The Biker's Fate Chapter 267

Feeling more settled than I had in a while, I followed Beckett to the kitchen and joined in in the domestic bliss of homework and dinner and all around joking amongst ourselves as we bonded closer together. By the time Hatch left, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but I also felt the pit in my stomach knowing he wasn't going to be close in the middle of the night. It didn't matter that he'd been sleeping on the sofa. Now that I was back in my own bed, he'd been within shouting distance and I'd come to cherish it.

With one final kiss, he walked away, and I locked my door and joined my family, settling in to watch a movie and call it an early night.

Hatch

I walked through my front door to find Cade sitting at the kitchen table, beer bottle lifted to his mouth, computer open in front of him, and some weird-ass furball thing sittin' on his lap. "What the hell is that?"

Cade set the beer down and grinned. "This is a dog."

"That is not a dog."

The furball yipped at me and I frowned. "Seriously, Cade, what the fuck?"

"Got out to the site this morning to find them dumped—"

"Them?"

"Dad!" Devon called.

Cade turned in his chair. "Yeah, bud?"

"I can't keep them in the box." He rushed into the room, carrying three matching puppies. "They keep escaping."

"Fuck me," I ground out. "You brought them here?"

"We couldn't leave them there to die," Cade said.

I felt something on my leg and looked down to see a little white fluff of fur tugging with its teeth on the hem of my jeans. The furball growled, baring its teeth. I dropped my head back and took a deep breath, only to be brought out of my attempted trance by a little bark. I looked down again at the fuckin' cutest pair of puppy eyes looking up at me and begging to be picked up.

Well, shit.

I bent down and scooped the little guy up, receiving a face full of puppy tongue for my efforts.

"Can't resist the little fucker, huh?" Cade said.

I held the puppy closer. It really was cute. "Some asshole just dumped five puppies?"

"In a paper bag, yeah, but there should be six." Cade rose to his feet. "Cullen, you got one?"

"Yeah, man," he called back. "Little shit just pissed on me."

I chuckled. "Like 'em already."

"Dev and I stopped by the pet store and grabbed food and bowls for 'em, but we'll probably need to take 'em to a shelter or somethin' tomorrow."

"Knight can look 'em over," I said. Knight was a vet and would be able to hook us up with an adoption service as well. "He'll probably be able to take care of their shots, then get them farmed out or whatever."

"We're not keeping them?" Devon asked.

"What are we going to do with a fru-fru dog, Dev?" Cade asked.

He pulled his three close to his chin. "I don't know, Dad, love it?" he replied, sarcastically.

"We'll talk about gettin' a dog when we have a place of our own, sound good?"

Devon frowned. "Whatever."

I dropped my keys on the counter and carried my puppy out to the backyard where I set it down. My brothers and nephew followed, and six little cotton balls waddled around marking their territory.

"I'm gonna go change," Cullen said, and walked back in the house.

"Where's Cam?" I asked.

"Chick," Cade answered. "What about you? Seems like you're gettin' in deep."

I nodded.

"Does that mean we're gonna meet this Maisie woman?"

"Yeah, man. Soon."

Cade grinned. "Like that, Con."

Over the next few hours, I caught up with my brothers, checked out the house Cullen was lookin' to buy, and took a longer than normal shower to release some of the tension created by Maisie and her mouth. The mouth I wanted wrapped around my cock. Fuck! I needed to find a way for us to be alone. I was pretty sure this was the longest I'd ever gone without sex since I'd hit puberty.

My phone buzzed just as I stepped out of the shower, so I wrapped a towel around my waist and answered it. "Hey, Sunshine."

"Hi honey. Is this a bad time?"

"Just got out of the shower. It's all good."

"Bloody hell," she whispered. "Does that mean you're all wet?"

I grinned, my cock hardening. "Yeah, baby."

"Not fair, Connor." She whimpered. "I miss you already and it's only been a few hours."

"Miss you too." I chuckled.

"I have something to talk to you about."

I stretched out on the mattress. "That doesn't sound good."

"I need to go home." She sighed. "Home, home."

"Okay," I said slowly. "Like for good?"

"No. Nothing like that. But I am going to have to go for a while. Maybe a month. Probably over Poppy's school holidays. Mum's birthday's in August, as is Poppy's, so we were thinking we might go then."

Maisie's arm would probably be good to go by then.

"What about the trial?" I asked.

"I'm hoping there won't be one, but if I'm gone and can't be here to testify, maybe I can force her getting a reduced sentence."

I sighed. I didn't like that.

"Anyway," she continued, "I… um… I'll be gone for a while… so, I… I'm not sure… well, if…"

Fuck, she was ending it. "Just fuckin' spit it out, Maisie," I snapped.

"Why are you mad?"

"If you're gonna dump me, just do it."

"Dump you? I'm not going to dump you! I want you to come with us."

"Come again?" I sat up.

"It's too soon. You're right. It was dumb," she said. "You also have a job you can't just up and leave. I just assumed you'd… that… God, that was so insensitive. You know what? Forget I said anything. I'm sorry, Hatch. I'll see you tomorrow."

She hung up.