Axe dropped her off and drove home. It’d been a night of mixed emotions for him. Holding and comforting Charity had sparked something inside him he couldn’t explain. He didn’t know the child, but he’d been concerned for her safety and the way she felt. He hadn’t wanted her to be afraid of him. And when she’d said she didn’t want Beau around her, anger had flared up inside him and he’d wished he could’ve beaten the shit out of the man before Banger had put a bullet into his skull.
Axe went quietly into the bedroom and slipped out of his clothes. Slipping between the sheets, he smiled when Baylee mumbled something in her sleep. He scooted close to her and rested his hand on her belly. She’s got our kid growing inside her. For the first time since she’d told him the news, a thread of happiness unfurled inside him. He actually wanted this baby, and that thought blew him away. And something deep inside him assured him he’d be nothing like is mom or dad; he’d love his child no matter what.
“What time is it?” Baylee’s sleepy voice startled him.
“Almost four.”
“You’re back real late. Is everything okay?” She turned around and faced him.
“Yeah. Everything’s good.” He dipped his head down and kissed her tenderly. “I love you, baby.”
A smile flicked across her lips, and she brought her hand to his cheeks and stroked it. “I love you too.”
Rubbing her stomach, he kissed her again. “I’m happy about the baby,” he muttered against her lips.
“You are? Really?”
“Really, babe.”
Hugging him, she kissed his throat. “I’ve waited to hear you say that. Even though we didn’t plan it, this baby is a wonderful gift.”
“Yeah. You gotta hurry with the house plans. I want the best for our son.”
“Or daughter.” She chuckled. “I’m almost done with the plans, but we can wait until the spring to start building. The baby won’t come until July.”
He squeezed her and pressed her closer. Fuck. I’m gonna be a dad. Life can be so damn unexpected. He hadn’t expected to fall in love with Baylee and now he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it. He hadn’t planned on being a father, but now he was going to be one.
Yeah… sometimes life can be pretty fuckin’ awesome.
Holding her close, he shut his eyes and let sleep take him away.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Garret
I hate needing a fix so badly that I’m breaking into Brighter Lives to steal shit. Garret cut the glass easily, slipped his hand inside, and unlocked the window. He hoisted himself up and climbed through. Moving the flashlight around, he made his way down the stairs to the basement. He was supposed to steal the toys, but when he saw the sheer volume of them, he figured it’d take him hours to drag them upstairs and load them into his van.
“Why the fuck didn’t he come and help? He’s the one who has the problem with Christmas.” His heartbeat raced as sweat coated his body. He needed a fix real bad, and he couldn’t wait anymore. The money promised to him after he stole the toys was just a few miles away.
Licking his lips, he paced the length of the room. Stopping, he rammed his hands into his pockets, digging for any loose change or bills. Nothing. He was dead broke. Mostly every dollar he earned or panhandled went to support his meth habit. Two days before, he’d gone to Bridgewater’s farm to buy a few bags, but the whole damn place had been destroyed, and there was yellow tape and cops swarming the grounds. He’d high tailed it out of there. He didn’t need any trouble with the cops.
He kept pacing, thoughts whirling through his mind. The memory of seeing the lawyer at Brighter Lives the week before made his head throb. She’d called out his name a few times, but he’d pretended he hadn’t heard and got the hell out of there as fast as he could. He’d been shocked to see her. And driving to Durango and Pueblo to sell the shit he gave to him made him sweat even more.
Garret had become a slave to a demented person who enjoyed watching children cry. The madman had taken a good holiday and twisted it into something evil and painful. Even though Garret hadn’t been home for Christmas in a few years, his mom and sisters always sent him gifts, and he always called them to wish them a Merry Christmas. The bastard’s sick as hell, but he pays well. So, Garret pawned items in neighboring town and cities, got rid of what wouldn’t sell, and found himself in the basement of Brighter Lives contemplating on what to do with all the toys. If he didn’t destroy them, the man wouldn’t pay him and he needed a fix so badly he could taste it.
Abruptly, he stopped. He took out his lighter and went over to a pile of dolls in shiny boxes. Ripping them open, he threw the cardboard on the floor. He lit the dolls’ dresses and then the cardboard boxes and smiled when they caught fire. He systematically did that with all of the toys and boxes. As the fire caught, he rushed around the basement looking for paper, gathering it in his arms and throwing it on the fire. Soon the smoke began to grow thick and he rushed up the stairs and climbed out. As he pulled away from the building, the alarms screamed. In his rearview mirror, he saw the golden glow from the basement windows, and he turned into a dark alley when he heard the wail of fire truck sirens in the distance.
Garret drove slowly down the alley, not wanting to draw any attention to him. Driving farther and farther away from the sirens, he made his way to their meeting point. He’d get the money first then tell the man how he’d ruined Christmas for the needy boys and girls. After that, he’d call Reggie and see if he had some meth he could buy. He couldn’t wait until he was back in his room, the rush of crystal surging through his body. There was nothing like it.
And the man knew it.
It was how he controlled him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cara
“I can’t believe someone would set fire to Brighter Lives. What’s wrong with people?” Lindi asked.
“The good thing is it was after hours and no one got hurt,” Joseph said.
Cara went around her dining room table pouring coffee in the board’s mugs. Joseph had called an emergency meeting, and Cara offered to host it at her house since the building had been closed down by the fire department.
“It looked like whoever did it was targeting the toys. The fire chief said that’s where it started. It’s appalling.” Torey stirred sugar into her mug.
Evan shook his head. “With the benefit only a day away, it’s going to be a sad affair for the children we invited to come. We don’t have any toys to give out, and we don’t have the budget to replace them. It took us weeks to get what we had.”
“No worries. I spoke to Banger and he and the other guys are madder than hornets. He said that they’re going to take care of it,” Belle said.
“What does that mean?” Joseph asked.
“It means there will be toys for all the kids we invited to the event and plenty more for the others next week,” Addie replied.
“How is that possible?” Lindi asked.
Cara laughed. “Don’t ask how. Just know that if the Insurgents say it’ll happen, it will.”
“What a relief,” Torey said. “Since we have that solved, I’ll grab myself a sweet roll. When I came over, my stomach was in knots. Knowing that the kids will have their toys makes me very happy. Tell the men thank you so very much.”