Текст книги "Until Jax "
Автор книги: Aurora Rose Reynolds
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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 14 страниц)
“Oh, my God,” I whisper, covering my mouth, not understanding how her twin could possibly leave Kim to face this alone, not when she needs her.
“I’m trying to get her to come back here. This is where my doctors are, but if she refuses, I may have to leave and follow her again.”
“I’m going to talk to Jax,” I tell her, knowing Jax will help track her sister down.
“No, I know Sage works with him, and I don’t want him to know what’s going on. I don’t want anyone to know. My parents were approached by my sister a few weeks back, and she told them if they gave her the money she’s asking for, she would come back and help me.”
“She wants money?” I hiss.
“She had a hard life. Her mom—my biological mom—is a mess” she defends.
“I had a hard life, Kim, but family is family. You don’t do that to family.”
“I need her,” she whispers in pain.
“I know she’s your sister, but seriously, she’s a bitch.”
“When I get better, it won’t matter anymore,” she says, and I hope she’s right. I hope her sister steps up before it’s too late.
“I’m here for you, whatever you need, even a kidney,” I tell her honestly, watching her give me a sad smile.
“Just don’t tell anyone. I’m working this out on my own.”
“You don’t have to be alone,” I tell her softly, pulling off a piece of paper towel and handing it to her when tears start falling from her eyes.
“I have my parents,” she whispers before opening the door and leaving me in the bathroom trying to think of a way to tell Jax without actually telling him, but come up with nothing.
Chapter 11
Jax
Watching Ellie as she moans and her head presses back into the pillow I lick, and circle her clit again.
“You’re so goddamn sweet, Ellie. I swear I want to eat you for every meal,” I growl against her core, feeling her tighten around my fingers.
“I…I don’t think that’s very nutritious. Not for every meal, anyways,” she mumbles, and I can tell by her tone she’s serious.
“Baby.” I chuckle, resting my forehead on her lower stomach then look up the length of her body at her beautiful face.
“Why are you laughing?” she asks, and I know she’s still drunk, judging by the glazed look of her eyes.
Climbing up the bed, I roll to my side and place my hand over her pussy, slipping my fingers into her.
“You’re cute when you’re drunk,” I tell her, nuzzling her ear.
“I’m not drunk,” she lies, circling her hips and forcing my fingers deeper. I know she’s drunk, ’cause I watched her and July both taking tequila shots, trying to outdrink Harlen who compared to them is a giant.
I have no idea why July thought it would be a good idea for her and Ellie to try and team up against the man, but she did, and the rules were for every drink they took, he took two. Both the girls were wasted before the bottle was empty, while Harlen got up and walked off, muttering, “Amateurs.”
“You know what tonight is?” she asks, looking up at me and biting her bottom lip.
“What’s that, baby?” I ask, tilting my head down and pulling her nipple into my mouth, making her back arch and my fingers slide deeper inside her.
“No more condoms,” she breathes, and my body stills.
“You went to the doctor?”
“Yeah, it’s right here,” she says, showing me the inside of her arm, where there’s a lump and a small bruise. “It lasts three years,” she adds, licking over her lips.
“So I have to wait three years to put my kid in you?” I frown studying her arm.
“We have two puppies and an almost four-year-old to keep you occupied.”
“I’m not waiting three years, Ellie.”
“Can we not talk about that right now?” She pouts, placing her hand over mine and pressing my fingers back inside her, which makes me smile.
“We’ll talk about it when you’re sober.”
“Less talk, more action,” she whimpers, riding my hand. Watching her, mesmerized as she gets herself off on my fingers, I wait until she’s finished coming then kick off my boxers, move myself between her legs, and pull them up around my hips.
“Jesus,” I groan, sliding inside her, feeling the wet heat of her walls clamp down on me. No fucking way will I be able to hold off, feeling all of her for the first time, while she looks at me with wonder in her eyes.
“I love feeling you inside me,” she moans, and I feel my toes curl.
“Fuck, baby,” I growl then flip her to her stomach and pull her hips up high. I slam in deep, so deep I feel the wall of her cervix against the tip of my cock, then do it over and over again, listening to her cry out as her walls clamp down around me. Wrapping my hand around her waist and one beneath her chest, I pick her up, impaling her on me as my fingers roll over her clit.
“Jax.”
