She clung tighter.
I held her closer because she was precious to me. “And I’m so honored that you let me hear your sweet voice.” Because she trusted me with something she hadn’t given anyone in years.
Because at some point we weren’t just nanny and child anymore, we were a family.
Zoya didn’t say another word, she just clung to me tightly. I rocked slowly, feeling the weight of her small body against me, and I stayed just like that while I waited and worried and prayed for Sledge to come back in one piece.
And hoped that the judge would rule in his favor.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sledge
Courtrooms were not my favorite place to be. They had this distinct smell of dusty old books, inequality, and bullshit. The last few times I stood inside one of these stuffy old rooms I had to listen to a social worker talk about my kid, the life she’d lived without me, and the condition she’d been found in before the judge granted me conditional custody. There’d been months of home visits, reports, and check-ins before I came back and was given full custody.
You’d think that would make me feel better about being here and you would be dead fucking wrong. None of it provided me with any comfort, if anything my anxiety was through the fucking roof.
Diesel sat behind me with his arms folded and a scowl on his face as he watched every motherfucker in the room with suspicion. Under normal circumstances that might’ve been chalked up to paranoia but today it was just called being prepared.
The judge walked in, an older guy with tired eyes and stern mouth fixed in a straight line. I could barely breathe until the gavel banged and the hearing started, and even then, it didn’t feel real. The courtroom was laughably large and mostly empty. Trish wasn’t here because she couldn’t be but most notably, there was no Dave Crow, and no attorney representing him at the other table.
The judge looked through the papers, tapping his pen as he went over the details. “Mr. Crow has failed to appear and so, it seems, has his counsel. Is there anything the court needs to know from Mr. Kerris?”
I stood with my attorney who gripped my arm as a warning to keep my mouth shut. “Yes, Your Honor. The mother of the child is incarcerated for a term of at least another decade while the stepfather has an extensive criminal history and no fixed address. We believe this filing was nothing more than a nuisance, possibly a money grab, and that it is in the best interest of the child to stay with her biological father.”
The judge nodded, turning his attention back to the file in front of him. “Given the circumstances, including the mother’s incarceration and the stepfather’s lack of interest, the court agrees that it is in the best interest of the child for custody to remain with Mr. Kerris.” He banged the gavel and turned his attention to the next file in front of him.
Relief hit me so hard it felt like the wind was knocked out of my lungs. My jaw unclenched for the first time since that fucking letter showed up. I knew the chances were slim but there was always a risk of losing Zoya, now the danger had passed.
Underneath that relief came something else, hot and intense. Fury.
Because Crow’s absence meant he’d never cared about custody, at least not today. The hearing was a ploy. He’d wanted us here at the courthouse. Exposed.
It was a fucking trap.
Good. Let him fucking try.
I walked out of the courtroom and stood in the corridor outside.
“That’s good news, man. Why do you look so fucking angry?” Diesel stood beside me, one hand resting on my shoulder.
I sighed. “I’m happy the court saw good sense, but this little show means Crow or the Chaos Raiders are up to something.”
Diesel’s phone buzzed and he grabbed it without looking at the screen. “Yeah?” He tapped the speaker button and I stood closer.
“Two Chaos Raiders are getting ready to leave but two others are still hanging around.” Hollywood’s voice was strained and angry.
“We need to split them up,” Diesel ordered. “We’re on our way out right now. Meet in the parking garage. Keep an eye on everything and let us know if anything changes.”
“Got it.”
Minutes later we stood around our bikes while Diesel issued orders. “Hawk, Rebel, and Falcon, I want you to go follow the ones getting ready to leave. See where they head and let us know. Keep Slate in the loop.”
They all nodded, getting on their bikes and taking off with serious expressions.
“Come on,” Diesel said to me and Rocky. “We’re following the others.”
We left the courthouse and headed to our bikes. The remaining Chaos Raiders sat on their bikes, arms hangingrelaxed over the handlebars, smiling and harassing the women who walked past. Even when they were quiet, they stood out, unable to blend in—not that they even tried. It was good for us, made them easy to spot. Easy to figure out.
