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"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" I asked Erin, who knelt in the soil beside me. We were at Ace's house, where I was working on planting the most epic garden. I had such a wide array of butterfly-attracting plants as well as a mix of perennials and annuals.
"Jessica is going to move in in three weeks. I'll be fine."
Erin and I had talked a lot about the fact that I was going to move in with Ace. I pretty much already was, but still, I knew my girl didn't like to be alone.
"Are you positive?" I asked again, hating that I felt guilty.
"I am. I think working is really beginning to help me, and I'm still meeting with my counselor twice a week."
"I'm proud of you," I said, then cursed under my breath as I scratched myself on my recently planted roses.
"Me? Look at you and all of this beauty you've created. It was just dirt and grass. Now, look at it."
I stood and took a step back to see all of the fruits of my labor. She was right. It was spectacular. The house looked quaint; the kind of place you would want to sit out front with a glass of tea and relax. It looked nothing like the barren landscape that it was when I first met Ace.
The sun was beating on the back of my neck, making me sweat, but it was a good sweat, the kind that was earned with something to show for it. I marveled at what she said. It was beautiful, and I had created it. That felt good. It was another reminder that I was free, and I was learning how to be truly happy It also didn't hurt that I had a man that I was madly in love with.
"Did you say yes to that date with Reggie, yet?" I asked, breaking from my thoughts.
"Nope, not yet. But he's persistent."
"That he is," I laughed, and grabbed another tray of purple and yellow pansies to put around the base of the bed.
***
I WAS ON MY HANDS AND knees, and Ace was pumping in and out of me from behind.
"God, you feel so fucking good, Princess."
"Yes," I moaned and felt myself start to lose it when he grabbed my hair in a fist and bent over me lightly, biting me on my shoulder. It was so fucking good.
His body slapped against mine twice more when my body lit up. He was right, it kept on getting better. I screamed out, light dancing behind my eyelids, filling up my entire world.
"I'm going to take you there again before I cum."
Oh, yes. I liked the sound of that.
His thrusts became more and more powerful, and each one reminded me of how deep he was, how fucking explosive this thing between us was.
I detonated under his demanding thrusts, and he came, gripping my hips hard. I loved it.
He slid out of me, dropping down onto the bed next to me and pulled me in tight to him.
"Love you, Princess."
"Love you, too. Sweet dreams."
"I'm sure I will since you're here." He kissed me and was soon fast asleep. I fell asleep with a smile on my face knowing that since we'd been back together, Ace no longer woke in the middle of the night with bad dreams, and that I had helped with that. My eyes began to drift shut, and I was filled with all the freedom and love because Ace taught me how to do that. He fought for me and taught me that I needed to love me, and in doing so, I was free to love him. Freedom was a fickle thing, and I understood the value of that. My eyes drifted closed, and I thought, not for the first time, how incredibly happy I was.
***
SHANE
Shane watched his brothers, feeling bittersweet happiness for them. Charlie and Gunner were kissing in the corner of the bar. Their kids were with a sitter, and he knew from all the ballbusting everyone was dishing out to Gunner, it was only a matter of time until he got her knocked up again. There were actually some small wagers placed on it, which he thought was funny as shit.
Ace and Alex sat on the same side of a booth together. Neither one of them were really drinking too much. It just looked like they were making googly eyes at one another.
He shook his head and took a long swig from his Bud. He shouldn't be jealous. They'd all been through so much shit. He was happy for them... still.
His phone vibrated, and he looked down to see it was her.
Will I see you tonight?
He knew he should ignore it. They couldn't ever truly be, but he was a sucker. He made sure no one was watching him. He didn't want anyone to know that he had someone if you could even call her that.
Give me an hour. Shane typed back, already feeling like shit that he'd been keeping this secret from his brothers for so long.
***
HADES
He sat in the old beat-up hooptie. He was crouched down low, watching his daughter from across the street. He didn't want to be seen, not that they'd recognize him after what Sokolov did to his face.
He thought briefly of Alejandra's mother, and how he once cared for her. Now, all he could taste was bitter resentment. They did this to him.
All of them.
He had no money and no longer held the loyalty of his men, but that didn't matter to him. He would find a way to enact revenge. He had to.
The End
Acknowledgments
Hello, thank you for taking the time to read Explosive. To the readers who have read and loved Cut Wide Open, thank you for waiting patiently for this book. I know it has been quite some time in between. This past year was an especially difficult year, so thanks for sticking in there. Thank you to all the fabulous readers in my reader group, Abby’s Awesome Allies! Thank you to all the wonderful bloggers who continue to help share any sales of mine or new releases. Thank you to my Blushing Babes, Louisa, Nicole, Tera, Christina, Sandy, Kerry, Dawn and Stephanie. Thank you Hang Le for always designing fabulous covers. Thank you Chrissy Weston. Thank you Katie for being the first eyes on this and giving me good feedback. Thank you Melissa for just being you. Thanks, Erin Mikolic. Thank you Shana—I love you. Thank you Jessica—what a fucking year—I love you. Thank you Misty, my momma partner! Thank you Emily Kidman and Social Butterfly PR! Thank you Tabitha. And thank you to my babies, who help inspire all of my kids in my books.
About Abby McCarthy
Website
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/abbymccarthyauthor
Abby McCarthy is reader and a lover of words. She is a blogger turned author and released her first novel in May of 2014. She is a mother of three, a wife and a dog person. She has always written, sometimes poetry, sometimes just to vent about failed relationships, however in parenthood she has found her voice to help keep her sanity. Words have flowed from her, and with the support of amazing friends in the Indie community she has decided to pursue her dream of writing! She loves to write and read romance, because isn't that something we all yearn for? Whether it be flowers and hand holding or just the right tug on your hair. Isn't that what life is about? The human connection?
Other books by Abby McCarthy
The Bleeding Scars MC
Standalones
Series
The Wrecked Series