A leather bracelet with a flat copper center meant for engraving drew me to it. I picked it up and looked at it, wishing I had time to get something engraved on it. The worn leather strap looked like Saxon’s style. I turned it over and realized there was something already engraved on it. Holding it up, I saw two words that made my chest tighten. It was perfect.

  I stood there for a moment, battling with myself because this said more than I’d admitted to him. It would make my feelings for him completely transparent. He might not be ready for something like that. I started to put it down, but I couldn’t. It was if it had been put here for me to find.

  Giving in, I took it to the counter to pay.

  With the two wrapped gifts, I headed back to do my last yoga session before we closed for the holidays. Before I got ready, I stopped and sent Trev a text, explaining what I was looking for. I started to tuck my phone into my bag when it lit up.

  Trev’s response was fast.

  I have exactly what you’re looking for. I’ll get it to you without him knowing.

  Smiling in relief. I responded.

  Thank you!

  The next session went by slow, and I knew it was only because I was ready to see Saxon. When I shifted into the next pose, my eyes caught movement at the door, and I paused. Warm brown eyes and dimples met my gaze. Biting my bottom lip, even more ready for this to end, I turned back to the people in front of me.

  While I moved them through the next steps, I felt Saxon’s eyes on me. I bent, then slowly stood, reminding the ladies to breathe as they changed positions. Unable to help myself, I looked back at Saxon. His eyes were roaming over my body, which wasn’t helping me concentrate.

  Trying to remember what I needed to do next, I let out a small laugh. Hopefully, no one noticed. The last five minutes were a basic routine, and I was standing up, wishing everyone a happy holiday, then turning to see Saxon push off the doorframe he had been leaning on and walk toward me.

  He was wearing gray sweatpants and a hoodie. My eyes kept going down; I couldn’t help myself. He was normally in jeans. The rest of the room seemed to disappear, and he was all I could see.

  “Is there a private bathroom or changing room anywhere?” he asked, slipping his hands over my hips until he was cupping my butt.

  “Back there is a small storage room.” I nodded behind me.

  He backed me up, then turned me around and gently pushed me in that direction. My bag and coat were inside, but that was it. He closed the door once we were crowded into the small space.

  “You wearing this tight outfit, sticking your ass in the air, and spreading your legs,” he whispered in my ear before biting my earlobe, “it got me fucking worked up.”

  I leaned into him. His mouth covered mine. He tasted like mint chocolate. I grabbed his hoodie, pulling myself closer to him. I’d missed him. He was becoming an addiction.

  He broke the kiss and jerked down my leggings and panties at the same time. “Put your hands on the wall,” he ordered me.

  I placed both palms against the painted brick.

  “Stick that ass out like you were doing in there.”

  Smiling, I moved my hands down the wall, bending slightly until my butt was pointing up.

  Saxon ran his hands over it. “Open your legs wider.”

  I opened them as far as I could with my leggings around my ankles.

  “That’s it,” he groaned, and then he plunged inside me.

  I had to brace myself to keep from falling forward. Biting my bottom lip, I held back the cry of pleasure.

  “Fuuuck, that’s what I needed,” he groaned as he began thrusting. “You’re still slippery from the load I left in you this morning.”

  My toes curled as my body began to hum.

  “Did you miss me?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I panted. “So much.”

  “You miss my dick?”

  “God, yes.”

  “I love this needy pussy,” he grunted. “Can’t get enough of it.”

  “I’m gonna come,” I said as another moan left me.

  “That’s it,” he praised me, running a hand down my back. “Come on my cock like a good girl.”

  On those words, the crest slammed into me, and I cried out, unable to stay quiet.

  Saxon let out a shout, and I felt him spasm inside of me as he continued to move.

  When he finally slowed, then stilled, he reached down and wrapped his arms around me to pull me up against his chest. “I didn’t come early to fuck you in a closet,” he panted near my ear.

