seriously.”

“I’m going to call Brock really quick and then I’ll find you guys.”

Bailey nodded and walked away. I took a minute to fill my brother in on what happened and then rejoined my family.

A
LEX WANTED NOTHING to do with the idea of me driving down to Beaverton to meet him, insisting he pick me and Lily up when he was done dealing with “club business.” The problem was he wouldn’t be back our way until past ten, so the new plan was to stay at my place.

I had kept Lily busy with helping to break down the tree and put away ornaments. We also helped my mom with boxing up all of our decorations, new and old. I put a very tired Lily to bed around seven and joined my parents in the family room to watch a movie. They went to bed as soon as the movie was over, but I chose to wait up for Alex.

Brock had already been by to take down more information about the incident at the store, but also, I suspected, to check on Bailey. He and Dallas were on duty, and I think he was glad he had a legitimate excuse to make sure she was safe. Bailey left with Brock so he could drop her at Macey’s for the night.

I heard the front door close just past ten and dropped my head onto the back of the couch to receive the most delicious upside-down kiss from Alex. Spiderman had nothin’ on him. “Hi, honey.”

“Hey,” he whispered, and joined me on the sofa, pulling me onto his lap and holding me close.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. “We’re okay.”

He kissed my neck and nodded. “I talked to Brock.”

“What did he say?”

“They followed you.”

“Followed us?” I gasped. “From
here
?”

Alex nodded. “Do you remember seeing anything?”

“No.” I dropped my head to his shoulder. “Ohmigod, Alex. I saw nothing weird. I’m so sorry.”

“Baby, it’s not your fault. They knew what they were doing. Your brother’s doing some checking.”

“But I led them right to us.”

“No, you didn’t. I did.”

I sat up to meet his eyes. “What does that mean?”

“The fucker you hit? He’s Jenny’s new man.”

“Shit, really?”

He sighed with a nod. “I haven’t mentioned the issues with her since she came to the club, but she’s been fuckin’ makin’ my life hell.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I don’t want her shit to touch you.”

“But it
is
touching me, honey, and I’d kind of like to know what I’m up against.” He shook his head, so I cupped his cheeks and frowned. “Tell me. I can help.”

“Babe,” he whispered.

“Alex, nothing you tell me will make me stop loving you. Nothing will make me want to leave you. The only problem we’ll ever have in that regard is if you keep me out of the loop.” He closed his eyes so I kissed each one and then his lips. “I love you Alex James. Always and forever.”

He dropped his forehead to mine and kissed me gently.

“Tell me,” I said again.

“She’s trying to get Lily. I haven’t figured out exactly why yet, because I know she doesn’t actually want her, but she’s fuckin’ gettin’ dirty.” He stroked my back. “Mack’s got the legal shit sorted, she doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on, which is why I think she’s tryin’ to get to me through you.”

I scowled. “This chick’s like a venereal disease… she just keeps coming back.”

He nodded.

“What do you mean by legal stuff?”I asked. “Is there anything I should know?”

“She signed away her parental rights when she walked out on Lily, and she’s been gone too long to contest them… not that she could have back then, but I might have agreed to giving her visiting rights if she’d come back.”

I frowned. “I thought you didn’t know where she was.”

“I didn’t. Booker and Mack handled it so I’d have plausible deniability. Booker can find anyone anywhere, and Mack called in my favor so I didn’t have to. He did it under the guise of club business so Booker couldn’t refuse.”

I rolled my eyes. “You two are almost as bad as women.”

He smiled. “You might be right.”

“So what happens now?”

“For now, you and Lily don’t go anywhere without me.”

I chuckled. “You’re hilarious.”

“I’m fuckin’ serious, Payton. You are never without me.”

“Well, then you better get this solved before school starts, otherwise that’s going to be impossible.”

“No it won’t.”

“Um, yeah, it will, Hawk. How are you going to take me to and from school every day when we live over half an hour away from each other… more with traffic?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“
Or
, you let me take care of me,” I argued. “I understand if you feel more comfortable being with me when Lily’s around, but I own a gun, I know how to use it, and as you could see by the video, I know how to hit someone hard enough to hurt them.”

“Let me make something clear.” His eyes darkened and his hand slid to my neck. “The gun conversation is going to have to wait, but you are not gonna fuckin’ ‘take care of yourself,’ Payton. At least, not in this situation. Jenny’s fuckin’ crazy and I won’t have you caught in the middle.”

