We fall silent, and I’m still lost in my own thoughts when the SUV comes to a stop in front of a large house with a double garage. Kain parks and orders me to stay in my seat. I can’t believe this is the same man I had a one-night stand with almost four years ago. Though, I shouldn’t judge since he just found out he’s a father. It irreversibly is going to mess up his life.
Another problem added to the pile I’m already dealing with. I should have known it was coming when I decided to move to Sunnyville, but the confrontation still hits hard. I take a deep breath to regain some strength and brace for what’s to come; dealing with having Denise’s biological father in our lives and how we move forward from here on out.
CHAPTER TWO
– KAIN –
I stare at the little three-year-old girl sleeping in my guest bedroom. She’s a carbon copy of her mother and the timing fits with our one-night stand in Vegas almost four years ago. Hard to believe I have a daughter, though deep down I know she’s mine.
Gently closing the door and leaving it slightly ajar, I make my way down the hallway and into the living room. Leontine is on the couch, her leg perched up on cushions and she’s wringing her hands.
“I want a DNA test, and if she’s mine—”
“She’s yours, but please don’t take her away from me,” she says in a tiny and pleading voice.
I want to lash out about how she’s kept Deni away from me all these years and yet . . . I’m the one who gave her a fake name. The name of a dude who’s married. Dammit what a major fuck-up.
“I’m going to be in her life, complete shared custody, understood? She’s going to know I’m her father as soon as possible since she’s still young enough to adjust without any weirdness in between.”
“I did try to reach you when I knew I was pregnant. I called, but they said your wife had an emergency and that you were out for the day. I thought . . . you cheated . . . married. It . . . it was never my intention to keep her from you,” she says with a little more snap to her voice.
I rub a hand over my neck as I mutter, “When you have millions linked with your name people tend to want you for different reasons as soon as they know who you are. That shouldn’t be an excuse, I know. And I should have given you my own name, and for that I’m sorry, and I only have myself to blame.”
“And I’m sorry I wanted to get pregnant,” she blurts and I swear my whole body freezes in place as an ice cold shiver runs up and down my spine.
“Say what?” I growl, not believing she might have wanted to set me up by getting pregnant.
“The whole millions linked to your name and people want you for different reasons? That’s the story of my life. Growing up my father only cared about running the company and left me with a nanny, and later sent me to boarding school. Most of the time I was all by myself without any emotion or affection. My father tried to be there for me in his own way, but there was a hole in my heart I yearned to fill.”
She draws in a shaky breath. “I wanted to change my life and give everything I had to give to make a change. That, and my father wanted me to marry Gordon for the sake of the company. To him we were a good match. A good match like a damn business deal,” she seethes and waves her hands.
She’s caught up in her own rant and isn’t even looking at me. “I did some research and there are websites out there where you can meet up with a man who willingly donates . . . you know. But then I ran into you. One look and I wanted you with my whole body. I’ve never had the whole full-blown lust thing, and all I wanted to do was give in. And then you were amazing, the whole night was amazing, and then morning came and I was so ashamed and disgusted with myself . . . I ran. I figured it was a fifty-fifty shot. I mean, how can you get knocked-up in one shot? Ugh.”
“It was more like six shots spread out over the whole night.” I can’t help but chuckle at the reminder how the both of us couldn’t get enough of each other and screwed like bunnies until we both crashed into a deep sleep.
I should really be pissed about what she just spilled but this whole situation we’re in is fucked-up. Me giving her another guy’s name, and for real, I’m just as responsible for not using a condom. Even if she said she was on the pill. She lied. I lied. Who of us made the bigger lie is all moot when we have a three-year-old sleeping at the end of the hallway.
“We will get the test done as soon as possible. And until we have the results, I would like to offer you two to stay here. You obviously need help with your ankle and the kid. Your house needs some work before you can stay there overnight. I can help with all of it. And if you say she’s my kid, you will give me this time. When we have it in black and white, we will discuss how we’re going to continue.” I give her a hard stare, basically letting her know she doesn’t have a choice in any of this.
Knocking on the door prevents her from answering. I don’t have to check to see who’s standing on my porch because I already know. I’ve asked my president, Archer, to let a prospect swing by with a DNA test. But to my surprise there isn’t a prospect, but Archer himself standing on my porch.
“Hey, man. I didn’t expect to see you.” I step back to let Archer enter and close the door behind him.
“I thought it was best to handle this as soon as possible and just between us. Besides, I needed the long ride to clear my head,” Archer says as he hands me a package.
“Your Dad okay?” I question.
Archer’s father, Deeds, former president of Broken Deeds MC, needed to step down and hand everything over to his son because of an investigation. An investigation which was unnecessary and unjustified, but the shift in leadership did allow us to sign a new contract with the government. Though if you ask anyone, they will say the gavel was passed down to Archer because Deeds had too many issues with his hand due to an old injury.
Broken Deeds MC has been active for many decades in solving cases the government can’t seem to close. Though recently the CIA thought it was necessary to run a check, to make sure we still follow our protocols instead of going rogue. Bullshit policies which caused for one of our brothers to die and cause a truckload of issues within our tight family and brotherhood. And yet we came out stronger even with the shift of leadership.
Archer nods and says, “He’s fine and not the reason I needed to clear my head.”
“Trouble in paradise?” I can’t help but chuckle since the dude fell head over heels for the vice president’s daughter of another MC. Talk about complications.
“Same old shit,” Archer grunts. “Hence me needing the long ride.”
I nod in sympathy and give him a few smacks on the back. “Appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah, just get me some coffee, will ya?” Archer heads for the living room and I trail in behind him.
Leontine’s eyes widen when she sees Archer. It’s a normal reaction since the dude is all muscle and ink these days. Add the leather cut with patches, jeans with chains, rough biker boots, and you have a menacing presence coming at ya.
“Lee, this is Archer, president of Broken Deeds MC, the motorcycle club I’m a part of.” I watch how Lee gives him a genuine smile and holds out her hand for him to take.