“I’m by your side all the way,” I say. “And I trust Temper. He will be a great president.”

  “Good,” he replies, exhaling. “I was worried you’d say you wanted out. And I wouldn’t blame you. If you didn’t want this, I’d leave it for you. So don’t think it’s ever me and the club or nothing. You are the most important person in my life, and I’m never going to fuck this up. I’m not losing you.”

  “Thank you for saying that, but I knew what I was getting into with you when I came back, Saint. I’d never ask you to choose between me and the club. I love the club. This is my family, too, and I’m not going anywhere. After Hammer died I felt as though I didn’t know if I belong here without him, but I do. As your woman, and more than that too. I love all the men here,” I reply, lifting my bottle of beer to my lips, then to the sky.

  “I love you, Dad,” I whisper, smiling sadly.

  I can almost hear his voice replying in my head. I love you too, Sky.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  When the DNA results come in, I’m not surprised. I knew Tory was Saint’s the second I saw the photo of her.

  I kiss the top of Saint’s head as he sits down on his bed, letter in his hand.

  “How do you feel?” I ask, smiling down at him. “Carol can no longer say that Tory is not yours whenever she feels like holding that over your head.”

  “I’m really fucking relieved,” Saint admits, placing the piece of paper next to him on the bed. “I love that little girl and it broke my heart when Carol started saying that she wasn’t mine. Now I know for sure, and there’s nothing she can say. Hunter, my lawyer, said we should get a child custody agreement in place so we have set times to have Tory. This way Carol can’t go back on her word and decide one day that she doesn’t want to let me see her.”

  I’m so glad Saint has gotten help from one of the best family lawyers in the city. “That sounds good,” I say to him. “It’s good if you can come to an agreement out of court, so she doesn’t try to bring the whole MC thing into it.”

  Saint agrees. “Yeah, but it’s not like she’s mother of the year, and her criminal record is on par with mine.”

  “You sure know how to pick them,” I grumble, sitting down next to him.

  “Hey, I picked you, didn’t I?” he replies, pushing me back on the bed and pinning my arms above my head. “When are you going to let that go? I didn’t make the best choices while you were gone. I didn’t think I deserved any better, if I’m being honest, and now I know I have to pay for those decisions, but we got Tory out of it, so I can’t have any regrets. And one day I will have more kids with you, the love of my life, and I can’t wait for that day.”

  “I have let it go, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to make a little petty comment every now and again,” I joke, laughing out loud when he starts to tickle me.

  “Yes, actually that’s exactly what it means. If you forgive me for my past, it means you can’t throw it in my face anymore, even if it’s a joke.” He clears his throat, and then adds, “It hurts, because I don’t like that I let you down, or that I was that person in the first place, the kind who gravitated toward toxic people. I’m not perfect, and trust me, I know that more than anyone.”

  “I know, Saint,” I reply, sobering. “I’m sorry.”

  “You know, Hammer said something similar to me when he found out Carol was pregnant,” Saint admits, smiling sadly, his eyes distant. “He said it’s a woman’s mentality that raises those kids, nothing else. Not their looks, not how fun or exciting they may be. And that line stuck with me. Because Carol’s mentality isn’t what I want for Tory. End of the day, she is her mother, though, and now I need to live with that and be civil for Tory.”

  I nod. “Yeah, you do. Both of your lives are now entwined forever, whether she’s the woman you want to raise your child or not. However, I was raised by Georgia, and I turned out okay, so maybe there’s hope for everyone.”

  Saint lowers his face to mine. “Yeah, but you were also raised by Hammer, and everything he taught you, all that time he spent on you, obviously made an impact, because you are amazing.”

  “From now on, I’ll keep quiet and leave your past in the past,” I say, not wanting to fight with him again over this. I shouldn’t have brought it up again and it was immature of me to do so, when I told myself I would leave it all where it belongs. “If we don’t solve this it’s just going to keep coming up again and again. It’s something I’m going to have to deal with it because I want to be with you forever, and nothing is going to change that.” I pause, and then add, “Except cheating.”

  “I’d never cheat on you,” he declares, blue eyes narrowing. “There’s no one else I’ll ever want, Skylar. I have no doubt about that.”

  “Good,” I say, lifting my head and pressing my lips against his. “And right back at you.”

  “You better get to class,” he murmurs, kissing down my neck. “Which is a shame, because I really want to show you just how much I love you right now.”

