Fake (21 page)

My heart jumped into my throat. On Jax’s phone, was a photo, albeit dark and blurry, of Freddy. He sat at the bar inside the main room of ‘Blaze’, in a suit and he was clearly watching.

Waiting for me? Waiting for Ruben? It was anyone’s guess.

Ruben took the phone, glared at it like it had offended him, and handed it back. “Well why didn’t you bloody
say
anything!”

“Because you two were too busy plotting and planning, you didn’t think to stop and ask me. Fact remains, this dickhead has been casing the club every night it’s been open for about three weeks. Chances are, he’ll be there tomorrow night too. So let’s not keep talking about it because it’s pissing me off. The girls want to go shopping, and one of you two lucky, lucky guys...gets to volunteer to go with them. I don’t want any of them on their own.”

Mase looked green, “Why do we have to go? Why don’t you have to go? You’re the biggest one of us!”

He had a valid point. But Jackson smirked, “Because brother, Jase is bringing Harley back soon. Someone needs to be here with her!”

He looked so smug about it. Ruben and Mase glanced at each other and smiled, then crossed their arms over their chests.

It was almost scary how alike they looked.

“We’ll take Harley.” They said in unison.

Jax blinked.

Then blinked again.

Harper clapped her hands and stood up.

“Come on then big guy! We’re going baby shopping!”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ruben

...And that’s how I found myself dancing around the house, singing the theme tune to
Balamory
to a six month old baby.

Never, ever, ask me how I know the words.

I’ll deny it all.

She cackled, blatantly not understanding a word that came out of my mouth, but enjoying it anyway.

It was a hell of a lot better than the screaming she’d been doing half an hour before. Apparently, babies don’t look after themselves and like to be entertained.

Who knew?

I glanced to the side and cursed, covering one of Harley’s ears like that would stop her from listening.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I growled at my annoying brother, who was holding his phone out in my direction and crying with laughter.

“I
have
to get this on video. No one will ever believe me and this is just too good not to share.”

“You bastard!”

He laughed for a few minutes before the microwave ‘pinged’ in the kitchen and he ran to get Harley’s milk.

He held the bottle out to me and I shook my head.

“Hell no. It’s your turn for a bit.”

I handed the baby over to him and threw myself on the sofa. Babies are exhausting. Mase sat down on the other end of the sofa with Harley in his arms.

Jackson and the girls had left about two hours before and Jase dropped Harley back within minutes of them leaving. She’d sat in her pushchair babbling away and munching on a plastic toy of some sort and Jase had just threw her changing bag at us and called a quick ‘good luck!’ on the way out the door.

I’d shrugged, because she looked happy enough. But no, he’d left us with the
Devil.
She’d commenced her crying and screamed jag the second he shut the door and neither Mase nor I could settle her.

Until I started singing crap kids songs to her.

Which I’m still denying, by the way.

As soon as I relaxed on the sofa, my eyes felt heavy and I blinked rapidly trying to stay awake.

*~*~*

Lydia

I...freaking...LOVE...those girls.

Harper was hilarious, like almost peeing myself, hilarious. All day, she was making inappropriate comments to guys and acting like she was queen of the world. I loved her confidence - I should probably get some of that myself, but I doubt the world could cope with two people like her.

Then there was Taylor, a little quieter, a little more watchful and observant, but a nice girl all the same.

I say girls, they were women. Older than me but not by much, Harper was twenty four and Taylor was twenty seven. Regardless of the age difference, I knew I’d found two friends for life.

And seriously - they could shop.

We went from store to store like crazy women. Anything and everything that caught their eye, they bought. I was little more conservative about it because I’d never had money and I wasn’t exactly comfortable with it.

Jax, on the other hand, stood there like a personal bodyguard all day, with an icy scowl on his face. He was pissed and he didn’t want to be there, honestly it just made us giggle.

