“Thanks.” A surge of relief mingled with tension coiled inside me as I pocketed my phone. The waiting had worn on me more than I’d admitted. Now that Gavin was almost here, I could practically taste closure, though I knew it wouldn’t come easy. Nothing with Gavin ever did.
When I got the word that my twin had arrived, I was finishing washing Isa’s bottles and putting them away.
I padded into the living room, then stopped at the door to take in the scene. Hannah sat on the floor, playing peek-a-boo with Isa and making silly faces to coax her giggles. The sight hit me square in the chest, spreading warmth low and tight through my core. Hannah’s golden hair cascaded around her face, her smile lighting her eyes as she laughed softly, her cheeks flushed from happiness. Isa’s delighted squeals filled the room, and my pulse quickened at the sight of them both—my girls.
I pushed away from the doorway, crossed to Hannah, and crouched beside her. Her smile widened, softening her features as she turned to me.
“Hey,” she murmured, warmth radiating from her expression.
“Got confirmation from Blaze.” I brushed my fingertips along her jaw, savoring the softness of her skin beneath my touch. “They’ve got Gavin at the clubhouse.”
Her eyes widened slightly, relief flickering across her expression before quickly clouding with concern. “What happens next?”
I leaned in and kissed her gently, lingering just enough to reassure her. “I take you and Isa to the clubhouse, let you hang with the other women, then I go deal with this shit. After that, we move forward.”
She nodded, trust evident in her gaze as she reached out to squeeze my hand. “Okay.”
Within minutes, we had Isa bundled into her car seat, and Hannah slid into the passenger seat beside me. I rested a protective hand on her thigh as we drove, needing to touch her, grounding myself in her presence.
At the clubhouse, Hannah and Isa were quickly welcomed by several of the old ladies who were making popcorn and watching a movie in the lounge with the kids. Their excited voices filled the air, surrounding my girls with warmth and comfort.
I watched Hannah settle in, tension easing from her shoulders at the camaraderie, then I kissed her briefly again. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.”
I reluctantly turned and made my way to King’s office.
When I walked in, the heavy atmosphere settled around me like a storm cloud. Gavin slouched in a chair, his face gaunt, eyes glassy and unfocused. He was skinny and greasy, lookingfar worse than the last time I’d seen him. Clearly, he’d gotten himself into more shit than even I had anticipated, and his slack posture told me he was coming down off whatever high he’d been chasing.
King leaned against his desk, his arms crossed tightly, and his gaze unreadable. Blaze stood beside him, his jaw tense, Cerberus sitting on alert near King’s feet, ears perked and eyes fixed intently on Gavin. Kevlar and Stryker flanked the door, imposing and lethal—two dangerous pillars ready to spring into action if necessary. Ink, Cruze, Ace, and Ash sat silently around the conference table, their stony expressions offering no comfort to my fuckup of a brother.
Gavin shifted slightly, his gaze lifting slowly to mine, arrogance flickering briefly in his bloodshot eyes before fading to something colder, more calculating.
“Well, if it isn’t my perfect brother, Griffin.”
My fists clenched at my sides, my jaw grinding with the effort it took to keep myself in check.
“You have no right to send your muscle to drag me here, Griff. You can’t keep me here?—”
I shot him a cold, hard look, and his mouth snapped shut. Then he slouched in his seat, sulking like the spoiled little shit he’d always been.
There was a stretch of silence. King was obviously giving me time to get myself under control. After a minute, King turned his steely gaze to my brother. “You wanna tell Cross what the fuck you’ve gotten yourself into?”
It wasn’t really a question, and his hard, flat tone made Gavin flinch slightly.
He shrugged, defiant and dismissive. “Got nothing to say. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding?—”
“Cut the bullshit, Gavin,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous enough to make him freeze. “You’re here for severalreasons, but let’s start with your one-night stand from a year ago. The one you gave my name instead of yours.”
Gavin rolled his eyes. “Gonna have to be more specific, bro.”
“Don’t know how the fuck the two of you are related,” Blaze murmured with disgust. King grunted in agreement.
Fucking hell.How many women out there thought they’d been screwed over by a man with my name?
“The one you left Lucky’s with?” I specified.
Gavin was trying to remain impassive, but I caught the slight recognition in his eyes.
