AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 3
ZEUS
“What’s Tanzanite’s last name?” I break down and ask Josiah. I found the class list he’d brought home for their Valentine’s party, but it only had the students’ first names. I’m glad I looked because we’re in charge of bringing celery and bleu cheese dressing which is disgusting. I’ll probably end up sending him in with a tray of mini cupcakes from the store instead.
He glances my way with a calculating look. “Why?”
I swear he’s too intuitive. I’m a biker who went nomad because I couldn’t deal with being around people all the time, so how in the hell did I end up with a little genius as my kid? “Her mom helped me out on the field trip. I needed the bathroom, and she showed me where it was.”
“Yeah, okay, Dad. Since when do you need directions to the bathroom? Besides you said you were showing her the bathroom, not the other way around. I saw the way you stared at her all day.”
Cocking a brow, I ask, “Oh yeah? And how was I staring at her?”
“The same way you used to look at my mom’s pictures. Like she’s someone special.”
His words hit me in my chest where it counts. His mom couldn’t deal with being a mother so she took off one day. I had no idea I was a father, out riding with my brothers, living my best life. Or so I thought. Mandy showed up on my doorstep one day, saying she couldn’t handle a kid all on her own. She dumped him on me and never turned back. I used to stare at his mom’s pictures like she was something special because she’s the mother of my kid. I used to gaze at the damn images wondering what was going through her head, questioning everything but especially how she could leave her little boy and never come back for him.
I got a DNA test and confirmed he was mine and stepped away from my club, the Oath Keepers MC. There was no question where paternity was concerned, and that was everything I needed to make my life all about Josiah. I was never open with the club about my son; they knew I was going through some shit, but not the details. I had Josiah staying with my mom at first when I was trying to come to terms with everything, drinking too much, and questioning my life. I didn’t understand why I’d be given a child; I was not someone smart or patient enough to deserve a child. After fighting with myself for a few months, I couldn’t handle it, I had to take Josiah back and be the father he deserved. Or at least try to anyway.
“Hm. She’s hot, maybe you were picking up on that.”
“Gross, Dad.”
“You’re telling me you don’t think Tanzanite is a pretty little girl?”
“She’s the same as the rest of them. Too much drama for me,” he mutters, making me crack a grin. Wait until he hits high school, bet the drama won’t seem so bad when they all have boobs.
“What’s her last name?”
“Taylor.”
“Tanzanite Taylor?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know her parent’s names?”
“No.”
I nod and instantly begin Googling her daughter’s name in hopes of finding something. A birth announcement pops up, it looks like it was made for a company. I click on the link and am brought to the company’s website. Tanzanite was born to the CFO Mike Taylor and his wife Allison. Apparently, the announcement was created because they had a company wide picnic in honor of her birth. And what do you know, there’s a picture of the happy family at the bottom of the page. Tanzanite is a baby, while Allison appears younger and lighter somehow. The smug looking bastard beside her makes me want to slash his car tires. I bet he was cheating on her back then too, and she had no idea. He’s one of those types that you can tell with one look he’s never satisfied with what he’s got and thinks he deserves more.
Closing out of the page, I go back to my search bar and type in her name along with our town to see what pops up. She was a local track star in high school. Was awarded a scholarship from her high school to college where she’d planned to study horticulture and botany. This is all according to an article the school’s newspaper had published, but it was many years back. She’s older than all of the other parents in our kids’ grade like me, so she obviously waited to have Tanzanite. Probably went to college, graduated, married the prince and eventually they planned out her pregnancy. I wonder where it all went wrong for her? When he messed up enough, she caught him? My chest aches for her, for the moment she found out and the emotions she went through. He probably tried to lie, but Allison is too smart for him to pull one over on her. I may not know her, but her irises shone with above average intelligence. Besides, I always end up overly attracted to the smart chicks. I like a nice set of tits like the next man, but give me a chick with a brain and it makes my cock achingly hard.
“Grandma’s here. I’m going for a ride.” I put my leather jacket on, grab my helmet and my keys. “I’ll be back in a little while. Be good and actually help with the Valentine’s cards. Don’t make granny do it all when it’s for your class. Got it?”
“Okay,” he huffs, folding his arms over his chest, looking more like me with each passing day.
“Mom,” I greet when the door opens and she strolls inside.
She smiles. “Hi, honey. I brought some groceries. Gonna make fried chicken and macaroni and cheese for dinner after we fill out these Valentine’s cards.”
“Sounds perfect, thank you. I need to run out for a bit, but I won’t be gone long.”
She waves me off. “Go, we’ll be fine.”
“Thanks,” I mumble while waving goodbye to Josiah. He gives me a chin lift, making me chuckle. On my way to the bike, I Google addresses for Allison and only two pop up. It’s time to take a ride by them and see exactly what kind of life she’s living. I need to know what she’s accustomed to-to know if I have the smallest snowball’s chance in hell of her being interested in me. She may be married now, but she won’t be for long if I have anything to say about it.
Climbing on my motorcycle, I secure the helmet on my head, loving the bit of anonymity it affords me paired with my shades and crank the ignition. The bike’s engine rumbles to life, the vibrations making my body instantly relax. Being a biker isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life and true bikers find comfort in the ride and road.
