FUCK. THE OTHER SHOE HAD fucking dropped. Alexa was spending the afternoon with her therapist and had refused to sleep in the bed with me the night before. Since seeing her the first night all bruised and battered, this was the longest I’d been away from her and it was driving me nuts.
I paced back and forth in the gym, too hyper to concentrate on a workout. I was supposed to be training for a fight, but I was too preoccupied with Alexa and knew I was going to miss it. Mikey, my coach, was pissed to say the least. He gave me the if-I–wanted-to-have-a–carreer-as-a-professional-boxer-I-needed-to-focus-on-my-training-and-not-let-my-social-life-interfere speech. I was young, though, and I knew that I would have time to focus on my career later, but right now I needed Alexa to be my world.
My mind went over the previous day trying to think of what had happened between her teasing me at the lingerie shop and kissing me, and then the food court. She’d barely touched her food and I know she didn’t come down for dinner last night.
I needed to talk to the security who was with us yesterday. Leaving the gym, I went to the security house, only to be stopped by my mother. Tears glided down her face.
“Mum, what’s wrong? What’s happened? Is it Alexa?” I grabbed her shoulders and resisted the urge to shake the news out of her.
“Dus . . . Dusta . . . Dustan!” she wailed.
“What about Dustan?”
“They had him. They shot him. He’s . . . he’s in a . . . a coma.” Her whole body was shaking with sobs. “We need to get to the hospital.”
“Who’s they mum?” I swallowed the vomit that made its way up my throat and tried to take deep calming breaths as my heart raced.
“The bikers.”
Holy shit. “How the hell did they get him?”
“I don’t know. We need to go now.” She yanked on my arm.
I looked back toward where I knew Alexa was and then down at my mum. “Where’s dad?”
“He should be at the hospital now. I wanted to be here for Alexa, but . . . but, oh, Evelin. I have to get to her. We have to.” I hugged my mum, still in shock. It had to be why I wasn’t freaking out over my cousin being taken, shot, and in a coma.
I DIDN’T REMEMBER THE DRIVE to the hospital. I didn’t remember coming in and meeting the family, but when Alexa, my Alexa, was brought up in the details, I paid attention. The Devil’s Queens wanted my woman. I didn’t know why or even how they’d found out where she was. The police had questioned me and had been given permission to enter our property and speak to Alexa if an adult was present. My dad had gone back to be with Alexa when they spoke to her. I wanted to go, but I was torn. Would she even want me there? I hadn’t seen her all day and she didn’t sleep with me last night, which caused me not to get much sleep at all. I was so used to sleeping with her scent surrounding me and her warmth against me, I tossed and turned all night.
Pacing the waiting room along with my cousins, I wished I’d gone home. Dustan had been shot close to his heart and when he’d fallen he’d hit his head and cracked it open. We’d been told he’d been shot escaping, and he was lucky that someone driving by found him on the side of the road before the Devil’s Queens got him again. A ransom had been sent to his family and it had asked for Alexa and money in exchange for Dustan. The ransom had only come in a couple of hours before his family got a phone call from the police telling them they thought they’d found Dustan at a hospital, but because he had no ID on him they were going off photos from magazines. I was angry at my parents for waiting until the last minute to tell me about this.
“Holy crap, she came.” I turned at Jade’s mumbled words and saw Cassie, Dustan’s soulmate, who had done a runner when Dustan was an arse. She looked good, better than what I thought for someone who’d been hiding from us and refusing to see Dustan. He’d only just moved everything back home and settled his business in America a month ago. He’d told me Cassie was back at her parents and refused to see him. She’d gone as far as to get an AVO out on him.
Cassie looked hesitant as she shuffled into the room they’d given us. “They, ah, um, sent me in here.” She looked behind her and I could see she was ready to bolt. Someone needed to stop her and reassure her.
I darted my gaze over to Jade to see her getting up off a devastated Stephan, but I was shocked when Derick, Dustan’s other brother, made it to Cassie first and yelled, “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t fucking run, if you’d just gotten over yourself and let him apologize this wouldn’t have happened. He would have had fucking guards!”