  “I’m not complaining,” I replied, tilting my head to look up at him.

  He smirked. “I wasn’t prepared for all that bending and stretching. I’m going to need you to do that shit at home, naked, for me.”

  Laughing, I nodded in agreement.

  He leaned down and placed a kiss on my head. “First, we have some shopping to do.”

  “Shopping?”

  “Yep.”

  “For who?”

  Saxon pulled out of me and then bent down to pull my panties up, followed by my leggings. “Your sisters and brothers.”

  When he stood back up, he pulled his sweats back to his waist.

  “Okay,” I replied, mentally calculating how much money I had left in my account. “I don’t get my next paycheck from here until Christmas Eve. I’m not sure I have enough to get them all something. Maybe I could get the girls something to share and do the same for the boys.”

  I felt guilty for not thinking about buying them something. We’d never celebrated Christmas, so it wasn’t something that I’d considered. But I should have. I was celebrating it, and they weren’t getting to.

  “I said we were shopping. Not just you,” Saxon said, opening the door. “I want you to go buy each of them something you know they would want. Price isn’t an issue. Don’t look at the price.”

  I shook my head. “No. I can’t let you do that. You already bought the girls phones.”

  Saxon grabbed my chin and held it firmly. “I didn’t ask permission. We are buying them Christmas gifts, getting them a tree, and taking it to the trailer. You’re gonna see your family for Christmas, and if I want to, I’ll even stop and buy a bunch of fucking cookies and shit to take.” He leaned down and kissed my lips, then let my chin go. “Now, let’s go.”

  I watched him walk into the room. My heart beat wildly in my chest, and I wanted to tell him I loved him. Instead, when he turned around to make sure I was behind him, I hurried to catch up, slipping my hand into his.

  He squeezed mine and took my bag from my hand, carrying it as we left the studio.

  “Saxon.”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you.”

  He tugged me closer to his side. “You’re welcome.”

  This was too much. There were three presents for each of my siblings and even a gift for my mom. A tree with lights and decorations, four boxes of treats from a bakery in town, and a stocking for each of them, full of candy and gift cards for ice cream, Starbucks, and fast-food restaurants. I had tried fighting Saxon when he kept buying things, but eventually, I’d given up.

  Seeing their faces when we walked in with our hands full of wrapped gifts was worth it. I would pay him back somehow. If it took the rest of my life. DJ, Vulcan, and Vinn went back to the truck with him to get the six-foot cypress and bags of ornaments. Jamaica helped me bring in the cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and an assortment of holiday treats.

  Decorating the tree with them was a first for us. It would have been perfect, but Silver wasn’t here. Mom always worked nights because it paid more per hour. I left her gift under the tree. Convincing the others that they could only open one and to save two for Christmas morning wasn’t easy. Especially for Thorn. I knew their dad normally gave them something, but it was typically the day after Christmas, and it was rarely wrapped. Last year, he had bought them all T-shirts from Vegas, and they’d been delivered in the plastic bag the store had given him.

  “Can we open Silver’s since she isn’t here?” Thorn asked as he looked up from the Nintendo Switch Saxon had been determined to buy each of the boys.

  “Of course not,” I told him.

  He groaned, then jumped up to go grab another cupcake. They were all going to be on a sugar high, and Jamaica was going to be left with them. My eyes went to Saxon sitting with Vulcan, showing him how to do something on the game he was playing.

  If I hadn’t already been in love with him, I would be after tonight. This was the only Christmas present I ever needed. Well, it would be better if Silver would get home. I’d called her twice and texted her several times. She’d said she was coming, but so far, nothing.

  I was trying not to worry too much and put a damper on their fun. Jamaica sat, curled up on the worn once-gold sofa that was more of a pale yellow now, watching the boys while eating a cookie. She seemed to be happy. I was thankful for that. It was clear she had a lot on her with me gone and Silver rebelling.

