Suddenly Rake is behind me, picking me up like I weigh nothing and carrying me into the house.

“I want to go back to the house,” I whimper against his chest. He puts me on his bed and touches my face, checking the damage.

“It’s just a bit swollen. He hits like a bitch,” Rake says. “Fuck, I can’t believe he’d be so fuckin’ stupid.”

“I’m fine,” I mumble. I stand up, ignoring Rake’s demands. I find Allie and take Clover from her, then we both go home.

I cry as I drive, needing Dex.

I can’t do this alone anymore.

*****

Two days later, I hear the rumble of motorcycles. I walk outside, Clover in my arms, to see Rake, Vinnie, Trace, Tracker and the prospects all there.

My first thought—something has happened.

Tracker gets off his bike and walks to me.

“Is everyone okay?” I ask him, looking into his eyes for a hint of why they were here.

“Everything is fine. Are you okay?” he asks, a calloused finger touching my jaw.

I flinch at the contact. “I’m fine, what’s going on?”

“We came to bring you home. Everyone’s cleared out, the women are gone. It’s all cleaned up. We want you back there. What happened the other day never should have fuckin’ happened, we don’t hurt women, and especially not you,” he says, staring down at me. “Dex is going to gut all of us for not protecting you better.”

I swallow hard. They were all here for me? “I don’t know—”

“Get in your car Faye, and bring that beautiful girl with you. We’ll follow you,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest, letting me know he wasn’t going anywhere.

I smile. “Fine, let me pack some stuff.”

Tracker helps me pack, and then they all follow my car home.

*****

Back at the clubhouse, everything goes back to normal.

And then finally—finally that day comes.

The one I’ve been waiting for.

I wait for him, a few steps in front of the club members, Clover in my arms.

Then I see him. A plain white t-shirt clings to his muscled body, and his eyes solely are on me.

It’s like no one else is here.

Just us.

He jogs towards me and grips the back of my neck and kisses me like… well, like a man just getting out of prison. I ignore the whistles and catcalls from the peanut gallery. Dex pulls back and our eyes connect. His are full of emotion, want, need, and pain pouring out of them at once.

“We missed you,” I whisper, pulling him back down for another quick kiss.

“I missed you both so fuckin’ much Faye,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine, his voice thick. He looks away from me to Clover.

“She’s so beautiful,” he says softly, taking her into his arms, kissing her forehead and whispering to her, making her laugh. He looks at her like she’s everything to him.

Like she’s precious, like he can’t look away even if he wanted to.

He holds her to his chest, and kisses the top of her head.

Then, his daughter in his arms, he goes and greets his brothers. Many half hugs and shoulder slaps later, he comes back to me and wraps me in his arms.

“Time to go home, yeah?” he says, grazing his teeth across his bottom lip. “Fuck, it feels like it’s been forever. Home. Now. We have lost time to make up for.”

I go up on my tip-toes and kiss him on the lips. “Take us home then.”

Chapter Thirty One

He walks out, his stride slow, dressed in that hideous green jumpsuit.

“Arrow,” I whisper, and he sits down, his small smile and eyes for Clover and Clover only.

“She’s gotten so big,” he rasps, taking her in from head to toe. “Brother,” he says, nodding his head at Dex, and then looking to me and giving me a warm look. “Faye.”

Clover makes a giggling sound, and we all look down at her.

“She looks just like you,” he says to me, flashing Dex a look that says ‘good luck with that.’

It’s so awkward making conversation with someone in prison. What do you ask them? How are you? What did you do today? What are your plans for the week? We let Arrow guide the conversation and answer him as he asks how everyone is and what he’s been missing out on. We stay for an hour before we have to leave.

As we walk to our car in silence, I try to push away the miserable feeling of leaving him behind.

“Let’s go home babe,” Dex says, his palm rubbing his chest, right where his four leaf clover tattoo is.

I look back at the prison one last time, before opening the door and putting Clover in the car seat.

“How come you never let me drive your car?” I ask when we get on the road.

“Have you seen you drive?”

“Yes, and I’m awesome,” I reply, my eyes narrowing.

He scoffs. “What were you wearing for your driving test? Something fuckin’ short I bet. With your tits out.”

I gasp in outrage. “You did not just say that.”

I think back to what I wore for my driving test. Jeans. And okay, maybe a low cut top, but that’s not why I passed my test.

“See. You were, weren’t you?” he says, sounding smug.

“No, I wasn’t,” I lie.

“Liar.”

“Annoying,” I mutter under my breath.

His hand rubs up my thigh. “Are you happy?”

I turn to him, taken off guard by the seriousness of his tone. “I’m very happy.”

“Good,” he replies, soft blue eyes on me for a second before turning back to the road.

“I’d tell you if I wasn’t,” I add. “Trust me, you’d know.”

His lip twitches. “Good.”

“Are you happy?” I ask.

“You’re everything to me. You and Clover. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my life,” he says quietly.

“Good answer,” I mutter under my breath.

He grins. “I’m learning.”

I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “I breathe you babe.”

He turns his head and catches my lips in a quick kiss. “Right back at you.”

*****

I aim the gun like a pro and shoot at the target.

“Fuck, you’re getting good,” Dex says when I’m done.

“I’m a woman of many talents,” I tell him, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

“Don’t I know it,” he adds, gaze dropping to my mouth. “It’s hot seeing you handle a weapon.”

I love when he looks at me like he has to have me, right then and there. I didn’t exactly lose all my baby weight after Clover. My stomach is a little rounder and has a few stretch marks. Dex doesn’t seem to mind one bit though.

“I feel confident with guns. Now we need to move onto something else. Knife throwing maybe?” I propose. I’d just seen a movie in the cinemas with a hot ass guy throwing knifes and now I wanted to try it.

“Knife throwing?” he asks, eyes dancing with amusement.

“What about fencing? That ought to be a good time,” I suggest.

Now he straight out laughs at me.

“I want to learn how to ride my own motorcycle too,” I tell him. I love being on the back of his bike.

Love it.

I want to learn how to ride one of my own too.

“That I can teach you,” he muses, eyes turning hungry.

“Good, I’d hate to have to ask one of the other men,” I tease.

His eyes immediately darken. “You don’t get on the back of anyone else’s bike, or let them teach you anything, you know this.”

“I’ve only ever been on the back of your bike.”

“I know,” he says. “And that’s how it’s gonna stay. Isn’t it?”

He leans forward and cups my chin in his hands. My breath hitches, and I feel my body respond to his tone.

“Only you Dex,” I assure him.

“Want to fuck you bent over my bike,” he whispers into my ear. “Your ass sticking out, ready and waiting for me.”

I rub against him, only to feel him hard already. Good, I’m not the only one getting turned on here.

“Take me home prez,” I whisper into his ear, nibbling on the lobe.

Epilogue