reminded me of home?
No, they are my home.
Both of them?
How could I think that?
“Precious, you look exhausted. Let’s get you home.” Upon my nod, Caden picked up my forgotten backpack from the ground and steered me toward his Harley. After loading my items in his side-saddle, he asked where I lived. Thankfully, it wasn’t far from school. Once I informed him, he straddled his seat and patted the space behind him. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have climbed on behind him. But being Caden, or even if it were Eli, they both knew what I was comfortable with. So, as soon as I was seated, I placed my arms at his waist when he fired up his beauty. Finally, a smile lit my face as we pulled out of the park and rode off. It had been too long, too long since I was on a bike, and too long since I felt safe, surrounded in warmth from the two most important men in my life.
Chapter Five
J osie
I had forgotten Parker was home, so when I silently led Caden and Eli into our apartment, I let out a startled gasp when my eyes landed on Parker casually sitting on the lounge chair watching the television. Only I wished I had kept my mouth shut tight, because in the next second, I was moved out of the way, behind the frame of Eli and into the arms of Caden, while Eli took out his pistol and pointed it at Parker.
“Who in the fuck are you?” Eli demanded.
As if he were bored, Parker raised one brow and looked calmly back at Eli as if having a gun pointed at him was the norm. “I could ask the same question.” He glanced over Eli’s shoulder to meet my shocked gaze. “You bringing trouble around here again, woman?”
“Don’t fuckin’ look at her,” Eli barked.
Parker rolled his eyes and stood.
“Eli,” I uttered. “Please.”
Eli took in my tone, a tone that told him he was in the wrong and stood straight, lowering his gun. I puffed out a stressed breath.
What else would the day scare me with?
“Name’s Parker. I own this place and live here when I’m not working. Now what has the little girl brought home with her?”
Little girl?
I could swear I was only a couple of years younger than him.
Caden’s hands, which I hadn’t noticed, fell from my shoulders as he stepped around me. “Name’s Pick, this is Billy. We ride with Hawks MC Club and heard Josie had some trouble. We’re here to fix it.”
They’d heard?
How?
I watched as Parker actually smirked. “Good to see someone has her back.” He looked to me and asked, “How’d someone like you get involved with an MC Club?”
Eli chose to answer for me. “She’s our prez’s sister-in-law.”
Parker raised his brow again. “So many things I don’t know about you, kid.”
With a tight smile, I shrugged. “I could say the same for you, Parker.”
He laughed. “That you could.”
“Why haven’t you helped Josie before?” Eli asked in a rough tone.
“Eli,” I scolded.
“No, it’s all good. I’m not around much. When that dick came here, I helped get rid of him, but I’m not her babysitter. I couldn’t follow her around and even if I wanted to, I had shit to deal with myself.”
“Parker, I would never expect you—”
“Honey, it killed me to see the pain in your eyes. I wanted to help. I wanted to follow you and beat the shit out of anyone who did you wrong. But I was hardly here and when I wasn’t here, it ate me up inside thinkin’ of the crap you were going through. You’re a beautiful star, Josie, you don’t deserve any of it.”
Goodness gracious.
It was the most I had heard Parker talk and what he’d said blew me away. Never would I have thought Parker thought of me while he was away.
Looking to the floor with heated cheeks, I said, “You did help. You kept our home safe for me to be myself. For me to have a place I could feel protected in and for that, I thank you.”
“No need for thanks, kid.” Looking up, I saw a smirk upon his face. “I see I lost a chance that I never really had, but
No, they are my home.
Both of them?
How could I think that?
“Precious, you look exhausted. Let’s get you home.” Upon my nod, Caden picked up my forgotten backpack from the ground and steered me toward his Harley. After loading my items in his side-saddle, he asked where I lived. Thankfully, it wasn’t far from school. Once I informed him, he straddled his seat and patted the space behind him. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have climbed on behind him. But being Caden, or even if it were Eli, they both knew what I was comfortable with. So, as soon as I was seated, I placed my arms at his waist when he fired up his beauty. Finally, a smile lit my face as we pulled out of the park and rode off. It had been too long, too long since I was on a bike, and too long since I felt safe, surrounded in warmth from the two most important men in my life.
Chapter Five
J osie
I had forgotten Parker was home, so when I silently led Caden and Eli into our apartment, I let out a startled gasp when my eyes landed on Parker casually sitting on the lounge chair watching the television. Only I wished I had kept my mouth shut tight, because in the next second, I was moved out of the way, behind the frame of Eli and into the arms of Caden, while Eli took out his pistol and pointed it at Parker.
“Who in the fuck are you?” Eli demanded.
As if he were bored, Parker raised one brow and looked calmly back at Eli as if having a gun pointed at him was the norm. “I could ask the same question.” He glanced over Eli’s shoulder to meet my shocked gaze. “You bringing trouble around here again, woman?”
“Don’t fuckin’ look at her,” Eli barked.
Parker rolled his eyes and stood.
“Eli,” I uttered. “Please.”
Eli took in my tone, a tone that told him he was in the wrong and stood straight, lowering his gun. I puffed out a stressed breath.
What else would the day scare me with?
“Name’s Parker. I own this place and live here when I’m not working. Now what has the little girl brought home with her?”
Little girl?
I could swear I was only a couple of years younger than him.
Caden’s hands, which I hadn’t noticed, fell from my shoulders as he stepped around me. “Name’s Pick, this is Billy. We ride with Hawks MC Club and heard Josie had some trouble. We’re here to fix it.”
They’d heard?
How?
I watched as Parker actually smirked. “Good to see someone has her back.” He looked to me and asked, “How’d someone like you get involved with an MC Club?”
Eli chose to answer for me. “She’s our prez’s sister-in-law.”
Parker raised his brow again. “So many things I don’t know about you, kid.”
With a tight smile, I shrugged. “I could say the same for you, Parker.”
He laughed. “That you could.”
“Why haven’t you helped Josie before?” Eli asked in a rough tone.
“Eli,” I scolded.
“No, it’s all good. I’m not around much. When that dick came here, I helped get rid of him, but I’m not her babysitter. I couldn’t follow her around and even if I wanted to, I had shit to deal with myself.”
“Parker, I would never expect you—”
“Honey, it killed me to see the pain in your eyes. I wanted to help. I wanted to follow you and beat the shit out of anyone who did you wrong. But I was hardly here and when I wasn’t here, it ate me up inside thinkin’ of the crap you were going through. You’re a beautiful star, Josie, you don’t deserve any of it.”
Goodness gracious.
It was the most I had heard Parker talk and what he’d said blew me away. Never would I have thought Parker thought of me while he was away.
Looking to the floor with heated cheeks, I said, “You did help. You kept our home safe for me to be myself. For me to have a place I could feel protected in and for that, I thank you.”
“No need for thanks, kid.” Looking up, I saw a smirk upon his face. “I see I lost a chance that I never really had, but
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