  Saxon’s eyes lifted and locked with mine. He studied me for a moment, then stood to come over to me. “Let me see your phone,” he said.

  I pulled it from my pocket and handed it to him. I watched as he opened it with my passcode, which was the baby’s due date. Then, he pressed something and zoomed in.

  “She’s almost here,” he told me with a frown. “Look.” He stepped up beside me and showed me a screen on my phone. It said Silver’s name and showed a car moving at eighty-seven miles an hour about two miles from the trailer park.

  “Who is driving her?” I asked, looking up at Jamaica.

  She seemed tense. “Probably Hike. The guy I told you about.”

  “The one in a gang?” I asked, looking back at my phone to see he was still driving entirely too fast for back roads.

  “Yeah,” she replied softly.

  “What gang?” Saxon’s voice took on a hard edge.

  “Red Kings,” DJ answered, looking angry about it. “She’s being so damn stupid. I swear she’s trying to get killed.”

  Saxon turned back to me and looked at the app one more time. “This is Life360. You can track her or Jamaica at all times. As long as they have their phones.” He glanced over at DJ. “You keep everyone in the house. I’m going to go meet Silver and her boyfriend.”

  I grabbed his arm. “No, don’t. Just let it go. He’s probably just a punk kid.”

  “He isn’t. He’s twenty,” DJ informed me.

  “Twenty!”

  Silver was only fifteen. How the heck had she met a twenty-year-old? What was she thinking?

  I heard the music before the headlights came into view.

  Saxon squeezed my arm. “Stay inside.” Then, he was gone before I could do anything to stop him.

  “He’s gonna get shot!” DJ warned me.

  I twisted my hands nervously.

  “Saxon is a part of the Mafia,” Jamaica replied. “I’m guessing he’s armed.”

  “He doesn’t look threatening.” DJ didn’t look convinced. “Who told you that?”

  I was wondering how she knew that too. I hadn’t told her.

  “People talk,” she said softly.

  I walked over to the window, my heart racing as I watched Silver get out of the car. She stumbled, grabbing on to the door.

  Great. She was drunk.

  I heard her laughter as she leaned against the hood and pointed at Saxon.

  “She’s drunk again.” DJ sounded disgusted beside me. “Probably high too.”

  She was taking drugs now?

  I wrapped my hands around my stomach and watched as the guy sauntered toward Saxon with a cocky look on his face. They were about the same height. Hike, however, was covered in tattoos and piercings. He had a shaved head and needed to get some pants that fit him. Those were about to fall off.

  When he leaned in close to Saxon’s face, I tensed up. I couldn’t breathe. What if he got hurt? What if—

  “Holy fuck!” DJ said beside me, getting closer to the window.

  Saxon had a gun pressed to Hike’s forehead. I swallowed nervously. He’d moved so fast that I hadn’t realized what he was doing. Hike took a step back, and Saxon followed him. Both Hike’s hands went up, and I heard Silver screaming.

  I started for the door, and DJ grabbed my arm.

  “Oh, hell no. He said for us to stay in here. He told me to make sure everyone stayed inside. I’m doing what the man says.”

  Jamaica was behind me now, and the other three boys were crowding in around us, watching. Silver ran around the car clumsily, and when she reached Saxon, he held her off with one hand while never taking his eyes off Hike.

  “He’s a fucking badass,” Vulcan whispered.

  “Guess he is Mafia,” DJ added.

  “I just thought he was a rich pretty boy,” Vinn said, clearly impressed instead of terrified.

  Leave it to my brothers to find this exciting.

  Saxon nodded his head to the car, and Hike opened the car door and started to get inside. Then, he turned and said something to Saxon. There was no sound, but from Hike’s reaction, Saxon had shot at something. Then, he was in Hike’s face.

  My nails were biting into my palm. I wanted this over and Hike gone.

  Hike got in the car and backed out, then spun off. Saxon was saying something to Silver as she wobbled on her heels, then turned around and threw up.

