Sweet Jayne (42 page)

I smirk when a shit eating grin spreads across his face. “That you knocked up your girlfriend?”

His laughter booms in the room. “God, there’s no keeping any fucking secrets between those three women.”

Scratching at my jawline with a fingertip, I narrow my eyes and regard him seriously. “You know, Jason’s a good guy.”

He picks at a piece of lint on his sweater and considers my words. “Apparently he’s the best. He’s known as Lieutenant Rhodes now,” he says with a sarcastic drawl.

“Technically he’s the second best,” I reply with a wicked grin, “Chief.”

He groans. “I hate that title.”

“But not the job.”

“No, not the job. The job’s badass, getting to tell everyone what to do. But that title reminds me of…”

Our eyes meet and we both frown.

“Dinner’s ready,” Jason’s voice booms from the doorway. “Nadia sent me to get you.”

Kasper stands and strides over to him, the trike the only thing between them. “Hey you, be straight with me, man. Are you sleeping with Kase?”

Jason’s jaw drops and he cuts his eyes to mine for support. I shrug my shoulders. Not getting in the middle of that one. “I, uh… maybe you should talk to her or something—”

His words evaporate the moment Kasper grabs him by the front of the shirt and jerks him forward. Jason stumbles over the trike and looks up at Kasper as if he’s lost his mind.

“Listen, Ghost—” Jason starts.

“No, you listen to me. That’s my baby sis in there. You fuck her up and I fuck you up. Got it, motherfucker?” Kasper’s words are a venom filled threat.

“I, uh, yes,” Jason spits out, “Jesus fucking Christ. We’re just taking it day by day, man.”

Kasper narrows his eyes at him, doing that police shit he’s so good at. After a moment of careful scrutiny, he releases Jason’s collar. “Don’t hurt her.”

Jason growls as he straightens his shirt. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Little Kass interrupts their exchange from the doorway, clearly annoyed the trike is in her way. Her little button nose scrunches up and she whines. She reaches up her chubby arms for Jason. Without hesitation, he scoops her up and rescues her from the obstacle in her way. When she lays her head on his chest and rubs her eyes, Jason smiles.

“Look, man,” Kasper says with a huff of resignation, shocking Jason and I both. “I’m just happy to see your ugly mug smiling again. You, after Ash and the baby. And her, after Taylor, and then that monster Logan. I just want you
both
to be happy.”

“Here’s to hoping.” Jason nods, with a very sleepy toddler in his arms, and walks away. When he’s gone, I let out a laugh.

“You’re an asshole. You knew?”

He rolls his eyes. “I’m a perceptive asshole. Of course I fucking knew. I knew the moment she started dropping in for surprise visits to see me a few months ago. Kasey sees me every day. She and the kids live with me and Ames, for crying out loud. Kase didn’t come to see me. Apparently she’s been lusting after the good lieutenant.”

I pick up the trike and move it from the doorway before turning to regard him. “You turned out okay, kid.”

He slaps at my back as we start out the door. “So did you, Donovan.”

Together we make our way back to our family—an unusual combination of blood, friendship, and unbreakable bonds between a group of unlikely people.

As we gather around the table, I pull Nadia into my arms with her back pressed against my chest and kiss the top of her head. Her hair smells of garlic from cooking and I want to bury my face in it. If all these people weren’t here, I’d do just that. Of course we’d be naked too.

“She’s kicking,” Nadia purrs, her voice thick with happiness.

I splay my hands across her swollen belly. My daughter rolls around inside and a thrill shoots its way straight to my heart.

“I love you, sweet Jayne.”

Her hands cover mine and she rubs her thumbs across them. “Yo tambien. Te quiero, mi amor.”

Most days, I don’t know what the hell she says when she speaks in her native tongue. For all I know, she could have told me she had a craving for dill pickles and chocolate ice cream.

But I
hear
.

I always
hear
.

It never fails to send the same message to me no matter what she says.

I fucking love you too, Donovan Jayne.

Three years after rescue…

The cold metal table under my forearms causes me to shiver. I’m nervous to see him today. It’s not like I haven’t been to the supermax US penitentiary in Florence County before, where Logan is serving two consecutive life sentences. In fact, I come about once a month unless I’ve been informed Logan is in solitary for doing something stupid, like fighting. Today, though, I’m good for a visit and my nerves are shot.

It’s just Logan. Breathe.

Closing my eyes, I let my mind drift to happier times before his actions caught up with him.

“My kids already in bed?” Logan’s deep voice rumbles, startling me awake on the couch.

I sit up and glance at the clock. It’s after midnight. When my eyes find his, my heart sinks. He looks terrible tonight. Something is weighing heavily on him.

“Come sit,” I urge.

He kicks off his shoes and yanks off his tie before slumping down on the couch. Once he’s settled, I straddle his lap and palm his cheeks. His dark eyes, shame flickering in them, find mine.

“What happened?”

He tears his gaze away from me and focuses on my hair as he tucks some loose strands behind my ears. “Donovan came over, looking for Nadia. Things got pretty bad. The house is all fucked up.”

My heart thunders in my chest. This is what she and I have been working toward. We need for people to notice we’re here. Sounds like all her hard work is paying off.