  Grinning, I push him away and get off the bed. “You’re right, I’m going to be late otherwise. I’ll see you later tonight.”

  I give him another quick kiss and then head to my car, only for Temper to stop me before I can get in. “Hey,” he says, shifting on his feet. “I just had a visit from Hammer’s lawyer.”

  “Hammer had a lawyer?” I ask, eyebrows raising as I throw my handbag on the car seat and turn back to give Temper my full attention. “I guess you guys would need one. What did he want?”

  Temper holds out a bank card to me, one that already has my name on it. “Hammer had this card made for you, as an additional cardholder on his account. If anything happened to him, he had it in his will that all of his money, property and assets go to you. The lawyer said you can start using this right away, that you just need to use the pin code. Do you know it?”

  Six, one, seven, three. The numbers he made me memorize. Hammer left everything he owned to a little girl he raised, one who was not of his blood, but of his heart.

  “Yeah, I know it,” I reply, looking down at the card. “What am I supposed to do with it?”

  The thing is, I don’t want any of his things or money, and I’d give them all up to have him walk through those clubhouse doors just one more time.

  “Whatever you want,” Temper says, shrugging. His big build shields me from the sunlight, and I have to look up to speak with him. “Maybe live a life of luxury.”

  “I don’t want to live a life of anything with money I never earned myself,” I tell him, feeling a little overwhelmed suddenly. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this information.”

  “There’s no rush for you to decide,” Temper reminds me, resting his big hand on my slight shoulder. “Just keep it for a rainy day for now, or make it another’s day problem. Either way, you’ll want for nothing now, Sky. Hammer has you covered for the rest of your life.”

  “Thanks, Temper. I better get to class. I’m already late, so you’re right, I’ll just worry about this later.”

  I wave and jump in the car, thinking about the money the whole way to the campus. Hammer was so adamant I remember that code, and I thought it would have been for something more important than money, but maybe he just wanted to make sure I was looked after forever. If he couldn’t be here to make sure that I was, he’s now given me enough money that he will never have to worry.

  He loved me so much he planned for this, maybe even expected that one day it would come, considering his lifestyle and who he was. I’m grateful, but I didn’t love him for what he could give me. I love him for how he hugged me, made me feel safe and actually listened to me when I had something to say. I mean actually listened, like he had all the time in the world for me every single time I spoke, and that’s so rare nowadays. I love him because he put his phone down when he saw me, because he didn’t judge me for choosing Saint, because he knew I was nothing like my mother.

  I love him because he loved me, and that was it. It was that simple.

  Wiping my tears away, I get out of my car and rush to class.

  I’m going to make him proud, and I’m going to think of something to do with the money that involves more than shopping and living in luxury. Maybe donate to charity, such as the hospital I used to volunteer at, and of course pay off the rest of my paramedic program. I’d like to buy something for the MC, and save the rest for a rainy day.

  “Hey, Skylar,” Reece welcomes me as I drop into the seat next to him. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” I say, forcing a smile. “At least, it will be.”

  Knights don’t lie down for long.

  Epilogue

  Two Years Later

  Glancing up at Max on stage, I smile before turning back to Saint, who has his hands a little too low for my liking, considering everyone is watching us for our first dance as a married couple.

  “Can you keep it PG until we’re alone?” I whisper, lip twitching. “Your mother is watching us.”

  “So?” He shrugs, dipping me backward and smiling when everyone starts clapping.

  “I’m so glad we did those dance classes,” I say, feeling confident as I move with him. “Or else you probably would have almost dropped me like in the lessons.”

  He kisses me, smiling against my lips. “I’m used to moving with your body in a different way.”

  “Well, we are good at that,” I reply, letting him spin me around before pulling me close against his body again. “I think I could get used to seeing you in a suit.”

  “Prefer this to my leather?” he asks, arching a brow.

  “No.” But I’ve never seen him look as handsome as he does right now. The black suit and white shirt fit him like a second skin, and it shows off his build perfectly. When I walked down the aisle with Temper—I wanted Temper to walk me down the aisle so I didn’t have to choose between my brothers, and because Temper was the closest to Hammer—I couldn’t stop staring at Saint. I just feel so lucky that I now get to call this man my husband. “But you do clean up very nicely.”

  “And you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on,” he replies, glancing down at my white lace dress. “You always were, Skylar. I’m the luckiest man alive.”

  “I was just thinking how lucky I am,” I say, and we share a look.