Shocked at Derick’s outburst it took me a moment to move, but Ryder and Divinity were quicker. Divinity shoved Derick. “You’re an arse. That was a dick move.” She whacked him upside the head and then spun back around to face a retreating Cassie. Ryder was now blocking the door so she couldn’t escape. “I swear to fucking God, lady, if you leave I’ll hunt you down. Get back in here.” Divinity pointed to a seat next to where she’d been sitting. “And sit your arse down, because I’m pregnant and ready to pop and not in the fucking mood to chase you. I’m sure the girls have told you I can kick arse, too, so park your arse until you’re told you can move.”
Cassie’s mouth opened and closed once, twice, and a third time before she nodded slowly and made her way to the seat Divinity pointed to.
Then Divinity turned to me and waddled over, her face in a, ‘don’t mess with me or I’ll have your balls’ look. I raised my hands in surrender, ready to do just what she said. I’d already learned that you didn’t fuck with Divinity, but a pregnant Divinity was bloody scary.
Divinity rolled her eyes. “Don’t be an idiot, Mason.” I lowered my hands. “You don’t need to be here right now. We’re all here and you need to be with Alexa. I’m damn surprised you came here without her in the first place. That girl is glued to your side.” I winced at the ‘girl’ comment. Divinity caught it. “Oh, stop it. You’re being a pussy. She’s fucking seventeen and a bloody mature seventeen at that. She survived on the bloody streets. Stop being a wanker and just claim the girl. Christ, you Silverman boys are crazy.” She didn’t wait for me to reply before she waddled back and sat next to Cassie. When she looked up again she growled, “Go now, Mason.”
I stood still for a second as the others chuckled, the somber mood in the room changing for a moment. I left knowing I needed to talk to the guards and find out what the hell had happened with Alexa.
I MISSED MASON. I’D TOSSED and turned and when I did finally fall asleep I awoke from a nightmare. I should have spoken to Mason. I got up early ready to talk to him, but his mother intercepted me and dragged me shopping.
“Now you’re ready to venture out. I have so many fun things for us to do,” Gillian gushed.
I’d learned this morning that shopping with Gillian wasn’t fun. Hours of trying on clothes and shoes and going into every high-end store was not only exhausting, but boring. I liked Gillian, and I wanted her to like me, too, so I didn’t complain. We’d arrived just in time for my therapist appointment and as I sat, exhausted, I wished I’d told Gillian I wanted some time alone. Dr. Heather Dickson, my therapist, could tell something was up. I wasn’t a huge talker in most of our sessions, but today I just couldn’t stop staring at the study door. I was eager to find Mason and talk to him. I needed to tell him how I felt. That I was sorry.
“I stuffed up,” I blurted out.
Dr. Heather raised a brow. “Why do you think that, Alexa?”
“I stuffed up with Mason. I’m not using him.” I shook my head. “He said I was, but I’m not. I’m ready for him. I love him. I’m ready. I know what I want. I was just having fun.”
“Firstly, who said you’re using Mason?”
“It doesn’t matter. It was just Tony. I, I don’t like him. Oh, can you tell the Silvermans I don’t want him as my guard? I’m not a user. I, well, Mason found me. He didn’t leave me. I, I, how could I not fall for him. I have a family now, er, again. I want that.”
“You didn’t feel like you were a part of any of the foster families? Is that why you ran?”
“Yes. No. No, I ran because I’m not Cinderella. I ran because I choose who touches me.” My body started to shake and I wanted to vomit. I hadn’t told her why I’d run from my foster families. I’d talked about my mum, dad, grandma, and even Mason, but I hadn’t talked about anything with my foster families or what had happened the night Mason found me. I knew I needed to talk about that night, but I was being selfish. I had carefully taken all the things that had happened to me and locked them behind doors, many doors, in my mind. I didn’t want to open the doors and think about my experiences, or what could be happening to those girls.
