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Kiara curled up on a couch in the lounge, sketching, while Cat watched over her from behind the bar. When she saw me, she leaned over and said something to Kiara whose head whipped up and looked around. She spotted me, and a beautiful smile lit up her face.
“Sometimes I can’t fucking believe I get to come home to this for the rest of my life,” I mumbled as I ambled up to where she was sitting. Kiara was more than anything I could have ever wished for, and I knew I would spend every day protecting her and making her smile. And someday, I’d make the same vow for each of our children.
“You were gone longer than I expected, did you get what you needed?”
I plucked her up and took her seat, then settled her in my lap. “Yeah, baby. I got everything I needed.”
11
Kiara
After Shane told me about his meeting with Bickle, it took a little time for it to sink in. I was nervous about calling my dad to tell him that the guy wouldn’t be a problem anymore. Although it was great news, I knew he would push hard for me to come home, and that was the last thing I wanted. I was still beyond angry with my dad for what he’d done. And I was so happy with Shane. I didn’t want anything to come between us or spoil our first holiday together.
Almost as though he could sense that I was considering how long I could put off making that call, my phone rang and I saw his picture on the screen when I pulled it out of my pocket. Heaving a deep sigh, I tapped my finger against the green button and answered, “Hey, Dad. You must’ve heard me thinking about you. I wanted to tell you that the Silver Saints made a deal with that Bickle guy and—”
He interrupted me to say, “I know, Kiara. He just called.”
My back straightened at his abrupt tone as fear seeped in that he was going to be a jerk now that his problem had been taken care of. “Oh, well then I guess you already know the good news.”
“I wish I could agree that it was good, but what Bickle had to say to me was the exact opposite.”
My brows drew together, and my head jerked up as I jumped off Shane’s lap. He followed me as I switched to speaker mode. “I don’t understand. How could it be bad that Bickle agreed to stay away from our family? That’s what we wanted.”
“I…have no idea how the hell I’m supposed to tell you this so I can soften the blow.”
My body tensed at his anguished tone as I considered how enormous the last secret he’d kept from me had been. Shane took the phone from my trembling fingers and pulled me into his arms as Cash and Mac strode over to see what was happening. “Just say it. I’m here to make sure she can handle whatever the hell it is this time.”
“There isn’t anything else,” my dad swore.
“Quit stalling and spit it out. You’re just making this harder on Kiara,” Shane growled.
“The deal you made with Bickle didn’t cover Karina.”
I lifted my face from where I’d buried it against Shane’s chest to gawk at the phone. “Who is that? I don’t know anyone named Karina.”
There was a long pause before he answered, “Your sister.”
My eyes widened as my breath caught in my lungs. “I don’t have a sister.”
“I’m so sorry, Kiara. I didn’t want you to find out this way. Karina is your half sister. I didn’t think Bickle would discover she existed, but I have another daughter.”
My knees buckled as my vision darkened, and Shane’s embrace was the only thing that stopped me from falling to the floor. Cash took the phone from him so he could sweep me into his arms and carry me back over to the couch where we’d been sitting. Dropping onto the cushion, he cuddled me against his chest while I tried to wrap my head around what my dad had just confessed. “How old is she?” I finally whispered.
Cash had followed us, along with Mac, so my dad was able to hear my question. “A year younger than you.”
Learning that he had kept such a huge secret for so long tore my heart to shreds. I’d known that my parents weren’t happy together, but I never would have suspected my dad cheated on her. “Are there any other surprise siblings out there that I should know about?”
My dad sighed. “No, just Karina. Her mom couldn’t have any more children after we had her.”
The way he worded that made me wonder if he had an actual relationship with the woman and it hadn’t been just a fling that had burned out years ago. “Are you still with her? Have you been keeping a second family from me?”
“I couldn’t just leave Karina’s mom. Stephanie is…well, everything your mom isn’t. When I’m with her, I feel free. I couldn’t let that go, even though I’ve known all this time that what I was doing was wrong.”
His explanation didn’t make me feel any better. “I know things aren’t great between you and Mom and she can be a lot, but how could you do this to her? To me?”
“I’m so sorry, sweetie. Please know that what I’ve done doesn’t mean I don’t love you. The only reason I didn’t leave your mom was because you mean the world to me, and I couldn’t do that to you. No matter how much I love Stephanie.”
He really had a whole other family I never knew about. “I’m guessing all those judicial conferences and fishing trips were time you spent with her? Does she know about me? Or have you been lying to her for her entire life too?”