  This is where I’ve always meant to be, this is fate, and this man is my soul mate.

  Saint dances with Tory next, and it’s the cutest thing ever.

  “She’s adorable,” Logan says, offering me his hand. “Can I have the next dance?”

  “You may,” I say with a smile, accepting it. He leads me to the dance floor where he shows me his skills, which I find quite charming.

  “You look so happy, Sky,” Logan says, eyes gentle. “After everything you’ve been through, you’re still one of the best people I know, and I’m so proud to be your big brother. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Logan,” I say to him, my heart full. Mom wasn’t invited to the wedding, obviously, and I feel no guilt about that. I don’t even know if she is aware that I was getting married, since no one talks to her anymore. I hope she stays away from me and my family.

  My brothers, in order of age, all have a dance with me, followed by my adorable nephew Bronson, Logan’s son. After I hand him back, Temper takes a turn, his stiff moves making me giggle. “Hammer would be so proud of you right now, Sky,” he says quietly. “He loved you so much, you know that, right?”

  “I do,” I reply. “Thank you for giving me away today. It means everything to me.”

  “Always stepping in for Hammer,” he jokes, leaning forward to kiss my forehead. “Was happy to do it.”

  Saint steals me back from Temper, and the two of us dance closely, bodies touching.

  I’ve never been happier.

  Three Years Later

  I’ve never been more exhausted.

  “Why the hell did I decide this was a good idea?” I ask Saint, breathing heavily. “No, wait, this was your idea! Oh my God, it hurts so much, Saint. No amount of orgasms is worth this...”

  He strokes my sweaty forehead. “It’s fine, Skylar. Just keep breathing.”

  If he says that to me again, I’m going to attack him. When I came to the hospital, I was already six centimeters dilated, so I couldn’t get an epidural, which was what I was hoping for. Instead, I’m feeling childbirth in its full, raw glory, and it’s unlike any pain I’ve ever experienced before.

  “There’s no way that getting kicked in the balls hurts like this,” I tell him, digging my nails into his palm. “I don’t have balls, but I just know it. There’s no way. Whoever made that up is a man and a dickhead.”

  Saint, the bastard, laughs out loud at that.

  I’m going to murder him.

  When I fell pregnant, I was over the moon. I was already a qualified paramedic, and I love what I do. I will always be grateful to Hammer for suggesting that I should become one. My eyes lit up when I spoke about it, he said, and he was right. I love going in every day and saving as many people as I can. And now when a member of the Knights gets hurt, I’m the first one they call. With my career sorted, and no financial stress on us because of Hammer’s money, the timing was perfect to add to our family, to give Tory a sibling and for me to experience being a mother.

  “You’re doing so well, babe,” Saint assures me, moving to glance down at my vagina, which I imagine looks really fucking interesting right now, especially when I feel the baby crown.

  “Fuck,” he whispers, unable to look away.

  He was never at Tory’s birth—he arrived after—so this is the first time he’s witnessing a baby push out, and going by his expression, it just might be the last.

  “Can you look at my face, please?” I cry, pushing with all of my might, using the pain of each contraction to bring my child into the world.

  Suddenly I hear crying, and see a thick head of dark hair in Saint’s arms. Overwhelmed with emotion but also relieved because I’m no longer in agony, I close my eyes and take a moment. When I open them again, Saint is in front of me, handing me this beautiful bundle of joy.

  “We have a son,” he says, eyes filled with sentiment, happiness and pride. “He is perfect, Skylar.”

  My son stops crying as soon as he’s laid on my chest. “He really is perfect.”

  Tears drip down my cheeks, but this time they are happy ones.

  “Xavier,” I whisper. Same name as Hammer.

  Blue eyes open and look directly at me.

  And that’s when I learn for myself that love at first sight is a very real thing.

  * * *

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  Acknowledgments

  A big thank-you to Carina Press for working with me on the Knights of Fury MC series!

  Thank you to Kimberly Brower, my amazing agent, for having my back in all things.

  To my family, my sister Tenielle, and my three sons, thank you for bringing joy to my life every damn day.

  And to my readers, thank you for loving my words. I hope this book is no exception.

  About the Author

  New York Times, Amazon and USA TODAY bestselling author Chantal Fernando is thirty-two years old and lives in Western Australia. Lover of all things romance, Chantal is the author of the bestselling books Dragon’s Lair, Maybe This Time and many more.

  When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.

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