“This is the first time you’ve spoken of anything that happened with the foster families you were with. You said Cinderella. Did one or both families make you feel like her?”
I nodded, not ready to voice what happened to me. The beatings I could handle, but the touch . . . no. I shook my head as unwanted images of Randy leaning over me jumped into my head. I practically felt his hands snake up my legs. I brought my legs up on the sofa and wrapped my arms around them, hugging them to my chest. I closed my eyes and tried to go to my safe place, and shut and lock the door on those thoughts. I tried to bring forth memories of my mum and dad, but for once it didn’t work.
Screams rang through my head as I fought Randy, my foster parents’ biological son. He ripped at my clothes as I struggled to get him back out the door. A knee to the groin got him off me and I fought him with everything I had to get him out of the room, and then put everything I could in front of the door to keep him out. Memory after memory of him getting to me and attacking me and night after night of sleeplessness as terror of sleeping and not being ready to defend myself sank in until I ran away, again and again until they moved me.
“Alexa. Alexa.” Dr. Heather called my name, over and over, but I couldn’t break from the memories repeating over and over. “Alexa, take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. You’re safe here.”
“Mason. I want Mason.” I moaned and closed my eyes focusing on his name, on his scent, on his look, and on everything that was Mason. The repeating images were replaced with shaggy brown hair, big warm chocolate brown eyes, and a beard on a chiseled jaw. Safety. He was my safe place. He kept me safe. Mason. I opened my eyes and looked at Dr. Heather. “Please, next time you want to talk about what happened to me, can we please have Mason here? He’s safe and I need to be safe.”
Her gaze narrowed, eyebrow furrowed and her lips thinned for the merest of seconds but I saw it, before her face returned to her professional look. “If that’s what makes you comfortable. Alexa, to break through this and move on properly you’ll need to work on talking about what happened.”
A knock on the door had Dr. Heather getting off her chair and answering it. I didn’t hear the whispered words, but when she opened the door and two police officers stood there, I knew my time for keeping things to myself was up. I looked at the two officers and wondered if they were safe?
“Alexa. T—”
Mason’s father Albert pushed his way past the officers into the room. “I told you two you could enter the house and talk to her, but only if I was present. You know she’s a minor.” Albert growled. He looked pissed.
Bringing my legs up again I hugged them to my chest. I really didn’t want to remember anything from the time before I was with the Silvermans.
“Miss Jennings, I’m Officer Dodge and this is my partner Officer Blaken. We’re here to ask you some questions.”
I nodded at the officers. “Ask away.”
Officer Dodge stared at me for a moment and I swear for a second, he could see right through me, but then he looked at Dr. Heather and must have gotten the okay from her because he spoke. “Have you heard of The Devil’s Queens?”
My body started to rock and I frantically shook my head back and forth. “No. No. No. They took them. They’re gone. Gone. Gone. Gone.” I rocked faster as the night I met Mason flashed in my mind.
I was making it to the shelter tonight. I was eager for a shower and food. I tried to remember the last time I ate, two, or three days ago. I had water. Water was easy to find and so were empty water bottles. I could clean them. One thing I wasn’t willing to do was eat food out of the garbage. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I kept to the back streets. The cops were out tonight and any street kid knew to avoid them like the plague, especially when most of the cops I’d seen hadn’t been doing anything that would say they were protecting and serving. A scream was my warning. It was sharp, shrill and cut off quickly. I knew I shouldn’t follow the sound. I had regretted not minding my own business many times before, but for some reason my gut told me I needed to check it out, so I creeped along, clinging close to the walls to find out what was going on.
Girls were being dragged and carried to a van. I knew one of them and she was conscious and fighting the big men in leather jackets.
“They took them. They took all of them. Stacy. She fought. I ran . . . I ran. One got me. I ran. I fought. I hid. I’m a good hider. I hid . . . I hid.” I could feel my whole body shaking, but I didn’t care. “I hid . . . I hid. I’m good at hiding. I hid.” I rocked faster, wishing I could stop, but my memories were on repeat.
