“When do you plan to tell her?” Sal asked, his voice even, but I knew he was mad. He’d been pissed off since we came home from New Orleans. I had to admit, so had I.
“I don’t know. Your sister won’t fuckin’ talk to me.”
“If she finds out from someone else—”
I stopped in my tracks and rounded on Mac. “I fuckin’ know!” I shouted. “I can’t say anything until I know if Caity knows.”
“Of course she fuckin’ knows,” Sal grumbled. “They always fuckin’ know.”
Two months ago, we flew out to Nebraska to settle Colleen, Duncan’s niece, with her mother and Lannie, Sal’s little brother. Sal’s son Kingston lived in Diamond Creek, and he still wouldn’t let Sal into his life.
After what we’d learned in New Orleans, I understood more of what Sal was going through. Never in a million years would I have suspected Maddie was my daughter. That the best night of my entire fucking life had resulted in a little girl that I loved and cherished.
I was fortunate, though. I’d been there to see Maddie grow up. I’d been part of her life. I may have just discovered she was mine, but at least she’d always been a part of my life. Unlike my boss, who’d found out he had a grown-ass son knocking on forty fucking years old.
Sal knocked on the door and waited as Jeffrey opened it and welcomed us into Duncan’s house. Duncan’s woman, Freyja,had an open-door policy, but we’d each learned on different occasions that an open door wasn’t fucking safe.
“Welcome,” Jeffery greeted as he opened the door wide. Even knowing they were expecting us, even with Jeffrey there to open the fucking door, we all peered inside to make sure we wouldn’t be faced with Duncan’s naked ass.
Jeffery chuckled. “It is safe, I promise.”
Sal scoffed, and we all entered the house. Dinner smelled amazing; whatever Freyja was cooking was sure to delight us. I would never admit that I was shocked she knew how to cook.
We all loved Freyja; she’d quickly become a little sister to us. But she was fucking flighty. The way she talked about Lucille Ball had us all side-eyeing her more often than not.
Except Mac.
He believed in that voodoo shit.
“Where are they?” Mac whispered, and I shrugged. Knowing those two, they were upstairs fucking. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
Yes, I was jealous.
I’d been waiting almost three decades for Caity. Now that her husband was dead, I thought everything would fall into place. She was free, so I could talk to Sal and finally build a life with my woman.
But Kelley had to open his fucking mouth and tell my boss I’d fucked his sister. He barely spoke to me unless he had to. I didn’t regret it. Not for a single fucking second. Especially now that I knew Maddie had been the result.
God, I loved that girl.
We’d always had a special connection, Maddie and me. She was my little sidekick. I spoiled her like no one else. If she’d come to me when she was pregnant with Henry, I would have helped her. I would have killed Kelley then and saved Maddie the heartache of losing her husband and her son.
“I’m so glad you’re all here,” Freyja sang as she walked down the stairs looking freshly fucked. I grinned as Mac shook his head, and Sal glared at Duncan, who was right behind her.
“As soon as Caity and Maddie are here...”
Freyja’s voice trailed off when the front door slammed open.
“Maddie, wait!” Caity called out, following closely behind her.
Maddie stormed up to me, her hands fisted at her sides. “Did you know?” she asked, and I panicked. I knew what she was asking.
“Maddie—” I started, my eyes darting toward Caity.
“Did. You. Know?” she asked again, a tear escaping down her cheek.
Freyja rushed to Maddie’s side. “Know what, sweetie?”
“That he is my father!”
