I look at my girl, now at the table with Mason and Georgia, chatting, looking over his drawings. I shake my head. "I don't know, Dad. It's not our call to make—"
"Like hell it isn't," he cuts me off, his voice low but laced with rage. "You're claiming her, right?"
I swallow the lump in my throat and nod.
He gives me a small smile. "Good. Now as your ol' lady, you have the right to decide what happens to those that hurt her."
I hold my hand up, cutting him off. "I'm claiming her, Dad, but the club hasn't approved it yet. She ain’t my ol' lady just yet."
"They know you want to claim her?" he asks, confused.
I nod. "Yeah, I tried in a meeting a little over a week ago. Blades wouldn't give his vote, said it was too early and that I needed to talk to her first.He was right about talking to her first, not about it being too early." I look at my dad. "I knew the minute I spoke to her in the hospital, when she fell asleep on me, I knew in that moment I couldn't let her go."
"And have you spoken to her?" he asks quietly.
"Yeah. She wants this too. She said yes." I smile at the memory.
"Then I stand by what I said. As her ol' man, you have the right to decide what happens to those that hurt her. Fixing the will, correcting custody of Mason and putting a restraining order in place is not enough. They need to pay for hurting them. You need to make them pay," he tells me.
I shake my head. "It's not that simple, Dad. I wish it was. But she's not from this world, she doesn't know how it works. And I'm not sure that she would understand. Her heart and soul are way too pure to be corrupted by it." I look inside my empty cup, not because I want a drink, but because I need something to focus on.
"Look, son. You're claiming her. If she lives this life, at some point the choices the club make, the life that we all lead, may well corrupt her. But that doesn't mean it would change her heart or soul. The shit that girl has been through, the things they have done to her hasn't changed who she is, so what makes you think your actions will?" He turns his body to face me as he asks.
"What if it does, Dad? What if I do?"
"Look at your girl in there, and her brother. Take a minute to think about how long they've been suffering, how much they've had to go through. I know they've told you some of the things, but you and I both know that there will be more stories she hasn't shared. None of that has broken her, none of it has changed her. Or Mason. They are both good kids with genuine hearts. You really think that you have the power to corrupt her?" His eyes flick back and forth between mine.
I blink back at him. "If I give her the choice of what happens, that will change her. Asking her if she wants revenge will corrupt her,” I tell him, but he just shakes his head.
"She's your ol' lady, son. I'm not telling you to give her a choice, I'm telling you that it's your choice. You can leave things as they are and let them live in fear for the rest of their lives, or you can remove that fear once and for all."
Chapter Sixty-Six
I sigh as I pack the few clothes I have in my bag. I wish we didn't have to go back to the clubhouse. I love it there and I love all of the guys, but being here has given me a minute to breathe. I'm not looking over my shoulder every second of every day.
I spin and drop myself onto the edge of the bed, leaning forward and placing my head in my hands. I take deep breaths as I feel the panic begin to rise inside me. I've got no reason to panic, no reason to be worried, but the more I think about going back, the more the panic builds.
"Dragonfly?" I hear Max call for me. His hands grab my wrists, trying to pull them away from my face, but I shake my head a little. I just need to sit like this for a minute longer. I feel him kneel in front of me, the heat from his body engulfing mine. His hands rub up and down my arms, as he places his forehead on mine.
I hear him talking to me, his voice calming. "Breathe, baby. It's okay, I've got you, just breathe for me." As he continues to repeat the words over and over, I feel the fear subside and my breathing begin to return to normal. I slowly raise my head and blink as Max watches me, his eyes full of worry. He cups my face with his hand, and I lean into it, giving him a small smile.
"Are you okay, baby?" he asks.
"Yeah. Sorry, I just… I was just in my head for a minute," I tell him.
He stands and then sits on the bed next to me, turning me to face him. "You know we'll keep you safe, don't you? You and Mason are no longer tied to him, he can't come anywhere near you."
I let out a laugh. "He lied about the will, he took us from Andrea." I swallow. "He's not exactly an honest man. Pieces of paper telling him that he can't come near us, or that Mason has to stay with Andrea, aren't going to stop him, Max. He's a police officer with a lot of friends, and if he wants us, nothing with stop him." I close my eyes, taking in a few deep breaths.
"Dragonfly, we will do whatever it takes to protect you both. We will do whatever we have to, to ensure that he stays away from you. I won't let him hurt you ever again. I'll kill him if he ever tries it."
My hearts races as I realise that he's serious about killing him. I’m flooded with emotions—fear, confusion, and maybe relief. Would I be relieved if he killed him? How would I feel if he did that?
"Max..."
"Anything you want, anything you need, baby, I'll do it." He leans forward, placing his forehead against mine. "Dragonfly, you have no idea what you mean to me. You have no idea how much I care about you. I love you, Dragonfly, so when I say I will do whatever it takes to protectyou, to make you feel safe, I will. You're mine, baby, and I'll take care of you, I promise." His hands cup my face. "Please just trust me," he whispers.
Tears roll down my face. "I do trust you," I tell him, and then lean in to give him a kiss. "Come on then, let’s go say goodbye to your dad," I say, pulling away from him and standing.