“I’m here, baby. Give it to me,” I tell her, taking her mouth with mine and planting myself deep inside her, feeling her walls contract around me as she comes again. Waiting until her orgasm passes, I clench my teeth then push her face into the bed and hold her in place by the back of her neck, sliding in and out of her slowly at first, feeling my cock drag along her walls, then fuck her so hard the bed shakes under us, and her scream fills the room as I plant myself deep inside of her, coming on a groan.
Resting my forehead against her back, I listen to her breath come out in harsh pants that match mine before pulling out slowly and rolling to my side, bringing her with me, roaming my hands over her stomach and breasts.
“What time are we picking Hope up in the morning?” she asks when we catch our breath, and I can hear the sleep in her voice.
“We’ll go in the afternoon. Mom wants to take her and the puppies to some class they have at the pet store.”
“I still think your mom’s crazy for wanting to take Hope and the puppies.”
“She loves having Hope, and Hope wouldn’t agree to sleep over unless the puppies went along for the night,” I tell her, running my hand over her hair.
“Do you ever think about your real mom?” she whispers, catching me off guard, while her fingers draw absently on the skin of my arm, and I wonder if this is the alcohol talking, or if this is something she has been thinking about.
“Sometimes,” I say, letting out a deep sigh. “Sometimes I wonder how she could have cast me aside the way she did,” I confide honestly, feeling a pain hit my chest that is always present when I think about Jules.
“I know that feeling. You’re lucky to have your dad and Lilly. I wish I had a parent I could share things with. I wish my dad was still alive,” she chokes out as wetness hits my bicep. Turning her in my arms I hold her closer against me.
“You have a family, baby,” I whisper, tucking her head under my chin.
“You know the sad part?” She sniffles.
“What’s that?”
“I would forgive her. If she came to me and apologized, I would forgive her, because I want to have that relationship with her. I’m so twisted that I would accept her back into my life if she apologized to me,” she whimpers, and I feel my heart break for her, because I know exactly what she’s feeling.
“You’re not twisted, Ellie. It’s ingrained in us from the time we’re little to love our family, to want to be close to them. It’s human nature, baby.”
“I hate her.”
“Shhh…” I soothe then tell her how much I love her, how much Hope loves her, and reassure her over and over what she means to me, while listening to her heartbreaking sobs until she finally cries herself to sleep. Getting out of bed, I go to the bathroom and wash myself off then take a wet towel to the bed and clean Ellie up before tucking her under the covers.
Grabbing my laptop from the top of the dresser, I walk across the room and take a seat in the chair next to the window. I’ve been keeping track of Jules since she was released from prison a few years ago, and I know she lives a couple hours away, near her mom and brother. Listening to Ellie tonight made me realize it’s time for me to face my demons, and finally get some much needed closure.
Pulling up her address online, I send myself a text from my computer with her information then shut down the laptop and set it on the chair. Going back to bed, I climb in behind Ellie and pull her body flush against mine, hearing her mumble, “I love you,” making me smile before I drift off to sleep.
*
“Hey, man, what’s up?” I greet Evan as he steps into my office and takes a seat across from me in one of the two chairs in front of my desk.
“Dropping this off,” he says, reaching over and handing me a folder that has my brows drawing downward.
“Who’s this?” I ask, opening it up and pulling out a stack of papers, all of them referring to a guy named Lane Diago, who is some low-ranking drug dealer in Alabama.
“That’s your cousin’s man,” he grits out, and my eyes meet him, seeing something in his gaze that causes my eyes to narrow.
“June?” I ask, and he nods while sitting back and running his hand down the beard he’s grown over the last few months. “Do you know how long she’s been seeing this guy?” I ask. I forgot all about Sage asking him to look into this a few months ago.
“My guess: about five months, give or take.”
“You wanna tell me why you look like you just got punched in the gut?” I ask, studying his face.
“Nope,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest. “What are you going to do about that?” He nods toward the folder that’s still in my hand and blanks his expression.
“I’ll deal with it,” I tell him, and his jaw ticks.
“You need to tell her to drop him. He’s gonna end up getting her in trouble, or worse.”
“Like I said, I’ll handle it.”
“Whatever. Are we still heading to Kentucky tonight?” he asks, changing the subject.
“Yeah, we’ll head out after eleven,” I mutter, giving him that play, seeing he’s not going to tell me what the fuck is eating at him, or why he seems so pissed about this to begin with.