“What the fuck is going on? How long has she been like this?” That voice. I knew that voice.
Mason.
That was my Mason.
Warmth surrounded me as Mason’s arm wrapped around me. I stopped rocking and slowly let my legs drop and leaned into him. I took a deep breath, taking in his masculine scent and letting it calm me. “Mason. I’m sorry. Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.”
“Sshhh, bear, I’m here. I’m not leaving you.”
I clung to him, not willing to give him up. I wasn’t letting him out of my sight again if I could help it. “As long as you don’t leave me, I’m ready to talk. Just don’t go.”
He brushed a kiss on both my cheeks before melding his lips to my own. In that moment I knew I wasn’t alone anymore and that I was free. I could tell what had happened the night Mason found me. I could tell because he would keep me safe.
Holding Mason tightly, I stared at the officers. “I saw them. Men with jackets that had The Devil’s Queens on them along with their logo. They took the girls and put them in a van. I heard a scream. I followed. I should have run, but I had to follow. I saw Stacy fighting and I . . . I should have gotten help. I backed away, but, people suck. They litter. I . . . they heard and came after me. I ran and hid. One of them got me. I fought. I kicked. I punched. I bit. I did everything I could to get away and when I did I hid. I stayed hidden. I’m good at hiding. I hid in the safest spot and then Mason found me. That’s it. That’s all I remember.” I buried my head against his neck. I was too exhausted to continue.
Mason must have known I was done, too, because he hugged me tighter. “Okay, that’s enough. You can leave now. Dad, can you show the two officers out please?”
“Officers, this way.” Albert led the men out of the room.
I wasn’t going to delve anymore into my past this evening. I closed the doors in my mind again and locked them tight. All I wanted to do was hold Mason.
I DIDN’T REMEMBER THE REST of the afternoon or night. I ran on auto pilot. All I knew was I didn’t want to be away from Mason. He was my anchor. My safe haven. I snuggled against him, not wanting to move. I loved waking up in the morning cuddled over him. Rubbing my cheek on his bare chest I sighed in utter contentment.
“I know you’re awake, bear. We need to talk.” He caressed up and down my back in a soothing motion.
“I don’t want to talk. I want to cuddle. I love being like this with you.”
“Mmm, Alexa. You’re not making this easy.” His whole body vibrated with his groan.
I eased off a little and raised myself up on my elbow to look at him. “Fine. Talk.”
“I don’t know if they told you why they wanted to talk to you yesterday, but my cousin Dustan was taken by The Devil’s Queens. He escaped, but The Devil’s Queens sent a ransom and in it they said they wanted you. We, I, my family, would never give you up.”
My stomach sank and I felt sick. “I’m sorry about your cousin. I should have told you sooner what happened to me. Is he okay?”
“No. He was shot and is in a coma. You need to know we are upping our security. They were after you and I’m not going to give them any chance to get to you. Until this is sorted you’ll have four guards, two with you and at least two close by.”
Shaking my head, I eased off the bed and stood. “I don’t want four guards. Please, I don’t want to have him, I mean, no more guards.”
“What! What do you mean him?”
Groaning, I buried my face in my hands. “Please ignore that. I, I, I just, with everything that happened I’m muddled.”
Mason pulled my hands away and caressed my cheek. “Tell me what happened. I know one of the guards said something. From what I was told I think I know who, but I need you to confirm.” His finger brushed my lips. I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. Right now, he said think, he didn’t say for sure. Maybe I was overreacting over Tony. Easing away from his touch, I looked away from him, unsure what I should do. He leaned over and brushed his lips over mine. “Bear, please tell me. I need to know.”
“I don’t want to cause trouble. You won’t fire him, will you?”
“Oh, Alexa, you’ve got such a soft, sensitive soul. I know you’d feel terrible if I let anyone go. No. I’ll just make sure he’s not assigned to you.” I hugged him and clung to his body. I loved this man. He always knew just what to say.
