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They’ve just come from the club. The only good part about that is that they are, without a doubt, a bit tipsy. So maybe this won’t be too dramatic. Although it probably will, because it’s them. I don’t go directly to them. Instead, I take Thea to our bedroom and take her out of her carrier, change her diaper, and then go downstairs to the kitchen to make her a bottle.
She’s no doubt hungry. Then I’ll have to give her a bath and do some tummy time because she’s been either held in someone’s arms or in her carrier all day long. Once I have her changed and her bottle gathered, I decide to face the music.
“Mom, Dad,” I call out as I walk into the living room.
They’ve each got a cocktail in their hand, and my father mutes what I assume is golf or some other sporting event. Their attention shifts to me, and for a moment, my entire body goes numb and my throat goes dry.
But that doesn’t stop me from blurting out my next sentence. I don’t even try to ease into the conversation. Best to just rip it off like a Band-Aid.
“I found Thea’s father today.”
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
HOUND
“You what?” Dare asks.
“Found my woman, and I’ve got a kid.”
He blinks. Everyone is back at the clubhouse from the pool party. I wouldn’t have even come back here, but all my clothes and shit are here since I don’t spend much time at my place—yet.
That’s going to change soon, because not only am I going to fix it up, but my woman and baby are going to be living there.
By the end of the week.
And I’m not going to take no for an answer. They are mine, and I will have them where I can see them, where I can protect them. It’s like I can’t breathe without knowing they’re safe, and I’ve only known about their existence for a few hours. I could know about them for a few minutes, and nothing would change.
They are mine.
I take a step backward and start to walk away from him, but he reaches out, curling his fingers around my forearm to stop me. Turning my head, I look back at him, arching a brow. He smirks but shakes his head once.
“You can’t give me something like that and then walk away.” I can do that, but I won’t because I respect Dare too much. “My office,” he demands.
He releases me and heads for his office. I follow him, closing the door behind me once I’ve entered his space. Dare doesn’t walk around to his chair. Instead, he leans against the desk, crossing his legs in front of him.
“Well, do fucking tell.”
Maybe this is going to sound stupid. Maybe this is going to sound completely sane. I have no fucking clue, but I’m just going to go for it.
“A year ago, on my birthday, I went to Fat Boys,” I begin. “And there was a woman being harassed by an asshole.”
“Oh, shit,” he hisses.
“I got rid of the asshole and kept the woman… for a week.”
His brows lift, then he clears his throat. “I remember that. You went dark for a whole fucking week. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on. Almost sent out a fucking search party for you.”
“I spent a week holed up with her in her hotel room. She was here for a wedding.”
Dare dips his chin in a nod, then looks at me, his gaze focusing on mine, never leaving my own. He clearly wants some more information from me, but I’m not going to offer a single fucking thing, at least not until he asks for it.
“Baby’s three months old,” I state.
“And you know it’s yours?” he asks.
Balling my fingers into a fist at my side, I inhale a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then let it out slowly. It’s not an asinine question, but at the same time, I want to punch him in the face for asking it. But coming from him, whose wife I know is not carrying his baby, I decide to let it go.
