Because of him, I’d lost pieces of myself. Important, vital pieces. Pierce had broken me in a way I didn’t know could ever be repaired. The people that cared for me, loved me, they deserved all of me in return. Something I didn’t know I would ever be able to give.
He needed to pay for that. I didn’t care how sick and twisted it made me, but I wanted him to hurt while that payment was being dished out.
I don’t know how long I lay there, staring into darkness, but I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes again there was no low hum of the TV coming from the living room. The place was completely silent. I checked my phone. 2:30 a.m.
I reached out for my son, but the space beside me was empty.
Panic tore through me, and I shoved back the blankets, racing to the living room.
It was dimly lit, the lamp beside the couch the only light on in the big room. Hunter lay on the couch on his back, bare-chested, eyes closed. Josh lay on him, thumb in his mouth, out cold, his little face tucked under Hunter’s chin. Hunter’s muscular, inked arms wrapped around my boy, protective and strong. Perfect.
My gaze lifted back to Hunter. His eyes were open.
“Hey,” I whispered.
“Hey,” he said back.
“Did he wake?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks for taking care of him.”
He just stared at me, then shook his head and held out a hand. “Come here.”
I went to him, climbed onto the couch beside them. Hunter wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side. One arm around me, one around Josh. My heart squeezed, but it wasn’t in pain; it was in happiness. I turned into him and kissed his pec. “I missed you.”
His arm got tighter. “Missed you, too.”
We were silent for a while. I absorbed his heat, the comfort he was giving me. Then I tilted my head back, looking up at him. “What’s going on between Neco and Ruby?”
“Don’t know. She likes to mess with him, and he’s a glutton for punishment.”
“Oh.” I thought about that for a bit. “I think Neco’s attracted to her.”
“Maybe.”
“No maybe about it.”
“Something happen?”
“Let’s just say, he couldn’t hide it,” I said against his shoulder.
He chuckled. “Shit.”
“Yep.”
He was quiet again for a little while then gave me another squeeze, and said into my hair, “You doing okay?”
“Yeah.” Things were far from okay, and we both knew it, but for now, this moment—I was more than okay. I was content. For the first time in a very long time.
I snuggled closer, wrapped my arm around both my boys, and closed my eyes.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Hunter
I woke to wet fingers slapping my forehead.
Opening my eyes, I looked up to see Josh, who was supporting himself with a hand on my head, leaning over, face so close to his mother’s they were touching noses. “Wake up!” he yelled.
Lulu’s eyes popped open. She blinked a couple times before a huge smile spread across her face. Shit, the woman was gorgeous. She grabbed Josh around the waist and pulled him closer, tickling him. Our son lost it, laughing his ass off and wriggling like crazy. Lulu chuckled and I couldn’t stop the huge-assed grin that spread across my face. I could get used to waking up like this every morning. My woman, my son tucked in beside me, safe—happy.
Having to leave her last night had sucked, but we’d gotten a line on Pierce. The stupid fuck still hadn’t left New York. He either had some seriously big balls or was fucked in the head, because he’d been spotted at the funeral yesterday. He’d stayed back, obviously disguised, but he’d been there, outside the church. The cops had gone after him, but he’d gone underground. He’d screwed himself, not running, not getting as far from Lulu as he could, when he could.
The guy’s only hope now was staying low and waiting for the dust to settle, then making a break for it. I wouldn’t let that happen, though. I had too much to lose now. And that sick fuck was a threat to the two people that mattered most to me.
Lulu quit tickling, and Josh scrambled off the couch and over to his toy cars. She shifted to her side then lifted up on her elbow, looking down at me. Her eyes shone, bright and beautiful. She was looking at me in a way she hadn’t for a fucking long time. Some of that pain that she wore like armor was gone. She still had a way to go, but there was a lightness there that made my gut clench. Shit, she took my breath away.
The last week she’d been grieving—hell, she’d been in shock. As much as I wanted her straining beneath me, I’d have to be the biggest kind of asshole to expect that from her. So I let her be.