I am not good at letting people into my tiny bubble. It’s one of my many shortcomings, as anyone can see. I’ve been hurt too deeply and way too often for my twenty-six years on this planet. It’s hard to trust, even with the people who love me.
I swallow the fear always lodged in my throat and open up with something I’ve never shared with anyone. “When the pain of losing Shawn took over, it was hard not reaching out for you and to seek your warm arms again. I wanted to come to you, but please understand that I couldn’t.”
He waits for me to push on. When I don’t, he pulls me into him and starts for the door. “We can talk more when we are safely behind Savage protection. We are too exposed out here.”
Chloe enters the living room right when we get to the front door. “Finally. I knew it wouldn’t take long,” she says in a way that has me looking between both of them. I watch as my old friend and baby daddy exchange a look of recognition that has me curious.
“You two know each other?”
Chloe's massive amounts of gray curls bounce as she nods. Before answering, she shuffles over to the kitchen table pushed up against the far wall in the open styled living room and sits. That is the first cue as to an incoming long story that I don’t have time for right now.
“Umm, Chloe. Uh, can we get the abridged version of what you are about to share. None of us should be here right now.”
Aged eyes find mine. “You need patience, child. And I already told ya. I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“You’re not wrong about the patience, but I can work on my shortcomingsafterpeople with guns stop hunting me and my child.”
That makes Chloe harrumph and Phantom snort.
“Your biker boy here can’t stay away. The first week you left he was here every day begging me to tell him where you ran offto. He was convinced he could win you back. That he could be anything you needed him to be.”
“Way to out a man, Chloe. Damn.”
My dear friend offers a blushing Phantom a warm smile.
“Love is love, young man. Nothing to be ashamed about.”
Phantom switches Kaylee to his other arm, and he slides his free hand into mine. Looking at me with all the love in the world in those gray eyes, he whispers, “It’s true. I tossed every corner of this parish looking for you.”
He pushes every ounce of emotion I see swirling in the depths of his eyes into his carefully spoken words. Confidence in his feelings adds another layer to this whole situation. Like he does not doubt for a minute that he loved me.
“I don’t deserve that kind of love, Phantom. I don’t think I ever will.”
“Another of your shortcomings you need to work on, young lady.”
Chloe doesn’t hold back, and she’s pretty fast for being an old lady working through her eighties. She’s up and across the room to stand in front of us in a few strides. Warm hands touch both of our faces.
“You need to not let the negative in this world erode and erase what could be between you. Stop being foolish, the both of ya. Now get goin’.”
Fear stabs into my heart like a hot iron. She makes life sound so damn easy.
I keep my eyes pinned to the small patch of carpet between Chloe and me. It’s safer than looking into Phantom’s eyes right now. I do that and I will follow that man anywhere and do anything he says. I can’t let that happen. I have to go my way and he has to go his.
At least until my father is dealt with and he is no longer a threat. The amount of power he wields is beyond anything Phantom or I can fight against. The well-being of Kaylee depends on me being strong.
His phone goes off and I move to take Kaylee, but she wraps her tiny arms around Phantom as he answers his phone.
There’s a pause where whoever it is on the other end feeds him information. The look on his face is grim, making my stomach knot up with renewed fear.
“Interesting.”
Pause.
“She is? The whole family or only her?”
I bristle at his words.
Another infuriating pause, causing my mind to whirl.Shewho? Me? The way he’s looking at me like I’ve kicked a puppy and wrecked his favorite Harley feels like I’m on the right track.
