Page 81 of Unmasked Prophecy
He grins. “Come on. Let’s get the kid to the fair before she busts a top.”
I laugh, climbing off his lap.
I could get used to this.
The family life.
Being with these two forever.
How did I get so lucky?
THE FAIRGROUNDS AREa riot of color and sound, the air thick with the sweet smell of cotton candy and popcorn. Lily’s eyes are wide, taking it all in, her wonder contagious as she pulls us from ride to ride, her small hands gripping ours. Talon’s arms are full of stuffed toys, fairy floss, and other bright and useless things she has managed to convince him to buy.
The two of them go on a fast ride, and I watch with laughter as Talon’s face twists, looking less than impressed by the speed.
Big tough biker, huh?
“Did you see him?” Lily laughs after it, her hair wild and her cheeks flushed. “He was going to vomit!”
I grin at Talon, who’s looking a little less steady on his feet than usual. “I saw,” I say, biting back a laugh. “I think he needs a break.”
“No way!” Talon protests, but the playful glint in his eyes gives him away. “I’m just gettin’ started.”
“Then let’s go!” Lily pulls us toward the Ferris wheel, her excitement unending.
We spend hours like that, losing ourselves in the joy of it, in the freedom and the laughter. Talon wins Lily a giant stuffed tiger at one of the booths, and she carries it proudly, her face shining with happiness.
“I’m gonna call him Rook!” she declares, hugging the tiger tight.
“Rook?” I smirk.
“’Cause he’s big and scary, just like Wolfe,” she says, matter-of-fact, and I can’t help but laugh.
Later, as the sun dips low and the sky turns a soft, dusty pink, we pile back into the truck. Lily’s chatter fades as her eyelids grow heavy, and by the time we hit the main road, she’s slumped against her seatbelt, sound asleep, clutching Rook in her arms.
Talon glances over, a soft smile pulling at his lips. “Think we wore her out?”
“Not nearly as much as she wore us out,” I laugh.
We drive in comfortable silence, the engine a low hum beneath us. When we reach the club, Talon lifts Lily gently, carrying her inside. I follow, watching the way he moves with her, so careful and tender, and my heart swells with a fierce, uncontainable love.
He lays her down, tucking the blankets around her, and I stand in the doorway, feeling the enormity of our life together. It’s everything I never dared to hope for. Goddammit, I am absolutely in love with this man. Head over heels, completely his.
“Gonna join me out back?” Talon asks, his voice low, coaxing.
I nod, biting my lower lip, wondering if he has forgotten about the bike ride.
Outside, the night is cool and clear. The rest of the club is gathered around the fire pit, the flames casting a warm,flickering glow. Laughter and voices fill the air, and I feel the pull of it, the connection I’ve found in this unlikely family.
“There he is!” Kael calls as we walk over, his smile wide and teasing. “Get tired of babysittin’ already, Steel. Or should I call you daddy?”
Talon flips him the bird.
“Just needed a break from you, Kael,” I shoot back, settling into a chair. “You’re the real handful.”
Laughter ripples through the group, and I feel Wolfe’s eyes on me, a grudging respect in his gaze. Talon and I sit on the old fallen log beside the fire, and Kael tosses him a beer. He pulls out a cigarette, lighting it and inhaling deep, blowing the smoke into the night.
God, the way I want this man.
