Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
With a groan, Zeke flopped to her side. “Now you got no need for me to watch Ledger Friday night. No reason to go out with that asshole.”
Ugh. She knew having sex with him would be a big mistake, but she’d done it, anyway.
Propping herself up on one elbow, she glared at his profile. And that damn smirk.
Of course he thought this changed things. That he won the fight. Simply because he gave her some dick.
While she expected it, he was so, so wrong.
She owed him nothing except time with his son. And even then, if she wanted to, she could fight that. No judge would look at his history—not to mention his current lifestyle—and decide he’d be a great father.
However, she wouldn’t do that to him as long as he didn’t overstep boundaries. Something he’d been known to do.
“That’s rich you’re calling him an asshole.
You think us having sex changed the fact that I have a date?
I owe you nothing, Zeke. We’re not together.
And even when we were, it became obvious that, despite my wearing your cut, you didn’t consider us exclusive.
But you want me to be loyal to you now simply because we had sex? ”
She already knew what his answer would be.
“Yeah.”
She laughed. “The double standards you bikers have are screwed up.”
“Way it is, babe. You’ve been around the MC long enough to know how it all fuckin’ works.”
“That doesn’t mean I agree with it.”
“Shouldn’t have been with me if you didn’t.”
“My mistake. One I won’t make again,” she emphasized.
He rolled over her again, crushing her with his weight as he stared down into her face. He couldn’t hide his expression fast enough when he realized he stepped right into that. “Got a kid together.”
“We don’t need to be together to co-parent him.”
“Bullshit, Ky.”
“Maybe to you. To me, it’s reality.”
“Babe...”
She pushed at his chest. “It’s time for you to go before Ledger wakes up and finds you still here. I don’t need him asking questions for which I don’t have answers.”
He narrowed his blue eyes on her. “Don’t want that fuckin’ Glen guy ‘round my kid.”
Holy hell, Glen was an actual contributing member of society, unlike the man currently on top of her. It was laughable that he didn’t want Glen around Ledger. If they had a competition on who would be the better father figure, Glen would win hands down.
“First of all, that’s not your decision to make.
And second, we’re going out Friday night so he won’t be around Ledger.
I told you tonight was only about sex. Nothing more, Zeke.
You don’t get a say when it comes to my personal life.
And don’t try to say it’s to protect Ledger.
You didn’t even know he existed a few weeks ago.
You even admitted I’m a good mother. So, which is it?
Am I a bad mother for wanting to go on a date?
Or am I a bad mother for having sex with you?
If I had to choose one, it wouldn’t be the first.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered.
Suddenly, his weight was gone.
A few minutes later, so was he.
And she didn’t do a damn thing to stop him.
It was fucking bullshit.
Complete bullshit.
He’d given her good dick.
Made her come at least twice.
But Kyra still went the fuck out with that asshole.
Not him. The other one.
The one trying to get down her fucking pants. To get access to a pussy that was Zeke’s.
She might deny it.
But it was.
All his.
From the first time they were together until now. The only gap being when she disappeared and popped out his kid, the boy sitting on the couch next to him eating popcorn.
Popcorn he’d grab by the tiny fistful and try to shove all of it into his mouth at once. Most ended up on his pajamas, the couch, and floor. The dog was inhaling every crumb wherever they landed. Thunder was a very effective four-legged vacuum.
At least the Shepherd wasn’t eating him this time.
But one thing Zeke noticed was that the dog hardly took her eyes off his son. And for that, he could forgive Thunder for biting him because that meant if anyone else tried to mess with his kid, they’d be introduced to those big teeth, too.
A smile spread across his face.
Zeke paused the animated movie about a girl rabbit who became a fucking pig. Not the oink, oink kind, but the badge-wearing kind. The cartoon was called Zootopia or some such shit.
His kid needed to watch more appropriate shows. Like Sons of Anarchy.
Zeke side-eyed Ledger. “Like that Glen guy?” When, with a mouthful of the salty snack, his son nodded, that smile deflated. “What d’ya like ‘bout him?”
“He’s nice.”
“What’s nice ‘bout him?”
Ledger shrugged and drove his hand back into the popcorn bowl. “Gave me cotton candy.”
What the fuck? “You think anyone buyin’ you cotton candy is nice?”
His kid nodded like his noggin weighed a shit-ton.
Apparently, kids were damn easy to buy off. “Think I’m nice?”
When Ledger turned his head and looked at him, it was like staring into a goddamn mirror. Except Ledger was a pint-sized version.
And wearing pajamas with cartoon cars all over it. He needed to get his boy his very own cut. Denim, of course, with the Property of Trouble rockers on the back.
