by Harley Wylde
Janessa rolled her eyes at me. “Go to the bathroom? Really, Dad? Are we five?”
I shrugged, not having a clue what the fuck I was doing most days, but I was trying. That had to count for something. I knew there would be a steep learning curve during Kalani’s pregnancy and definitely after the baby arrived, but I’d buy every book I could find if I thought it would help prepare me. This was my second chance, an opportunity to not fuck things up, and I was determined to do all the right things. Starting with feeding my girls.
I shot off a text to Seamus and hoped he was inside the compound. If he was out on a job for the club, or partying, it could take him a while to get here. Since he was trying to prove himself to Devil’s Boneyard in hopes of patching in, I knew he’d drop whatever he was doing to come chauffeur us around town. It sucked, but every patched member went through the same shit.
A knock sounded about ten minutes later and before I could even move, Janessa had bounded over to the door and flung it open.
Seamus blinked at her a moment, and my daughter looked a little stunned. For the first time, I realized my little girl was on the cusp of becoming a woman, and she was already getting the curves to prove it. With a mix of my heritage and her mother’s Irish background, she had a golden honey glow with my dark hair. Fuck. I wasn’t ready for this shit.
Seamus, to his credit, was the first to look away, but even he looked a little dazed. I glared at him and hoped it would put the fear of God into him. My baby girl was only fourteen, and Seamus had to be in his twenties. In ten years, that wouldn’t be such big difference, but right now? Fuck no. And if he was one of those sickos who got off on being with a kid, I’d be happy to set him straight.
“I have the SUV out front. We can leave whenever you’re ready,” Seamus said. His gaze cut toward Janessa for split second, then he looked away again.
Kalani looked a little amused by the entire thing, which earned her a glower too. Not that she backed down. It seemed my wife had finally realized I wasn’t going to ever hurt her. Part of me was elated that she wasn’t scared of me, and the other half realized that she was going to make my life hell. With two females under my roof already, I was seriously hoping the little bun in the oven was a boy. Hell, Janessa had the right idea. I was going to hope for twins. Boy twins!
“I think we’re ready,” I said.
Janessa darted out the door and jumped into the front seat of the SUV. Seamus looked a little nervous and rubbed the back of his neck. I should probably cut him a little slack. Hell, Janessa’s mom had only been two years older when she’d gotten pregnant with our daughter. But if I’d have had any idea she was sixteen, I’d have stayed the fuck away from her. The way Seamus twitched as he glanced at the SUV told me enough. He knew Janessa was just a kid and was going to do his damnedest to avoid her. Good.
Kalani leaned a little closer. “We’re going to have to watch her. Poor Seamus looks ready to bolt, but I do believe our daughter would just run him to ground like a hound after a rabbit.”
I snorted. Yeah, she wasn’t wrong.
“Maybe it’s time for that birds and the bees discussion,” I said.
“Which one would that be?”
“The one where any guy looks at her, touches her, or even thinks of having sex with her will end with him being in a shallow grave at the back of the compound.”
Kalani patted my arm. “Good luck with that. Maybe instead of trying to chase all the males off, you could just steer her toward more appropriate ones. Poor Seamus looks like he’s been trapped and wants to gnaw off his leg to escape.”
“Is there such a thing as an appropriate guy? I remember being her age. I was one big hormone and all I thought about was sex.”
Kalani’s eyebrows lifted. “So not much different from now?”
I swatted her on her ass. “Watch it, woman. If my wife weren’t so sexy, maybe I wouldn’t think about sex so much.”
“Nice save.” Kalani smiled and left me standing in the house. She slid into the back of the SUV, and poor Seamus stood next to the vehicle looking like he might bolt at any moment.
I should probably save the guy. It would be the brotherly thing to do. And then have a nice, long talk with my daughter. And make sure Seamus knew not to ever look her way again. I wasn’t ready for this shit. At all. Why the fuck couldn’t I have had a boy?
