However, he had told me all about Jenna. Their history, her past, how they met, when she’d cheated on him, as much as he could tell me without getting angry. Through all that, the hurt of what she did was still there. After all this time, he was still feeling her betrayal, and who can hurt you but the ones you loved dearly?
“Fuck,” I heard him grumble under his breath.
I climbed off the bike, removed my helmet, and placed my hand on his arm. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I said with more conviction than I felt. “Why don’t you go take Jett and Jasmine over to the playground, and I’ll go talk to Jenna?”
I was a little surprised when he didn’t pull away from me right away, but he was probably too distracted by his children to notice. Instead, he nodded at my suggestion.
“That’s a good idea.” He hopped off his bike and started walking over to his kids.
I hung back and watched as both his son and daughter ran over to him and gave him the biggest hug their tiny bodies could manage. If I found Colt attractive before, it didn’t compare to how I felt when I saw him interact with his children.
After a brief word with Jenna, which I couldn’t hear, but assumed wasn’t a cheerful greeting since Colt didn’t look happy, he took Jett and Jasmine by the hand and led them to the playground.
I waited a moment longer then made my approach. “Hi Jenna. I’m Ember.”
I stuck my hand out to shake hers, but she ignored it. Instead, she looked me over and scowled when she saw Colt’s patch. “So, Colt went with the typical club slut type this time around. Can’t say I’m surprised.”
I was shocked by her open hostility even though Colt warned me she wasn’t a pleasant person. I wanted to respond equally as rude, but I remembered Colt had a lot riding on this. Instead, I sat down on the bench across from her and braced myself for whatever she dished out. I’d had to deal with a lot of abrasive personalities for a long time. First Torch and then Colt—so whatever this woman said, I knew I could handle it. Everyone knew that Jenna held all the power and could make things difficult for him, so it would be best to play nice. Even if it killed me.
“I’m curious, how did you manage to get Colt to give up all his other girls and settle down with you?”
It looked like she was going to continue with her cattiness. Honestly, I wasn’t sure Colt had given up his man-whore ways. I knew he wouldn’t want anyone to think he was a cheater, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have something on the side he was keeping quiet. After all, we weren’t a couple and he didn’t owe me his loyalty or an explanation.
“If you’re that concerned, you should probably ask him about it,” I told her with a smile.
I wasn’t interested in discussing our relationship or any other details with Jenna. If she wanted to get to know me under the assumption I would be spending time with her children, that was fine. But, I wouldn’t be discussing Colt’s sex life.
She tossed her hair back, her lips pursed. “So where’d he find you?” she asked in that snarky way meant to demean me, like a piece of trash Colt just happen to pick up along the way.
I relaxed my body and crossed my legs. “Oh, I’ve known Colt for a long time—since I was a teenager. My dad was the president of the Reno chapter of the Desert Sinners. Caught my eye right away, and I eventually caught his.” I drew my gaze away and looked at Colt, watching him play with his kids, the smile on his face, the joy and love he didn’t hide from them and probably only showed to them. For a second, I let that moment filter through me, as though he really were mine. “You could say he was my first everything. When I decided to come back to Vegas... we just... picked up where we left off.” I slid my gaze back to her with an innocent look. “And you? Where’d he find you?”
She looked down at her manicured nails, but her cheeks were pink and her jaw was tight.
“Hmm, similar story, I take it?” I said, offering another smile.
She looked up, her eyes daggering me. And I knew from that look, this was only the beginning of a long day and she had more venom to spew at me. As long as I kept my game cleaner than hers, she’d have nothing to throw back on me or Colt or his children.
I waited, half expecting her to ask me questions about my experience with kids or at least how I felt about dating someone with children. But, she didn’t seem concerned about that, and I couldn’t help but wonder why I was really here.
Mostly, I felt like a pawn in her game against Colt, and I didn’t like that one bit. But one thing I’d learned in playing games in this world is that the person with the most restraint and patience usually had the upper hand—and Jenna, I assessed, would easily crack when cornered. Colt and I just had to figure out her breaking point, and if we could manage to work together harmoniously, he’d get what he wanted. And as I glanced at Colt again, and the way he was with his kids, to be honest, it’d feel like a win for me too.
22
Colt
It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Jenna disregarded my request not to bring Jett and Jasmine along today. She never gave a shit about anything I wanted. She was one of the most selfish women I knew. I wished things could be easy between us when it came to co-parenting, but as more time passed, I realized that would never be the case.
“Daddy, can you push us on the swings?” Jasmine asked, tearing my gaze away from Jenna and Ember. Jenna was a bitch and Ember had been through the wringer of bitchy people so I couldn’t help but be a little worried for her.
“Daddy?” Jett echoed.
“Sure, let’s go!” The park was quiet this morning, allowing us to pick whatever we wanted to do. I lifted each of them onto a swing and stood between them so I could push them at the same time.
