Page 137 of Maximus

It had been a damn good visit but we had to get on the road.

“We should start packing up the boys,” I told Eva.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she sighed.

“Come up anytime. We loved having you,” Mel invited.

“We’ll be back,” Eva promised.

An hour later we’d said our goodbyes, passed out hugs, handshakes, and wrestled the boys into the car—a task that was only accomplished because Hope had buckled Liam and Eli into their seatbelts.

“You ready?” I asked Eva as she waved to Tex and Melody still standing on their porch.

Her pretty eyes came to mine and damn if they weren’t shining with happiness.

“So ready.”

Eva rolled up onto her toes and brushed her lips against mine. It wasn’t the time nor the place but I couldn’t stop the rush of excitement that accompanied her touch.

“Might get bumpy. Life’s full of curveballs and surprises. But no matter what, Eva, I swear I’ll be by your side.”

Eva stared up at me and graced me with one of her megawatt smiles that blazed a trail of love that haywired my brain.

“Bumps, curveballs, surprises…By your side I’m the strongest I’ve ever been—bring it.”

My fierce, strong woman was cute as fuck. With our eyes locked, my thundering laughter surrounding us, our kids waiting for us in back seat, and good friends standing nearby, I crushed my mouth to hers and didn’t give the first fuck people were watching.

Best kiss ever.

Chapter 37

Declan Crenshaw unlocked the front door and stepped into Autumn’s tiny, two bedroom cottage, and knew.

He didn’t need to search her house to know she was gone. The air was different, it lacked the electricity he felt when she was near.

The hell of it was, he’d expected this even if she’d promised she wouldn’t leave.

Autumn Pierce had a mission and no one, not even him, could stop her from obliterating her prey.

But just because he knew didn’t mean it wasn’t a kick to the gut. A sharp and acute pain that caused the left side of his chest to ache.

Declan was well aware he never should’ve touched her, never should’ve gotten as close as he had. Thad would go ballistic, Emmy would be hurt her sister had been so close for months and she’d been kept in the dark. He’d disagreed but Autumn had insisted her presence be kept a secret.

Declan took his cell out of his pocket and started to dial Tex as he made his way into the kitchen.

Empty.

Just like everything else in his life—a vast canyon of nothingness. A deep gorge that would never be filled. Not that he deserved to be replete. Hell, the reprieve he’d found in her bed hadn’t been warranted either. His only justification for the hours of bliss Autumn’s warm, soft body had provided was she’d taken what she needed from him.

Declan had never met anyone—woman or man, whose suffering had mirrored his own. Two broken souls who had no desire to be fixed. Autumn used her pain much like he used his—as a crutch to survive in a world where everyone else strived for love and happiness.

Fuck that. Once upon a time, Dec had it all. A beautiful wife who’d given him an equally beautiful daughter. But all of that was gone—torn from him in the worst way. And not a day went by, he didn’t remember it was his fault.

Dec stabbed his phone’s screen, irritation infiltrating his normal calm and calculating demeanor.

“Hey, Dec,” Tex answered. “I just sent the intel to Garrett.”

His eyes hit on a note left on the counter and annoyance grew.