AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’d like to… if that’s alright with you?” He looks down at Ella, his hard face suddenly softening into a smile.
“Sure,” Ella smiles back at him, carefully stretching up her arms and passing over our kid to Prez, and having no idea that she’s passing him a grandchild. He takes the tiny bundle in his arms so gently you’d think he was handling a grenade.
“He’s beautiful,” he tells Ella, who nods back gratefully before her eyes dart over to me. Prez moves steadily to take a seat on the couch cradling his grandson in his arms, focusing on him and nothing else. And I listen to the doc instruct Ella.
I don’t know how long I stand there and watch the scene in front of me. Trying to hold myself together and figure out how I’m gonna protect them if Prez can’t forgive me.
“Nyx,” Ella’s voice snaps me out of my trance. She’s sitting in one of the arm chairs now, our son wrapped up and in her arms. Her skin’s still flushed and covered in bruises, but she looks so much better, now she’s smiling.
“He’s perfect, isn’t he?” she says dreamily as I rest my ass on the arm of the chair and wrap an arm around her.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. That you went through this all by yourself,” I tell her. I know Prez can probably hear me, but if he hasn’t figured it out by now, I doubt he ever will.
“Where did you go, why did you leave after you got out of jail?” She looks up at me, her eyes filling back up with tears that I can’t handle seeing again.
“Because I’m an idiot.” I take her chin in my hand and kiss those lips that I’ve been craving for months. I don’t care that Prez sees, right now, giving Ella reassurance is more important than anything he’s got planned for me.
“I’m just happy he’s okay. After what happened. I was so scared.” Guilt strikes me in my gut like a lit match, burning rage through my entire body. None of this would have happened if I’d have been taking care of them like I should have been.
Prez gestures his head towards the back door of my cabin before he storms out onto the deck.
“Give me five. I’ll be right back,” I promise Ella, kissing her on her head and placing my hand over our baby boy’s chest. How is it possible that an hour ago I didn’t even know he existed? And now I’d lay my life down for him.
I follow Prez out onto the deck that overlooks the lake.
“Look Prez, me and you can hash out whatever we need to. But right now…”
“Did he do this?” he asks, cutting off the speech I had prepared.“Did the judge hurt her?”He pulls the door closed behind him so Ella can’t hear. And I nod my head back at him, clenching my fists.
“I should have…”
“She needs you.” He shocks me, and I see how much it hurts him to admit. “That girl’s been through enough tonight. So, you get back to her and give her whatever she needs.” He stares at his daughter through the glass door.“But if you ain’t waiting for me at church tomorrow morning at 9am. I swear to fucking god, Nyx, you’ll be Grimm’s next problem.”
“Prez I…” I try to start explaining.
“Save it for tomorrow.” His eyes bore into my angrily before he steps back inside.
I can’t believe my little boy is here, or that a baby could be so beautiful. He has Nyx’s eyes and the same pouty bottom lip. I’m just grateful that he’s okay after what happened back at the house.
The older guy who everyone calls Prez steps back inside the cabin after speaking to Nyx outside.
“Make a list of what you need for the kid. I’ll send one of the boys out to a 24 store,” he tells me.
“Thanks,” I smile gratefully, suddenly feeling shy. I’d been in too much pain to notice the cut he wore before, but I see it now, He’s a Dirty Soul. These people aren’t supposed to be hospitable, they’re outlaws. Yet despite his harsh expressions and the flair of danger in his pupils. This man has shown me only kindness.
“We take care of our own round here,” he tells me huskily, before walking out the front door into the darkness.
“You both warm enough?” I hear Nyx’s voice and turn my head towards him. He’s standing resting his shoulder against one of the wood beams, watching us.
“We’re fine,” I smile awkwardly. I don’t know where to even start explaining all this to him. I’ve just sprung a kid on him for Christ’s sake. And yet, he doesn't seem mad at me. Quite the opposite in fact.
He steps closer and crouches in front of us.
“If I’d known about this.” his huge tattooed hand strokes over our little boy's back. “I’d have come back.”
“I tried calling you, Nyx, I came looking for you but when I heard your charges got dropped and you vanished off the face of the earth… Why did you leave?” I feel tears starting to slide down my cheek and I’m about to wipe them away but he beats me to it.
“Ell, there is so much I got to explain to you, stuffI can’t tell you right now. But you need to understand that I would never have left you unless I had to.” I nod because despite what he’s done, a crazy part of me trusts him. Or maybe I just need to believe what he’s saying is true because I’m all out of options. Either way, I feel safe here. Safer than I have in a long time.