“I’ll be here,” he says, getting up and walking out of the office, closing the door behind him. Evan is still a wild card. I know he’s smart as fuck and a hard worker. I also know about his history in the military and how he was the only one to survive when his unit was attacked, but everything else about him is up in the air, and seeing he is keeping something from me doesn’t sit well.
Picking up the folder, I flip through it and shake my head. June’s going to be pissed we’re checking in on her, but knowing my cousin, she has no clue the kind of man she’s been spending time with, and if she did, she would probably lay his ass out.
Setting the folder down on the desk, I lean back in my chair and cover my face. Last night, when I told Ellie I was heading to Kentucky with Wes and the guys to check out a lead, I could see it in her eyes that she was worried, but I could also see relief that this shit may be over soon. Since her mom was in jail awaiting trial and we were on Yury’s trail, I hope like fuck that with us tracking him down, it will lead me to the man who purchased her to begin with, and we could finally put all of this shit to rest.
Standing, I shut down my computer and shove the file for June in my desk before walking out the door, coming face-to-face with Sage.
“I was just coming in to see you,” he says then dips his head toward my office. “Can we talk?”
“Sure,” I agree, swinging the door back open, walking across the room from him, and crossing my arms over my chest.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for the way I left things the other night. I know you’re just trying to help.”
“I understand,” I tell him, uncrossing my arms.
“I’m gonna talk to her,” he says, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.
“Good.”
“We cool?”
“You don’t even have to ask that shit. We’re family,” I confirm, watching his body relax.
“You ready for tonight?” he asks, studying me.
“Yeah, Ellie and Hope are staying with my parents. If the lead pans out, we’ll call your dad and have him come in.”
“Are you and Wes going to be able to keep your cool if it is him?”
“Not sure,” I tell him honestly, knowing what the guy did to Ellie and July.
“I’ve got your back, whatever happens,” he mutters then looks at the door. “I’m gonna head out. Do you need anything before I go?” he inquires, opening it and stepping out into the hall.
“Nah, I’ll see you tonight,” I say, following behind him out of the building pulling the keys out of my pocket and locking the door as he walks across the parking lot to his car. Getting in my truck, I head over to the salon to meet Ellie for lunch then stop by my parents’ to say goodbye to Hope before going home and getting ready to head to Kentucky.
Standing in the dark hotel room, I move the curtain to the side once more and place my binoculars to my eyes, zooming in on the room across the lot from us.
The lady at the front desk confirmed the guy we’re looking for is staying at this hotel, and after Mic spoke with her, she placed each of us in a room that would give us all a different vantage point.
“See anything?” Wes asks, pulling up a chair next to me, and I swear I see the curtains in the room I’m watching move. But if the room is the same as this one, the AC unit is under the window, and that could be causing the flutter.
“Not yet,” I mutter, squeezing my eyes closed then looking through the lenses again, seeing the same thing, only this time, the movement is slightly more pronounced than it was before.
“Send Harlen a text and ask him if he’s seeing anything from his vantage point,” I tell Wes just as his phone rings.
“What’s up?” Wes asks then stands. “Are you sure?”
I pull the binoculars away from my face and let the curtain slide closed, watching as he walks toward the door.
“What’s going on?” I ask him, seeing that he’s going to leave.
“Mic said he heard banging and moaning coming from the room,” he says.
I run my hands over my face, knowing this shit could go south real fucking fast if the moaning is nothing more than someone in the room on the other side of him getting off, since this hotel is one that is known for cheap hourly rates. We set up Mic and Sage in the room next to the one Yury is supposed to be occupying then Harlen and Evan in the middle, while Z stayed in the truck outside the entry of the hotel’s parking lot.
“Fuck, let’s go,” I say, following Wes down the open second floor walkway of the hotel. Once we reach the door where Harlen and Evan are, they come out and follow behind us. There’s no way to go unnoticed. The hotel is open, with the doors of the rooms leading outside to the parking lot. When we make it to the room, I stop and pull out my gun and press my ear to the door.
Hearing nothing, I’m about to move on to the room Sage and Mic are occupying, when I hear banging and what sounds like someone attempting to scream. Without thinking, I step back and kick the cheap door with my boot, sending wood splintering off in every direction. Holding my gun out in front of me, I scan the room then my eyes land on a gagged naked woman sitting on the floor, with her hands and ankles tied and her back pressed to the AC until under the window.
