“What? Why are you asking?” I felt the exasperation coursing through me in all sorts of emotions I didn’t want to show him. My hands were shaking with the anger radiating through me at Hardy’s gall, and my brother’s inadequate response to my pleas.
Mannix stood up, his brows furrowed in confusion before he straightened. “Tavi, the reason this is so complex isn’t because he’s the father of your child, although it does have ramifications. It’s because you’re married to him.”
I was pacing.
Fucking pacing, as the cigarette fell from my fingertips with how much I was moving and panicking. Married? How the fuck could I be married? I would remember marrying the soulless bastard who had terrorised me for years. I’d stayed for Van,but now he was getting older, and he was seeing the way his father would bring home random women and fuck them in the living room, degrading them within earshot of his room while I cried myself to sleep. How could I have ever thought I wanted someone like Hardy Bainbridge?
How could I be married and have no recollection of it?
When Mannix had revealed that little fact, I’d run from the office, tears running down my cheeks. Being married posed more issues than just leaving with his son. I was tied to the arrogant prick.
Legally.
The asshole had never loved me. He just wanted power, and what did you get when you had the daughter of the most powerful Ironborne in your grasp? I’d only let him in, after months of flirting, because I’d been heartbroken and needed to find a way to piss my father off. Now? I’d let him fuck my body as I zoned out, dreaming of a day when I could find someone who made me laugh, who put me and my son first.
Did such a man exist?
Ha…when Hardy found out the things I’d been teaching Van, he’d have me committed and take him from me, but I knew the seed would have been planted. It would be too late by the time he could do anything about it.
No, I didn’t just want to leave. I’d been playing the long game, and it was time to make it come to life.
Show him…or find another way.
My brother’s words flitted through my mind, on repeat, since I had escaped up to the top of the building of his apartment complex. This was where we used to retreat when our father was drunk, or in need of punishing someone. He never came up here because he was afraid of heights.
Find another way.
Was he telling me to find someone to replace Hardy with? To protect me?
I sat down on the chairs by the door. Oh my god. He was. He was showing me he was still my brother, but also acting out in case the office was bugged, to ensure no one could see what he was doing.
He was giving me an out.
My beautiful, genius of a brother was helping me in ways no one ever had before. I had to come up with a plan, because if Hardy had gone to Mannix and threatened him like I assumed he had, he was getting ready to take Van so I couldn’t leave.
I had to be smart about this.
Getting up, I took a deep breath, and put on the act of a lifetime as I moved through the apartment complex and headed back to Hardy’s house.
It had never been mine. I’d never belonged there, with him, and soon me and Van would be free. I’d make sure of it.
Van would never know Hardy Bainbridge was his dad.
Maverick
If I had to listen to my prez, Reaper, fucking his woman one more time, I was going to go insane. Grabbing my jacket, I kicked open the room I’d been crashing in at the clubhouse and headed out. I’d been drinking tonight after a long game of poker with the boys which was why I had chosen to crash here, but even though Reaper’s room was upstairs, I could still hear the screams, the bed banging against the wall, and his groans deep in the walls.
I was only fucking human. There was only so much a man could take and it was not listening to your prez fuck his woman all night.
Now, with a raging hard on, I looked everywhere for a club girl to come and take care of it, but all of them were shockingly absent. Looking down at my phone, I saw that it was almost four in the morning. Shit.
Moving out to the row of bikes in the shed, I jumped on mine and started her up. The deep rumble of the Harley had my heart soaring with happiness. There was nothing a ride couldn’t fix. Even my hard on would recede if I rode long enough.
I headed out through the gates of the compound and toward the road that would lead into the Mountains. It was so peaceful out here, so alive with nature, with barely a soul around todisrupt it. It was why I loved our clubhouse so much. You had to know where it was in order to find it, but it was home.
Riding for what felt like hours, I checked to see that it had only been an hour. The sun was beginning to crest, awakening the new day. I thought about the one thing I shouldn’t.
My kids.
