“Alright fuckers,” Doc says, “we’ll keep you informed with the school, Ace keep me informed with what happens at the diner, and Stone, go speak to the prospects that will be attending the next run so they can prepare themselves. Church is over.”
He bangs his gavel, and I stand and head straight to the door before anyone can move, my body wired up.
The longer I don’t hear from Hol, the more agitated I get, fuck, my own son has heard her voice yet I haven’t, and yes, I’m man enough to say I’m fucking jealous of my own child.
I grab my phone from Buck, who gives me a nod, but I ignore him as I bring up Hol’s number, and just as I’m about to press on her name, I hear, “Mr. Dirty!” with excitement and I look up in shock before Lyra’s white-blonde hair comes into view.
She rushes my way, and I just get my phone in my pocket before she jumps on me, and I catch her before swinging her around making her giggle and I hug her tightly to me as I breathe her in.
Fuck, I’ve missed her…
“Hey, baby girl,” I murmur as I hold her tight.
Everything inside me relaxes with her here before my eyes roam the common room with anticipation, getting eyes on my girl again, only I frown, not seeing her.
“Missed you, Mr. Dirty,” she mumbles, and I swallow hard.
“I missed you too, cutie,” I reply before asking, “Where’s your mama, baby girl?”
“Gone to the grocery store, I asked for mac and cheese for dinner, but she didn’t know if you had any of the ingredients at home. Something about you slacking,” she replies, and I chuckle because yeah, she’s right I have slacked since the shit started and I hold her tighter to me.
They’re back, they really are back.
Calmness finally consumes me, and I pull back and get a good look at my little girl whose icy blue eyes sparkle with happiness.
“How were your two days away, cutie?” I ask her softly as Doc squeezes my shoulder, grinning at Lyra, who high-fives him.
“It was okay. Matty stayed with me the whole time, and I met my granny and grandpa for the first time. Grandpa was nice, but Granny was not so much. I prefer Mr. Ice, though,” she admits, and I smile at her despite the frown that wants to take place.
She’s never met her own grandparents before?
“Lyra, let’s go play outside,” I hear my little troublemaker shout, and I chuckle as she gives me puppy dog eyes.
“Alright, you can go and play outside but don’t get too dirty before dinner,” I say as I kiss her cheek before putting her down, and she says, “Okay, Mr. Dirty,” as she runs after Caleb.
“I really need to get her to call me dad,” I mutter before I make eye contact with my dad, who grins widely, and I can’t help but grin back with a chuckle, so much fucking happiness fulfilling me right now.
They are fucking back, and I need to claim Holly before she gets any ideas, and with that thought in mind, I walk towards the bedroom I keep at the clubhouse where her cut is.
I had Doc make it the day we met, and now, I’m putting it on her back, and tonight, after our kids are asleep, I’m fucking her from behind with her wearing only that cut and maybe, just maybe, she’ll let me have her ass tonight.
I’m not stupid. I know things won’t be easy, especially when our little girl got hurt, and then her job was called into question, but I won’t lose her over Cheryl. Caleb won’t lose the woman he sees as a mother, ain’t happening.
Grinning, knowing my girl will be here any minute, I walk into my room but quickly turn when I feel a figure behind me only for a needle to go into my skin, shocking me. I stumble back and instantly everything goes numb as my eyes go blurry, Cheryl’s sly grin just hitting my eyesight before my legs give out and I land with a thump on the floor and I choke, “Holly,” and everything goes groggy before my mind goes hazy.
Fuck.
Chapter 19
Holly
“I’m so fucking sorry, Holly, so sorry for everything, for not being there for you, for not helping you when you needed me the most…”
My dad's choked words echo in my mind as I place the grocery bags into my trunk, my mind still all over the place, though knowing Lyra is with Alex makes me relax just a tad, something that still shocks me that I allowed after everything.
It wasn’t an easy decision for me to let her go to the clubhouse. After a few days away, I came to realize that despite everything that has been going on, I want to try with Alex, to give my heart to him despite the fear.
He’s my everything, and I’ve missed him. I just needed space to clear my head, so his presence wouldn’t cloud my judgment. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing—I love him—but after so muchhad happened in such a short amount of time, I needed distance. Alex would have swarmed my home—where I own little—and made himself impossible to ignore.