“Fuck,” I breathe, seeing the bruises covering her small form. “It’s okay,” I say, walking towards her, shoving my gun away and pulling my knife out of my pocket. Removing the gag first from her mouth, her head lowers and a loud sob rips from her chest as I cut the ties that are keeping her in place. “It’s gonna be okay.” I tell her, taking off my jacket and using it to cover her up.
“He’s coming back,” she says, lifting fright-filled eyes up to meet mine. “He’s going to kill me when he comes back.”
“You won’t be here when he does,” I assure her, picking her up and handing her off to Harlen, who is standing close to my side. “Get her to the hospital,” I tell him then look at Wes, who’s barely keeping it together, then to my cousin. “Call your dad and let him know what’s going on.”
“On it,” he mumbles, stepping to the back of the room.
“Mic, see if you can close the door,” I say calmly, and Mic’s eyes darken with fury as he goes out to the walkway and kicks off the broken pieces of wood then comes back inside, closing the door behind him. Standing in the room, I look around, seeing the place is a mess. There are clothes, empty food containers, and beer bottles thrown around the room, along with open condom wrappers, which cause rage to burn through every cell of my body.
“Keep it together,” Sage says, coming up next to me. My dad’s on his way, and this guy maybe the only lead we have to find the one who wanted Ellie.”
“I know,” I agree, but that doesn’t stop the images of me putting a bullet between Yury’s eyes from entering my thoughts.
“He just pulled in,” Wes says low, walking to the door and holding his phone in his hand, typing something back on the screen before shoving it in his pocket. Pulling his gun from the back of his jeans, he flips off the light. “How pissed is Nico going to be if I shoot this stupid fuck?” he asks, and I grin then move to the side of the door.
Placing my back against the wall, I hear the sound of metal and someone walking up the concrete stairs that lead to the second level. When we finally hear keys jingling, I swing the door open and shove my gun into Yury’s face.
“Honey, I’ve been waiting for you,” I growl, grabbing his shirt in my fist and pulling him into the room. Once he’s inside, Wes kicks him to his knees as I put my foot to his back, forcing him face-first into the dirty carpet. “Try it, and I’ll fucking shoot you,” I snarl, restraining his hand he’s trying to get to his back, where he has a gun.
Locking his hands behind him, I use one of the plastic zip-ties from my pocket to bind them together then search him for any weapons. He not only has the gun from his waistband, but there’s also one in the ankle of his boot.
“I didn’t do anything,” he says as Sage helps me sit him on the edge of the bed.
“Yeah? How about we play Let’s Make a Deal?” I say as his eyes scan the room, and I know he’s looking for the woman.
“Fuck you. I didn’t do anything,” he repeats when he doesn’t see her.
“Tell me who paid you to pick up Ellie Anthony.”
“I’m not telling you shit,” he shouts, spitting at my feet. Seeing Wes step up to my side with his gun in his hand, I look at him then back to Yury as Wes holds his gun next to his right ear.
“Talk, motherfucker,” Wes growls, and Yury’s eyes lift, going to Wes before meeting mine again.
“I don’t know who he is. He always has one of his men do the pick-ups.” He grins then scans the room once more. “You don’t know who you guys are fucking with.”
Putting a bullet in the chamber of my gun, I cock it back and place it against his knee. “Who do you contact when you have a pick-up?” I ask again, placing my face inches from his.
“Fuck you,” he snaps, and I let off a round in his knee that has him falling forward, groaning.
“I asked you a fucking question. Who do you contact when you have a pick-up?”
“Nah, cous’. Alive, remember?” Sage says, putting his hand on my gun when I raise it to Yury’s temple.
“He doesn’t deserve to live,” Wes growls, and Yury’s eyes turn to him.
“This is bigger than you and me,” Yury says, moving his gaze to mine. “Shoot me, motherfucker. I’m dead anyways.”
“Tell me who your contact is,” I demand, watching something work behind his eyes then his nostrils flare.
“All I got is an email,” he says, dropping his head as something that had been strangling me since Ellie walked out of the woods toward me unravels.
Taking a step back, I take my cell phone out of my pocket and begin typing in the information he gives me. Then we wait until my uncle shows up, who says nothing about the fact that Yury’s bleeding everywhere.
