Gunner twisted the knob of the hose outside as he watched Rowan run around in the backyard. Liliana was in the grass, near the fountain of the hose waiting to plug it into the sprinkler. Lily decided it was warm enough for Rowan to do one of her favorite activities.

She hobbled around clumsily in circles, screaming at the top of her lungs with a wide smile. Her four teeth were on proud display.

Side eyeing the little girl like she was crazy, Lily wondered why the hose wasn't going. With a frown, she grabbed it to fiddle with it.

"You said 'no' is her first word, Lil?" Gunner asked as he walked towards Rowan who began to grow impatient.

"No, no, no," she growled to herself.

"Be patient," Lily huffed at the little girl that looked up at her mother expectantly. She looked back at Gunner, he looked down at her with his baseball cap shielding his eyes from the beaming sun. He was shirtless at the moment, his clothes in the dryer. He borrowed old basketball shorts she had. Liliana feared she may have made him too sexy- but who is she kidding she always knew he was nearly too hot to handle.

Her eyes flickered over his body, watching the way his muscles flexed with his seamless movement. Seeing her check him out, Gunner smirked arrogantly.

Rolling her eyes, Lily tried to remember what he asked. Quickly, she piped up, "Uh yeah. It was actually a few days ago, I was so excited." She grinned at the memory.

Matching her smile, she could see his brows furrow in mild confusion. Glancing at Rowan he compared her size to when Adelaide started talking. Adelaide was younger, he knew that for sure.

As if reading his mind, Lily piped up. "Her speech is delayed, or that's what the doctor said. But she's fifteen months and as long as the baby says something by that milestone then it is less of a concern. I just have to practice with her and encourage her, I can't force her to do anything at this point. But we made our first goal, right baby?" Lily peaked at Rowan who plopped on the ground now to rip at grass.

Gunner hummed, kneeling down in front of Rowan who'd grown fonder of him as the day went on. Holding his hand out, she patted it enthusiastically while squealing.

"We'll get you yappin' in no time, kid." His hand wrapped around her and he shook her arm quickly, she laughed widely as her voice vibrated with how fast he wiggled.

Standing up, with that grin that was the same as her mother's, Rowan fell into Gunner while gripping his shoulders.

"Baby likes you," Liliana murmured softly while leaning over to kiss the top of the biker's head. With her wide chocolatey eyes, Rowan looked at his green ones before glancing at the sprinkler very obviously. Before she pointed at it blatantly.

Barking out a laugh, he threw his head back at her demand.

Suddenly, there was a screech. Both of them jumped at the sound, Rowan gripping onto him tighter as her bottom lip pouted out at the loud sound.

But they both saw Liliana hopping around after the hose blasted her and soaked her. The kink in the hose that she finally found, spraying all the water that was blocked.

Her t-shirt soaked through and her little shorts too, Gunner smirked to himself. Catching the hose that flew around, Gunner screwed it into the sprinkler and immediately Rowan dropped him like a hot potato to run through it as she desired.

With her occupied, Gunner whistled obnoxiously. "Sexy mama," he hooted as he slid in behind her. Lily was gasping at the cold, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Look at ya, practically teasin' me, huh? Not in front of the baby, honey," he whispered scandalously in her ear.

Gasping softly, she tilted her head as he grazed his lips up her chilled skin.

She smacked back at his stomach, biting her lip to hide her grin.

"When I come back t'night ya gonna let me make ya this wet?"

Liliana squealed as she looked at him like he was crazy. Her mouth opened to probably scold him but his lips smacking against her own cut off any of her complaining.

"Mwah," he pulled away with a smack of their lips.

"U-Um..." Her eyes were dazed at the bombshell kiss. "Where're you going?" It was as if she just processed what else he had said besides his blatant flirting.

Nervousness etched into her voice, her fingers curled into the top of his shorts similarly to how Rowan clung to him when she got nervous earlier. Immediately, she thought about whether Daminger would come back the second Gunner left her alone.

"Hey," he leaned in and tilted her chin back up to him, "What'd I tell you I'd do?" He whispered as he kissed her forehead.

Her eyes flickered over his face nervously before she spoke again, "That you'd protect m-me and mine."

"That's what I'm doin'. Got shit to take care of. How 'bout I go do what I gotta do while my guys stay here and keep an eye on ya. I'll even bring take out home," he wiggled his brows temptingly.

Rolling her eyes, she nodded once at him. "Gimme' the go ahead, mama."

"Alright, Oliver," she pursed her lips and leaned up to kiss him gently.

Showing her a toothy grin, he smacked his palm against her butt while parting from her. "Never liked my name so much." He blew her a kiss as he meandered inside to grab his clothes. He knew he'd have to get going soon to get done what he wanted done. Cause nobody does the job like him.

