16
16
Bryce
Last night I had texted Sadie to let her know I’d call after putting the girls to bed, except I hadn’t. Cat and Tori had been out of sorts since Connie’s arrival. They’d been guarded and had never warmed up to their mother.
Their behavior hadn’t surprised me at all. Children sensed when a person wasn’t good. Cat and Tori had only been babies before Connie had left us, but I would bet my life they remembered not feeling safe and being neglected.
My sweet girls had struggled to sleep. They were afraid Connie would come back and take them from me. It had broken my heart to hear them cry and beg to stay with me. Connie must’ve said something to them when I’d been out of earshot. Where else would my innocent babies have gotten such a ludicrous idea?
Of course, I’d let them lie in my bed, and after comforting and assuring them they’d always be with me, we’d fallen asleep…
This morning, I was crazy anxious to see Sadie.
The doorbell rang, almost causing me to drop my coffee mug. Usually, she knocked so she wouldn’t wake the girls. Was she angry I hadn’t called?
“Good morning, Sunshine.” I swung the door open and nearly choked on my saliva when I was greeted by her dad. “Zander. Um. I was expecting—”
“I know who you were expecting. Sadie isn’t here.”
“I see that. Is everything okay? Is she okay?” Had something happened that prevented her from replying to my text?
“She’s been put on lockdown. Pack a bag for you and the girls, and I’ll take you to the clubhouse.”
“Excuse me? What for?”
He entered my house and closed the door. “Listen Bryce, you’re a good man. I like you. My daughter likes you, and I know you two are getting very close.”
Oh, fuck. “Is that why you want to take me to the clubhouse? Gonna teach me a lesson or something?”
He chuckled and slapped his hand against his thigh. “No, nothing like that. It’s why Sadie came home.”
“And?”
“She’s being blackmailed, and we know who’s doing it. So, until we get the threat dealt with, she can’t leave the compound. Just in case, you know?”
“No, I don’t know. Just in case what? Do you think whoever is blackmailing her will try to hurt her?”
“Probably not, but we don’t take chances with our loved ones.”
“Do you know how crazy all this sounds? I’m not going anywhere.”
He got in my face. “If anyone was following Sadie, they know about you and your girls.”
My gut twisted into a painful knot. “Are my babies in danger?”
“Do you want to chance it?”
“Fuck.” I backed up and hit the wall.
“I’m just being cautious. You’re probably fine but—”
“And Sadie?”
“She’s a mess and has a hangover.” He smirked, but I didn’t find it funny.
“So, she was too drunk to text me back?” Was she out partying last night? With whom? Admittedly, I was jealous. And annoyed. How could Zander be so nonchalant about his daughter and my girls being in danger?
“Dude, be nice. She feels awful about you and the girls getting mixed up in everything. It’s tearing her apart. She was forced into quitting the Nutcracker.”
“I hate that for her.” Her dreams had been ripped out of her hands. The asshole who’d done this to her should pay. “But Zander, I don’t know.” I’d never been near the club’s compound. Avoided it on purpose. How could I take my daughters there?
“We have a family unit on the property you can stay in. It’s real nice. You’ll be comfortable.”
“For how long?” I wouldn’t put my girls’ lives at risk, but this was precisely why I’d minded my own business and kept my head down over the years. Gritty, violent bikers had been a concern when I’d moved to Bastion Township. But my nana had lived here, and she’d told me, Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you. However, she hadn’t mentioned what to do if I’d fallen head over heels for a biker’s daughter.
“A day or two. We’re taking swift action to resolve the situation quickly.”
“Fine. Give me fifteen minutes.”
What in the hell had I gotten mixed up in?
Zander took us to a family suite in a building behind the clubhouse. It was sort of like a hotel. Our unit had two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a sitting area with a kitchenette. It was pretty nice, actually.
The entire compound was like a fortress. It was very unnerving to have armed guards at a massive gate, like why did they need them? I had to admit; I felt protected, but also trapped.
