I stared numbly into space. I had more questions and a lot of frustration. My wayward, wild friend had made a life-altering decision, and I couldn’t help thinking she hadn’t thought it through. And now it was too late.
“Okay.”
What were the chances of the father of the child being from Wood Hollow? I wondered who he was. No…Ihadto know who he was.
Logically, I understood that surrogacy was a contractual arrangement, but that baby had half of Freya’s DNA, and that made it complicated and?—
Dexter.
Red-hot fire burned in my gut.
It was fucking Dexter.
I was angrier than I’d been in a long time. I didn’t like being angry. It wasn’t good for my blood pressure or my fists. But I had no rights here. None whatsoever. I had to remember that.
But he’d duped me.
The ultra friendly donut man who’d mysteriously popped up everywhere had never cared about being seen kissing the cop. No, he’d been curious aboutme.
I curled my hand into a fist and roared loud enough to raise the roof. I thought about punching the wall, but I didn’t want a DIY project. I thought about taking my frustrations out on some weights in my home gym in the basement, but I was sore from my day at the mill. I had to do something, though.
I headed for the garage and revved up my bike, speeding through my residential area and turning onto Main Street.
Winter had been ferocious this year. There were still pockets of dirty snow on the sidewalks of the treelined streets, however theroads were clear of ice. And while the town was ghostly quiet at eight o’clock on a weekday, there were signs of life at Log Cabin Diner.
I veered right at Belvedere, the winding pass that led to Elmwood through a forest of giant evergreens, elms, and walnut trees. The forest and the lake dominated the landscape, but visibility was tricky and on a moonless night, it was like driving in a dark tunnel. I rode on and on, from Elmwood to Fallbrook and along the high ridge to Pinecrest, the snootiest town in the Four Forest area.
Not that I paid much attention to the sights. I was more concerned with getting my temper under control, reminding myself this wasn’t my business. But I couldn’t quite get there.
I grappled with unwanted emotions, willing the hum of the motor between my legs and the cool wind on my face to zap me out of my mood. It didn’t. I ended up back in Wood Hollow again as confused and upset as ever, idling in front of a two-storied modern log cabin on a quiet lakeside cul-de-sac.
I had ice in my veins and a chilling sense of purpose I knew might be morally suspect. It didn’t stop me. I left my helmet on the bike and marched up the steps and rang the bell. Three times.
Dexter peeked through the glass window, frowning as he opened the door. His feet were bare, his hair was damp, his sky-blue T-shirt clung to his toned chest, and his gray sweats hugged his cock. I’d bet he wasn’t wearing briefs and yes, I was instantly annoyed that I’d noticed.
I scowled harder and met his gaze.
He offered a tentative smile with one hand propped on the doorjamb. “Viggo. Hi. Can I help you?”
“You’re having a baby, and I’m going to fucking punch you.”
CHAPTER 4
DEXTER
Come again?
I blinked as the giant Viking cocked a clenched fist the size of a toaster. Yeah, that was gonna hurt. I ducked, avoiding a right hook that sent him stumbling into my foyer.Fuck!I was more than capable of defending myself, but Viggo was huge and moreover, he was pissed.
Baby.
Shit.Freya had told him.
I held my hands up in surrender to stall him and plot my next move. I was a black belt and if necessary, I could end this quickly. But I’d prefer to communicate civilly.
“You’re not going to punch me,” I stated calmly.
“I am. I’m angry and I want to smash your pretty fucking face into the wall, punch your lights out, and leave you outside for the wolves to tear you apart limb from limb.”
