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My entire body locks up. “What?” My breath leaves my lungs as my mind reels. “Kieran’s? Ours?” What the hell is he saying?
“Yeah,” he whispers, letting me go and heading down the path toward the darkened parking lot.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I hiss, stomping after him and grabbing his shoulder, stopping him again. My brows furrow. “What do you mean Kieran’s kid and her kid? Our kid? She….” I stop dead, reliving that night over and fucking over, like so many times before. It never leaves, especially since she walked back into my life a day ago. Maybe I missed something. Perhaps my damn emotions ruled my decisions that night. But fuck. I trust Asher with my entire life. So, would he lie to us?
“She called me daddy, dude. She…” He shakes his head again, wiping a hand down his face looking more heartbroken than I’ve ever seen him. “River and I talked. But I think you need to talk to her, too. Especially about what you saw, bro. I think…” He shakes his head wearily. “I don’t know what to fucking think anymore.” With that, he walks away with his head hung low.
What the hell was going on? I shake my head, trotting after him at a quick pace, meeting them at River’s SUV.
“Fuck,” she grumbles under her breath, patting her pockets. “Did I bring my phone?” she asks Rad, who shrugs in response. She blows out a frustrated breath. “Monday morning, we’ll talk about this, okay?” she says, cocking her head to the side when I nod.
“Yeah, okay,” I mutter, shoving my hands into my pocket.
“So, you’re not kicking us out yet, Pretty Girl?” Rad asks with an easy grin, rubbing his hands together.
“Your contract is safe for another day. Believe me. You’re not the only idiots to try and press my buttons. But next time, let’s have a discussion before we sneak out. I know you guys had lives before I became your warden. At least you didn’t snort coke out of some groupie’s ass,” she mutters the last part with a wrinkle of her nose.
“What?” Rad chokes, bending at the waist.
“Out-out of the ass?” I ask, clearing my throat and trying not to laugh.
She snorts. “Oh, long story. Can I trust you’ll be a good boy and go back to the band house? I don’t need to follow you around and document your activities for the label?”
“Scouts honor, Pretty Girl. He’ll head straight home,” he says, giving me the stink eye.
“Yes-yes. Straight home, boss,” I say with a smirk lifting the edge of my lips.
“Fine,” she says with a heavy sigh. “Let’s go.”
I stand back as River starts the car, and Rad pops into the passenger’s seat with an animated smile. There’s something there with him as he leans closer to her and whispers something. She shakes her head with a small smile before taking off down the highway.
I meander toward my bike and pop my helmet on, starting my Harley. The loud, echoing boom from my exhaust bounces off the abandoned administration buildings of the old prep school. Ruthless once told me why this place shut down so many years ago and why so many people from East Point Bluff refuse to step foot here or pretend this place doesn’t exist. It chills my blood to know such a powerful and murderous cult walked the same streets I do now.
Taking off down the highway, everything hits me at once. Rad’s words. The fight. My memories. Most importantly, Kieran’s daughter. His comments from the limo fester under my skin, and my teeth grind.
If he fucking knew about River’s daughter, why hasn’t he said anything? Why hasn’t he stepped up and taken responsibility for her? Fuck. My brain screams at me as I travel along the highway and finally make my way to the gates separating our new home from the outside world.
“Daddy,”a small voice rings out through the darkness of my mind, rousing me back to the land of the living.
I groan, wiping the damn drool from my lips, getting my bearings. Where the hell am I? I swipe my palms along the textured surface of the chair I’m resting in, bringing back the memories of River’s frantic call from earlier, asking me to babysit so she could chase Cal. Wherever the hell he goes at night when he thinks no one else is listening. And I fell asleep.
My brows raise, and I peel my eyes open, staring into the eyes of my tear-stained daughter. Daughter. Shit. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. I adjust myself in the recliner I’m sitting in and sit forward.
“Daddy,” she whines again, pulling on my shirt with a little grunt, waking me up completely.
“Lyric,” I rasp, quickly clearing my throat when she snuggles her bunny close to her chest and sniffles. “Are you okay?”
“Mommy is gone. Other Daddy is gone. You’re here,” she says tiredly, rubbing at her eyes with a frown. “Why?” she asks in a small voice, eyeing me up and down.
“I said I’d see you tomorrow, right?” I ask with a soft smile. “Here I am.”
“Okay,” she says without question, climbing into my lap with the most trusting grin. With a heavy, sleep-filled sigh, she snuggles into my chest. I wrap my arms tightly around her, securing her to me.
“Why’re you awake?” Running my fingers through her long dark locks, I pull them from her cherub face and marvel at her familiar features. Up close and personal like this really brings out her mix of features. Kieran’s nose and eyes. River’s bone structure. Tiny freckles.
“A dream,” she sniffles, wiping her nose across my shirt, leaving a snot trail behind.
In normal circumstances, I’d be repulsed by the snot shining on my dark shirt. But this isn’t a normal circumstance. This is a little soul who calls me Daddy. And I robbed her of the experience of having us in her life because of my desperation to leave town. I owe her so much more than snot on my shirt and cuddles after a bad dream.
