“Yep,” I answered easily, shifting TJ on my lap, which earned me a drooly grin that made my heart squeeze. “Kind of hard to deny it, even if I wanted to.” I kept the rest to myself. Raven didn’t need to know that I believed Vivian when she said he was mine because she hadn’t been with anyone else. Even though I had my doubts about her reason for leaving, I believed in her certainty about TJ’s paternity.
Raven took a step back, her gaze shifted to mine before one brow arched as if she was challenging me. “And the baby mama?”
I swallowed down my immediate response because I didn’t want to agitate TJ. “What about her?”
“You just gonna let her drop him off like a fuckin’ package and disappear?”
I shrugged as if it didn’t matter to me, but my jaw was tight enough to crack my teeth. “That’s her choice. All I can do is take care of TJ the way she asked me to. Give him the life none of us ever had.” How could I not honor that simple request when I knew none of us had easy childhoods? I’d do anything to make it better for my son.
Anger flashed in her eyes. “Goddammit, Trav, you can’t be serious?”
I looked up with a frown. “Why are you on my ass about this? You don’t even like her.” I was sure Raven would be happy to see the back of Viv.
Raven didn’t even blink, not denying it as she folded her arms, a hint of a smile formed on her lips.
“I’ve seen the way you glare at her. The little digs, the constant reminders she doesn’t belong here.” I’d also seen the way it hurt Viv’s feelings, but she swallowed it down, buried it deep and got on with whatever came next.
She smirked. “I am who I am. Doesn’t mean I want TJ spending his life wondering why his mama walked away. Doesn’t mean I want him thinking he wasn’t good enough for her to stay.”
The words slammed against me harder than a crowbar to the ribs. “Shit, Raven,” I growled. “Why the fuck did you have go and say that?” I was perfectly prepared to let Viv walk away because her arguments were sound and rational, and I knew she wouldn’t change her mind. Now I was rethinking everything.
Raven’s expression went soft as she reached out and stroked one finger over TJ’s wispy curls. “Because that wondering why you weren’t good enough or just enough? It fucking sucks. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, definitely not my own fucking blood.”
This time when TJ reached for her, she scooped him up in her arms and pressed a kiss to the top of his forehead.
“Yeah, you’re gonna be all right little man. We Marconis are tough as shit so yeah, you’ll be fine. Now we just gotta get your daddy to talk some sense into your mama.” She flicked a teasing smile in my direction.
“Dada,” he said again with more enthusiasm than before.
My chest squeezed at my sister’s words, at the familiarity between her and my son. We weren’t a touchy feely family and she’d never said any of that to me before, but I knew those words were coming straight from her heart. Our folks drank and fought, and then they fucked off for days at a time until those days turned into weeks and then months. Eventually they’d stopped coming around altogether. I never really had time to focus on how it impacted me because I was too busy keeping it all together and keeping CPS away. “I’ll talk to her, but I can’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do, Raven.”
She sighed and shook her head. “She doesn’twantto leave him behind, she’s doing this because she thinks it’s the only way to keep her safe. Is it the only way?”
“Raven,” I warned. What she was saying, what she was silently asking meant a fuck of a lot of trouble for the MC, our businesses, and the people we gave a shit about.
“I’m just saying, you managed to bag a doctor once so surely you can do it again. Unless you think you’ve lost your touch?”
I laughed. “Fuck you, Raven.” Nobody could get under my skin as quickly as my kid sister.
She grinned as if proud of my response. “Love you too, big brother. And watch your language, there are baby ears around,” she laughed and handed TJ back to me. “Later, kiddo.” She kissed the top of TJ’s head before she wandered off, probably to have a cigarette.
Raven’s words stayed with me for a long time as TJ and I played, first with a ball and then with Chopper when the dogwandered over, ecstatic to get the little boy’s attention. TJ’s heritage was undeniable, but I knew that wasn’t good enough for my brothers, so I kept it to myself, and slowly slotted TJ into my life since he’d already made his way into my heart.Just like his mother had.
Things with Viv had been a whirlwind. Two weeks of fire and heat, the kind of connection I didn’t even believe in before her. She’d been a breath of fresh fucking air, all uptight and nerdy in her fancy doctor clothes. But she was gorgeous as fuck and underneath that prim exterior, she’d been wild, a hellcat in the sack who’d rocked my world when she let loose in the bedroom. She’d let go in ways that made me feel like I was the only man who’d ever touched her.
And then she was gone. No goodbye. No explanation. Just a vague as fuck note and silence.For three goddamn years.
Now she was back with my son, acting cold and controlled, like those two weeks meant nothing at all to her. Yet here I was, the fucking idiot for wanting to believe her. “Fuck,” I growled, smiling when TJ grabbed my cheeks and looked at me with worried eyes.
“Something on your mind?” The voice belonged to my best friend, Hades. His eyes were sharp as if he could read all my thoughts.
“Nope. You?” I was sick to death talking about shit. Nothing ever got resolved and the feelings didn’t go away.
He smirked. “I didn’t just find out I’m somebody’s daddy so yeah, I’m good. Back to you.”
I laughed under my breath, shaking my head at his ability to cut through the bullshit with a smile. “I’m good. TJ is great, so smart. Curious as hell about everything.”
Hades’ smile dimmed. “Doc came through like a champ yesterday.”