I left the house, shutting the door behind me, then practically yanked my daughter out of the front of the SUV and shoved her into the backseat with Kalani. Before Janessa could get back out, I engaged the child lock and slammed the door shut. She gave me a mutinous glare as I climbed into the front seat.
“Thank you,” Seamus muttered under his breath as he started the SUV.
“Look at my daughter again the way you did when she opened the door, and they’ll never find your body.”
He gave a jerky nod and pulled out of the driveway.
“I’m going to marry a biker when I grow up,” Janessa said from the backseat.
I growled and turned to look at her. She gave me a look that somehow managed to be both innocent and sassy at the same time, and I knew that whoever she ended up with would have their hands full. I just hoped I didn’t have to deal with that for another five or six years. Hell, she was my kid. I didn’t kid myself into thinking she’d be a virgin forever. The way she was acting over Seamus, I’d be lucky if she remained a virgin past the age of sixteen.
“You can marry whoever you want,” Kalani said. “After you’ve graduated high school and at least given college a try. Your dad didn’t pull you out of that hellhole just for you to run off and marry the first guy you think is cute.”
“Didn’t you?” Janessa asked.
Kalani paled a little, and if we weren’t in a moving car, I’d have pulled my daughter over my knee and spanked her ass for that comment.
“Kalani’s situation is different from yours, Janessa. She needed my protection,” I said. “And I care about her. I’ll do anything I can to make her happy and keep her safe. Most guys will just want in your pants. Don’t think a few kisses and handholding means they want forever with you.”
Seamus cleared his throat. “You should probably wait until you’re married. If a guy’s willing to wait until after the wedding, then you’ll know he really wants to be with you and isn’t just after a good time.”
As much as I wanted to tell him to shut up, I had to admit he made a good point. And my daughter seemed to be listening to Seamus.
“Did you wait?” she asked Seamus.
His cheeks flushed. “Um, no. But if I met the right woman and she wanted to wait, then I’d respect her enough to abstain.”
Janessa seemed to think it over. “So, you’re saying the women you’ve been with were just a good time and not the kind of woman you keep forever?”
Seamus nodded. “Right. I haven’t met the forever type yet. Maybe one day I will.”
Janessa got an almost sly look in her eyes. “Or maybe you already have and you just don’t realize it.”
Oh, fucking hell. No she didn’t!
“Janessa!” I leveled another glare at her. “Stop flirting with Seamus. He’s a grown-ass man and you’re still a kid.”
“Fine.” She folded her arms and sulked. “But I won’t be a kid forever.”
Seamus glanced my way before looking at Janessa in the rearview mirror. “Tell you what. When you’re all grown up, you come look me up. If I’m still single, I’ll take you out on a date.”
Janessa fairly glowed, and I wasn’t certain if I admired the way he’d handled that, or if I wanted to punch him. Either way, his words seemed to settle Janessa down enough that the issue was buried for the moment. I could only hope she’d forget all about this over time. Something told me that if she ever hooked up with the Prospect sitting next to me, that nothing but trouble would come of it.
Seamus looked at me before returning his gaze to the road. “Army, right?”
“Yeah. Fifteen years of service,” I said.<
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Seamus reached for his arm and lifted the sleeve of his tee. A fucking SEALs logo. Jesus. My baby girl was flirting with a damn Navy SEAL.
“Just got out six months ago,” Seamus said.
“What does your tattoo mean?” Janessa asked from the backseat.
“It means your flirt buddy here is a badass,” I muttered.
“And it means you have my word that I would never touch her while she’s underage,” Seamus said. “I might have been momentarily out of sorts when she opened the door, but I would never, ever go there. I’m not that kind of man. If it would make you feel better, I can request someone else to help you while you’re in our territory.”
“Your word is good enough,” I said. “Just keep your eyes off my daughter.”
“Not a problem. I’m not into kids.”
