He was still counting the twinkling stars in the dark sky in the picture when Logan came out of the bathroom. He was about to sit back down when he noticed what was in Shade’s hand.
“That’s my picture!”
Shade immediately noticed the fear in the little boy’s face as he snatched the picture out of his hand. “Sorry. I should have asked if I could look at it,” Shade apologized thickly.
Logan stuffed the picture into his jeans pocket. “I’m not allowed to let anyone see my pictures,” he explained.
“Why not?” Lily asked curiously.
“Uh… I’m not supposed to be coloring when I haven’t done my homework.”
“I see.” Lily gave him a sweet smile. “We won’t tell. Will we, boys?”
Shade didn’t pay attention to their assurances as he tried to commit the details of the artwork before Logan had snatched the drawing away.
“Boys, Jessie will be here any minute. Let’s get the game picked up. Logan, make sure you put everything back in your backpack.”
Shade rose from the floor as the children followed Lily’s directions. “I need to see Viper for a few minutes. I’ll be right back,” he said huskily, going outside before Lily could say anything.
His throat worked in fear as he stared out at the same mountains that were in Logan’s picture. Reaching out, he braced his hand on the banister to steady himself. His thoughts were so scattered that he didn’t notice Logan had come outside until he spoke.
“I told Ms. Lily that I would wait out here with you, if that’s okay?”
Shade could only nod, still staring out at the mountains.
When a childlike hand took his, Shade tore his eyes away from the mountains to stare down into his eyes.
“Don’t be afraid.”
He swallowed hard. “I’m not afraid.”
“Good. I was afraid the first time I went by myself,” Logan childishly confided. “The second time I went, Uncle Greer took me. I wasn’t afraid then. Well, only a little, but it’s not scary when you’re with someone.”
Shade couldn’t speak at the earnest expression looking up at him.
“Logan!”
Their attention distracted by Jessie’s voice calling for him. His stepmother was waving as she walked up the path to his house.
“You ready?” Jessie asked when she was within talking distance.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Let’s go. Greer’s got something special for dinner.”
“Yay!” Logan jumped off the porch to start running down the path.
“Thanks. Will you thank Lily for me also?”
Shade nodded. “I will. Have a good night.”
“You, too.”
After they were gone, he stayed on the porch, gathering himself before he went back inside.
“I thought you were going to see Viper?” Lily said, coming up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist.
“I changed my mind.”
She loosened her arms around his waist so she could move around him to see his face. “Is there something wrong?”
“No.”
She moved her hand to his cheek to tilt his face down toward hers. “It’s just a picture,” she said softly.
“He showed you?”
She mischievously shook her head. “I sneaked a peek.”
“I wished you hadn’t.”
“Why? It was a beautiful picture. He’s very talented.”
He didn’t agree or disagree with her.
She leaned against him, tightening her arms around him. He moved his arms around her, too, holding her as close as he could, as if he could hold them still in this moment in time forever.
“I heard Logan ask if you were afraid. You said you weren’t. I’m not either, Shade.”
“Lily….” Shade choked up at the unwavering faith coming from her. It was hard for him to admit there would come a time that he wouldn’t be able to prevent the inevitable from happening. That he didn’t have the power to shield her from the aspect of life that sooner or later no one could escape from.
“I’m not. It’s the truth. I’m not afraid. How could I be afraid of Heaven when Heaven sent you to me?”
“Lily…” He pressed his lips to hers, giving her the kiss he would have given her when he got home if the children hadn’t been the room. “I’ve never been afraid of dying,” he told her honestly, sliding his mouth along her jawline to her ear to nibble, feeling her give a little shudder. “But I have to be brutally honest about one thing. And to be fair to you, it’s non-negotiable. If Greer Porter is there, we’re not going.”
JAX
BLACK ANGELS MC, #3
A.E. FISHER
FREE in KindleUnlimited now!
PROLOGUE
JAX
This was peace.
I was sitting on the fence surrounding the field, warm western winds rustling through my hair, beads of sweat leaving cool trails down the curves of my skin. Purple, blue, and orange water-washed the evening sky as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Grass whispered between the gentle thudding beats of a gallop hitting the ground.
“JACKSON!” The bellowing screech blew out my ear drums as the fourteen-year-old girl came flying off her mare and into my view.
“Shit!” I hissed, having no time to dodge as the youth came slamming into my chest. My breath lurched from my lungs as I cascaded down from the top of the fence, the faint scratch of my boots scrapping the piece of wood before my body met the ground.
Pain burst up my back, dirt and stones digging into my skin as I toppled down to the earth, dust and dirt flicking into my eyes. It was blinding for a second, then she crashed down like a gavel onto my ribs. Darkness danced across my vision, my body enveloped by so much pain it felt detached and distant from me. Like it wasn’t my own.
The creaking of my spine and the burning across my chest told me nothing good had happened. I dared to open my eyes to the wild mess of brown hair tossed all over my face, in my mouth, and poking me in the eyes. Hair I was far too familiar with.
My voice was guttural as the all too familiar name escaped between my teeth. “Ronnie…”
Ronnie’s body tightened.
“Um… Howdy?” Her meek voice traveled up to me, as the rat’s nest began to move. Her small round face, full of teenage plump, and big, circular eyes faced me with a tight, weak smile.
Guilty as charged.
“Get the fuck off me,” I shoved her aside, her body falling with a thump into the dirt, spraying a cloud straight into my mouth.
“My Momma always said you shouldn’t curse, Jackson,” Ronnie snipped, shaking her head and spitting out the dirt she’d managed to inhale. “And this ain’t any way to treat a lady.”
“You ain’t no lady, Ronnie. You’re as close to a wild monkey as a girl can get. Heck, I’m not even sure if I can call you a girl,” I retorted, watching the familiar pout and cross-eyes sharpen. She threw herself up from the ground, tossing dirt in my face with a vigor I was sure just got knocked out of me.
“I’m a girl!” Ronnie yelled, way louder than she needed to. Her boot stomped on the ground and she propped her hands up on those insignificant hips of hers. “I’m as much a girl as all those other girlies you’ve been dating!”
“It ain’t dating as much as it’s been fucking, Ronnie, and you’re too young to understand such things,” I grunted as I used the fence post as a lever to pull myself up. My trip was short, however, as a sharp nip on my fingers had my hand snapping from the wood, and my pained ass collapsed back on the dirt. “Damn horse,” I hissed, shaking my hand, now covered in splinters, as I glared up at the brown mare huffing hot, moist air in my face with a slight bit too much satisfaction. “See, ya can’t even train a horse properly, never mind catch yourself a man.”