Viper's Kiss (Back Down Devil MC #8)(45)

She held it up for them to see and hurried to put her hand to the wound to stop the bleeding.

“Got it,” she said.

“Goddamn, I love you,” Trev said. “Now stitch me so I can go have a beer.”

Jessa looked at Blaine. He nodded. “You did good, sweetheart.”

Blaine put his hand out and she gave him the bullet. She then stitched Trev up and excused herself to rush to her office. There she quickly dropped to her knees and threw up.

She then sat on the floor, her back to the desk. She hugged her knees and cried.

She cried for all the innocence that had been lost. The natural progression of it was a battle against time that everyone lost. But the innocence Jessa lost when she walked into the house that night to find Meghan and Janey gone. Then to see Vin standing there. Him lifting the gun.

I should have died.

That night she had found the strength to run. She managed to hide well enough that Vin left.

And now all this.

Back Down Devil MC.

Vin back.

Blaine getting her pregnant.

Yet it all somehow made sense. She didn’t feel bad for Mike and what had happened. Or for Luke. Or for anyone that Blaine took care of.

That was the scariest part. The innocence stripped had given way for rage and revenge.

Jessa touched her stomach.

For you, baby. For you.

The door opened. When Blaine saw her on the floor, he scrambled to her. “What is it?”

“I’m…”

“The baby?”

“No. The baby is fine.” She looked at Blaine. “You really care?”

“Of course I care.”

“Then… when does it end?”

“It doesn’t, sweetheart. You can’t stop the fight. But we have each other, right?”

Jessa nodded. “Blaine… Vin was going to kill me that night, too.”

Blaine hung his head. “Fuck.”

“I’m sorry. I have to talk about this.”

“Okay. Talk to me.”

Blaine inched closer, his powerful outlaw arms making Jessa feel safer by the second.

“You called me in a panic. You screamed at me. You sounded angry. Drunk. You sounded like you were going to kill…”

“That’s true,” Blaine said. “I wanted to kill that night. Everything had gone wrong. Vin knew something was happening. The bust went south. Everyone started shooting at each other. I hid and each time I tried to get out of there, there were more bullets. I was the one being set up. I let my mind slip for a minute. I started to see things from both sides. It f*cked with me.”

“I showed up,” Jessa said. “I was so scared for them. I remembered what you said to do. To get them to safety. Fuck their clothes. Fuck their everything. Just make sure Janey had her horse…”

“You remember that thing?” Blaine asked. “That little blue horse. I got that for her when she was five. I gave it to her when I took Meghan out. Janey hated being away from Meghan. So I got them each a horse. So when Janey missed her mom, she could look at the horse and know they were close. I had her convinced it had magic powers and shit.”

“That’s so sweet.”

Blaine blinked fast. “Yeah. Meghan tossed hers. But Janey kept her horse. Even when she was a little too old for a stuffed animal, she still had it. That’s all I wanted was for her to have that when they fled.”

Jessa put a hand to Blaine’s neck and clawed at him. “I walked in and they were dead, Blaine. They were shot to death. I just have to say it to you. They were f*cking shot… and Vin stood there. He looked at me and he hesitated for like two seconds. He was surprised I was there. Then he lifted the gun. He was going to kill me. So I ran. I hid. I survived.” Jessa had her cheek next to Blaine’s. She took a breath. “I survived, Blaine. But you know what? It doesn’t feel like it.”

“You did survive,” Blaine said. “You did the right thing. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Blaine’s hands started to push Jessa to the floor. He hovered over her a little. “You never have to feel like that…”

“How is this not wrong? You’re engaged to my best friend. Now you got me pregnant. I’m…”

“No. Meghan was never the right woman. I just knew if I pushed her away she’d take Janey. I’d protect Janey with my life… and I failed. I won’t fail again, sweetheart.”

Jessa shivered everywhere. “How does this all work? You… me… a baby… your lifestyle…”

“It just does,” Blaine whispered. “Fall into me, sweetheart. Let me hold it all for you. The pain. The guilt. The regret. I’d do anything for you. Just name it and it’s done.”

Jessa swallowed hard. “Make love to me, Blaine. Right here. Right now.”

***

Jessa lifted her hips as Blaine slid her jeans down. He was slow and gentle, a side of Blaine she’d never seen before. He got to his knees and stripped her jeans and shoes off. His hands slid up her legs and cut between her thighs. His thumbs pressed against her panties, making her groan and thrust.

“We don’t have time,” she whispered.

“I know,” Blaine said.

It was almost eerie the way he said it.

His hands clutched around the top of her panties and pulled. He stripped her naked from the waist down, except her socks.