“Tony. I just don’t want him to guard me. I’m sorry. I really am sorry. I’m not a tease. I do want you.”
He growled and I knew I’d said too much. “Bear, you are not a tease. You are my woman. The woman I’m growing to love.”
I gasped. This was the first time he’d said anything about loving me. “Love? You . . . you’re growing to love me?”
His lips brushed mine once, twice, and a third time. “Alexa Jennings, you’re the easiest person to love.”
Throwing myself at him I cried, “I love you. I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you for starting to love me.” I hadn’t felt lucky in a long time, but as I settled against him cuddling close, content and happy, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
ALEXA WOULDN’T LET ME out of her sight for long. It was why she was going with me on my first day back at work after almost two months off. Alexa convinced me to go back to work.
“I’m looking forward to getting the tour of your gym. I’ve always wondered where everything is in it. It’s so big from the outside and with the u shape I wondered how things were spaced.”
“You could have come in.” I tried not to think about what would have happened if she’d come in. She could have avoided all the pain she’d been in and maybe Dustan wouldn’t be in a coma.
Her laughter stopped me at the reception area. “What’s so funny?”
She raised her brow and her lips were curled up into a smirk. “There’s no way the security would have let me in here.” She darted her gaze up at the cameras. “Ha, and if I did somehow get past them, there isn’t a chance in hell gym Barbie behind the counter,” she gave a head jerk over to Britney at reception. “Would let me get further than here before having me removed.”
If I’d seen her, I was sure she wouldn’t have gotten far. “I would have hel—”
“Don’t, because I know whatever you say would be bullshit. There’s no way I, in my crappy, torn, threadbare clothes, would have been allowed in here.” Shaking my head, I opened my mouth to tell her she was wrong, but she held up her hands. “No. Stop. Please don’t. I don’t want to argue with you. I want you to show me your gym.”
“How about I show you where I train? I’ll even let you in the boxing ring. Well, if no one else is training.” I grabbed her hand in mine.
“You have a boxing ring?”
“Yeah. I want to be a professional boxer.” I raised my brow. “You didn’t know? I thought I told you?”
She snatched her hand back and franticly shook her head. “No. I just thought you owned the gym. You want to beat up people for a living?”
Sighing at her look of horror, I took her hand back and threaded my fingers through hers. “It’s not like that. It’s not about beating up people. It just you and your opponent. It’s a sport. I enjoy it. I’m good at it.”
She kept shaking her head. “I don’t want you hurt. You’ll get hurt.” She embraced me and let go of my hand and hugged me tight. “How can your family let you do this? It’s dangerous.”
Wrapping her in my embrace I leaned down and inhaled, savoring her smell and just her closeness. “They don’t like me doing it, but my family want me happy. They know it’s a dream of mine. They know, too, that I take all the precautions and I have the best coach.” I didn’t want to stop my dream, but for Alexa I would. “Come and watch it. I promise you if you really hate it I’ll stop for you.”
She was quiet for a while and we just stood in the gym hall cuddling, then she eased away and gazed up at me with an intense look. “You would give up your dream for me?”
Cupping her face, I stroked her cheek. “I would do anything for you.”
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “No. As long as you promise me that you’ll always follow the rules and take every precaution there is. You deserve to have your dreams, too.” She beamed a rainbow bright smile at me that had my chest swelling with happiness.
A mother passed us by with her baby and took a left to the daycare. “Ooohh, where’s she going? Isn’t that baby cute?” Without waiting for me, Alexa let go of my hands and followed the woman and her baby, making faces at the child.
I quickened my steps to catch up to her. She glanced over at me and the shine in her eyes and smile on her face almost made me stumble. Since being with her, I had only ever seen the joy and excitement all combine on her face when she was around children and babies.
“I can’t wait to have one of my own.” She practically bounced as we entered the daycare. I lifted my chin to Greta, who runs the childcare.
I was pretty proud of the two large rooms I had for the daycare. It’s more than what most gyms had and I always had at least one qualified diploma childcare worker on at all times.
