Page 35 of Legacy

I’m thankful he’s standing here, safe and alive. When someone else clearly isn’t.

“You don’t have to stay.” His voice has dropped to a whisper so Bea doesn’t hear us.

“I know I don’t.” I turn and face him. “But I’m going to.”

“You shouldn’t, Reagan.” He drags his hand through his hair. “This isn’t the worst of it. I’m not a good man.”

“Maybe not.” I look up into his eyes—those blue pits that sear through me. “But at least you’re honest about it.”

And that’s when I realize that I don’t fear him. I respect that he owns his sins. Lord knows my father never did. He destroyed plenty of people, even if he didn’t have to draw blood to do it.

After a long moment, Jesse straightens, breaking my gaze. “Usually, I clean up at the clubhouse first so Bea doesn’t see me like this. I forgot tonight.Everything turned to shit, and I just came straight here. I forgot what I looked like until I saw you.”

“It’s okay. She didn’t notice.” I’m not sure if my smile reaches my eyes, but I offer one, nonetheless.

“Thanks, Reagan.”

“There’s dinner in the fridge.” I change the subject, moving to put the remaining dishes away.

“I’ll eat in a second. But I gotta get Bea to bed first.”

“She’ll be happy about that. She missed you today.”

Whatever happened tonight, he needs to be reminded that someone was thinking about him. Needing him.

It has the intended effect when his expression softens.

Jesse starts to walk out of the kitchen, but he pauses at the end of the island, his gaze landing on my book.

“Started a new one, huh?” He holds it up, smirking. “At least you wised up and moved on to bikers.”

The leather-clad model on the cover gives me away, and I cringe, thinking I left it just sitting there. But I refuse to let Jesse relish in my embarrassment, so I roll my shoulders back and walk straight up to him and snatch the book out of his hands.

“I figured I should see how you stack up to your mafia friends… fictionally speaking.”

“Right…” His blue eyes brighten with amusement. “So, how do we stack up, sweetheart?”

Every time he calls me that, I want to glare at him as much as I want to climb him. But I don’t do either. I simply smirk, not offering a hint of how he affects me.

“Guess we’ll see.”

Jesse’s jaw ticks, and he chuckles as he walks away.

I can’t help watching as he sneaks up behind Bea to surprise her. She squeals when he grabs her from behind and lifts her off the couch like a rocket.

“Daddy!”

They spin around—him tickling and her giggling.

Family.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen what one looks like. And even with Jesse coming home covered in blood, he gives his daughter a better one than I’ve ever known.

10

Legacy

It’s always been ahabit to strip off my cut the second I get home, but after the night I walked into the house covered in blood a week ago, there are a lot of reasons I find myself hanging it on the hook inside the front door.

---