Josie was still wide awake when her phone lit up and vibrated with a message. She hoped it was Reese but wasn’t expecting it to be him. She figured it was Steph checking in. But it was Reese. And he was at her door.

She ran through the apartment and tore open the door and looked Reese up and down. He was fine. Alive. Unhurt. Looking the same as when he left.

“Reese,” she said.

“Sweetheart. I can’t get enough of you.”

“What are…”

He stepped into the apartment and scooped her up into his arms. They started to kiss, picking up where they’d left off earlier. Reese walked her right to the table and sat her down. His hands touched her face as he kissed her hard and slow. So slowly that Josie felt herself melting into the table.

“Oh… Reese…”

He broke the kiss and rubbed the tip of his nose to hers. “I needed that, sweetheart.”

“Me too.”

“I’m crashing here tonight.”

“That makes my heart happy.”

“Yeah, well, you make everything happy,” he said. He gently thrust at her and she felt the hard bulge in his jeans.

“Easy, big boy.”

“There is no easy around you,” Reese said.

She laughed. “Then take me to bed so we can sleep after we’re done.”

He lifted her up and walked her through the apartment.

“How was your meeting?” Josie asked when Reese put her on the bed and lifted her shirt up, exposing her breasts.

“I don’t give a fuck about that,” he growled.

Josie felt her face and body burn even hotter. She lifted her hips off the bed for Reese to tear her pants off. She surprised him with the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything but just those pants. Slowly and laced with seduction, Josie gently kicked back on the bed and moved back to the pillows. She waited there for Reese, her knees slightly parted, showing herself to him.

“Fuck, Josie, you don’t get it…”

“Make me get it, outlaw,” she purred at him.

Reese smirked and went to work undressing himself. Josie had a front row seat to the greatest show ever… well, the second greatest show ever. The first greatest show came when Reese climbed onto the bed and crawled forward at her. She bit her lip, watching him close on her. Josie put her feet on the bed and Reese hurried to kiss her knee. He kept kissing forward and down, working down her inner thigh.

Josie let out a sigh.

He paused and pulled away from her inner thigh. His eyes locked tight to hers and he kept moving forward, finally sinking forward and down, easing himself against her ready body.

“Fuck,” Josie whispered as she felt him opening her.

Reese curled his lip with a defiant anger in his eyes. Josie wrapped her legs around his body and lifted her hips, bucking them forward. She dug her ankles into his ass and he thrust forward, taking her to the hilt.

Unable to breathe, Josie moved forward and stole a kiss from Reese. He returned the kiss with a hotter one and they soon began a battle of kisses. Taking their turns trying to outdo each other, even though Josie knew she was going to lose the battle. And she wanted to lose the battle.

Reese started to love her, thrusting harder, burying himself deeper, sinking her down into the bed with force. Her ankles were tight around his body as she pulled and bucked her hips with his hard movements.

They were instantly synched together. Josie climbed her fingertips up his strong shoulders and held tight. Reese kissed down to her neck and rested there, switching between kisses, gentle bites, and loud grunts as he fucked with more force.

Emotion swelled up inside Josie as she felt her body start to let go of its pleasure at its peak. She came and put her head back, shutting her eyes, crying out as Reese knew exactly how to love her through the climax. But as her heart raced, it swelled. She knew this kind of loving from Reese. This was him worried. This was him fearing the worst about himself. This was his way of making sure he felt every inch of Josie’s body because he had the notion that it could be their last time together.

Josie fought back all that emotion as she clawed for Reese’s face. She made him look at her as he moved faster. She felt him everywhere and could hear the sound of their love. His body colliding with hers. Their groans mixing with breaths and stolen kisses.

“I fucking love you,” she managed to whisper.

“Fucking hell, Josie… you’re everything…”

Reese kissed her and held her there. Grunting as he pounded harder. Josie stopped moving and just gave herself to him. All of herself.

It was the longest kiss of Josie’s life. And it didn’t stop until Reese gave himself to her. All of himself…

Josie groaned in between kisses as she felt him inside her, pulsing.

Reese held there, even after they were both finished. He kissed down her neck again and buried his face there. Josie slid her hands to his back and slowly began to scratch.

She was holding her man. She was holding her outlaw.

Her heart had never felt so full of love in her entire life.

But she knew the more love she had for Reese, the more she had to lose.

And that’s when a stray tear finally spilled from her eye.

* * *

“You need to sleep,” Josie whispered as she lifted her head.

