Page 54 of Peaks and Promises

But from the corner of my eye, I noticed her steal a glance at me. She nibbled on her lower lip, and for the second time that day, I had an unexpected and very inconvenient hard-on with her kid only feet away.

Damn it.

I shifted in my seat, hoping she hadn’t noticed the effect she was having on me. It was going to take some serious discipline to pose as her husband without letting things get out of hand.

But I was a professional. It was all part of the job.

A volunteer job, but a job nonetheless.

The tires ate up the miles, bringing us closer to Tilikum. Closer to people who were not going to be happy to see me.

Things were about to get very interesting.

CHAPTER 13

Reese

We made it to Echo Creek, a town about half an hour from Tilikum, when I decided to stop for the night. It probably wouldn’t have mattered if we’d rolled into town after dark, but there was a part of me that wanted to face it in the daylight.

Probably stupid, but after two very long days on the road, no one complained when we stopped.

I went to bed listening to the soft sounds of Summer and Nate breathing in the bed next to me. Thinking about what we were about to do, and whether I was an idiot for getting myself in so deep.

The posing as a family thing was probably overkill. What were the chances Axel and his asshole buddies would bother looking hard enough to find her 1,500 miles away? And even if they tried, how would they succeed?

And yet, as reasonable as that sounded, and as much as I wanted to believe that Summer and Nate would be safe, my gut told me it wasn’t over.

I knew all too well how guys like Axel thought. He’d take their disappearance as an affront to his manhood. And when one member was disrespected, the whole club took it personally.

But in the short term, Mayhem wasn’t my biggest problem. I was just outside my hometown, and a long-dreaded reckoning loomed on the horizon.

I woke early, as usual. Summer and Nate were sound asleep, and he’d pulled most of the covers onto his side of the bed, leaving her with only a scrap of sheet. I didn’t want to risk waking them, but she looked cold. Even in sleep, her brow was creased, and she was tucked into a ball.

Gently, I loosened the cover and tugged it across the bed. Nate shifted but didn’t wake. I settled the blanket over Summer, resisting the urge to lean in and inhale. Or worse, press my lips to her forehead to soothe all those worries she carried.

Not my place.

Anticipation thrummed through me as I grabbed my phone and stepped outside into the early morning light. I needed to get it over with, but the call I was about to make was only the beginning. I had to face them, and it was best to get it done sooner rather than later.

Still, it was hard even just to dial her number.

I did it anyway.

Her voice was clear when she answered. No hint of sleepiness. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mom.”

“Reese.” She sounded understandably surprised. I’d talked to her a few days ago, and I usually went months before calling again. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I’m…here.”

Her gasp was audible. “Here in town?”

“Almost. I stopped for the night in Echo Creek.”

“When can we see you?”

We. Rubbing the back of my neck, I closed my eyes for a moment. “I was thinking this morning, but—”