Getting in my truck and starting it up outside of the hospital, where I stopped to check on Avalee, the woman Yury had kidnapped, I lean my head back against my headrest and close my eyes. Harlen is staying with her at the hospital until her family is able to get into town. She is still asleep and would be in the hospital for a few days while she recovers from the worst of her injuries, then she’ll be going home with her parents, who live in Mississippi. She wouldn’t talk to the police without Harlen with her and refused to let him go, even when the doctors explained they needed to examine her, leaving them no choice but to sedate her.
From what Harlen was able to gather before they drugged her, her friends had been insisting she get out and date, so she downloaded a dating app onto her phone and met Yury. They chatted for a couple of days before she finally agreed to meet him for coffee, and that’s when he took her. Knowing how similar her story was to the other woman who was still missing Tallon did a search of the dating app site and found nothing. Avalee’s profile had been erased along with any chats she had with Yury leading up to their meeting. Now that there was a correlation between the two cases there was a chance the other woman could be found.
Lifting my head and looking out the windshield, I put the truck in drive and head out of the parking lot towards the highway. When I spoke with Ellie earlier and explained to her what went down, I could hear her cry in relief and sadness as I told her about Avalee. I knew she could understand to an extent what Avalee had been through, and that shit killed me. No woman should ever have to understand something like that, and there is no fucking way a woman should ever have to experience that shit firsthand.
Getting on the highway, I make a last second decision and turn in the opposite direction of home. I need to talk to Jules. I can’t figure out why it’s so important to talk to her after all these years. I just know something in me needs to put that part of my past to rest so I can fully move on.
It doesn’t take long to reach the town she’s now calling home, and when I pull up in front of the small house that is located on a street with homes similar in size, I’m surprised to see how well kept it is. The grass of the front yard is cut low, and the flowerbeds out front look like they have recently been tilled, like they are just waiting for flowers to be planted. Putting my truck in park and getting out, the front door opens just as I’m making it around the hood.
“What are you doing here?”
Taking in Jules for the first time in over twenty years, I’m taken aback by how different we look. I don’t know why I thought there would be some kind of resemblance, but looking at her now, I see there’s none.
“I don’t want any trouble,” she says, letting the metal storm door close behind her with a whoosh as she steps out onto the small front porch, wrapping a long blue sweater tighter around her waist.
“I’m not here to cause problems,” I say, moving to stand at the bottom of the stairs below her. She’s aged well. I knew from rumors that she was a beautiful girl, and time has surprisingly been good to her. Her dark brown hair is cut just above her shoulders, and her creamy skin hardly shows any sign of wrinkles. I don’t know why I pictured her weathered and warn, but I did. “Really, I’m not sure why I’m here,” I confess, placing my hands in the pockets of my jeans and leaning back on the heels of my boots.
“Go home, Jax,” she instructs quietly, turning her back on me and opening the door.
“Why?” I ask without thinking, watching her body jolt and her eyes come back to me over her shoulder. Holding my breath against the pain I see there, I question, “Why did you do it? Why didn’t you love me?” I whisper the last part, which seems to be the question eating away at me most.
“I didn’t even love myself,” I hear her say before she walks back into the house without a second glance, closing the door behind her.
Pulling my hands out of my pockets, I walk back to my truck and get inside, where I stare at her house for a long time. I didn’t expect her to invite me in for cookies, but I thought she would at least give me something but then maybe she just did.
Putting my truck in reverse, I pull out of her driveway then look at her house in the rearview mirror. Ellie was right; I was lucky as fuck to have the parents I have. There has never been a day I haven’t known they love me, and I promise myself right then that Hope and any other kids Ellie and I have will feel the same way. They will never have to guess or wonder when it comes to my love for them.
*
“It’s your turn,” I tell Ellie, rolling to my back and covering my eyes with my arm when I hear whimpering and barking coming from Hope’s room down the hall.
“You wanted puppies,” she mumbles, and I pull my arm off my eyes to glare at her as she pulls the covers up over her head.
“The puppies want to go outside, and I’m hungwy!” Hope yells a minute later.
“Three years,” Ellie mutters from under the blanket, making me smile and shake my head, knowing she’s referring to how long her birth control implant is good for.
It’s been two weeks since we found Yury, and in that time, he confessed to the murders of three women, one of them being Vanessa Commerce, the woman who had gone missing months ago. Even though her family was mourning her loss, they were relieved to have closure and to know her murderer was off the streets and behind bars where he can’t hurt anyone else. Avalee had also been in touch with Harlen. She explained she was doing okay then asked for July and Ellie’s numbers after she found out they had also gone through a similar situation, though not as severe as what she endured. Ellie and July had both talked to her a few times and had plans to meet up once Avalee felt a little stronger.