Reese had his head propped up, eyes wide open. “I’ll get there, sweetheart. You should sleep.”

“I’m not sleeping if you don’t.”

“Are you going to act like a baby right now?”

“Are you?” Josie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re so stubborn, Josie. I love it.”

“Good. Now shut your eyes.”

“I will.”

She put her elbow to the bed and propped her head up. The covers were pulled way down Reese’s body, down past his rippled stomach. He was perfectly delicious. Her lips and mouth were tempted for a taste.

“What happened tonight, Reese?” she asked.

“Club stuff.”

“I hate that answer.”

“I know you do. We’re getting things set up.”

“The Starla situation?” Josie asked.

Reese glanced down at her. “What do you think?”

“I shouldn’t be asking this stuff. I’m sorry.”

He turned and sank down to the bed. He pulled the covers up to their shoulders and smiled. “Sweetheart, I love that you care so much. I love that you know so much about this life. But it’s a curse for you. Because you know the ending.”

“I want you to be my ending,” Josie said.

“We’re nowhere near the end of this,” Reese said. “Now get some sleep. Enjoy the quiet night.”

“Reese, I want you to know something.”

“What’s that?”

“I blamed you all so much for what happened to my father.”

“No, sweetheart…”

“Listen to me. I did. It was wrong. I think my father was confused. He understood what your club was doing and just… maybe he was jealous. To live the way you do. You’re outlaws, but yet you govern yourself.”

“Govern, huh?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I know,” Reese said. “I’m forever sorry about your father… just so you know. Him and Lasz. I hate it. It burns in me so much, sweetheart. But what I do know more than that, is if you live too much in the past, you’ll get stuck there. You’ll miss everything else in life. I look at it this way… I get to keep a promise to Lasz and help with Steph and her baby. Keep that family going strong. And then for your father… my commitment to you. I’ll take care of you, Josie, right up until my last fucking breath.”

Josie leaned forward and kissed Reese.

She shut her eyes and sighed, falling in love with him again.

The tables were then turned as Josie pulled Reese close and held him, waiting for him to fall asleep. She knew it wasn’t exactly the tough guy image Reese wanted, but she also knew that Reese wouldn’t fall asleep on her unless he trusted her completely.

Being that important and that serious sometimes made Josie uneasy. But the upside of this was one thing. Forever. Having forever with Reese meant everything.

Just as Josie’s eyes started to shut under the heavy weight of exhaustion, she heard the vibration of her phone on the nightstand again.

She reached for it and it was a text from Steph.

Hey. I’m coming home. Not feeling well.

Josie almost sighed with relief. Not because Steph wasn’t feeling well, but because she was coming home. Josie knew that eventually Steph would have to do all of this on her own, but for the moment, she wanted her close.

Baby okay? was Josie’s reply.

There was a minute of feeling her heart climb into her throat until Steph replied.

Yeah. She’s kicking like crazy. I’m just uncomfortable here. I miss my bed. Everyone is drunk, and I feel out of place here.

Josie frowned. That was the realization of being pregnant, huh? At least Steph was smart enough to want to leave.

Please drive safely. I’ll be awake when you get home. I’m proud of you for knowing when to leave. Reese is here. We’ll have a big breakfast tomorrow morning.

Josie put her phone next to her and shut her eyes. She waited for Steph to respond. She knew that the moment she heard the door open she would wake up.

There was only one problem…

Josie was about to get a full night of sleep.

* * *

Josie looked around the bedroom and when she realized it was morning, she jumped up in the bed. It was empty. Her phone still next to her side. She checked and saw that Steph never replied to her text. And she obviously didn’t hear her come home either.

“Shoot,” she whispered as she hurried out of bed.

She found Reese standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, shirtless, looking like something she could have only ever fantasized about.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Reese said.

“Steph here?”

“What?”

“Did you hear Steph come home?”

“When? This morning?”

“Overnight.”

“I didn’t hear anything. Why?”

“She texted me. Right after you fell asleep. She said she wasn’t feeling comfortable and wanted to come home. I told her I would be awake when she got home. I thought I would hear the door open. I guess I didn’t.”

“That’s okay,” Reese said. “Nothing to worry about. I’m sure…”

Reese’s voice trailed off.

Josie had already turned and was working her way to Steph’s bedroom. At the door, she paused for a second and shut her eyes. She wasn’t into the praying thing, but she said a silent prayer as she opened the door. She flicked on the lights and wanted nothing more than to hear Steph yell at her for waking her up.

