Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
She wasn’t responsible for her brother’s actions. She’d never hurt me or the club. And despite how deeply Tripp’s betrayal had cut me, using an innocent woman felt profoundly wrong.
The issue wasn’t if I could complete the plan; the issue was what it said about me if I did.
The Redline Kings didn’t operate like that. Our code had always been crystal clear: we never targeted innocents or used uninvolved family members as collateral damage. Kane had built this club on loyalty, honor, and a clear moral line—even within the world we occupied—and I’d never crossed it before. The realization that I’d even considered doing so unsettled me deeply.
Then yesterday, I overheard Savannah and Ashlynn talking quietly in the clubhouse lounge. With Kane and Axle away on a run, both women were exhausted. Savannah was eight months pregnant, clearly needing rest, while Ashlynn was juggling a three-month-old infant. Both dealing with that, along with Kylan and Mylo, who were both just shy of two and into everything. Seeing their fatigue, I had immediately volunteered to take the boys for the afternoon, offering them a break and making their day a little easier.
It wasn’t unusual for me to do that. All of us stepped in to take care of the kids when needed, because that was what family did. And if we didn’t take care of the old ladies, their men would flay the rest of us alive.
Savannah and Ashlynn had gratefully handed the kids over without a second thought. But the timing wasn’t accidental. I’d made that decision partly because I’d known Aubrey would be at the park today. It felt like fate had handed me exactly what I needed.
Yet as I drove closer to the beach, each mile brought more doubt and an increasing sense of disgust with myself. This wasn’t who I was, and it definitely wasn’t who I wanted to become. Even thinking about manipulating Aubrey felt cowardly and fundamentally opposed to the man I had always tried to be.
By the time I pulled into the parking lot and brought the SUV to a stop, my mind was made up. The plan was over—I couldn’t do it. I would take the boys to the playground, watch them enjoy their afternoon, get them ice cream afterward, and then go home. Aubrey would never even know I’d been here. No manipulation or hidden agendas. Just an afternoon with two rambunctious toddlers, helping out their tired mothers and letting the rest of it go.
As I climbed out of the SUV, the boys were already arguing excitedly about who would go down the slide first. I chuckled, rounding the vehicle to open the door for them. When I opened it, the boys had worked themselves into another argument.
“Kylan pushed me.”
“I didn’t.”
“He did.”
“You stole my truck.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
I rubbed my forehead and muttered, “For fuck’s sake.”
Two sets of little eyes blinked up at me, and I sighed. Shit. “Sorry. Uncle Blitz forgot little ears are listening.”
Mylo grinned. “You said fuck.”
I closed my eyes briefly. Double shit.
“Yeah.” I sighed to myself. “That’s my fault.”
Kylan cocked his little head to the side, his expression thoughtful. “Can I say it?”
“No.”
His tone was indignant when he asked, “Why not?”
“Because your mom will murder me.”
That answer seemed to satisfy him. For now.
I unbuckled both boys and lifted them out, one after the other. Their hands immediately found mine, and we started toward the playground. As I scanned my surroundings, my entire world suddenly shifted on its axis.
Aubrey stood near the swings, a smile lighting her face as she carefully helped a child onto the seat. Seeing her, my carefully made decision began to fracture at the edges.
Attraction surged, hitting hard enough to momentarily blur out the background noise of the playground and the laughter of children around me. I hadn’t expected this intense, overwhelming wave of desire that narrowed my attention to the woman standing just yards away.
Aubrey was captivating, her chestnut-brown hair spilling softly over her shoulders, catching hints of sunlight that turned the strands golden. The photo hadn’t even begun to capture the warmth in her expression or the gentle ease with which she smiled at the child beside her.
I felt my body respond instantly, a rush of heat tightening every muscle as my heart rate quickened. Unbidden, images began slipping through my mind—visions of her spread across my sheets, naked and glistening, her dark hair framing flushed cheeks and those clear blue eyes heavy with pleasure. I imagined her wearing one of my old shirts, nothing else beneath it, the fabric just long enough to tease and tempt me. I pictured sliding it off her shoulders, baring her soft skin to my touch, her body arching beneath my hands as she whispered my name. Looking up at me with those beautiful eyes while I got lost in the sounds she'd make for me as I buried myself inside her again and again.