Seamus dropped us off at the restaurant and promised to return as soon as we were ready to leave. Janessa pouted when she realized he wasn’t joining us, and I knew I needed to have that talk with her sooner rather than later. After being at Hillview, and seeing the bad things that happened, I would have never thought she’d go crazy over some guy she just met. Especially one who was too fucking old for her.
“He’s too old for you,” I said after we were seated and had placed our order. “You need to leave him alone. Do you really think Kalani acted like that around me?”
She cut her gaze toward Kalani, then shook her head. “I know she didn’t. You make her feel safe.”
“I’m glad that Hillview didn’t permanently damage you,” I said. “But you can’t go chasing after guys. Did your mother ever tell you about me or how we met?”
“No.”
“Your mom was sixteen and I was nineteen. But I didn’t know how old she was. I’d thought she was eighteen, until she ended up pregnant with you, and your grandfather threatened to have me arrested for statutory rape.”
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped a little.
“I’m not telling you this so you’ll think badly of your mom and her family, but I want you to understand how dangerous it is for you to act like that around Seamus. Until you’re eighteen, you’re jailbait, for lack of a better word. And that means if you think you want to hang out with boys, then you need to make sure it’s guys your age.”
“There’s no one my age at the compound,” she said.
“Maybe not, but I’m going to enroll you in school, and you’ll make some friends there. They don’t have to know about your past unless you decide to tell them. You can always just say that your grandparents sent you out of town when your mom died,” I said.
“May I say something?” Kalani asked.
“Sweetheart, you’re her stepmother and my wife. You don’t need permission to say anything.”
Kalani nodded and faced Janessa. “You know some of what happened to me at Hillview, and you know I don’t trust men. I wouldn’t have let just anyone take me out of there, even if it meant freedom from the doctors and staff.”
“Then why did you let my dad take you from that place?” Janessa asked.
“Because when I looked into his eyes, I saw his love and concern for you. And I knew that anyone who felt that way about his daughter couldn’t be all bad. Your father protected me, kept me hidden from Hillview, and even married me to make sure I never had to go back. He’s the first man I’ve ever let touch me. Do you think it would have been wise for me to trust just anyone like that?” Kalani asked.
“No?” Janessa’s forehead wrinkled like she wasn’t certain of her answer.
“There are men in the world, and probably even boys your age, who are like the staff and doctors at Hillview. They’ll take what they want because they think it’s their right. They don’t care if they hurt someone, and might even enjoy causing pain to other people. Be careful who you trust, Janessa. I never want to see you hurt the way I’ve been hurt.”
Janessa nodded and hugged Kalani. “I promise I’ll be careful. And I won’t go chasing after guys, even if I am curious what it’s like to go on a date and have my first kiss.”
“It will happen when it’s supposed to,” Kalani said. “Don’t rush it, and don’t force it. When you meet the right guy, you’ll know. He’ll treat you with respect and kindness. He’ll put your needs before his.”
“And my dad does all that for you?” she asked.
Kalani nodded. “He does. Your dad gave me space and waited until I told him I was ready for more. He was patient, kind, and never once acted like I owed him something. Maybe he’s one of a kind, but I think when the time is right, you’ll meet a guy just as wonderful as your father.”
My throat grew a little tight, and my heart felt like it might burst. Ah, fuck. I didn’t know when it had happened, but I’d fallen in love with my wife. Now wasn’t the time to tell her, though. I’d save that for a special moment when it was just the two of us, and if I was lucky, one day she’d love me too.
The rest of the night passed without incident, until my phone jingled with a text that made my blood run cold.
Whitby escaped. What the fuck did that even mean? Escaped from where? My heart hammered as I called Torch. “What the fuck do you mean he escaped?” I asked.
“Wire managed to have all the patients transferred to other facilities. In the chaos, Whitby disappeared. The police anonymously received copies of Whitby’s personal files with all the corrupt and abusive things that have happened at Hillview. The rest of the staff were arrested, but Whitby slipped through their fingers,” Torch said.
“What does that mean for my family?” I asked.
