“Try,” I demand.

“You know I will.”

“If he shows up here, I won’t be held responsible for what I do to him.”

“I don’t think he’d hurt her,” he says quietly, and my teeth grind together. I don’t think he’d hurt her either, but the fact that he’s touched her is enough of a reason for me to put a bullet in him. “Evan,” Jax calls, and I let out a breath, realizing I had gone quiet.

“If it were Ellie, how would you feel?”

“Point taken,” he mutters. Ellie and her daughter Hope, who Jax adopted as his own, are the two most important things in his life. Jax would never let anyone he perceived as a threat anywhere near them, and knowing that, I know he understands where I’m coming from.

“I need to talk to June. See what you can do about the restraining order and get back to me. I’m sure Nico already called her dad, and with my luck, he’s going to show up here, wanting to talk to his girl in person.”

“You learn quick,” he laughs.

“No, I just know what I would do if I had a daughter.”

“Right.” He sighs. “I’ll get back to you on the restraining order.”

“Thanks,” I mutter.

“Have June call me when she’s up. I need a favor.”

“What’s up?”

“I made reservations for Ellie and me weeks ago for Diego’s in Nashville. Mom and Dad were supposed to watch Hope, but they had to go out of town, and Ashlyn’s busy, so I need to see if June minds watching her.”

“Bring her over.”

“You sure?”

“June will probably need the distraction, and we’ll be home.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll give you a call back,” he says then hangs up.

Dropping my eyes to the carpet, I sigh. This shit is fucked up and not what we need right now. Knowing there is nothing I can do at the moment, I look at Ninja, who is lying on the chaise with his head hanging half off the side, watching me as his head lifts and tilts to the side.

“Come on. Let’s go outside.” I stand then move to the backdoor, turning off the alarm before sliding the door open and letting him out. I watch him for a few minutes while he wanders around the backyard, sniffing everything he comes in contact with. Leaving him out back, I head for the kitchen and start a pot of coffee then hear June’s phone ringing from somewhere in the house. It’s not in the bedroom, but where the fuck it is, is anyone’s guess. Half the time, I wonder why she even has a cell, since she never has it on her and can’t find it most of the time.

Heading for the laundry room, planning to start my search for the phone there, I hear a loud thump and cry from the bedroom. I rush back in that direction then laugh when I open the door and find June on the floor, the blankets tangled around her and her hair in disarray.

“I fell off the bed.” She shakes her head, looking around.

“I see that. Are you okay?”

“I haven’t done that since you’ve been back,” she mutters, looking confused and completely adorable as she blows a strand of hair out of her face.

“That’s ’cause when I’m in bed with you, you’re attached to me like an octopus,” I explain, walking fully into the room and picking her up off the floor.

“I don’t attach myself to you like an octopus!” she cries. “You attach yourself to me. I can’t even move an inch in the bed without you following me and pinning me in place.”

“Babe,” I chuckle, “if I didn’t control you in your sleep, you’d roll off the bed or knee me in the nuts.”

“Whatever,” she huffs, trying to unwrap the twisted sheet from around her naked body.

“Let me help you with that,” I insist, taking the edge of the sheet from her grasp, giving it a tug, and making her fall into me while the sheet falls to the floor.

“Ev,” she gasps, looking up at me with wide eyes.

“What’s up, baby?” I run one hand up her back, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck, while the other slides down, cupping her bare ass cheek.

“Ev,” she breathes against my mouth that has lowered, an inch from hers, pressing her chest into mine, while her hands slide around my waist and down the back of my sweats.

“I love that.” My words are spoken against her mouth as my hand slides down farther, cupping between her legs, feeling she’s already primed for me. “Hop up.” I tap the back of her leg then catch her when she does, and wrap my hands around her thighs. I carry her toward the bathroom while her tongue licks up my neck, ending its ascent at my ear which she nips. The sensation obliterates all thoughts of this morning’s phone call and the conversation we need to have.

“We need to talk, beautiful,” I tell June, once we’re out of the shower and in the kitchen. Taking the coffee pot off the heater, I pour her a cup then turn to look at her when I notice she hasn’t answered me. I find her digging through a big box she brought into the kitchen a few minutes ago.

“What’s up?” she asks, distracted, pulling odds and ends out of the box and setting them on the island.

“What are you looking for?” I move to her side with her cup of coffee in my hand, wondering what she’s searching for.

“Found it.” She grins, holding up a small, silver paper box. Opening it up, she takes whatever is in the box out, and holds it out between us, before sliding it on her finger.