Even though I was enjoying my impromptu time with my kids, I kept glancing back at Ember. I could tell by the way she positioned her body, Jenna was on the attack. She was sitting straight as an arrow with her arms folded on the table; her hands balled into fists. If I weren’t her ride home, she would have probably bolted by now. I didn’t know what to do. If I went over there to rescue her from the evil bitch, then my kids would end up meeting her, but if I kept them away, she was going to have to deal with Jenna all alone. The only thing that helped me remain calm was knowing that Ember wasn’t some weakling. I’d known that about her years ago and now, having gone through the death of her dad, Torch blackmailing her, her brother going to jail, and Fitz being killed right in front of her, she hadn’t broken. Even when I’d added to her hell. She was strong, and I had to trust that. Strangely, I did trust Ember in this situation.
“Who’s that lady talking to Mommy?” Jasmine asked as she continued soaring through the air.
Well shit! It looked like I was going to have to address the issue anyway.
“Her name is Ember. She’s a friend of mine.”
“She’s pretty,” Jett added. The kid was definitely my son.
Jasmine giggled. “I like her hair! She looks like a princess.”
I laughed at my daughter’s observation. Princesses were a regular part of our time together, whether it was watching movies, having tea parties, or playing dolls. Of course, that was something I kept to myself. The jokes from my brothers would be endless if they ever found out.
Looking at the two women, it was impossible not to notice how different they were. Not just in looks either. While Jenna’s actions were almost always self-serving, Ember was one of the most selfless people I knew. She was here because I asked her, even though she had nothing to gain from helping me. She was loyal to the core. That was evident by the lengths she went to protect her brother and sister. And while I hated to think of her with Torch, I now understood the very complicated reasons behind her choices. I also knew she still struggled with Fitz’s death and her guilt over it. We’d talked a lot about him, and told stories—great stories, some of which I hadn’t ever heard. There was a lot to Ember I was learning, more than I let her learn about me. But, while spending time with her, I found myself telling her things, o
nly to stop when I realized I was sharing intimate, personal information. She always listened, never pushed, let me set the pace, and damn, if I wasn’t careful, I’d fall for her.
And I couldn’t let that happen.
I thought I’d loved Jenna, but I’d only been in lust with her. I had a youthful, immature idea of love, but Ember was the real deal and it freaked me out.
“Can we go meet her?” Jett asked, snapping my attention back to him and his sister.
There was no way for me to stop this train now. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Maybe if I played up the ‘just friends’ angle in front of them, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I could only hope it went well.
“Sure,” I responded as I brought each of their swings to a gentle stop. I held both of their hands as we made our way back to the picnic table where Jenna and Ember were sitting. As we got closer, I could tell there wasn’t much conversation happening between them, but there were plenty of dirty looks being thrown in my direction from Jenna.
“Hey ladies, these two wanted to come over and say hi.”
Ember looked at me, her eyes wide with shock. Or panic, I couldn’t tell which. Everything so far was the opposite of what we’d planned for today. But she recovered quickly and faced Jett and Jasmine.
“This is my friend, Ember,” I introduced.
Jenna guffawed across from behind me, but we all ignored her.
“Hi there,” Ember said, smiling. She even got off the bench to kneel before them so they would be at eye level. It had an effect on me in ways I hadn’t anticipated. “Your dad has told me a lot about you.”
I hadn’t really, but I was grateful for the effort she made to make them comfortable.
“Hi, Ember. I’m Jett,” he said, and pointed at his sister, “and this is Jasmine.”
My little man was already at ease while Jasmine developed a sudden bout of shyness, hiding behind my legs.
Ember smiled. “It’s very nice to meet both of you.”
“Daddy said you’re his friend. Does that mean you’re going to be our friend too?” Jett asked.
Jenna snorted again, and I pinned her with a look that said she better knock it off.
“If that’s what you and your sister want, I’d like that,” Ember said, completely focused on Jett and Jasmine. “And if it’s okay with your dad.”
I gave Ember credit, she wasn’t letting Jenna get to her, or at least she was hiding it well.
The conversation between Jett and Ember continued as Jasmine looked on. Ember made sure to include Jasmine by asking her questions but didn’t push. She appeared to be a natural with them.
Meanwhile, Jenna was getting more annoyed by the second until she declared it was time to leave. Both Jasmine and Jett looked disappointed but listened to their mother. The only reason I’d gone along with them staying with Jenna and caving into her control over them was because I knew I needed to ensure I looked as good as I could when this went before a judge. But I was getting sick of her pulling the strings, and I could tell by Jenna’s sour expression that she hadn’t gotten what she’d wanted today.
“I’ll see you both soon, okay?” I hated saying goodbye to the two of them. It broke my heart a little every time. They ran into my arms, squeezing me tight. “Love you guys, so much,” I said, wishing I could hold onto them longer, and more often. I despised Jenna, but I would never regret having our kids.
“Love you too, Daddy,” they said, hugging me harder before releasing me at the behest of their mother.
I would never get tired of hearing them say they loved me because I loved them more than anything.
“Bye, Ember!” Jett yelled as he walked away with Jenna. Jasmine mustered a small, shy smile and a wave before running off after Jett.
“See you soon!” Ember yelled back.
A huge smile lit up her face as she waved back. Seeing her reaction to my kids tugged at something deep inside me. She’d handled Jenna, that much I could tell since my ex didn’t have her usual haughty, bitchy, smug smile. And my kids liked her.