"Say bye bye, Oli," Lily lifted Rowan so that she could wave to Gunner on the porch with a teasing tone to her voice. He laughed at the horrible nickname, coming from anyone else's mouth it would make him want to shrivel up but this time he didn't quite mind.

Waving, Gunner didn't want to leave at all but he knew they were in good hands while he took care of club business.

***

Gunner adjusted his sunglasses as he leaned against his bike. He sipped on the iced coffee Liliana insisted he pick up because she felt bad he'd been woken up so early.

His green eyes watched his target, a familiar house that he and the club knew all too well. Chewing on his straw, he strode away from his bike he'd left in the nearby alley. Tossing his keys up and catching them, he made his way to the front door. Flipping through his keys, he let himself in.

And he made himself comfortable as he waited for the meeting to begin.

Huffing, he leaned back in the cushy chair as he scrolled through his phone boredly. He debated calling Lily, rolling his neck as he could feel the separation anxiety creeping up on him.

God, he was such a fucking loser.

The thought made him smirk. Leaning forward, he slid his gun out of the back of his pants and took the one from his boot to slide into the front of them.

And, as the waiting game went on, finally the time came for his appointment. The sound of the door being unlocked and pushed open filled him with relief.

Waiting patiently in the living room, he sighed loudly when his guest came into sight.

"I'll give it to ya, not many people get under my skin."

And it was like Daminger jumped out of his skin. His hand immediately reached for his holster that he'd left at the doorway in his exhaustion from his shift.

But even if he had it on, he couldn't have moved quickly enough to get to it with how Gunner trained his firearm on him.

"Fuck-" Daminger hissed with gritted teeth.

"Yeah. . Fuck." Gunner hissed as he tightened his grip on his gun. "More like what the fuck were you thinkin' putting your hands on her?" He couldn't help but bark the words at the officer, his sharp voice bouncing off the walls. Slowly, he stood up. His usually arrogant and even tempered face muddled with rage as he practically spit at Daminger.

"Think the second ya split us up she'd come crawling to someone to protect her? Thought you were gonna be that guy huh? Save the goddamn day, stupid asshole. You blow up my spot, stress out my girl, and you harass my people. Guess what? Now, I'm in your house with my gun on you, motherfucker."

Daminger's eyes narrowed, but his hands had an almost undetectable tremor to them. But Gunner detected it and he snickered to himself. "What it ain't so nice having someone threaten you on yer territory?"

"You got this all twisted, man," Daminger finally spoke up as he exhaled roughly. "She was begging me man. Begging me to give her attention, saying she doesn't want anything to do with you. I know we don't see eye to eye but we both got played, Gunner."

Gunner's brows raised up before he sputtered out a laugh. "You're a joke, you think I'm an idiot. You think I'm an idiot. You think I'm an idiot when I've got this whole town under my thumb." Lurching forward, Daminger was pinned to the wall and the barrel of the gun was pressed to the center of his forehead.

The two men stared at each other, Daminger's face was deathly pale and a thin sheen of sweat covered his skin. Gunner had the same slimy smile on his face.

The cop's eyes slid to the biker's finger and how it hovered over the trigger. And then he pulled it.

Click.

Daminger flinched violently at the sound. Now, Gunner held his gaze as he slid back the chamber. They both heard the bullet slide into the chamber, this time there was a live round. A live round that would skewer through Daminger's skull if Gunner wanted it to.

"Know your place." The biker's baritone voice shook Daminger to his core. Never having seen such a fierce look on the normally lighthearted yet conniving man.

Daminger could only swallow harshly before all of a sudden, Gunner's fist smashed into his jaw. Allowing him to crumple to the ground, Gunner stood over the smaller man before dropping to the knee and pounding his knuckles into his face, once more... twice more.

Gripping his jaw harshly, he forced the bleary officer's eyes up. "You're nothin' but a game to me. When it comes down to it... yer a coward who hides behind his badge and picks on the ones that are smaller. But if you ever, ever, even lay yer eyes on her or that kid again I won't just kill you. I'll kill your parents down on that ranch by the firehouse. I'll track down your sister in the next state over. Hell, that friend you got through the academy with- I'll ride out to his county and ruin his life too just for knowin' ya. I know everything. Keep that in mind."

"You really think she's going to stay with you...?" The words were slurred through the blood pouring out of Daminger's mouth. "P-Pretty thing like her will run as soon as she sees this side of you! You're a fucking psycho! Everybody'll see it soon!"

With a sneer, Gunner stood to his full, domineering height. Growling deep in his throat, he spat right on Daminger's badge still clipped to his chest as the pathetic excuse for a 'protector' fought unconsciousness.

Rolling his shoulder stiffly, he tried to will himself into ignoring the bullshit Daminger was spewing.

Looking satisfied with his work, Gunner checked the time and knew he had to meet with the club to update them before grabbing a few things and dinner on the way back to Lily and Rowan.