“You’re not a doctor to know that, that’s what doctors are for, to tell you what’s wrong. You’re tired…”
“I’m tired every day. I can’t remember the last time I slept more than a couple of hours.”
Out of character, I drive her to the clubhouse. No one is there besides King and the Mayor’s daughter. It’s the middle of the night, they’ll most likely be in King’s room.
It occurs to me she is probably going to freak out when she realises I’m not taking her back to her place. She doesn’t know me. Wearing my cut, people always assume I’m the scum of the earth.
I get out and unlock the gate. I jump back in behind the wheel and drive into the club.
“Where are we?”
The fear in her voice hits me hard. “It’s where I live. You’ll be safe here, you have my word.”
“Why bring me here? I don’t know you.”
“I’m not a total stranger,” I counter parking the car back in its spot. “You’ve already said you’re exhausted. I’ll help you out.”
She doesn’t argue as she follows me into the kitchen. She looks around every nook and corner, asking, “How many people live here?”
I tally it up. “About ten of us, but all but one is out of town for a few days. It’ll be quiet for you.”
When we walk into the bar, she laughs. “This is why I shouldn’t be his guardian, I’ve brought him to a biker club.”
“You need help and I’m offering. It doesn’t matter where you are.”
I must be out of my mind. Luca sent Victoria to her hometown because he didn’t want her here alone. I have no place bringing her here when we could be attacked at any moment.
“You can have my room, I’ll sleep down here. If he wakes, come down and I’ll help you out.”
“It’s stupid to ask since I’m already here but can I trust you?”
“Yes.”
She’s quiet on the way up to my room and it dawns on me that she must be tired as all Hell, not thinking straight. She hasn’t asked me to take her home.
“Are the bed sheets clean?” She pauses, then adds, “You know what, I’m so tired, I don’t even care.”
She lays the kid in the middle of the bed and then curls up beside him.
“They are clean,” I tell her and grab my cell charger.
I turn around and she’s out for the count. The kid begins to cry, and I pick him up before he wakes Pippa. She doesn’t stir. I grab the kid’s bag and close the door behind us.
I head down the stairs and dump the bag on the bar. The kid’s cries scale down to a whimper and I walk around with him until he drifts off back to sleep.
The quietness is short lived. He wakes, but this time he doesn’t cry. I root through his bag and find two clean bottles, diapers, wet wipes, changes of clothes, and a few toys. I grab the most colorful one and wave it in front of the kid’s face. He reaches out for it and kicks his feet out in excitement. He grows bored pretty quickly and returns to whimpering.
When River cries, it’s mostly because he wants his milk. “Is that what you want?”
He obviously doesn’t answer but I’m sure I am right. Grabbing one of the bottles, I find a tub of milk Victoria uses. Reading over the instructions, I set to work. The kid’s cries grow louder while we wait for it to cool down.
“I thought I was hearing things or that Victoria had come back. What the fuck are you doing with a baby?”
Glancing over my shoulder, King is stood in the doorway.
“Don’t tell me you’ve kidnapped a kid, Prospect.”
I smirk. “Why the fuck would I steal a baby?”
