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“Left him a message. Figure he’s out in the wilderness somewhere and will get back to me when he’s in cell range.”
“Sounds about right for him. Last time I talked to him, he mentioned something about some job in Alaska.”
“So it’ll be a fucking while. Great.”
“But you got me. Soon as I go break this guy’s kneecaps, I’ll be on my way. You got somewhere I can stay?”
“Got an entire house, as long as you don’t mind rooming with me and a baby.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time. See you soon, brother.”
He hangs up, and I'm left staring at my phone, a mixture of relief and anxiety churning in my gut. Diesel's coming. That's good. He's a solid guy, handy in a fight, and someone I trust with my life. But bringing him here also means bringing the danger closer to Emily and Charlie. It's a calculated risk, but one I have to take.
I hear a soft whimper from the other room. Charlie's awake. I hurry to the nursery, hoping to get to him before his cries wake Emily. As I enter the room, I see his little face scrunched up, ready to wail. I scoop him up, cradling him against my chest.
"Hey, little man," I whisper. "Uncle Hunter's got you."
The words feel strange on my tongue. Uncle Hunter. Or, really, dad. I'm still not used to any of it. Charlie settles against me, his tiny fist gripping my shirt. I rock him gently, pacing the room.
"We're gonna be okay," I murmur, more to myself than to Charlie. "We've got help coming. We'll figure this out."
I hope.
Because my life has never more resembled a house of cards than it does in this moment. Every second, Moretti and his men get closer, and the people I care about get closer to death.
Charlie gurgles softly, and I look down at his innocent face. He does not know the peril he's in, how close death lurks. Neither does Emily. She’s still fast asleep on the couch. Part of me wants her to wake up, to see her smile and feel her touch. But the larger part knows it's better if she stays asleep, oblivious to the danger surrounding us. I've faced dangerous situations before, but never with so much at stake.
One wrong move, one moment of carelessness, and it could all come crashing down.
Unless I stop it.
I make a final phone call.
“Hunter? It’s early. What is it?”
“No more small jobs. No more fucking around with Ninja Turtles. I want in.”
Charlie burps and giggles.
“Was that you?”
I shake my head, even though I’m on the damn phone. “No. That was my baby. It’s morning, and he’s gassy, but that’s not the point. I’m done with the small jobs. With the errands. I want your backing to join the MC, so whatever I have to do, you figure it out and I’ll do it.”
“One big job? You sure you know what you’re asking?”
“One big job. And I’ve never been more sure in my life.”
A pause, then a sigh, as if he’s hesitating, as if I don’t know what I’m asking. But I’m well aware of what I’m asking, and why I’m asking, too — I’m holding my reason in my arms.
“OK, Hunter. We’ll be in touch soon, and you had better be ready. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Emily
My alarm wakes me out of the deepest sleep I’ve had in forever. It almost doesn’t feel real, especially after everything that happened yesterday. It seems wrong that I’d sleep so well after finding a death threat carved into my car by my psychotic ex and then making the nerve-wracking decision to ask Harper for help getting a gun. I still can’t believe I did that, but in a way, I can. If I’m going to be anywhere near Hunter or Charlie, I have to protect them from the craziness in my life. I refuse to let Jay continue to victimize me or anyone I care about. If he thinks he can come after me, he’s going to learn a scary lesson.
“You’re up,” Hunter says. He’s standing in the kitchen, Charlie held in one arm, cup of coffee in the other. There’s so much contrast in that — a man who looks at home in a war zone, carrying guns and wearing leather, yet looking perfectly at ease doing something so peaceful and domestic as carrying a baby — that it makes my breath come short. “Coffee?”
