Stripping Callum (Last Hangman MC Book 6)(85)

“You too as well.” She waves at us as we get back into the car and get on our way to our new home.

“Are we going to see daddy now?” Elijah asks, getting impatient.

“Yes, baby. Looks like he had a surprise planned for us.” I chuckle, wondering what the hell he’s done. I know that address, it’s next door to Nancy. It confuses the hell out of me.

Driving the ten minutes that separated us to the new location, I find a parking spot in the street and get out of the car before helping Elijah out.

“Where, Mommy?” he asks, tugging on my hand.

“This one.” I smile and point to the house to the left of Nancy’s one.

He runs to the door and bangs on it. Callum opens a few seconds later and kneels, hugging Elijah straightaway. My heart skips a beat, and I can’t contain the tears from starting to fall.

This is home.

It takes Callum about ten minutes holding Elijah to remember that I’m here. I’m not mad, he missed his little man and so did Elijah. Callum gets up holding him still and wraps his free arm around me, bringing my body to his.

“I missed you, Bella,” he says in his rough voice.

“I missed you too, babe.” I kiss his shoulder and smile at him. He leans down and kisses me passionately. Elijah starts huffing, breaking the kiss too soon to my liking.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” Callum asks him.

“Can we see the house?” He grins.

“Of course.” Callum lets me in and closes the door behind him.

“We still need to talk,” I tell Callum as I look around.

“I know.” He sighs and sets Elijah down who goes exploring straightaway.

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yes.” He looks at me, confused.

“Then stop worrying.” I kiss him quickly and follow Elijah.

Callum shows us around our new home, and I love it. It’s the same set up as Nancy’s house so I’m already familiar with how it is, but he made it ours. We don’t have many pictures together, but the few we do have are framed and on the walls.

Elijah’s room is similar to the one in his previous house except bigger. He’s already drawing on the chalkboard wall.

“When are we going to talk?” Callum whispers as we watch Elijah play.

“When he’s asleep.”

“Damnit,” he mumbles kissing the crook of my neck.

“You’ve waited three weeks; you can wait another couple of hours.” I turn to look at him.

“Are we good?”

“I should be the one asking you that. I’m the one who left.” I sigh wrapping my arms around his waist.

“I’m the one who was a dick and said hurtful things.”

“We’re even then.” I chuckle softly.

“Let’s just start fresh.”

“Good idea.” I smile up at him.

“What do you think of the house?” he asks sounding nervous.

“I love it. It’s perfect.”

“We do need to take more pictures and make it more our own, but I wanted to do it with you.”

“You’re getting good at this.”

“At what?” he asks, confused.

“Showing and expressing your feelings.”

“I’ve realized that if I didn’t I’d lose you again, and I wasn’t ready for it.”

“Nor me. It was horrible out there.”

“As it was for me staying here.” He sighs and kisses my head.



A few hours later, we’re in bed after having Nancy and Bennett over for dinner. Elijah is asleep, and we’re ready to talk.

“Can we get this talk over with so we can enjoy our first night here?” He smirks.

“Trust you to think about sex now.” I roll my eyes and sit up.

“It’s been a while now.” He pouts and I laugh.

“I know, too long.”

“Where were you? Why did you leave instead of talking to me?”

“I panicked and did what I used to do when someone was getting too close—pack up and leave. That’s what I was used to doing, and it was the easy way out yet, it was also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I wanted to come back after five minutes of us leaving, but I had to do it to protect myself from getting hurt again. I don’t know if it’s the fact that you thought I’d want you just because you could provide protection and money, or if you compared me to a woman who was paid to get with you. Either way, I was hurt.

“I went to Denver because that’s the last place that felt like home for me. I needed somewhere familiar so I could fall on my feet quickly and not get in trouble because it’s not just me now. From the first day, it was horrible. I wasn’t happy there and neither was Elijah. He was miserable and missing you so much. I had told him that you’d be joining us so that he’d come quickly, but I regret doing so. I regret leaving.” I sigh.

“I can understand why it would hurt you, it’s pretty obvious that it would hurt anyone. It killed me to say the words, and I got two fists to the jaw for that,” he scoffs.

“Who?” I chuckle.

“Bennett and Nancy.”

“That’s my girl!”

“I couldn’t even be mad at her for punching me, she had every right to do so and so did Bennett.”