“Do you want me to go?” Ellie asks, peeking out from under the covers, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“No, baby, sleep,” I say, pressing a kiss to her forehead and slipping out of bed, I walk down the hall to Hope’s room, where I find her trying to unhook the latch on the dog pen while Chip and Pancake jump up on the door, trying to get to her.
“Good, you’re here.” She sighs then points to the puppies. “They want out.”
“I see that,” I confirm, laughing as I open the gate, allowing both puppies to rush out of the crate and circle her feet, which sends her into a fit of giggles.
“Let’s get them downstairs before they have an accident,” I tell her, picking both wiggling puppies up and carrying them downstairs, hearing her follow me out the back door of the kitchen, where I stand shirtless in the cold, vowing to have a fence put up and a doggie door put in soon so that I won’t have to do this shit forever.
Opening the back door, Hope yells, “Good morning!” to Ellie, who is standing in the kitchen, wearing my shirt as she runs past her to the living room, followed by both puppies barking at her feet as I close the door behind me.
“Three years, huh?” I say, and she gives me a knowing smile then places her hand to my abs and leans up, kissing my jaw, pressing her tits against me, making me want to lift her to the counter and tell her good morning in a completely different way. Fisting my hand in her hair, I tip her head back and dip my mouth closer to hers.
“Daddy Ax, Chocolate Chip is eating the couch!” Hope yells, breaking the moment and making me groan.
“Definitely three years,” Ellie says, letting out a breath against my mouth and dropping back down to her feet.
“Three years,” I mutter, kissing her once before leaving the kitchen and heading to the living room, where I find Chip eating the edge of the couch. Luckily it’s leather, so the damage is minimal.
Going upstairs after making a phone call, I stop and frown as I watch Ellie hang up clothes in the closet of the room she chose when she first came to stay with me…a room she hasn’t slept in for weeks.
“What are you doing?”
Jumping, she turns to look at me then holds up a shirt on a hanger. “Putting away my laundry.”
“Why the fuck are you putting it away in here?” I frown, looking at the closet and seeing it’s full of her clothes.
“Um…”
“What the fuck, Ellie?”
“I—” she starts, but I hold up my hand, walk over to the pile of laundry on the bed, and pick it up, carrying it down the hall, where I toss it on the bed then turn to face her.
“You sleep in here. Your shit should be in here.”
“Are you asking me to move in?” she asks quietly.
“Jesus, Ellie, what the fuck? Did you think you were going to move out?” I growl, watching her eyes narrow and her hands go to her hips.
“I don’t know.” She flings her arms out then swings them around. “You never asked me to live with you. I’m not a mind reader!”
Placing my hands on my hips, I lean forward, getting in her space. “You already fucking live with me. I didn’t think this was something we needed to fucking talk about.”
“Well, we did. I mean, you haven’t said anything about it until now, how was I supposed to know.”
“You live here, Ellie; you sleep in my bed, in our bed. Hope sleeps in her bed down the hall from us, and will until she eventually moves out to go to college, so go get your shit and hang it in there,” I say, pointing to the closet in our room. “Or wait until I get home in a couple hours, and I’ll help you move it.”
“You could ask me nicely if I want to live with you,” she grumbles.
“It’s not something I need to ask you. It’s already done. Now I gotta go, so stop being difficult and give me a kiss before I leave.”
“I don’t feel like kissing you now.” She frowns.
“To bad,” I rumble, closing the distance between us, fisting my hand in her hair, taking her mouth in a brutal kiss that has my cock pushing hard against my zipper and her nails digging into my scalp before pulling away.
“Hang your shit in the closet,” I command, pressing one last kiss to her mouth before stepping away, smiling as I leave the room and head down stairs where I find Hope hanging over the edge of the couch upside down.
“Daddy Ax,” she says when she spots me standing in the doorway.
“Hey, sweetheart, I have to leave for awhile, so help your mom out while I’m gone, okay?”
“Okay,” she says, flipping over then standing.
“Be good.”
“I will. Wuv you,” she says, wrapping her arms around my legs, and fuck me if that isn’t even better than her calling me daddy.
“Love you too, sweetheart,” I murmur, running my hand over her hair, kissing her forehead then placing my hat on my head and heading through the front door.