The girls were excited to see Sadie, so I guess that was good. They were in their room, checking it out and putting their stuffed animals on the bed.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Sadie should be here any second. She’s been dying to see you.” He considered me for a beat. “Don’t go giving her a hard time or blaming her for any of this. She didn’t cause this situation. Her fucking bio dad did.”
“Her dad? You’ve got to be joking.” What kind of man would blackmail his child? Obviously, an asshole.
“Shit, me and my big mouth. Don’t say anything to her.” Zander dragged his hand against his cheek.
“What do you mean her bio dad?”
“He owns a club in Vegas, where her mom used to dance at. It’s a long story, but he signed away his paternity rights to Sadie, and I adopted her.”
I’d wanted Connie to sign away her rights too, when we’d gotten divorced. She hadn’t, but apparently had changed her mind. She’d given me the signed documents before she left yesterday.
“Why is he doing this to his daughter? She gave up her dreams, for Christ’s sake.”
“It’s fucked up. But I’m sure he needs money and thought she’d tell me, then he would make his demands. Of course, she left town instead and didn’t tell me right away.”
“Did he ask for money?”
“Last night he sent her a text and demanded five million.”
My jaw dropped. “Who has that kind of money?”
“We do. The club, I mean. But he’s not getting a penny from us. He’ll pay, though, for what he did to my peanut.”
The murderous tone in his voice had me questioning why I had agreed to come to the compound. These bikers were deadly, and not the forgiving kind. Everyone in town knew to steer clear and not piss them off. And what had I done? Brought my sweet girls into their world.
Christ, what had I been thinking? “I’ve changed my mind. Will you take us home?”
The door opened, and Sadie appeared. “You’re leaving?”
“Sadie!” The girls ran out of the bedroom and wrapped their arms around her.
“I missed you,” Cat said.
“Me too!” Tori screeched.
“Aww, I missed you both, too.” She kissed their heads, but her eyes were on me.
“Girls, go in the room, so I can talk to Sadie.”
They pouted and left.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” Zander said. “Just let me know what you decide.” He left and closed the door.
Sadie moved toward me slowly. “I’m sorry about this.”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault, but I can’t be here with the girls. This world isn’t right for us.” I caressed her cheek, the lure to her stronger than I’d ever felt toward anyone.
“I understand. It’s better to end things before someone gets attached.” She teared up and turned away.
Hearts were already getting attached. I couldn’t deny the intense feelings I felt for her.
“If I didn’t have the girls…” I leaned down and kissed her lips. “God, if it was only me.”
“Don’t say anymore.” She hooked her arms around my neck and hugged me. “Let’s just rip it off like a Band-Aid.”
Damn, she was strong, like her dad had said.
“Are you going back to New York when the situation is resolved?” I hated the thought of never seeing her again, but it might be easier if I knew she was far away.
“I think so. It’d be too hard to be here now. You could come with me…” She smiled softly.
I swallowed the emotion in my throat. “Me and New York City wouldn’t work out so well.”
“I thought so. Sort of wish we didn’t work out so well.” A tear slipped out of the corner of her beautiful hazel-green eyes.
“Me too.” I kissed her frantically, inhaling her essence into my lungs to carry with me for the rest of my life. It sounded crazy, but I knew I was giving up my person, the one I was meant to share my life with.
Sadie ended the kiss and pulled away. “I’ll go say good-bye to the girls. When I come out of the bedroom, I’m going to leave, and you can take them and go.”
“Sadie—”
“Shh.” She put her finger on my lips. “Please, Bryce. I can’t…” She went down the short hallway and disappeared into the bedroom.
This was fucking ridiculous. I hadn’t known her for very long. Why in the hell was this so hard?
Probably because we’d had sex.
But it had been about more than sex for me. I opened myself up and let my guard down. When we were together, I poured everything in me into her.
The intimacy we’d shared had been like a religious experience. She’d been the missing piece in my world. Now I was the one walking away from her.
For my girls’ safety.
I was giving her up for my daughters.
Sadie trotted out of the bedroom, tears streaming down her face, and out the door she went. She didn’t look at me. No, see ya or good-bye.
That was it. We were over and done, just as quickly as we’d started.