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Op didn’t miss a beat. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Op… it’s not... I mean…” I couldn’t find the words, my mouth dry and my stomach churning.
How could I explain that?
How do you tell the person who’s been taking care of your child, that instead of taking responsibility for her and doing my job as a mother, that I was busy screwing around and having my own fun?
Slider and Ham both walked silently to the door, while Op came forward, anger flashing in his eyes. “One day soon, wearegoing to have a little chat about this person you seem to have become.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. “No. I don’t give a fucking shit what you have to say. Harlyn is at the clubhouse, missing you like crazy, wondering why her mother is too busy for her, wondering why she no longer comes first in your life. And you’re here, fucking God knows what guy instead.”
“I’m old enough to make my own decisions, Op. Who I sleep with has nothing to do with you,” I argued, trying to find my footing and not let his words, which were so goddamn true, break me down.
A dark smile flashed across his face, and he tossed the wrapper at me. “You think that, do you? Well, I’m telling you now… when it concerns my fucking child, it has everything to do with me.” He spun on his heel and stomped toward the doorway. I watched in silence as he slipped on his boots and then paused, his eyes looking over to meet mine. “And when I find out who he is—”
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t you even dare.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Harlyn needs to be back by six p.m. Have a good day.”
Then he was gone and I couldn’t move. I stood there, staring at the open door, not knowing what to do next.
“Mom?” I spun around at the sound of Harlyn’s voice. She smiled excitedly. “Can we bake now?”
I shook off the dark haze or worry and guilt that had settled over me and as the roar of three motorcycles disappeared down the road and I tried to eradicate the feeling in my gut telling me that this was only the beginning. I cleared my throat, bending down and picking up the condom wrapper, tucking it in my pocket before she could see it.
“Yeah baby, you know where the book is. Pick a few things you want to bake and start getting the ingredients. I’m just gonna go clean my hands, too.”
“Okay!”
I locked the front door before rushing down the hall and bursting into the bedroom. Wrench was sitting at the end of my bed, his elbows rested on his knees and his head hanging down.
“You need to go,” I said, closing the door behind me and leaning back against it, my legs still shaking. “Op knows I’ve had someone here.”
He nodded and pushed to his feet. “Yeah, I heard.” When he finally looked up, I could see his features were tight as though he was angry or frustrated. He came forward, lifting his hand to his hat and twisting it backward, so it wasn’t shading his face. His hands went to my waist, and I melted instantly, a wave of emotions crashing over me.
“I can’t do this, it’s too much.”
“You know, he’s right about one thing. We all know that there’s something you’re not telling us, and we know that’s why you’ve let Op have Harlyn.” I cringed with every word he spoke because I knew after tomorrow, shit was going to hit the fan. “If you’d just—”
“No,” I said sharply, putting my hands on his chest and forcing him back.
“Come on, Sugar,” he growled, keeping his voice low. “Secrets never stay secrets forever. One day, something’s gonna give, and without any support, shit’s gonna come tumbling down around you.”
“What I’m doing is to stop that from happening. And if it does, at least Harlyn will be well away from it,” I argued back, shoving him again.
This time, he refused to move. He clenched his fist, placing it on the wall beside my head and leaning in menacingly. “And then what? Harlyn’s left without a mom? We get to all sit around when she’s older and tell her all about how her mom could still be there with her, but we didn’t do enough to help?”
“Stop it,” I hissed, slipping under his arm and moving away. “Just get out before Harlyn sees you.”
“No,” he threw back. “I’m gonna come through the back door and say hey to Harlyn. Maybe hang out for a little bit.”
I frowned at him. “Why?”
“Because I like the kid, okay? Heard her laugh before…” he shook his head before leaning back against the bedroom door. “…haven’t heard her that happy in a while. Just would be nice to see her back to that cheeky little kid.”
My hand reached up and I placed it over my heart. It hurt. As sweet as his words were, as much as I wanted to swoon all over him in that moment, hearing him speak so sweetly about my daughter, all I could feel was pain in my chest.
A reminder that I needed to hurry up and get this shit sorted.
A reminder that Wrench really was the guy I’d imagined he was.
