Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
“Your soul is as pure as they come, sugar. We’ll find Clara, I promise you that, but you have to promise me you will never fuckin’ do somethin’ like that again.”
I swallow and nod. “I promise.”
Scooping me up as if I weigh nothing, he carries me to the bed and places me down, bringing his body down over the top of mine until our eyes are staring deep into each other’s.
“I love you more than you could ever fuckin’ understand,” he murmurs.
“I understand, because I feel exactly the same. I’m sorry, Cade.”
“Baby,” he growls, running his finger over my bottom lip, “it’s all good.”
“I found something out there ...”
“Later,” he rasps, sliding his hand down until he reaches the top of my pajamas. “Right now, I’m goin’ to make love to my woman.”
My body gets warm. “You are?”
“Yeah, baby. I am.”
And that’s exactly what he does.
He devours every inch of my body.
He makes love to me until we’re both utterly exhausted.
Then he holds me while I sleep.
I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve him, but I’ll be forever grateful.
He’s my happily ever after.
17
Cade
“If you’re here to fuckin’ tear her apart, you’re not welcome in this house,” I growl, staring at Jackson who is standing on my doorstep the next morning. “I respect the hell out of you, Jacks, but you will not fuckin’ speak to her again like you did last night.”
His eyes flash, and I can see the regret in them. “Need to see my daughter, Cade.”
“She’s so fuckin’ broken over what you said. Do you have any idea how much she loves you, and how much knowin’ she disappointed you crushes her?”
Jackson steps up, so we’re face to face. “I want to see my fuckin’ daughter, Cade. Are you going to let me in, or are you going to remind me of how much I fucked up? I know. Now step the fuck aside so I can fix it.”
Holding his eyes for a moment, mine firm and unwavering, I finally step aside.
Addison is in the kitchen, Skye in her arms, preparing a bottle. She looks terrible, and I know she didn’t sleep well last night. Her body is marked, every perfect inch tarnished, and her eyes are red from crying so much. She made a mistake, a big one, but she did it because she cares, and I should have seen that a lot fucking sooner.
Her eyes move to Jackson and his flash as he takes her in.
Walking over, I take Skye from her arms, but there is no fucking way I’m leaving this room. Not until I know he’s said everything he can to make it right with her. There is anger, I get it, but he said shit that burned her in a way he’ll never understand. I can only pray, in this very moment, he makes the right choice.
Without a word, he steps up to her. She tips her head back and looks at him, the pain in her eyes almost too much to bear. Gritting my teeth, I watch as he takes her by the shoulders and pulls her into him. She practically crumbles, her face scrunching as she buries it into his chest. I exhale, a slight amount of relief as I watch, and when he speaks, I know he knows.
He knows he fucked up.
He knows he has to make it better.
“The day you stepped into my life, it changed. I went from havin’ nothin’ in this world to care about, to everything. You are my everything. The idea of a world without you in it is enough to bring me to my knees.”
Addison squeezes him tighter, and I know it’s my moment to leave.
Taking Skye, I walk out the front where Spike is waiting by Jackson’s truck, a cigarette in his hand, leaning against it without a single care in the world. If everyone could live like Spike, the world would be a better place. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen him scared.
“Hey, baby girl,” he drops the cigarette, crushing it out before reaching out and taking Skye from my arms.
“You’re right, take my daughter,” I mutter.
He chuckles and Skye smiles, reaching for the chain around his neck. “What’s yours is mine ...”
“You talk sense into Jacks, or is he here all on his own?”
Spike glances at me. “He wanted to come here. Man ain’t stupid, brother. He knew he fucked up.”
“Any word from Marshall? Did he figure out who was out there?”
Spike shakes his head. “So far, nothin’, which is either good or very fuckin’ bad. We’re preparing for an attack, one we don’t see coming, because a man like Marshall won’t let that shit go. If he figures out who Addison is with, he’ll make sure we know we’re messin’ with the wrong people.”