Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
He nodded once as he slid off of his bar stool.
Chapter Eleven
River
Istood outside of the nursery at the hospital, my arms crossed over my chest. Red stood beside me, both of us watching Adelaide talk to the nurse on duty about the baby. I was pretty sure this was the longest that my brother and I had been civil with each other since we were teens.
Red went off the deep end not long before he was supposed to graduate high school, and he brought shit on the club all for power and money, almost getting our father locked up. He even had a hand in killing our mother in a bad car accident that left him hospitalized. Only for my dad, I hadn’t killed him, no matter how badly I wanted to. Even though he was in the car with the drunk driver that hit our mom as she was crossing the street to the supermarket, dad found it in him to forgive Red.
But I couldn’t. I was a bit less bitter about it as time went on, but I could never forgive him for that shit.
After a moment, Adelaide was led over to a clear bassinet that literally looked like a fucking clear tote where a baby in a blue hat was swaddled in a hospital blanket. The nurse said something, and Adelaide nodded. Then, she reached in and grabbed the little boy, cradling him against her chest, a small smile tilting her lips as she looked down at him.
A small smile twitched at my own lips.
Fuck, I couldn’t wait to see her holding our own kid.
Adelaide made a fucking stunning mother. It was a sight that would warm any cold man’s heart.
She stepped out of the nursery and walked over to us, the baby still cradled in her arms. His lips were slightly parted, his eyes closed as he slept peacefully in her arms. “Guys, meet Axel King Boris,” Adelaide announced, smiling down at the baby as she adjusted him to one arm, reaching up to rub her finger over his soft, chubby cheek.
Red shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve signed the necessary documents for you all to be given temporary custody of him. I’ll have a lawyer draw up the necessary documentation so you two can adopt him.”
I nodded at him. Without another word, he turned and sauntered off down the hallway, his back stiff. Adelaide watched him for a moment before she turned those beautiful, brown eyes to me, stepping closer to me as she did so. “Do you want to hold him?” she softly asked.
Slowly, I reached out and took Axel from her, surprised at how light he was. I’d never held a baby before, and I was almost thirty. It almost felt like I was holding a fragile bomb. One wrong move, and the baby would explode all over me.
“The nurse said that he’s a little underweight, but otherwise he’s perfectly healthy, and we can take him home whenever we’re ready,” Adelaide informed me as she reached out to run her fingertips over his chubby cheeks.
He was perfect. I never thought that I would say that about anything that was a part of Red, but this little boy, with all of his little innocence… he was absolutely perfect.
Red had done the best thing for him by walking away. Axel would be raised in a loving family with a gentle, soothing mother.
I stared down at Axel, blowing out a soft breath. Looked like I had a lot of shopping ahead of me, starting with a car seat and a car for Adelaide.
Tristan and Jesup were gone when we got back to the clubhouse, and Sam informed me that they would be in touch to set up our first exchange. Good thing they were gone too because I didn’t want Adelaide having the added stress of them being here while she was trying to handle taking care of a newborn, all while still preparing for our own kid.
Tristan was toxic for her. But forcing her to never speak to him again… yeah, that was a fight that would not only cause her to walk away from me, but it would be a pointless one. I sure as fuck wouldn’t win it.
When Adelaide got settled in with Axel, I left her in the clubhouse with him, giving her strict instructions to come get me out of the garage if she needed me, and now, four hours later, I was fucking tired, and I just wanted a hot shower and to crawl in bed with my woman.
As soon as I stepped into my room, I smiled at the sight in front of me. Adelaide was on the bed, propped up the slightest bit against the pillows with Axel resting on his stomach on her chest, her arms protectively wrapped around him as they both peacefully slept.