Page 51 of Contracted to the Bikers

The guys are tense, on high alert. Rook springs to his feet. Though Connor doesn’t notice, he was never very observant.

“Sloane, thank god I found you. I came as soon as I heard.” He rushes closer, only now noticing Rook as he steps next to me. His eyes dart nervously to him before returning to me.

Boone hangs back with Jessy, Cruz circles, ready to jump in if needed.

“Connor, what are you doing here? Heard what?” I ask, rising from my seat.

“About Jessy’s school, of course, about that monster Escar trying to kidnap her. Why didn’t you call me? I could have protected you.” He reaches out to take my hand, and I pull away as if scalded.

Cruz snorts. “Cos you did such a good job before,” he mutters.

Connor hears him and whirls around. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

I know Cruz will have some less-than-savory response, one that no doubt will escalate the situation, so I quickly answer for him. “This is Cruz.” I quickly draw his attention away, pointing at Rook. “This here is Rook, the president of Iron Vale MC,” I add. I don’t mention Boone, I don’t want to draw attention to Jessy. I don’t mention my relationship with the guys either. It’s none of Connor’s business. “Jessy and I have been living here under Iron Vale’s protection,” I add. “As for why I didn’t call you, that’s because you made it abundantly clear you didn’t want to be a part of our lives a long time ago.”

Connor slumps a little. “I know. I should never have left, but I’m here to make things right.” His eyes dart nervously at the guys as he soldiers on, looking me in the eye. “I heard you quit your job, so there’s no need for you to stay here. You can come live with me. We can start again.”

He steps closer, and I automatically move back. I laugh, a bitter, incredulous sound. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Jessy giggles, her surprise breaking through her anxiety over the moment. “Mommy said a bad word.”

For the first time, Connor finally seems to notice his daughter. He turns to her, his face softening with wonder. “Jessy, baby, is that you? Look at you! You’ve grown!” he steps toward her, and she shrinks back, hiding behind Boone.

She peers out at him from behind Boone’s legs, clutching his jeans, confused and curious. She was four when her dad left and I’m not sure what memories she has of him. Boone meets my eye and knows without me saying a word what I need. “Come on, kiddo, let’s go see how I’m getting on with making that new T. Rex for you.” He picks her up with practiced ease and starts to walk away. Jessy doesn’t look at Connor, too excited by the prospect of seeing what Boone’s been making.

Connor steps as if to stop him, but Cruz blocks his path. “Hey! You can’t—”

Cruz’s eyebrow quirks in challenge as he steps in Connor’s path. Connor looks at me pleadingly, “Please, please, just let me see her for a second.” He turns back to Jessy. “Jessy, it’s me, daddy, don’t you recognize me?”

Jessy shakes her head, burying it in Boone’s shoulder. “You’re not my daddy. Boone, Rook, and Cruz are my daddies,” she insists. It stirs deep within me, the verbal acknowledgment of what I suspected my little girl felt. It breaks my heart a little. She breaks Connor’s a little too. “I don’t know you. You’re a strange man. I don’t talk to strangers,” she mumbles, not looking at Connor. With that, she dismisses him, looking up at Boone. “Daddy Boone, can we go now?” she asks, her voice sweet and earnest.

Boone’s voice is thick with emotion. “Of course, we can, sweetie.”

I feel angry at Connor for spoiling what should have been a big moment for the guys. Jessy calling them her dads is huge, for her and them, and they should have been able to enjoy it and express their love for her properly.

“Why are you here, Connor?” I ask icily.

“I told you,” he offers weakly.

“You thought you could waltz back into our lives after abandoning us, after no word from you for years, and that we would welcome you back with open arms? That we would just pack up our lives and go?”

“You can’t seriously expect to stay here? This isn’t a place to raise a child. For Christ’s sake! The poor kid is confused and thinks three bikers are her dads!” He says the word bikers like a slur, and I see Cruz’s fists curl.

“I’d be careful what you say,” Cruz says quietly, his tone laced with violence. “The only reason I didn’t beat your ass before was because of Jessy.”

Connor looks rightfully afraid but also justified, as if Cruz just proved his point. He sees how Rook moves closer to me, too close, his hand grazing mine, and his mouth pops open with comprehension. “Wait a minute, Sloane, don’t tell me you’re dating this guy?” The notion that I could be dating just one of the men seems alien to him. He hasn’t even comprehended that I could be involved with all three.

“Who Sloane is dating is none of your damn business,” Cruz snaps, circling closer.

The penny seems to drop for Connor as he realizes that Cruz isn’t just being a protective friend, that there’s more to it than that. Jessy’s words echo in the room. Not one new daddy, three. “Oh my god,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “You can’t seriously be dating all three of these guys?”

“Connor—”

He cuts me off. The fact that I didn’t immediately deny it or appear offended by the suggestion is confirmation enough. “Oh my fucking god, you are, aren’t you? What kind of sick, depraved place have you brought our daughter into? What sort of mother whores herself out to—”

Cruz steps forward, ready to hit him, but I beat him to it. The slap cracks out loudly in the quiet room. Connor clutches his face in shock.

“Don’t you dare!” I seethe quietly. “Don’t you dare judge me or accuse me of being a bad mother. You left. You gave up the right to call her yours the moment you walked out and didn’t even call. Who I date, who I love, is none of your business. Jessy is safe, she is happy, she is loved. That’s all that matters. Do you hear me?”