Christian hated to see the fear shimmering in Melody’s beautiful dark eyes. He cupped her face and kissed her. When he pulled away, he was happy to see that some of the fear had been driven back, to be replaced with the heat of desire, but he could still see the trepidation lurking there in the depths of her gaze.
But if he was being honest with himself, the question haunted him almost as much as it did her. Maybe even more.
Because he knew exactly how hard it truly was to grow up in the gang. To be a child surrounded by drugs and violence, and in an environment that beat any kindness and gentleness out of a person. Anything that was viewed as a weakness wouldn’t last very long.
It broke his heart just to imagine his own child growing up like that. Like he had. He knew he had been lucky to have had time with his mother when he’d been very young, but after her death everything had changed.
He’d been thrown into the gang world young, with a grieving father that had done his best. But Christian knew Hub had never been cut out for the dad role, as hard as he’d tried.
Christian didn’t hold it against him, either. His father just… was who he was. But Christian wanted a different childhood for his baby. He glanced down at Melody. And for the woman he was falling deeper for every second.
“We’ll figure out a way, Mel. I promise you. We will get out of this life.” Christian shot her what he hoped was a reassuring smile before flipping onto his back on the bed next to her. “Where do you want to live? Where would you want to move to?”
“Honestly?”
Melody bit her lower lip as she thought, and the move sent heat shooting straight to his groin. But he shoved it aside, just trying to focus on her.
“I’ve never really thought about it much. My whole life, I’ve just been running. Doing whatever I had to in that moment to stay safe, to make it to the next one.”
Melody glanced over at him and he hated the cynicism in her gaze.
“That kind of life doesn’t really leave a lot of room for daydreams and fantasy, you know? I learned pretty early that hope doesn’t keep you safe or put food in your belly.”
Christian glanced over at her, his gaze running across her face, and he could see that she meant every word that she said. And he hated it. He hated that she had been forced to learn those lessons so young. And silently, in that moment, he made a promise to himself and to her.
That he was going to do everything that he could, everything in his power, to change her mind. To show her that hope wasn’t always bad. That, sometimes, the things you hoped for actually came true. Even if they fell unexpectedly into your lap.
Christian opened his mouth to tell her that she was wrong, and that he would show her one day. But before he could even get the words out, a high-pitched ringing cut him off.
With a muffled curse, Christian untangled himself from the sheets. The last thing he wanted to do was crawl out of the warm bed. Especially the warm bed that Melody was currently in, staring up at him with those big, fathomless dark eyes of hers.
Her long brunette hair was tangled and spread out across the pillows, and all he wanted to do was ignore the damn phone and crawl right back to her. But the ringing was insistent.
With a sigh, Christian searched through the wreckage of their clothes to find his jeans. His cell phone was still tucked in the back pocket and vibrating wildly with every pulsing ring. Annoyed, he bit off a quick greeting as he answered the call and held it to his ear.
“Christian? It’s Hub.”
His father’s gruff voice shot over from the other end of the line, and Christian hitched his shoulders as an uncomfortable feeling settled within him. It wasn’t quiet trepidation, but it was close.
He knew that tone of voice, and it usually didn’t end well for either of them.
“What’s going on? I’m kind of… in the middle of something,” Christian said, waggling his eyebrows in Melody’s direction, and was rewarded with a blush and a giggle as she shook her head at him.
Damn, he loved to see that woman smile. Loved even more to make her laugh. It was like the whole world glowed a little brighter with her laughter in it.
“What’s going on, huh? That’s exactly what I was calling to ask you.”
“Oh yeah?” Christian’s brows furrowed in confusion when Melody mouthed a question at him. He didn’t know what the hell his old man was talking about. “Care to elaborate on that?”
“Don’t take that tone with me, son,” Hub growled back.
And then his voice grew softer and, to Christian’s surprise, a little unsure. His father was always sure of himself.
“Listen, Bianca got to talking, and she may have let slip that… well, is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Damn it, Christian, you know what I’m talking about!” Hub paused and drew in a deep aggravated breath. “Is she pregnant?”