I’d just made my last purchase of the day and turned to tell Jax that we were ready to leave, when I noticed he wasn’t there - nor was Taylor. Harper stood to one side looking at a tiny black dress, but the other two had vanished. I twisted my lips, so much for not being left on our own. I called to Harper, telling her that I was just going over to the other side of the shop but she just waved me off.

I walked over in the direction I’d saw Taylor last, by the changing rooms and glanced around. The woman taking the unwanted clothes back from the customers wasn’t there - which was odd, so I gave the changing rooms a quick check.

And I knew I’d found them.

I heard a muted groan come from the last changing room and walked towards it, cringing when there was a ‘thump’.

Seriously, in a changing room!

I cleared my throat loudly and the noises stopped.

In the most official tone I could manage, I stepped right up to door and address the couple behind it.

“Excuse me? This is a public store and those activities are not permitted. Therefore, I’d appreciate it if you could please leave the premises.”

There. That ought to hurry them up.

I leant back against the wall opposite and waited with a smirk on my face. They opened the door and the guy scowled at me while the girl blushed fiercely. She muttered her apologies and scrambled past me, dragging the guy along with her.

Oh - and neither the guy, nor the girl, were Jax and Taylor.

My mouth fell open and I felt my face heat. The snickers started slowly but eventually I turned and stared in horror as Harper...with Taylor and Jackson, bent and the waist and held her stomach as she howled with laughter. Jax lips twitched and he raised an eyebrow.

“I-I-I…” I stuttered, completely humiliated.

“You, you, you...just interrupted some guy getting lucky with his girl in the changing rooms...because you thought it was me and him, right?” Taylor said, hooking her thumb in Jax’s direction.

“Um…”

Jax nodded, “I think that’s a safe bet, baby girl. It’s not a bad idea though…” He said, eyeing up the closest changing room.

Taylor patted his arm, “Don’t go getting any ideas big guy. I said you’d be rewarded for being here with us all day. I didn’t say I’d screw you in public!”

He sighed like she’d ruined his public sex dream and turned to walk away, Taylor followed.

Harper, still laughing, said, “I-I can’t believe you did that!”

“I thought it was Jax and Taylor! I was trying to be funny!” I cried.

“You were hilarious! Just for different reasons.”

I sighed and shook my head with a slight chuckle. Good end to my first day out with the girls I guess.

We all headed back to the Jax’s beautiful car and he drove us home.

*~*~*

Lugging all the bags from the car to the door was not the easiest task, but we managed it between the four of us. Jax told us to leave them all to him, but we’re twenty-first century women, so we helped.

I collided with Harper at the front door and yelped. She ‘shh’d’ me.

“What?” I whispered.

“Would you just look at that…”

The sight that greeted me in the lounge was one of the most hilariously beautiful things I’d ever seen.

There was an overturned changing bag on the floor, countless amounts of baby toys strewn around and an empty bottle haphazardly thrown at the foot of the sofa.

But what made it incredible…

Was the people spread out on the sofa, sleeping.

Ruben at one end, Mase at the other, both men had their heads thrown back as if they were exhausted. Baby Harley was curled up on Mase’s chest, supported by his hand under her bottom and she was contentedly sleeping with her thumb in her mouth.

Taylor crept forward, phone out ready to take photos and Harper and I followed. It was too cute not to keep forever.

As I clicked the third photo, Jax thumped his way through the door and dropped the bags with a ‘thud’, shaking Ruben from his slumber.

He blinked, then his eyes shot wide and he flicked his eyes around the room, realising where he was.

“Um…”

“Sleeping on the job, little brother?” Jax muttered from the doorway.

We all shared a laugh and eventually roused Mase enough for him to get up and pass Harley over to her mum.

Ruben stood and stretched his arms above his head, exposing a thin strip of flesh at the bottom of his stomach.

I purely blame the pregnancy hormones, of course, but just that little flash of skin made me want to jump him. Five weeks without him was too long.

I ached for him.

He looked towards to pile of bags we’d brought back with us.