“I love kids.” Alexa beamed at me. “I want a whole bunch of them.” She walked around both rooms and I watched as she radiated a calm, easygoing happiness. “Both rooms are amazing. I’m guessing you must have busy periods where you need them both?” She circled around the daycare room. The eight little ones that occupied the space were either listening to the story with the teacher in the book corner, or siting at the table playing with Play Doh.
I nodded. “Yeah. From four until around nine at night is our busiest. It’s when the yoga, aerobics, and bike classes are the most packed.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” She gazed down at the children and I didn’t miss the look of longing on her face.
I knew she loved children, but didn’t know she wanted them so soon and was so baby crazy. “How about tonight I see if we can visit my brother and baby Sebastian?”
“Oh, really? I love babies and Sebastian is sooo cute.” She jumped up and down.
Gathering her in my embrace, I guided her out of the daycare. “He’s a cutie if I do say so myself. Actually, why don’t I invite my Uncle and Aunt with their twins? We can invite my brother to our house and then you can play with all the children.”
“More babies? Hell yes, call them now.” Her smile was contagious. The light was bright in her eyes. “Do you want children? I want them as soon as I can. I love children. They’re so trusting and full of love.”
My chest pounded and I wanted to grab Alexa and hug her close. “I want children. I’m not sure if I’m ready now. I’m young and—”
“I know you’re young, but I always wanted to have my children young. I want to have energy to play and keep up with my kids. I want to have my own tribe.” She practically skipped as I showed her each area of the gym. “If I have all my kids young, if anything happens to me when I’m older they’ll be safe to look after each other.”
Children at my age, or any time in my twenties, had never been in my plan for life, but listening to Alexa, and thinking of what I knew about her, I understood why she’d want to start young and have more than one child. She was an only child and before me had no family and was alone. Her parents had had her when they were older. Maybe if they’d been younger then they may have had another, or Alexa would have been old enough not to go into the system.
My heart seemed to swell as I thought of my own family. I was so lucky to have so many uncles, aunts, and cousins. I knew no matter what happened to my parents I’d always have support. Alexa needed to know that now she was with me she was a Silverman. She would always have family.
“Bear, I, we, have lots of family. If anything ever happened to us, and I promise I’ll do everything within my power to make sure nothing does happen, we have family support, and any children we have will go to them.”
I staggered back, not prepared for Alexa to throw herself at me and climb up me like I was a tree. Her lips smashed down on mine and I was shocked at first so it took me a moment to respond, but as I opened my mouth, she speared her tongue against mine and I matched her with renewed eagerness.
A whoop and some whistles, had me easing away and looking around to see most of the people in the weight room staring at us, and the others pretending they didn’t see us.
“You want children with me.” Alexa kissed both my cheeks before a quick one to my lips. “You said children. More than one.” She kissed my lips again. “You’ve made me so happy right now. I can’t wait to have our children.”
My cock strained at her words. If you’d asked me last year when I wanted kids, I would have said not until my late twenties, but the thought of Alexa pregnant with my child, even though we were so young, had my body burning with a need so strong, I was eager to get her alone. “Alexa, you know you’re mine, right?” She nodded and my heart soared. “You’re my soulmate.” I slid her down my body and turned her so she was in front of me, hiding my erection. I shuffled us out of the room and to my office.
IT WAS LIKE ALEXA HAD become a whole new person. I think our talk of children and family had brought her hope and comfort that she could have the future she wanted.
Alexa was amazing with Sebastian. He was an adorable baby. A clone of his father. She didn’t give up a baby the whole time my aunt, uncle, brother and Bailey, were at the house, and the whole time Alexa had a megawatt smile on her face and her eyes sparkled with happiness. She played with Sebastian, Angelica, and Jake, spending more time with them than she did me or the other adults.
As I watched her, I knew she would be an amazing mother. She may have been young, but seeing her with Sebastian, Angelica and Jake, I knew she was ready to start a family.