Page 78 of Diary of a Biker Queen

An army of Slayers stood on the other side of the gates, at least ten of them, all with their gazes trained on my father facing off with Luca.

Lynx slowed the bike to a stop, muttering a string of curses loud enough I could hear them over the engine. He slid his hand over mine, pressed against his stomach, and squeezed my fingers reassuringly.

But it did little to quell the churn of unease at seeing my parents there, outside the gates of the one place that felt safe.

Especially on the one day I had dared to leave it.

Any pleasurable feelings I’d had on the way here dissipated at the sight of my old life catching up with my current one.

I was so sick of feeling like this every time I saw them. My father’s face now felt like a harbinger of doom.

I got off the bike, but Lynx moved fast, swinging his leg off and putting himself between me and the people who’d given me life but hadn’t much cared about it ever since.

My mother ran to me like she was out of some historical romance movie, her arms outstretched, hair and dress blowing in the breeze.

She only stopped when Lynx made it clear he wasn’t moving from between us.

Mom stopped and stared at him and then at me. “Nyah?”

I didn’t make a move to push past him to step into her embrace, and she slowly lowered her arms. Her bottom lip trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. She glanced back at my father, desperation in her eyes.

“What do you want?” I asked her coldly, knowing full well that while it might have been my father who’d made the deal with Guerra, and then with MacGregor, she’d done nothing to stop it. She’d been just as willing to throw me to the wolves once she realized I was pregnant and going to ruin all their plans for me to expand their empire with a marriage to an influential family.

“Nyah,” War called from behind the fences. “Say the word, and they’re gone. They’ve only been permitted to stay here and wait for you because they said they desperately needed to talk and had no other way of contacting you.”

It was a tempting offer. To have the Slayers come storming out of the gates and run my parents off the property. Maybe they’d scare them bad enough they’d never return.

But I couldn’t ask that of them. The Slayers were already too involved in this situation; one they hadn’t asked to be a part of. So I shook my head at War. “No, it’s fine. You all can go. I can handle it.”

War nodded, respecting my decision, which I appreciated. He turned, his boots crunching on the gravel driveway, and the others followed him back down the hill and out of sight.

But Luca made no move to go with them. And neither did Lynx.

His eyes were trained on my father, and he didn’t turn away, not even when I spoke, like he didn’t trust my father not to stab him in the back if Luca got distracted.

I was glad for it.

Because I didn’t trust my father as far as I could throw him either.

A tear dripped down my mother’s cheek. “We heard what happened between you and Carlos in Scotland. We were sorry to hear about that…situation.”

I raised an eyebrow. “It’s a bit late for your apologies. It’s been months.”

Her gaze dropped to my belly. “I can see that. Look how big you’ve gotten.”

I instinctively shielded my belly from her stare. It somehow felt like she could see right through the skin and muscle to the baby who moved about inside me.

I hated how that felt. Like she could see him in there, where he should be safe and protected.

But with them around, I suddenly felt entirely vulnerable all again.

I realized how ridiculous I’d been for complaining about being trapped behind the Slayers’ gates. How selfish I’d been to complain about the fences that kept me and my child safe day and night.

Because this was what happened when I left them. Maybe it was a coincidence they’d turned up here today, of all days.

But my gut said it wasn’t. My gut said something was off and this whole situation wasn’t right.

My father stepped forward hesitantly. “I didn’t know this would happen, Nyah. I’m so sorry.”