“It means you need to keep your eyes open. I’ve already contacted Scratch to give him a heads-up. He’s doubling the guards at the gate, and there will be two Prospects watching the house you’re in. It’s the best we can do until Wire and Shade can work their magic and locate Whitby,” Torch said.
“If that fucker touches one hair on my wife or daughter’s heads, I’ll kill him,” I said, my voice more growl than usual.
“I’m sending Johnny and Ivan your way. They’re only Prospects, but they’ll both be patched in soon enough. Don’t leave the compound for anything,” Torch said.
“Fine.” My hand tightened on the phone. “Find that asshole.”
“We’re on it. We’ve got three clubs and Casper VanHorne working on this. You just keep your girls close,” Torch said. “I’ll call when I know more or the situation is resolved.”
The line went dead and I stared into the darkness for a few minutes. Kalani was asleep. Watching her, I vowed that Whitby would never touch her. She’d suffered enough, and I wasn’t about to let any more ugliness come near her. I checked on Janessa, then prowled the house. My hands clenched and unclenched, wishing I had my weapons. There was a gun in my bag, and I retrieved it just in case. Whatever happened, I’d keep my family safe, at all costs.
Nothing was more important than the two girls sleeping down the hall. Nothing.
Chapter Ten
Kalani
When I woke up alone, I knew something was wrong. Tex wasn’t in bed and there was an ominous feeling in the air, like something bad was coming. I threw off the covers and checked on Janessa. She was still sleeping soundly in the bedroom across the hall. Slowly, I crept through the house, listening for anything that seemed out of place. I found Tex in the kitchen, downing a cup of coffee.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
His gaze was troubled as he faced me. “The police arrested the staff and doctors at Hillview.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” I asked. “It means it’s all over?”
“Not quite. Whitby escaped.”
I froze at his words. I knew deep down that the man would hunt me down. He might have been the sperm donor who helped create me, but he’d never loved me. And now I was a danger to his very existence. I didn’t know what the police had that would have led to them arresting everyone. Maybe I was overreacting and Whitby was five states away heading in the other direction. But what
if I wasn’t? What if he was searching for me? After being his dirty little secret for so long, he had to be furious that I’d not only escaped, but the police were now hunting him.
Tex gripped my arms and I looked up. There was concern in his gaze, but also determination. My heart rate slowed and I took a deep breath. He’d kept me safe so far, and now that I was carrying his baby, I had no doubt he’d be twice as protective. I was behind locked gates, surrounded by bikers. I couldn’t think of a safer place to be.
“Everything will be fine,” Tex assured me. “We have two Prospects watching the house, and Torch is sending a few of our men as well… Prospects. And of course, Gabe is already here. I know they aren’t patched members, but I have a feeling they can hold their own. Besides, they have something to prove. Screwing up isn’t an option.”
I nodded. He was right. I knew he was right. “So, we’re on lockdown for now?” I asked.
“Yeah. I know it sucks. You’ve been locked up for so long and now I’m having to cage you again. I hate that, but I refuse to let anything happen to you.”
“Or the baby,” I said, placing a hand over my stomach.
“Hey.” He tipped my chin up and lightly pressed his lips to mine. “I would worry about you whether you were pregnant or not. You know that, right? I care what happens to you, Kalani. I know we haven’t been together all that long, but you mean so much to me. Yes, I’m thrilled we’re having a baby. But even if there wasn’t a baby, I’d still be glad you’re part of my life.”
I bit my tongue to keep the words I love you from spilling out. I didn’t think he’d want to hear that right now, but I couldn’t lie to myself. Somewhere along the way, I’d fallen for Tex. He was always so sweet to me, it was hard not to love him.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I’m not the greatest cook, but even I can manage bacon, eggs, and biscuits that come in a can. I checked the fridge and it’s stocked with the basics.”
I studied him and could see the tension lines bracketing his mouth. His body was strung tight, and even though he was saying and doing all the right things, I could tell that something was off with him. I just didn’t know what.