“You’re overreacting.”

“I don’t fuckin’ care, Payton. It’s not up for discussion.”

“Ohmigod, Hawk. ‘It’s not up for discussion’? Who are you? My dad?” I pushed off his lap. “I’m going to bed.”

“Payton.”

“Goodnight.” I left him sitting on the sofa and (admittedly) I kind of hoped he choked on his alpha male bullshit.

* * *

I had been in bed for almost an hour (not sleeping), when my door opened and Alex walked in. He wore pajama bottoms and nothing else, but I forced myself to ignore my body (mostly because it was suddenly horny), and closed my eyes. The dip of the bed had me opening them again and I found myself face-to-face with Alex. “What do you want?”

His answer was to run his lips across my neck, and then his mouth was on mine and I was being pulled on top of him as his hand slid into my hair. I turned my head, breaking the kiss, and laid my hand over his mouth. “Green.”

Alex sighed and rolled me so we were facing each other. “I just want you safe.”

“I get it, honey. I do. And I appreciate that… to a point.” I stroked his check. “I don’t really know why I’m mad, honestly. I watch Bailey and Macey and see how crazy they get with Brock and Dallas, and I think I just…”

“Overreacted?”

I slapped his chest. “Can we both admit to a little overreaction?”

He slipped his hand under my cami and stroked my back. “I’m not overreacting.”

“This is not the way to get back into my bed, Hawk.”

“In case you didn’t notice, I
am
back in your bed.” He moved his hand to cup my breast.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from arching into his touch. “Can we just talk for a second?”

He moved his hand to my back again. “If you’ll give me until the end of your break to be with you every second, then I’ll pull back when you go back to work.”

“How will you get this sorted if you’re with me every second?”

“Fuck me, Payton. Just give me this.”

“Daddy?” Lily called, and Alex was out of the bed and at the door in seconds.

“Hey, baby girl.” He walked out of the room, returning with her in his arms. “You have a bad dream?”

Lily nodded, sniffling into his neck.

I held my arms out. “Want to sleep in here tonight?”

“We’ll all sleep in here,” Alex said.

Lily smiled through her tears and Alex set her on the bed before closing the door. I held the covers up and Lily climbed between them. She wrapped her arms around my waist and snuggled close, Alex sandwiched her in and kissed me, then her. “Love you, baby girl.”

“Wuv you too, Daddy.” She lifted her head and kissed my cheek. “’Night, Mama.”

“Night, baby. I love you.”

“Wuv you, too, Payton.”

I smiled at Alex and slid my arm around his waist. He did the same and we gave Lily a protective little enclosure to keep her safe.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow,” he whispered.

I nodded and he kissed me again.

My last coherent thought was how amazing it was that such a tiny little body could produce so much heat. I ended up throwing the blankets off my legs in an effort not to burn up.

* * *

I woke to an empty bed again and debated on getting up, but the pull of Alex and the fact I got him for the next week kind of won out.

I dressed quickly and made my way upstairs to find him. Lily was at the kitchen island, crayon in hand, concentrating on the coloring book in front of her. My mom was closing up the dishwasher as I walked in.

I kissed Lily’s head and smiled. “Morning, honey.”

“Hi,” she said, and smiled.

“Coffee’s in the pot, honey,” Mom said.

“Thanks.” I grabbed a cup and then leaned next to Lily. “I love your picture.”

“Fank you.”

“Where’s Daddy?”

She didn’t look up as she said, “On the woof.”

“He’s helping Dad and Brock with the lights,” my mom clarified.

Brock and Bailey must have come by early. “Where’s Bailey?”

“She went upstairs to take a nap. I think she’s coming down with a cold,” Mom said.

“Ew, no fun,” I said. “I’ll go check on Alex.”

I opened the slider and peeked outside. Alex was up on the ladder, tugging at a string of lights, his eyes narrowed in concentration. I bit my lip, our argument the night before quickly forgotten at the sight of jeans slung low on his hips, and his T-shirt sliding up revealing his flat stomach.

“Hi honey.”

“Hey, babe,” he said, continuing to focus on the job at hand.

“Hawk, I’m going to drop down a string,” my dad called.

When did Dad start calling him ‘Hawk’?

“Ready,” Alex said, and craned his head up.