Christian was so surprised by Hub’s question that he couldn’t form the words. But his silence was answer enough.
“She is, isn’t she? Well, hell, Bianca was telling the truth after all.” Hub let out a gruff chuckle and Christian could easily picture his dad shaking his head. “I want you to come over. We need to talk about this.”
“I don’t think…”
“Now, don’t argue with me, son. Get your ass over here. This is going to change some things.”
“You can say that again,” Christian said, finally able to get a word in.
But it didn’t matter. His father had already hung up. The other end of the line was empty.
“Who was it?” Melody asked, looking up at him from the bed.
All he wanted in the world was to crawl back to her and spend the rest of his life there, wrapped up in her. But he knew he couldn’t do that. They had a few things they needed to take care of first.
“That was Hub. I guess Bianca told him about the pregnancy test.” Christian started getting dress, slipping his cell phone back in the pocket of his jeans. “He wants me to go over there and meet with him in person.”
“Alright, I’ll just get some clothes on,” Melody said, jumping out of bed.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her as she slipped a pair of tight jeans over her thighs and a tank top over her head. Damn, she was so beautiful that she took his breath away.
Christian had to shake himself back. He’d missed the question she’d asked him.
“What was that?”
“I asked if you were going like that? Might cause an accident, flashing everybody on the road.” Melody teased, a laughing light in her dark eyes.
Christian didn’t even mind. He had been standing there, his jeans unbuttoned and slung low over his hips, his shirt still clutched forgotten in his hand.
Hastily, Christian threw on the rest of his clothes, pulling her close for one last kiss before they left to face his father and whatever was about to come at them. With Melody’s arms wrapped around his waist on the back of his bike, though, he felt surprisingly optimistic.
He hadn’t been lying, what he’d told her earlier. They could take on anything, as long as they were together. As long as they had each other. The thought had him grinning like a lovesick young puppy the entire ride to Bianca’s farmhouse.
When they arrived, Christian was struck by how quiet the front of the house seemed, and it sent a lightning strike of nerves through his body as he parked his bike and helped Melody off of the back.
“They must all be inside,” he said, holding her hand in his as he made his way around to the back.
He opened the door that led into the kitchen and was caught by surprise as Bianca and Hub, as well as a few other members of the crew, turned to him with cheers of congratulations.
Christian shot a look back at Melody, but she looked just as shocked as he felt. Suddenly, Hub was pushing forward, a glass of bubbly in one hand.
“Here you go boy.” Hub shoved the glass at Christian who took it, still frozen in surprise. “I know I haven’t always been the best father, but I just wanted you to know how happy we all are for you.”
Bianca grinned at him, and he couldn’t help but feel like he’d suddenly walked into the twilight zone.
“Thanks dad, and everyone,” Christian said, toasting them all before taking a sip.
He could barely swallow it down. Because underneath the excitement and jubilee, something darker lurked beneath his father’s eyes. A few minutes later, he learned what it was.
Christian pulled Hub aside, leaving the glass of bubbly mostly untouched.
“I need to talk to you,” Christian started, and then stopped, not quite sure how to go on. “I want… I need something different for this kid, Hub. I want to go clean.”
The words came out all in a rush, and he winced, waiting for his father’s explosion.
But it never came. Instead, Hub leaned forward, a serious look on his lined, leathery face.
“Listen, son. I told you the truth. I know I wasn’t the best dad. Not like you’re going to be. After your mother passed…”
“I know, dad.”
“No. You don’t,” Hub growled. “After your mother passed, I just didn’t have any heart left in me. Not until I met Bianca.” He glanced over at the other woman who was guzzling from a pint of whiskey. “I let you down. I know that. But I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
“Thank you, dad.” Christian whispered, surprised and overwhelmed by his father’s change of heart.
But then his eye’s darkened again, and he knew there was more to come.
“I just need you to do one last thing for me.”
God damn, he hated being right sometimes.
“Enrique wants one final meeting with the Devil’s to repay his debt and square things away. I want you there.”