“Well that’s not too bad, I had visions of you lot buying out the stores!”

The girls and I shared a guilty look. “Well…”

As if on demand, we heard the beeping of a vehicle reversing down the driveway and grinned, causing Ruben to roll his eyes.

He held his hands out. “I don’t even want to know.”

I giggled, feeling freer, happier, than I had in a very very long time.

I left the men to find somewhere to store the deliveries and headed to Ruben’s room. Throwing myself on the bed, I stared at the ceiling and sighed. It had been one of the best days of my life. Just shopping, talking, laughing.

It wasn’t the money.

I didn’t care about the money.

I cared about the friendships, the family.

I felt a slight twinge in my heart for Lucas. I felt guilty for not visiting him more often and only sending the odd letter. But that place was making him harder, harsher, and frankly - the place gave me the creeps.

I genuinely worried about who he would be when he was eventually released.

Definitely not the charismatic, energetic, lovable guy I’d grown up with.

I sighed again.

It was out of my control.

And I needed a nap.

So I gently stroked the skin of my lower belly and closed my eyes on a prayer.

“You’re going to have the best family in the world, little princess.”
And so am I.

*~*~*

Ruben

After spending
forever
piling boxes in the garage with my brothers, I went in search of Lydia.

The others had left to go and do their own thing and I was glad to have a bit of peace and quiet for a while. That’s the thing with keep your family a secret from your woman, I always had both of them to myself. Lydia was mine, my family was mine. Then I had to share, and as much as I loved it, I also wanted Lydia to myself for a while.

Finding her curled up in a ball on one side of my bed, I leaned back against the wall and just watched her. Sometimes it
still
surprised me that one girl, one woman, could be so damn beautiful.

And she would only ever be mine.

My heart thumped in my chest.

“Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!” I sang, as I approached the bed.

She barely stirred.

Pushing her legs straight and turning her to her back, I lowered myself over her, placed my hands on either side of her head and called to her again.

Nothing.

Giving up on waking her with words, I raised to my knees and pulled my shirt over my head. I fell to a hip, and kicked my jeans and boxers off too. I was actually pretty glad she was still sleeping because I’m sure it wasn’t a sexy move.

I placed my elbows on either side of her hips and leant down.

“Hi princess, it’s daddy. I think you’re making your mummy too tired,” I began, slowly stroking the skin of her tummy. “But take what you need, because you’re going to be the luckiest girl in the whole world.” I promised.

I smiled at myself, talking to a stomach, weirdest thing I’d ever done, but I also felt like I
had
to.

Lydia finally stirred and tried to shift her legs - difficult, considering my shoulders were between her open thighs. Her nose wrinkled in her semi-awake state, when she couldn’t move her legs and I bit my lip to hide my smile. I nipped her smooth thigh with my teeth, then kissed the same spot.

She mumbled something about sex pests and I chuckled, I did have a nasty habit of waking her up just to fuck her, but damn it! She was just too beautiful in her sleep. I was just a man, there was only so much I could handle.

“Wake-up, babe.”

“I’m awake, so do what you have to do, so I can go back to sleep.”

I stopped. Not acceptable.

She sighed, knowing full well what I was going to do.

“Oh man.”

“Uh huh. You’ve done it now. I need you awake for this. I’m not into necrophilia.”

I blew across her exposed clit and watched the shiver flown through her body. Her breathing escalated and I knew she was waiting.

She could keep waiting.

I gave her one full, slow lick from the bottom of her pussy to her clit - then blew across it again and she moaned.

“I can keep this up all night, Lydia!”

“Damn you! I’m awake ok, I’m awake!”

I repeated the process and grinned when she growled my name like a curse. Shifting her legs again, she tried to escape the hold I had on her thighs but she knew it was a futile attempt.

I licked again, making sure to add one painfully slow circle around her tiny bundle of nerves with my tongue.

Sliding my palms closer to the tops of her thighs, I spread her legs as far as she could and held them there.