Fuck, I was so screwed.
We walked back to my bike in silence. I wanted to know how the conversation between her and Jenna went even though I already had an idea it wasn’t good. But Ember looked drained and distracted, which didn’t surprise me. Jenna had a way of sucking out all the air in a place and leaving those around her feeling defeated.
“Do you want to grab some lunch before heading back?”
“Sure,” Ember said, still looking lost in her own thoughts.
We drove to the diner Kate worked at. It was a favorite amongst the club, especially during Kate’s shifts. I didn’t see any of the guys when we pulled up, but it was still early. We’d probably run into them before we left.
“Hey, you two,” Kate greeted as we entered. “Sit anywhere you’d like, I’ll be right over.”
I led Ember to the table in the back that was my preferred spot. I waited for her to sit before I slipped into the rounded booth opposite her.
Kate brought over two glasses of water for us. “So what has the two of you out this morning?”
“We met Jenna and the kids at the park earlier,” I told her.
Kate’s eyes went wide and she turned to Ember. “How’d that go?”
“Jett and Jasmine are great. I wasn’t expecting to meet them, but it was fun.”
Ember spoke with sincerity, but it didn’t escape my attention that she didn’t mention Jenna at all.
We both placed our orders and it didn’t take long for Viper, Mac, and Wolf to walk in. The auto shop Mac and Viper worked at was down the street, so they often had lunch here. And since Wolf managed The Red Door and it didn’t open until later, he usually joined them.
They headed in our direction when they spotted us. “You got room for three more?” Viper asked, even though he was already sliding in next to Ember.
I made room for Wolf next to me while Mac dropped in next to Viper. It was a tight squeeze, so I lifted my arm to rest behind Ember as I scooted a little closer to her. I looked at Mac who gave me a shit-eating grin before calling his girl over.
It was quiet in the diner, the lunch rush not starting for another hour, allowing Kate to join us for her break.
“How did this morning go?” Viper asked.
I’d told him about the meeting when we chatted last night. He knew all the shit I dealt with when it came to Jenna, and if there was someone who disliked her as much as I did, it was him.
“She brought Jett and Jasmine,” I answered, shrugging my shoulders as though it didn’t matter that she completely disregarded my feelings when it came to my children.
“What a fucking bitch,” Viper said.
Yeah, I couldn’t agree more.
“It was fine, actually. I told them Ember was a friend of mine. Jett seemed to really like this one,” I said as I pointed to the woman next to me. For the first time since we left the park, a genuine smile lit up her face.
The six of us continued to shoot the shit until it was time for everyone to head back to work. I noticed while we all added something to the conversation, Wolf was unusually quiet. He’d been having the hardest time since Fitz’s death. I was going to need to keep an eye on him.
It was quiet when we got back to the clubhouse. Ember had the day off and I was caught up with my work, but everyone else was out.
I suddenly felt awkward being alone with her, which was a new feeling for me. I was never unsure of myself around the opposite sex, but this woman did something to me.
“Want to watch a movie?” I wasn’t ready to stop spending time with her and a movie seemed innocent enough.
“Sure.”
If she was surprised by my suggestion, she didn’t show it.
I led her to the TV room and we both settled on the large leather couch. She curled up on one end and I knew the safest thing to do would be to sit on the other end.
Flipping through the options, I was thankful when she suggested Die Hard instead of
some rom-com. It only made sense seeing as Christmas was only a couple of weeks away. We watched in silence for a while when I noticed her turn to look at me. She looked like she had a lot on her mind, so I waited for her to finally say something.
It didn’t take long.
“Can I ask you a question?”
With no idea what could possibly come out of her mouth, I paused the TV and faced her. “Sure.”
“When we first hooked up all those years ago, what happened after you left the room?” she asked. “You acted like you didn’t even know me the next day and I’ve always wondered about it.”
Shit. I wasn’t expecting her to bring up the past, and I definitely didn’t know it still bothered her. There were a lot of things I regret in regards to how I handled that situation, and she deserved some answers.
“Let me start by saying I never meant to hurt you—”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Colt.”
I couldn’t blame her, that sounded lame even to me. “After you fell asleep, I kinda freaked out. You were the daughter of a Sinners’ president and while I really liked you, I didn’t have my shit figured out and to be honest, I wasn’t ready for anything serious back then. So, I needed a minute to think things through, so I snuck out for a cigarette. Unfortunately, your dad was standing right there when I opened the door and he saw you in my bed.”
Her jaw fell open. “Wow. I always wondered how he knew we hooked up that night. I thought we were discreet. I’m surprised he didn’t drag me out of there.”
“He didn’t want to embarrass you in front of the whole club so he told me to find somewhere else to sleep that night. He may have also threatened to cut off my balls if I touched his daughter again. I didn’t know what to say to you, so I pretended like it didn’t happen and your dad was watching me like a hawk for the rest of our visit. When I saw you the next night, you were chatting to some other dude and I thought maybe you were the kind of girl to hook up with any random guy.”
Colt (Desert Sinners MC Book 2) Page 14