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Outside, I shake Mr. Sanford’s hand. “Thank you.”
“I don’t feel like I did a whole lot, Z.” He grins at me. “I enjoyed the hell out of that little snot getting his ass handed to him, though.”
Rock chuckles and shakes Sanford’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting him to question you. For a second, I was worried he was going to order Z to stay with you.”
Rock squeezes my shoulder. “Whatever it took to get him out would’ve been fine.”
Sanford turns to me. “We need to sit down next week. Go over your case. I need to do some more research but after today, I feel more confident about getting this dismissed before trial.” He glances at the courthouse. “Judge Hardy is usually very pro-prosecutor, so his attitude was a bit of a surprise.”
“They got nothing,” I grumble. “Is that supposed ‘witness’ what they’ve based this whole thing on?”
“They’re not required to turn over material to me yet, Z. But I should find out soon.” He glances at Rock. “I’ll need to have one other associate at my firm help go through the document requests.”
“That’s fine.”
He turns back to me. “This was the first hurdle. You just need to go home and stay out of trouble. And for God’s sake, do not leave the state. Not even a road trip to New Jersey to do a little shopping. Nothing. They’ll revoke your bail so fast your head will spin and it won’t be as easy to get you out again.”
“Not planning to go anywhere, Mr. Sanford. Promise.”
He smiles and holds out his hand. “You can call me Abe.”
After Abe leaves, Rock reaches out and pulls me in for a hug, slapping me hard on the back. “Missed you, fuckface,” he mutters against my ear.
“Overkill, much?” I answer slapping him back. “Teller, Rooster, and Jiggy?”
“Can’t be too careful with you.” He holds me at arm’s length. “You all right?”
“Better now.”
Teller, Jigsaw, and Rooster amble over for handshakes and backslaps too.
“Thank you for speaking up.”
Teller shrugs. “I had to think fast.”
I wink at him. “Mentor, huh?”
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
I glance at the four of them again. “Who’s with the girls?”
“Murphy and Wrath,” Rock says.
“Shit, figured Murphy would be on the road soon as he got out.”
“Nah.” Rock shakes his head. “He didn’t feel right leaving while you were still inside.”
I swallow hard.
“Besides,” Teller continues in a lower voice, “Alexa and Chance have been tight. Seemed mean to break them up, while you were still…”
“Shit,” I breathe out, running my hands through my hair.
Rock claps me on the back. “Let’s get you home.”
“We’ll sit down at the table later this afternoon,” Rooster says. “Right now, you need to get home.” He gives me a meaningful look. “See your fam.”
“We’ll follow you back to your house, then head to the clubhouse to gather the brothers,” Jigsaw promises. “Let everyone know you’re out.”
“Appreciate it, brother.”
They take off on their bikes while Rock, Teller, and I head toward Rock’s SUV.
“Feel better?” Rock asks.
“Fuck yeah. What a bunch of stupid bullshit.”
“I know how much you want to see Lilly and Chance. But the five of us should sit down and discuss everything before you go in for church later,” Rock says.
Teller pipes up from the back seat. “We should probably go to church with Z. This kind of has an effect on both clubs. Or at least has the potential to.”
“Yeah,” Rock agrees. He glances over at me. “You okay with that?”
“Of course I am. But I want someone at the house with the girls.”
“Carter’s coming down after the shop closes,” Teller says.
I roll my eyes. Carter’s a great kid, but Trinity would be far more effective if someone broke into the house.
“Dex was going to come down if you got out today too,” Rock adds.
“Cool. Thanks.”
I lean back and close my eyes. Can’t fucking wait to see Lilly and Chance.
The closer we get, the faster my heart pounds. Not used to this strange twist in my chest. I’m always happy to come home after I’ve been away for a while, but this is completely different. And it’s not the jail thing.
It’s because I have a family—a fiancé and a son that I’m coming home to.
Rock barely throws the truck in park before I open the door. Lilly races outside and flies right into my arms.
“Z,” she whispers. Hands on my chest, she rises up on tiptoes and brushes her lips against mine. The warmth of her skin, the taste of her mouth, finally reaches all the way down inside the coldness that lodged in my chest the night of the arrest.
Chapter Fifteen
Lilly
At some point, I need to let go of Z so we can go inside the house. He holds onto my hand as he jokes with Jigsaw about walking the dogs and ribs Rooster about mowing the lawn.
Outside the front door, he turns and gives me the full force of his attention. The second my gaze lands on him again, tears burn my eyes and tremors shake my body, weakening my knees.
We don’t break eye contact. So many emotions seep through me I don’t know how to sort them out. Joy, relief, desire.
“I need to hold you a little longer,” he rasps.
The guys go inside, leaving us alone out front. I’m so eager to be near Z, I practically climb his body. He touches his knuckles to my chin, tilting my head back. “I’m so happy you’re home,” I whisper, too raw to say more.
It’s only been a matter of days, but the possibility we could be separated for years had begun to weigh on me.
I was so scared to count on him coming home today.
His dark blue eyes roam my face and lower. More of a concerned examination than a sexual one.
I take the opportunity to do the same. Is he thinner? Did he eat enough? Are those circles under his eyes? Z’s never anything but the picture of masculine virility with a dash of prankster. While he continues to shine his smile on me, he still seems withdrawn or worn down. Stubble shadows his jaw and I run the back of my hand over the whiskers.
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go inside.”
“Daddy!” Chance gasps. His little wet feet slap over the tile floor. Heidi follows, trying to wrap a towel around him and finally gives up.
Z releases me and squats down to scoop Chance up when he’s within range.
Tears burn my eyes and my throat tightens to the point of pain as Z squeezes our son tight. “Missed you, buddy.”
“Are you otay?” Chanc
e asks.
“I’m fine. Were you a good boy for Mommy?”
He nods vigorously and reaches for me. “I play with Alextha. Uncle Aleth visit too.”
Z raises his eyebrows.
“It’s a long story, but he was better than I expected.” I tilt my head toward the living room. “Rock didn’t have to punch him once.”
Z shifts Chance to one arm and wraps his free one around me, snuggling both of us close. Standing completely still for a moment. Breathing us in. Chance is surprisingly patient with all the affection.
After a few quiet moments, Chance wriggles to get down and drags Z into the living room to show him the race track.
“Hey, Z. Welcome home,” Hope says.
He turns and gives her a half-hug. “Rock will have a good story about the hearing for you.”
“Oh, I bet.”
The dogs run over and immediately rat me out by jumping on the couch.
Z gives me a half-smile. “When did this happen?”
“They were glued to Lilly’s side,” Teller says. “Doing their job. They deserve a little couch surfing”
Z nudges them off the furniture where they promptly plop down on his feet and demand attention. After loving on the dogs for a few minutes, he tugs me down with him. With one arm around my waist, he draws me closer. “Missed you, pretty girl,” he says against my ear.
I pull back and the heat from his stare scorches my skin. “Missed you too. More than you know.” Shoot. I’m trying to be upbeat and happy, but I’m on the verge of tears every time I think about Z in jail.
“It’s okay, Lilly.” He kisses my temple. “Everything will be okay. I promise.”
I hope he’s right.
Z
After telling me everything he’s been up to, Chance exhausts himself into a sleepy bundle at my feet. Alexa conked out a few minutes before that. For such a tiny thing, she takes up a lot of couch.
“He was quiet and didn’t show it, but he missed you,” Lilly says, nodding at Chance.
I swallow over the painful lump in my throat. “Missed him too.”
She’s tucked up tight against my side. Hasn’t moved and it feels damn good. I lean closer. “I need you.”