“Josie,” Reese said. “What…”

“She’s not here,” Josie said, her heart instantly starting to pound.

The bed was messy and empty, just the way Steph always left it. Josie remembered the million times she’d told Steph to just take a minute and make the bed in the morning. But she never did.

Josie turned and tripped, falling into Reese’s arms.

“Whoa, sweetheart…”

“No,” Josie said. “She’s gone. She was supposed to come home. She said she was.”

“Wait,” Reese said. “Can you call her friend? Maybe she decided to stay?”

“What if something happened with the baby?”

“Josie, relax for a second. Do you have her friend’s number?”

“No.”

“Shit. Okay. Let’s go for a ride then. Do you know where her friend lives?”

“Uh, yeah. I think. Worst case, we can go to the diner. Ask…”

“I’ll call Zac,” Reese said.

“Call Zac?”

“He can track Steph’s number.”

“How?” Josie asked.

“Does that matter?”

“No. Sorry. I’m scared.”

Reese touched her shoulders. “Hey. Don’t be scared. Let me put a shirt on and we’ll leave.”

“Do you have to put a shirt on?” Josie asked.

Reese leaned down and gently kissed her. “It’ll give you something to take off later.”

Reese disappeared into the bedroom. Josie turned and looked into Steph’s bedroom.

Where are you? What kind of trouble did you find now?

She could only hope that Steph decided to stay at her friend’s house. Maybe she tried to say goodbye and her friend got mad and forced her stay. Whatever it was, she needed to…

Josie darted for the bedroom just in time to catch Reese putting on his leather cut.

“Sweetheart…”

She got her phone and tried calling Steph.

No answer.

She sent a text.

No reply.

She called again. Three more times.

“She probably has it on silent,” Reese said. “Come on, let’s go for a ride. I’ll call Zac. We’ll track her down.”

“I hate when she does this,” Josie growled. “Being pregnant…”

“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Reese said.

“Let me throw on a hoodie and I’m right behind you.”

Josie found a hoodie on the floor and pulled it over her head. She tucked her phone into her pocket and raced out of the bedroom.

She found Reese standing at the front door, with it open. He slowly looked back at Josie.

“Fuck.”

“What?”

Reese crouched and stood back up, turning to show something in his hand.

A phone.

Steph’s phone.

Josie covered her mouth. “No…”

“Shit,” Reese said.

He ran forward and threw the phone onto the table. Josie saw the screen and saw the missed calls and texts from herself. It took her a few seconds to really comprehend what was happening.

She looked at Reese. “She was here. At the door. And…”

“Deep breath,” Reese whispered.

“Don’t fucking tell me to breathe.”

Reese gritted his teeth. He took out his phone and started making a phone call.

Josie’s mind began to race.

“Those guys,” Josie said. “They took her.”

Reese moved the phone from his ear. “Who took her? What guys?”

“The guys you messed with. You killed the baby’s father.”

“Josie…”

“What if that guy knew. Digg? Aaron? What if he knew? What if Steph told him but never told us?”

“Shit,” Reese said. “Just wait a second…” He put the phone to his ear again. “Zac. Listen, brother… wait, wait, wait… what?”

Josie started to pace the kitchen. Trying to fight back tears because that would do nothing. She could call the police, but what would that get? If this was something to do with the MC’s fighting each other, that would only make things worse. And the police wouldn’t help without evidence and really good cause. Plus, the MC was stronger and had no laws to follow.

When Josie stopped and looked at Reese again, he stood there, stone faced. She knew that face. That was the face of a man going from a man, a lover, to nothing but an outlaw.

“Is it Steph?” Josie asked.

Reese gave a small nod.

“No,” she whispered.

Josie’s phone started to ring. She let out a yelp and jammed her hand into her pocket. She took her phone out and quickly dropped it to the floor. Her hands were shaking that badly. Falling to her hands and knees, she got her phone and saw it was Jefferson calling her.

“I can’t talk right now,” she said, taking the call. “I’m having-”

“Starla’s been hurt,” Jefferson said.

“What?”

“I don’t know what the hell is going on, but it doesn’t look good.”

Josie lifted her head and saw Reese standing a few inches away.

“What do you mean it doesn’t look good?” Josie asked.

Reese curled his lip, even angrier.

Jefferson sounded out of breath. “Starla was attacked and she keeps talking about your cousin…”