CHAPTER NINETEEN

Muttering curses, Deuce continued quickly down the back hall until he reached Jase’s room. Grabbing the knob, he twisted and pushed open the door. As soon as it closed behind him, he shrugged out of his cut and pulled his T-shirt over his head, then flung both garments across the room. Still cursing, he reached for his belt buckle, stopping when a pair of small, soft hands covered his own.

Eva’s big gray eyes met his. “Baby,” she said softly. “You need to calm down.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, pushing her hands away. “Not gonna happen, babe. I’m the stupid fuck who knocked your ass up again. Already got enough fuckin’ problems, don’t need to add losin’ you to my fuckin’ list.”

“You wanted more kids.”

Shoving down his jeans, Deuce stepped out of them and, turning away from his wife, headed for the bathroom.

“Yeah,” he mumbled to himself. “’Cause I fuckin’ look at your ass and get hard. Fact remains that you shouldn’t be havin’ babies.”

“Hey!” Eva snapped and he stopped walking and turned to look at her.

“Plenty of women have children when they’re older than I am.”

Snorting, he shook his head. “I ain’t just talkin’ about you. I ain’t callin’ you old, babe. I’m callin’ me old. Almost sixty, Eva. What kinda fuckin’ father am I gonna be to that kid? Be teachin’ him or her how to ride when I can’t even fuckin’ walk myself?”

Eva burst out laughing. “Can’t walk?” she said between gasps. “You? Baby, you are more in shape than half your boys! I mean…” She trailed off and Deuce watched her eyes roam slowly down and back up his body. Her eyes darkened and her expression changed.

“You’re beautiful,” she whispered, meeting his gaze.

His nostrils flared. “Don’t start your shit with me, bitch,” he said, his voice low, his eyes shooting toward where his youngest daughter lay sleeping on the couch. “When you can’t fuckin’ finish it.”

Eva’s answering grin caused his body to tighten. Even now, he was almost sixty and her pushing forty and he still couldn’t fucking get enough of her. Or that crazy way she looked at him. Soft. Needy. Full of everything he lacked inside of him. It was the same way she’d looked at him when she was sixteen years old, sitting on a picnic table, ready to throw away her entire life…for him. A beaten down, bitter criminal eighteen years older than her.

“Bathroom,” she said, pointing.

He shook his head. “Only thing I’m gonna be doin’ in that bathroom is washin’ the stink off my old fuckin’ body.”

Eva’s nose wrinkled. “I’m pregnant and horny and you are so, so, no fucking fun.”

Laughing softly, he resumed walking. “Told you, babe, I’m fuckin’ old.”

“Old-fashioned,” she muttered, following behind him.

Inside the bathroom, Deuce bent down over the tub and turned the shower on while Eva pushed herself up onto the bathroom counter top. Leaning back against the wall, she placed both her hands on her still small but swollen stomach and sighed.

“It’s a boy,” she said, smiling fondly.

Deuce’s eyes flared. “You fuckin’ found that shit out even after I told you I didn’t want us knowin’?”

Smiling cheekily, she shook her head. “Nope. I just have a feeling.”

Shaking his head, he dropped his boxers and stepped inside the tub. Leaving the curtain open, he watched Eva watching him.

“He looks like you, you know.”

“You got x-ray vision?”

Laughing, Eva shook her head. “No. Cage. Cage looks just like you at that age.”

Deuce grimaced. “Fuckin’ great. Too fuckin’ bad he ain’t got his head on straight.”

Eva lifted her shoulder. “Tegen may change that,” she said, studying him.

Closing his eyes, Deuce tilted his face up under the steady stream of hot water and breathed out a sigh. “’Bout fuckin’ time those two worked out their crazy fuckin’ bullshit. Now maybe we can all get back to livin’ instead of dwellin’ on bullshit none of us can fuckin’ change.”

“I think it’s more than that,” Eva continued. “Mick told me how upset he got when he found out about ZZ.”

Grabbing the bar of soap on the ledge, Deuce ran it quickly up and down his body. “Better not be,” he grumbled. “Bitch like Tegen ain’t cut out for this life. When I pass that fuckin’ gavel, Cage is gonna need an old lady that’s gonna stand by him, not be bitchin’ ’bout every little thing.”

“Cut her some slack,” Eva said. “Look what happened to her mom.”

Deuce’s eyes cut in Eva’s direction. “Babe,” he bit out. “No fuckin’ shit. I feel for the kid, you know I do. Been takin’ care of her as much as she’ll let me but the truth fuckin’ stands, she ain’t old lady material. Her endin’ up with Cage means she’ll be where you are now and she ain’t got the right attitude for it. She’s still spittin’ mad, probably always gonna be too. Can’t have my club and my boys’ families fallin’ apart ’cause Tegen don’t know her fuckin’ place.”

“She loves your son, Deuce,” Eva said softly. “Always has. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Cursing, Deuce slammed the water off and stepped out of the shower. Reaching over the counter, Eva snagged a towel from the rack and tossed it in his direction. He dried off quickly and tossed the towel to the floor. Crossing the small distance between them, Deuce placed his hands on either side of Eva and leaned forward.

“Don’t count for shit,” he said gruffly. “Not here, babe. You love the man, you love the life. Simple as that. You know this fuckin’ shit.”

“And what if he loves her, too?”

Deuce paused. “You fuckin’ shittin’ me? Cage? You think he’s hard up for that little shit?”

Eva shrugged. “I think he could be. From what I saw, I think he’s nearly there.”

Not good. The last thing he needed was his only son falling balls-deep into something with a crazy hippie. Next thing he’d know, Cage would be running off to San Francisco wearing flowers in his hair or some stupid shit and then what? He’d be handing his club over to Ripper?

Fuck that bullshit. Ripper got his baby girl and that was all that fucking asshole was getting.

If what Eva said was true, that Cage was about to get caught up in a pussy full of quicksand, he was going to squash that shit. Right the fuck now.

“Come here, babe,” he said, hooking his hands underneath Eva’s arms and sliding her forward. “You want dick, you gotta five-minute window before I start snorin’.”

Eva pressed her lips together and her eyes danced with laughter.

“I love you,” she said, giggling.

He snorted. “Babe. Yeah.”