  Fantastic.

  I was angry that this had happened. That she had been out there with a twenty-year-old gang member, getting drunk and high. I stalked to the door. DJ didn’t stop me this time. Jerking it open, I went outside and made my way to Silver.

  She had finished heaving and wiped her mouth off with her arm before standing and looking at me. The angry snarl on her lips was something I’d never seen on her before.

  “Are you happy?” she yelled. “I love HIKE! And he”—she pointed at Saxon—“threatened him. Put a motherfucking gun to his head! He’s gonna pay for this. The Red Kings won’t let this stand.”

  This was killing me. What had happened to the little girl who looked up to me? Who was this?

  “Silver, he’s too old for you. He could go to jail for touching you. And a gang? Seriously? After all the crap with AJ, you go and date someone in a gang?”

  She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Don’t act high and mighty. You got knocked up with a guy connected to the Mafia. How is that better? Just because they have money and shit! It wasn’t Hike holding the gun tonight.”

  “Please, Silver. Let’s not do this. The others were having a good night. I’ve missed you.”

  “Bullshit! You got out of this hellhole!”

  “Yes. Because I was forced to leave. I would have never left y’all. You know that.”

  She stormed toward the house. “We don’t want you here! Take your Mafia boyfriend and leave.”

  The door swung open, and DJ walked out. “Shut up, Silver! You’re wasted and ruining everything. You always ruin shit. We want Haisley and Saxon here.”

  She stomped up the stairs and shoved DJ as she passed him.

  My eyes burned with unshed tears. Why was she doing this? How did I reach her when she wouldn’t even talk to me?

  “I’m sorry about the gun. He said some sexual things about Silver and threatened everyone with his stupid gang. I needed him to understand that he was threatening the wrong people.”

  I covered my eyes, not wanting to cry. I didn’t want the others to see me cry. “She not like this.” My voice cracked.

  Saxon’s arms came around me and pulled me to his chest. “She’s got some tracks in her arms. She’s high. That’s what’s making her talk the way she is.”

  “Oh God,” I groaned, dropping my hands and taking a deep breath. I had to keep it together for the others. They needed me to be strong. “What if he comes back when we leave? What if that gang comes and hurts them?”

  Saxon shook his head. “They won’t. You’re going to go back inside, and I’m going to make some calls. The Red Kings will handle Hike. I promise you.”

  I stared at him. “How do you know?”

  He pulled me to him and pressed a kiss to my head. “As far as hierarchy goes, they’re at the bottom of the food chain. Just go inside. Ease their minds. I will make sure they stay safe.”

  This was not what Saxon had asked for. I had a world of baggage to deal with.

  “Thank you. You shouldn’t even have to get involved. My family isn’t your problem.”

  “Haisley, if it affects you, then it is my problem,” he said. “Go inside. Stop worrying. Try and enjoy the rest of the evening.”

  I nodded and took a deep breath, wiping at my face to get rid of the stray tears that had broken free. “Okay,” I replied.

  I’d gotten my happy for a moment. It had been brief, but I should have expected life to take it from me. Saxon wasn’t going to fall in love with me and want to keep me with this kind of crap in my life. No matter how much I wanted him, he deserved better than what he got with me.

  Twenty-Four

  Saxon

  I stood on the front porch as the headlights came into view. I’d wanted Haisley to be asleep before I left her in the bed. She had cried until she fell asleep, and I fucking hated it. The headlights of the G-Wagon turned off, and both the driver’s door and the passenger door opened. I hadn’t known Trev was bringing anyone.

  Straightening from where I’d been leaning on the railing, I walked down the steps just as the Hughes brothers walked into the light from my porch. I hadn’t asked him to bring Blaise. I’d needed advice and to blow off some steam. If I’d wanted to bring the family into it, I’d have called Levi. He would be the one who went to Blaise. Not me.

  “Blaise,” I said in greeting. Then looked at Trev.