Path To Retaliation (Fighter's Den, #2)

Chapter 29 - Avery

"Tia!"

I kneel just in time to catch Lizzie as she throws herself at me with tight arms around my neck. I laugh and hug her back, inhaling her sweet scent that I missed so much. "Hey, bébé. You ready for today?"

She nods her head vigorously. "We're gonna have the best time."

"Only because I'm here." Cameron saunters in with a wide grin. I'm not surprised that I'm immediately forgotten as she bounds to her favourite person in the world.

"Uncle Cam-Cam!"

"Hey, gorgeous." He picks her up and smacks a loud kiss to her cheek as she chokes him in a hold she considers a hug. Cam takes it like a champ, chuckling and spinning her around until she's laughing with dizziness.

"You guys all set?" Jaxon asks, descending the stairs as he finishes up with the tie around his neck. I let out a low whistle.

"Looking good, guapo." I wink and he smiles warmly in return. He's decked out in a suit with his hair styled in a messy look that not many could pull off. His watch catches the light as he adjusts the cuff links on his sleeves. "We're good here."

"We shouldn't be later than midnight." Jax promises and motions for Lizzie to come over to him. She wiggles down from Cam's arms and skips to her father. He crouches down and levels her with a serious stare. "You be good for them, okay?"

"You got it." She high-fives him. "You won't hear them tattle tale on me at all."

"That's because we're not snitches." Cameron throws in. He merely smirks at the glare Jax throws his way.

"And no staying up later than ten. That's your Friday curfew like we negotiated, right?" Jaxon's tone doesn't leave any room for nonsense. I find myself smiling at the exchange. He really is an amazing dad.

"Yes, Daddy." She sighs deeply and something tells me they've had this talk several times before.

"Good." He nods and taps his lips. "Gimme kiss."

Lizzie leans forward to peck his lips then hugs him, her arms and legs going around him like a spider-monkey. Jaxon chuckles and stands up with his daughter plastered to him. "I love you."

"I love you, Daddy." She pulls away. "Can I go play now?"

"Sure, babe." He sets her down and Lizzie makes her way back to me and Cameron, grabbing each of our hands. She's just about to pull us off when Emily appears at the top of the stairs.

"You're not leaving without saying bye to me, are you?"

"Mommy!" Lizzie's eyes light up with obvious love and my heart clenches, so happy for Em. The papers went through last week and Emily is now legally Lizzie's mother. "You look pretty!"

She laughs as she climbs down the stairs slowly and carefully. "Thanks, honey, but I feel like a whale."

Jaxon starts to make his way to her but she waves him off, intent on getting down the stairs herself. His jaw clenches and it's obvious he's not happy about Em not taking it easy. I strongly agree with him.

"There." She puffs out a large breath when she reaches us. "That wasn't so bad."

"That's it." Jaxon shakes his head, crossing his arms defiantly. "We're shifting our room to one of the downstairs ones. No more of this stairs bullshit."

"Language." Lizzie sing-songs.

I'm almost tempted to snort. With a father like Jax and all her Uncles from Fighter's Den, this girl will be cursing like a sailor by the time she's fourteen.