Zeke really needed to tell Ledger about who he was. He was so fucking done with this “let’s take it slow so he doesn’t get confused” shit.
No, bringing some other motherfucker into his life who wasn’t his father would be confusing.
“Think I’m nice, right?” Zeke asked again.
“You made Gwen bleed.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. “He deserved it.”
“Why?”
Zeke pursed his lips. He needed to handle this carefully because this conversation could be shared with Kyra. He didn’t need his woman more pissed at him than she already was. “He’s tryin’ to take sh— stuff that don’t belong to him.”
“Mommy said not to touch stuff that don’t belong to me. She makes me ask first,” he huffed, like having to ask first was the most annoying shit on Earth.
Zeke kind of agreed. “Yeah. He tried to take stuff that ain’t his without askin’.”
“What stuff?”
Pussy, kid. Pussy. You’ll get it when you’re older. “He wants you”—and your mother—“and you ain’t his to have.”
Ledger’s face scrunched up. “Dunno what that means.”
“Means he wants to be your daddy, but you already got one.”
His face lit up. “I got a daddy?”
Oh shit. “Yeah, lil dude, everyone’s got a daddy. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.”
Ledger bounced in his seat, spilling more popcorn onto the carpet. Thunder quickly disappeared the snack like a magician. “Where’s my daddy?”
Sitting right the fuck next to you.
Goddamn it, he hated this secret bullshit. It really was time to tell Ledger the truth. He knew he should at least wait for Kyra to be present when he spilled the beans, but…
He ground his teeth.
But she made the decision to keep his son from him without consulting with him first. Why the fuck shouldn’t he make this decision without consulting her first?
After last night, he probably wouldn’t get to fuck her again, anyway. What did he have to lose?
“Ledger…” How the fuck was he supposed to drop this news to a three-year-old? “We’ve been waitin’ to tell you ’til you get to know me better, but…” He pulled in a deep breath.
Ledger scooped up another handful of popcorn and stuffed one piece at a time into his mouth without chewing or swallowing. Eventually, with his cheeks so full, he looked like a chipmunk hoarding nuts.
“Gotta chew that sh—stuff, my man. You choke and your mom’s gonna kill me.”
Instead of eating the popcorn, he spit it all back into his palm. Of course, most of it didn’t stick the landing and Thunder ended up eating the saliva-covered snack.
Zeke took the bowl from him and set it on the coffee table. “‘Kay. That’s enough of that for now. Look at me, Ledger.”
He turned his blue eyes from the popcorn bowl to Zeke. “Huh?”
“You want a daddy?”
“Yeah! Mommy’s got a daddy. He’s my gwandpaw!”
“He sure as f—” Zeke grimaced. “Is.” The whole not cursing shit sucked. In no way would he be able to curb his language for the next ten years or so. “You now got one.”
A wrinkle creased Ledger’s forehead. “I do?”
“Yeah, lil dude, it’s me.”
When confusion filled Ledger’s eyes, Zeke waited for it to sink in.
He had no idea what to expect when it came to the comprehension skills of a toddler. “You get that I’m your dad, right?”
“You are?”
“Yeah. You’re my boy.”
Still nothing. Shit.
“You want, you can still call me Zeke for now. Or you can call me Daddy. Whatever you wanna do, Ledger.” At least his mother gave him a badass name. And not Chad or some such bullshit.
Ledger chewed on his bottom lip.
Fuck, maybe Kyra was right and this news confused his kid.
He should’ve fucking waited.
Too late now.
He also had a feeling he’d be eating shit soon by the goddamn spoonful. In fact, Kyra might whittle down that fucking spoon to a point and stab him with it.
“Understand what I just told you?”
“Think so.” But Ledger didn’t sound so confident.
“We’ll figure it the fuck out.” He grimaced at his fuck-up, but Ledger was his kid and his future was full of bikers who let shit fly, so he would have to get used to it. So would Ky.
The fuck if he was going to shield his son from his future.
Zeke held out his fist and waited.
The kid had no idea what to do. “Make a fist, my man, and bump it against mine.”
Ledger did so and then laughed, like a fist bump was the funniest shit ever.
Zeke’s heart squeezed. Then he returned the bowl of popcorn to his kid and hit play on the remote before sinking deeper into the couch.
Look at that, he handled it like a fucking pro.
One side of his mouth pulled up as he crossed his arms over his chest and sat back to listen to his kid squeal and laugh over some cartoon animals doing stupid shit.
A couple seconds after the lock turned in the front door, it opened slowly.
Zeke waited on the couch with his knees wide and his boots spread even wider in the dimly lit living room.
He expected her to be back about two fucking hours ago.