With a frown, careful not to let my hope shine through, I regard him. “Logan, baby, it’s just Donovan. What’s he going to do? You already said you announced your engagement. They can’t tear your house apart on assumptions. Nadia is convincing is she not?”

He nods. “Yeah. Your brother is getting nosy though.” When his eyes meet mine again, he swallows. “I’m sorry. I know it upsets you to talk about him.”

I run my fingers through his hair and kiss him. “Stop worrying so much. Nadia is obsessed with being your wife and living up there in the house. She doesn’t even care about Junior. There’s no way she’ll leave you or alert anyone to the fact we’re down here.”

He hugs me to him and buries his face against my chest. “I love you, Kasey. You have to know that.”

And I do. At one time, I didn’t understand how. But after all this time, I feel his love for me. I don’t understand him when he loses control or becomes abusive. I don’t see how keeping us captive in his basement is okay in his mind. I certainly don’t get how he can fuck two women exclusively and be at ease with that.

But I do feel his love. It’s strange. It’s dark. It’s wrong. Yet it’s there.

“I love you too,” I assure him. This too is true. Nadia despises his very existence but that’s because her heart always belonged to someone else. Mine belonged to Taylor until he left me. Now, I feel like Logan owns it through and through. The day I held baby Tay in my arms, my heart became inexplicably intertwined with Logan’s.

“Do you need anything for the kitchen? Clothes for the kids? Toys? I can pick some things up next time I’m out,” he says, his tone gruff as he clutches onto my ass.

I look past him at my home. The basement has long been converted into a comfortable living space. We have a nice bathroom with a bathtub where I bathe the kids. A small kitchen complete with a range, oven, sink, and refrigerator. There’s a bedroom off the living room with enough places to sleep for everyone. Nadia and I used to share the bed until she moved upstairs. This is my home. It’s small and I can’t leave, but I do okay here.

“I need…” he trails off as he tugs at the hem of my dress.

I lift my arms and allow him to peel it from me. He unlatches my bra and tosses it away. Ever since Nadia had Van, we’ve stuck to our plan. She provokes him so he’ll leave me and the kids alone. Not once has he ever laid a finger on our children, but we don’t give him a chance. Of course he and I have had sex over the past few years but it’s different than in the beginning. It’s consensual and actually enjoyable.

“God, you’re so beautiful, doll.”

My cheeks warm as he lowers me down on the couch beside him. I watch with an eagerness I can’t explain as this beautiful demon of a man strips down and reveals his perfect body to me. He then peels away my panties before climbing on top of me.

“Don’t forget the condom,” I murmur.

He frowns but pulls one from the pocket of his slacks. Once he’s sheathed, he spreads me open. I let out a soft gasp when he pushes his length inside of me. “I want to have another baby with you. Nadia hasn’t gotten pregnant again. Maybe I’ll take her to a doctor soon to get her checked out, now that everyone in town knows she’s my fiancée. But until then, maybe we could try again.”

A flare of jealousy thunders in my chest but I quickly push away those senseless thoughts. Nadia is my partner. Not my enemy. Logan just confuses me sometimes.

“Kassie is too little. I can barely take care of her by myself. Maybe in another few months, okay?”

He agrees with a slight nod before crashing his lips to mine. Our bodies, completely used to one another after a decade of being together, melt into one. His cock hits me in all the right spots as he makes love to me. A delicious and long overdue orgasm slices through me and I bite my lip to keep from crying out and waking the kids. He groans as his cock throbs within me. Then, he relaxes and buries his face against my neck.

“I’m sorry this isn’t your ideal life, Kasey. But this is mine. Having you and my children here together. I’m happy, doll.”

I hug him to me. “I’m happy too.” And in this exact moment, that’s not a lie. With his heart thundering in his chest against mine, I find peace. Even if only for a little while.

A buzzer sounds and I jolt back to the present. Another shiver courses through me the moment I know his eyes are on me. I look over my shoulder and see his massive, shackled frame hobbling over to me. Darkness has settled over him and a scowl mars his handsome face. He looks just like Kass when she doesn’t get her way. Once he’s settled in his seat, the guard walks away to give us some privacy.

“Hey,” I whisper.

His coffee-colored eyes flit to my lips and he cracks a small smile. “Hey, beautiful. Your hair’s getting longer.”

I absently tug at a strand and my hand trembles. When my gaze finds his, he’s frowning again.

“What’s going on? Kass and Tay okay?” The overprotective, fatherly growl warms my heart. He’ll always be their dad. Always.

“Yeah, they’re fine. Taylor had to do a report about his father in his class…” I trail off.

Shame flashes across Logan’s face and my heart aches a little. “And what did he say?”

I reach across and briefly skim my fingertips over his cuffed hands before bringing them back to my lap. Lifting the paper Tay drew, I slide it across the table. “He still brags to anyone who’ll listen about how you’re the best Minecraft creeper killer in Colorado. When the kids asked how you got so good, he told them because you used to be a cop and learned at the academy. Apparently they all think that is cool.”

We both smile.

When he looks down at the paper, his jaw clenches and a tear rolls out splashing it. I want to hug him and comfort him but it’s simply not allowed.

“Who’s the little monster with the wild hair he drew that’s frowning?” he asks, his voice choked with emotion.

I laugh and point to Tay’s rendering of Kass. “That’d be your baby girl. She’s kind of a terror these days.”