Chapter 29

29

Sniper

I chew my lip as I watch my girl stare at the brown table in front of her as Autumn runs around the common room with Noah and April. Hannah sits beside Rory, looking my way, concerned, while Trent speaks to Doc on the other end of the bar from where I'm standing with my brother.

I'm trying to give my girl the space she needs right now, but fuck, I'm struggling. I know she wants to clear her head, but I'm itching to grab hold of her.

Snake squeezes my shoulder, and I look at him. Concern etches his features as he asks, "How is she doing? How are you doing?"

I smile at him as I grab my bottle of water. "She's doing good. We had a heart-to-heart last night about my lies to her. She understands where I was coming from, fuck, she actually admitted that she was just mad at herself for not being mad at me." I chuckle a little. "Plus, it helps that Hannah's here; seeing her again gave Rory the reassurance she needed. For the past few years, she thought the fucker killed her, and the guilt was eating her alive," I reply, taking a sip of my water, ignoring his question about me, but my big brother doesn't let me off.

He nods, but then sighs, demanding, "Answer the other question, Theodore."

I shrug. "I'm hurting, Hunter. Not sure what more you want me to say." I look back toward my girl to see her rubbing her bump, her head on Hannah's shoulder, her eyes following Autumn. I whisper, "She was raped, and our daughter was conceived through that rape." I look back at him, his eyes showing sorrow, and I give him a half a smile. "The man that raped her and held her hostage for a year took her and beat our second daughter out of her. We're lucky our son even survived, and now I have to watch the guilt in my wife's eyes day in and day out. I'll have to watch her give birth to our son, knowing a part of her isn't going to be happy and full of joy because our daughter won't be there…." I take a sip of my water and admit, "So yeah, I'm hurting, but I know my girl will be there for me just like I am for her, and I know I have you, our parents, and our club, and I know my girl does too. So, we'll be okay, we'll just need a lot of support."

He nods and grips my shoulder, rasping, "And you'll have it. Now she just has to learn to forgive her other family, and then she'll have a full army behind her to keep her going."

I smirk. "She will."

Just as I utter the words, the door to the entrance opens, and Aurora's dad walks in with Steel. Acid and Piston had to return to New York to inform the brothers of Axe's betrayal, and tell them Aurora is safe and sound.

Apparently, most of their brothers and old ladies will want to hear her voice for confirmation. She was well-liked around their club.

Bill looks around the room until his eyes lock on his daughter's, and I look in time to see her stand. I hold my breath, wondering what she will do, but I soon smile when she rushes in his direction. Everyone stays quiet as my wife runs into her father's arms, holding him tightly.

Snake squeezes my arm again and whispers, "You're right, she'll forgive him."

I nod and pat his back, then I walk over to them. Bill looks at me with such emotion…and I give him a sad smile.

I know he was expecting a fight, but my girl realized, when Axe had her again, that the man was going to get her whether her father was deployed or not. He wanted her, and her father being gone just made it easier for the fucker to get what he wanted.

My girl.

"Let's go sit," I offer.

Steel nods along with Bill, who guides my girl over to where Hannah is sitting. When we get near, Hannah stands, and Steel's eyes soften. He rounds the table, and pulls her into his chest, rasping, "I'm so fucking sorry I didn't see it, but I wished you came to me."

Hannah clutches his cut and whispers, "I didn't know if you'd believe me. He was family."

I sit, gently pulling my wife onto my lap.

Steel cups Hannah's cheek and states firmly, "So are you. You're family, Hannah, as well as Aurora. Never forget that."

Hannah's tears fall, and she nods, hugging Steel again before they sit. Bill is sitting next to us, his eyes on Rory.

"I don't know where to start, Pumpkin…" Bill rasps as my girl leans against my chest.

"He was going to get me one way or another, Dad," Rory replies, and Bill's face goes red.

"No, he wouldn't have," he denies. "I wouldn't have allowed it, and neither would Steel."

I feel my girl relax against me, her body language softening at her father's denial.

She states, "He managed to get me here." I tense, hating the reminder, because I fucked up by not bringing our daughter's toy inside before church. Rory gently presses my hand on her belly, and continues, "He wanted me, he always did, but managed to convince us all that he saw me as a friend. He'd been eyeing me up since I was twelve years old."

