Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“She will be.” Jessie words were a promise.
“You’re welcome to stay for the rest of tonight since she was just born but they’re pretty strict about the nighttime hours here. Visitation hours are quite lenient in the daytime, but they close at eight PM sharp. Doors open at eight AM.”
Jessie nodded.
The baby continued to shake and scream her tiny little lungs out.
And by the time the sun rose, I knew two things for certain.
One, that no-name baby girl just made a connection with a man who would fight to the death for her. Two, I was so in love with that man that I’d do the same for him.
Chapter 26
Morning breath is why doggie style was created.
-Fact of Life
Ellen
“Why do girls pee sitting down?”
The question out of the little boy’s mouth had me turning to stare at him.
“Uhh,” I hesitated, unsure what to say to the kid that wasn’t mine.
“Daddy says it’s because girls are lazy.”
I continued to blink, unsure what to say to this little boy whose father was so freakin’ intimidating that I didn’t want to naysay him to his kid.
Jessie caught my hand and pulled me to him, stopping me in front of the large wooden doors leading into the judge’s chamber who was going to give us a ruling on Margot’s mental health, as well as issuing the restraining order. Oh, and let’s not forget the matter of custody of our little fighter.
“Why is it that I can’t leave you alone for two seconds before you have men hitting on you?” he questioned me.
I looked at him skeptically. “You’re just a barrel full of laughs today, aren’t you?”
He read my body, the tension that never seemed to go away as I waited for the other shoe to drop, and cursed low under his breath.
He pulled me to the side of the big wooden doors, and pushed me into an alcove that was as private as we could get in the middle of a crowded courthouse.
“Talk to me.”
His eyes were intense as they stared at me, waiting for me to explain my misgivings, and I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“What if she comes to her senses and tells everyone that Lydia isn’t your kid? What if she takes her away after we’ve just gotten to know her?” I started to panic. “I love her, Jessie. I love her. I can’t lose her.”
His grin was wide at hearing my words, and I wanted to smack him for not taking my worries seriously. That’s all he did was tell me not to worry. ‘It’ll be okay, Elle. Don’t worry, Elle. I have it covered, Elle.’ Well I wanted freakin’ answers!
“I was going to tell you this later, once we got the judge’s decision—which I have no doubt will be in our favor—but when we leave here, we’re getting married.”
My mouth fell open.
“Jessie,” I hesitated.
“Everyone that matters is waiting outside, waiting for us to get finished here so they can witness it.”
“My parents?” I asked, trying not to be too hopeful.
Though I never saw eye-to-eye with them, they were still my parents. They’d gotten better with age and had even had various conversations with Jessie and Linc over the past months that we’d been together.
We weren’t all the way there yet, and they still thought that I was destined for greatness even though I had everything I wanted to have, but we’d get there. I had no doubt about it.
“Your parents are here. Your brother and sister. The rest of The Dixie Wardens MC. They’re all here, just waiting for the verdict.”
I looked away.
“And how do you know that we’ll get what we want?” I asked carefully. “What makes you think that she won’t come back? Figure out that we’ve lied about all of this?”
I wasn’t happy about lying. In fact, I felt downright awful about it. But then I watched Lydia struggle to do something that she should’ve been able to do at her age, and all my misgivings about the wrong I was doing were no longer there.
Margot fucked up.
She ruined something that could’ve been beautiful with her selfish need to get her next fix. To get whatever she wanted despite what she had to do to get it, and I wasn’t feeling sorry for her any more. If I had to lie, cheat or steal to keep Lydia from ever having to see that bitch again, then I’d do it.
“Honey,” Jessie leaned in until I could only see his eyes. “The Dixie Wardens own this town. Just leave it at that.”
So I did.
All the tension that I felt in my body slipped away, and I was left with a feeling of calm.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s do this.”
Jessie leaned back, and his smile was beautiful.
“That’s what I want to hear.”
Thirty minutes later, Jessie and I left with four restraining orders. One for me, one for Linc, one for the baby, and one for Jessie. They would only last for five years, but it was enough. In five years, I’d renew it, and continue to do it until either I died or Margot died.