Ruthless Hold (Back Down Devil MC #9)(51)

Trev came in and froze. “Whoa. What smells?”

“Blaine’s kid,” Jessa said.

“Ah, I thought it was familiar,” Trev said with a grin. He walked to the playpen and picked up Caine. It sent a surge of love through Eden’s heart. “Hey little Blaine. You shit yourself? Just like your Daddy. And let me guess… you want someone to clean you up and then you’re going to want to suck on a boob for a little bit.”

“Definitely just like his father,” Jessa said.

Trev held Caine and looked at Eden. “Hey, beautiful. We need to be alone for a minute. I have to talk to you.”

“I’m leaving,” Jessa said. “I have his stuff in the clubhouse.”

“Wait up,” Trev said. He went to the door and opened it. “You two shitheads. Get in here. Carry Jessa’s stuff to the clubhouse. Don’t look at her. Don’t talk to her. Do everything she says. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” one of the prospects said.

“They know how to change a poopy diaper?”

“You tell them and they’ll figure it out,” Trev said. He touched Jessa’s shoulder. “Go take care of the little kid.”

“See you later, Eden,” Jessa said.

“Thanks for talking,” Eden said.

Trev shut the door again. “Okay. We’re alone.”

“You want to jump me right here on the table?” Eden asked.

“Oh, beautiful, I would love nothing more than that.” Trev closed in on her. “But I have to talk to you.”

“What’s wrong? Something happened?”

Trev nodded. “You need to stay calm and let everyone work this shit out. Your mother is here.”

Eden felt her heart sink. “What?”

“She’s here. She came down here looking for you. I talked to her for a few minutes and she told me everything I needed to hear. She and Griffin had a deal worked out. Griffin had written that letter a long time ago. When he died, she was to send it to you. To keep you protected. You didn’t come to the MC right away and someone came after you. That’s what they were keeping from happening.”

“Who would hurt me?” Eden asked.

“I don’t know. But what happened…”

“I need to see her.”

Eden lunged forward and Trev grabbed her. He stopped her and held her. “Hey. She’s right outside the door. I’m going to stay outside and let you two talk. But you can’t get scared.”

“Why would I get scared?” Eden asked.

“Beautiful, she didn’t come down here without cause,” Trev said.

“What the hell does that mean? Can’t you just tell me something, Trev?”

“Fine. Ripper used her as a punching bag. He found out she sent the letter to you and then flipped his lid. Okay?”

Eden covered her mouth. “Oh…”

“But it’s not that bad. We cleaned her up. She could use a change of clothes though. And you two need to talk. I’m going to ask just because I love you… are you okay with this?”

Eden dropped her hands and her jaw. “You just said… you love me?”

Trev gritted his teeth. “Of course I do, Eden. I love you. Okay? We’re going to get through all of this together.”

Trev pulled away and walked to the door.

“Trev,” Eden said.

He looked back. “Yeah?”

“I love you too… I swear on it.”

*

“Come on, stop crying.” Jenn handed Eden a tissue. “You’re making me feel bad here. I don’t like feeling like this as it is.”

“Has it happened before?” Eden asked.

“That’s what you want to ask me? All the years gone between us and you’re worried about my face?”

“I’m worried about you,” Eden said. “How to make sense of this. You ignored me. You just… what the f*ck were you thinking?”

Jenn nodded. She sucked on a cigarette. “Good. Get it all out. Ask everything. Slap me.”

“Someone beat me to it,” Eden said. She jumped up and walked to the sink. She poured a glass of water, drank it, and felt like she could throw up.

“The answer is no, it’s not the first time,” Jenn said. “But it’s the last time. He’ll never touch me again.”

Eden turned and leaned against the sink. “So why now?”

“Because of you. I want to be alive to talk to you. To tell you the truth. To see you as a woman.”

“You gave all that up.”

“I had no choice.”

“You had a choice.”

“If Ripper is okay with taking swings at me… what kind of life…”

“Yeah, right,” Eden said. “I know. What about my father?”

Jenn grinned. Her eyes lit up.

That’s when Eden knew what her mother and father had was real.

“He was amazing. So different. Still ruthless when he needed to be, but so gentle when it came to me. I never had a man treat me like him.”

“So what happened?”

“The club. The cut. The patches. Whatever you want to blame it on. Your father was helping Ripper with some deals. I guess things down here weren’t so hot and he gave up his patches. He was running outlaw. Do you know what that means?”