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)
I cupped her cheek and gently swiped my thumb along her collarbone. “I’m alright, darlin’,” I gently assured her. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I just had a nightmare.” Obviously not wanting to talk about it, she held her arms out for Axel. I handed him over, watching with soft eyes as she lifted Axel and blew on his belly, making him giggle.
She was a fucking incredible mom.
“How’s Zyla and Reina?” Adelaide asked me, not taking her eyes off of Axel as he smiled up at her, his hands reaching for her long, dark hair.
“Zyla woke up for a little while,” I told her. A tiny bit of tension left her shoulders. “She took a damn good beating, but she’ll be alright. Her doctor is keeping her overnight for observation, but she’ll be released sometime tomorrow morning, most likely. Reina is awake, and she did fine in surgery. Sam is with her.”
Adelaide’s lips twitched with a smile as all of the tension finally left her shoulders, making her look so much more relaxed. “Think Sam will come around finally?” she asked me, not having missed the way my VP was with her friend.
I snorted. “The way he’s ready to fucking bury Ink in a shallow grave for Reina being hurt? Pretty sure he’s already come around, darlin’.”
She nodded. Silence rang in the room for a moment, apart from Axel’s adorable little gurgles.
“Tell me what happened at Tristan’s,” she finally requested as she finally drew those beautiful, brown eyes over to me.
I sighed. “Tank saw everything go down. Dray and Wren met up with a man named Calhoun a couple of nights ago, the same night the clubhouse was attached. Tank caught them. They threatened you if Tank told anyone, so Tank kept his mouth shut. He wanted to protect you the best that he could.”
A little smile tilted her lips. “He’s always had a soft spot for me.”
I nodded in agreement. “I know, darlin’. Tank is back at the clubhouse doing some clean up with some of my other men. I’m patching him over.” She smiled up at me for a moment before she suddenly frowned.
“What’s going to happen to Tristan’s club?”
I grunted. “Not much of a club anymore,” I admitted. Her frown deepened. “So, we’ll see what happens.”
Someone knocked on the door, and I walked over to open it, a scowl settling on my features as my eyes met Tristan’s. Hadn’t he done enough shit to her as it was? Couldn’t my woman have one goddamn moment of peace before he came and destroyed it all?
“If I let you in this room, you need to watch what the fuck comes out of your mouth,” I warned him. “She’s going through enough shit without you adding onto it.”
I wanted to send him away. Fuck, I didn’t want him anywhere around her, but Adelaide would want to talk to him, especially after he’d just had his entire world flipped upside down. She would want to comfort him. I hated that she wanted to when she was the least of his concerns anymore.
Tristan nodded in understanding, but I knew him well enough to know that he was going to do something fucking stupid, just like he always seemed to do around her.
Nonetheless, I allowed him into the room, shutting the door behind him. Adelaide watched him with guarded eyes as she held Axel against her chest a little tighter. I stepped next to her bed on instinct. She was uneasy around him, and that had bells ringing in my head. Alarms were sounding. She knew something was wrong.
It was both an advantage and a disadvantage of her knowing him so well.
“What do you want, Tristan?” Adelaide asked him, her voice cold and curt.
“I’ve fucking lost everything,” Tristan told her. I growled softly. I knew he wouldn’t keep his fucking word. “I’ve lost you, the club… every fucking thing. I don’t even have my fucking sister anymore.”
Adelaide swallowed thickly, flinching at the mention of his sister—her best friend. Axel whimpered, picking up on her stress instantly. She bounced him gently in her arms, quieting him almost immediately. “Tristan…” she trailed off, her tone revealing how nervous she was.
“I’ve got nothing to live for, Adelaide.”
She snapped her eyes up to his, fear shining in their depths, fear that she was going to lose him, too. “Tristan, don’t do anything stupid,” she hoarsely snapped as she clutched Axel to her, her breathing quickening as she began to panic. I gripped her shoulder, hoping to calm her. Her wild eyes swung to me. “River, don’t let him do anything stupid,” she desperately choked out.
I ran my eyes over Tristan, watching as his fingers twitched. “Tristan, if you touch that fucking gun in your cut, I’ll beat your fucking ass,” I snarled at him as I stepped toward him, watching his hands for more movement.