Chapter Twenty-Nine

Cross

Too damn bad you’re not over your wife yet, ‘cause I love you. Even a week later Moon’s words kept replaying in my mind over and over like a song I couldn’t get out of my head. I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or bad.

Moon said she loved me and I knew she didn’t make that declaration lightly even if it had come at the oddest fucking time. I knew she wouldn’t have said it if she didn’t mean it, which meant I needed to figure my shit out. I knew how I felt about Moon—I loved her too—but I also didn’t know if I was the best thing for her. Or Beau.

Especially after I told her what I came to say.

“Cross, why are you standing out here by yourself?” Beau opened the door and looked up at me with a quizzical expression on his face.

“I guess I was lost in thought. Can I come in?” Instead of answering, the kid grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

“Mom will be happy to see you, she’s been kind of sad. And my grandpa is here. He’s so cool. I’ve never met him before, but he’s here now. You want to meet him?” Beau kept up both sides of the conversation as he pulled me through the house almost too fast to notice the large comfortable-looking sectional that now occupied most of the living room. “Where have you been?”

I laughed at his questions. The kid was so much like his mom it wasn’t even funny. “Well, I had to deal with some things before I came by to see you guys. Did you miss me?”

Beau nodded but his recently cut hair no longer fell into his inquisitive blue eyes. “I did. I think Mom did, too.”

I hoped she did, but when I stepped out back and saw a man sitting beside her, I knew all hope was lost.

“Mom look who’s here! Grandpa look!”

Both heads turned to face me and I froze at the older man beside her with the same green eyes as Moon.

“Is everything okay?” This guy was a major player on the world stage and he sat beside Moon like it was the most normal thing in the world.

She smiled and tried to stand but I was at her side in two large leaps.

“Thanks, Cross. I’m fine, just a little sore. Still.” She turned to the man with a wary smile. “Cross this is my father, Les Collinswood. Daddy this is Cross.”

Damn, Les Collinswood was her father? “Nice to meet you.”

He eyed me like I might slide that Rolex off his wrist but his slow perusal turned into a smile.

“Captain Wylie, nice to meet you, too. Thank you for keeping my daughter and grandson safe through this unfortunate event.”

He was thanking me when I was the reason they were in danger in the first place? Maybe Moon wasn’t the one who hit her head after all, maybe it was me?

“Of course. I wouldn’t let anything happen to them.”

He shook his head. “Your men did a damn fine job of bringing down Pacheco, son. It’s too bad about those explosives, though.” My heart sank at his words. If he knew, then Moon already knew, too.

“Yeah, that’s what I came to talk to you about, Moon.”

“About what?” She looked from her father to me with confusion in her eyes. “Someone better tell me something before I get upset.”

I looked at her father for a brief second before turning to Moon. “I came here to talk to you and Beau. To see you guys one last time before they take me to jail.”

“What? Jail, no!” Her hands reached out to me, grabbing handfuls of my shirt and pulling me close. “No, why?”

My heart ached at her pain, caused again by me. “Because our diversionary tactics were unappreciated by law enforcement and when you factor in that Haynes met his demise on club property, well I’m up a creek without a big enough paddle.”

“So you’re really going to jail?”

I nodded. “Tanya has been working her ass off but nothing has worked, that’s why I haven’t been by in a few days. I knew it would hurt too much but I had to come today to tell you that you were right. I do still love my wife and I always will, but I’m ready to move on, and I’m crazy in love with you.”

She sniffled and looked up. “You are?”

A loud laugh burst out of me. “Yeah, I am. I’ve been too busy feeling sorry for myself and checking out of everything but the club until you came along with your deep breathing and yoga. Pilates and chickpea burgers and that fuckin’—oops sorry, sir—blueberry wine. I love every weird thing about you, every quirk and every one of those damn jangling bracelets.” I kissed one cheek and then the other. “And your never ending supply of colorful dresses, everything about you sucked me in and made me want to live again.”

“I did all that?”

“You did. You and Beau. And I screwed it up. Put you guys in danger and then I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”

She growled and shook her head. “It’s not your responsibility to save the whole world, Cross. Why am I doomed to love men with a huge savior complex?”

“You still love me?”

“Of course I do, you big lug. And you’re leaving me.” Tears pooled in her eyes and I felt terrible. But when she held strong, refusing to let the tears fall, she ripped my heart right out of my chest.

“Tanya is hopeful that we can make a deal, especially considering the whole dirty cops and politicians thing.” I didn’t tell her that a good deal still meant a few years behind bars.

Moon’s father cleared his throat to get our attention. “Actually, that’s the other reason I’m here.”

“It is?” Moon seemed as surprised as I was.

Les nodded, smiling down at Beau who’d grabbed his hand and held it tight. I knew that feeling well, the old man was a goner already. “I’m so proud of you honey, you handled Hanes beautifully.”

“Daddy,” she cried and went to him, hugging him tight. “I’ve always wanted to hear you say you’re proud of me.”

“I am proud of you, honey. It was the right thing to do and also why I’m here today.” It was clear we were both confused but Les was a man who moved in his own time and we just had to wait. “Anytime explosives are involved, we worry about national security. But when I arrived in town and got the lay of the land, I knew I had to intervene.”

“Daddy, you’re putting him in prison?”

Hurt flashed in his eyes but his smile was bittersweet, making me wonder what had torn this father-daughter relationship apart. “No, Carolina—I mean Moon—I’m not. I did however stop by to see the prosecutor in this case before I came over here, and I made her see the dangers of prosecuting the man who uncovered this scandal and saved hundreds of victims of human trafficking.”

Shit. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Damn right I did. What you did was commendable and should not be punished and if I have a say in this—which I do—it won’t be.” He shook his head in disgust. “A politician involved in trafficking? I’ll make sure Pacheco gets locked up tight, don’t worry about that.”

Moon’s dad was a straight up gangster in a three-piece suit. I knew he’d make good on his promise. “I don’t know how to thank you for this, Mr. Collinswood.” I held my hand out, shocked as shit that he hadn’t thrown my dirty biker ass out of the house, but he took it and gave a strong shake just as I expected from a man of his significance.

“None necessary, just take care of my baby girl and her son. I’ll handle Pacheco and if you need any help, don’t be afraid to reach out.”

“Not a problem, sir.”

“Not at all,” Moon said as she stepped into my arms. “We take care of each other around here, though. None of that macho crap.”

“Hey! We’re men, Mom. We are macho!” Beau flexed his muscles in a way that I knew was purely Max’s influence but drew a laugh from each of us all the same. “Right, Grandpa?”

Even the old man wasn’t immune to Beau’s charms, smiling wide with a distinct glassiness in his eyes.

With Moon in my arms and Beau looking up at me like I hung the moon, the sun and the stars, it was a damn good feeling. One I never thought I’d ever feel again. The love of a damn fine woman and the most adorable little boy on the planet. One who’d finally kicked his asthma to the curb.

What in the fuck did I do to get so lucky?

I guessed even the rottenest of Bastards got a second chance at love.

~ T H E ~ E N D ~

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