Bill tenses, Steel's eyes go cold, and I put my face in my girl's neck, hating hearing this again.

It's just too fucking much, but I know I need to be here for her.

"That sick…" Steel starts, cutting his own words off with anger.

Rory sighs. "I want to move on, move forward. I don't blame you anymore because, deep down, I knew it was always going to happen. But what I need to try and forgive you for is leaving me to begin with when you promised me you wouldn't after Mom died. I was seventeen, Dad. I needed you."

Bill flinches but nods as he leans forward, grabs her hand tightly, and rasps, "I'll earn your forgiveness, Pumpkin, and I'm so fucking sorry for taking that job. I have no excuses for choosing to go because none are good enough. I should have turned the mission down. You're my daughter, and now, because of my decisions, I've lost years with you, and I-I…I've missed out on seeing my granddaughter grow…."

Steel cuts in, "We both have, and if you'd allow it, I would greatly like to meet that beautiful little girl."

Aurora is quiet for a few minutes, her eyes following Autumn as she runs around, before she says loudly, "Autumn, baby." And our daughter looks our way. She grins and runs toward us, but before she can jump on her momma, Hannah intercepts, swinging her up and making her giggle before gently putting her on the arm of my chair, my arm curling around her tiny body.

I grin at her as she kisses my nose.

"Baby, I'd like you to meet your grandpa and Uncle Steel," Rory says.

Autumn grins, looks their way, and starts to move, so I gently lower her to the ground where she runs to Bill first. His tears fall as he lifts her, holding her tight, and my wife puts her head back on my shoulder, sighing in contentment.

"I'm fucking proud of you," I murmur in her ear as Steel takes Autumn from Bill. Rory smiles softly, whispering back, "I love you, Theo." And all is fucking right in my world.

Five hours later, Steel and Bill are on their way back to New York, Hannah and Trent are back home, and Autumn is asleep after a busy day.

Bill promised to Facetime Autumn daily while promising my girl he wouldn't be gone for long. He mentioned buying a house here but keeping their family home in the suburbs of New York.

I think he shocked my girl, that's for sure; she didn't say anything for about an hour.

Humming to myself, I lock the front door and turn everything off in the living room, before heading to the kitchen. I grab the box from inside the drawer, and head to the patio doors, sliding them open.

I smile when I see my girl on the swing seat, her legs up underneath her, and my hoodie swallowing her body.

Her head comes my way as I walk over to her, a smile lighting her face and making my heart race. When I'm close, I slowly bend and pick her up bridal style. She doesn't complain, only wrapping her arms around my neck before I take a seat. I sit her sideways on my lap, her head going underneath my chin, the firepit in front of us keeping us warm in the cool Texas night.

I move my leg, gently pushing us on the swing as I run my fingers up and down her side. With my free hand, I grab the box from my pocket.

I hold it out to her, and she sits up a little and looks at me with a raised brow, but I just shrug, kissing her forehead. I whisper, "Open it up, Firecracker."

Gingerly, she takes the box from my hand and slowly opens it, furrowing her brows, seeing the pure, delicate silver band engraved with a date. Gently, I take the band out of the box and pick up her left hand, slowly gliding the metal over her ring finger, pushing it up against her wedding and engagement rings.

"Now, our daughter will be with you always," I admit as I gently hold her hand. She looks at me with confusion, and I smile. "This band is made of our daughter's ashes. Doc had it done for me, and the rest of her ashes are downstairs on the shelf next to her ultrasound photo. I had the people engrave her date of birth on the ring and the urn."

My girl's tears fall hard and fast as she wraps her arms around my neck, her face going underneath my chin, and she sobs hard. I hold her tight through it, trying to give her my strength.

"I love you so much, my Theodore. Thank you for never giving up on me, for fighting for our family," she cries, and I hold her even tighter.

"I'll fight until death for you, my Firecracker. I love you," I murmur against her head, meaning every word.

This woman consumes me; she and Autumn complete me, and no one will ever hurt them again. It's a promise I'll keep even beyond death….