Chapter 7 #2
His expression gives nothing away. "I mean make sure he understands that you and Emily are off-limits. Permanently."
I want to press further, to know exactly what that entails, but part of me doesn't want the details. Plausible deniability and all that.
"There's something else," Storm says after a moment. "Something I need to ask you, and I need you to be completely honest."
I straighten, bracing myself. "Okay."
"Is there any chance, any chance at all, that Eric could have a legal claim to Emily? Anything that would hold up in court?"
The question sends ice through my veins. "No," I say firmly. "Absolutely not. He's not on the birth certificate. He's never paid a cent in child support. He's never even met her. There's no documentation anywhere connecting him to her."
Relief flashes across Storm's face. "Good. That simplifies things."
"Why? Was that a concern?"
He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "If he had any legal claim, we'd have to be more careful about how we handle this. But since he doesn't, we have more... options."
I don't want to think too hard about what those options might be. Despite everything Eric has done, the thought of violence against him makes me uneasy. Not out of any residual affection there was never any to begin with, but because violence only ever seems to lead to more violence.
"Storm," I say carefully, "I appreciate everything you're doing to help us, but I don't want anyone getting hurt or in trouble because of me. There must be a legal way to handle this."
He studies me for a long moment, his blue eyes unreadable. "Sometimes legal doesn't cut it. Sometimes you need to send a message that can't be misinterpreted."
"And what message is that?"
"That there are consequences for threatening what's mine."
The possessive claim sends a shiver through me, half alarm, half something else entirely. "I'm not yours," I feel compelled to point out.
A slow smile spreads across his face. "As far as Eric and the rest of the world are concerned, you are. That's the plan, remember? I'm your boyfriend, your protector. For that to work, people need to believe it."
"And do you?" I challenge. "Believe it?"
His gaze intensifies, pinning me to my seat. "I believe that while you're under my protection, no one touches you or your daughter without going through me first. Whether that makes you 'mine' or not... that's something only you can decide."
The air between us feels charged, thick with something I'm not ready to name. I break eye contact first, looking down at my hands.
"Emily seems to be settling in well," I say, changing the subject. "She's having breakfast with Sera and Ruby."
Storm accepts the shift in conversation with grace. "Those girls will be good for her. Sera's a little hurricane of energy and Ruby's smart as a whip. Between the two of them, they'll keep Emily distracted from all the adult drama."
"I hope so. She's been through enough upheaval in her life."
"Kids are resilient," Storm says, surprising me with his insight. "More than we give them credit for. As long as they feel safe and loved, they can weather almost anything."
"You sound like you know from experience."
A shadow passes over his face. "Let's just say I know what it's like to be a kid whose world gets turned upside down overnight."
I want to ask more, to understand the pain I glimpse behind his stoic exterior, but before I can, the garage door opens and Shadow steps inside.
"Sorry to interrupt," he says, though his expression suggests he's not sorry at all. "Ace wants us in the chapel in ten. He’s got some updates on our friend Eric."
Storm nods, rising from his chair. "I'll be right there." He turns back to me as Shadow retreats. "You going to be okay? I can have someone walk you back to the main building."
"I'm not helpless," I remind him. "I can find my way back."
"Never said you were helpless," he counters. "But there are a lot of moving parts around here, and not everyone knows you yet. Better safe than sorry."
I relent, seeing the logic in his concern. "Fine. But I don't need an escort. Just point me in the right direction."
He studies me for a moment, then nods. "Through that door, straight down the hall, then left at the end. It'll take you right back to the main room."
"Thank you," I say, standing to leave. "And... thank you for telling me about Eric. For being honest."
"Always will be," he says with a seriousness that catches me off guard. "I might not tell you everything, but what I do tell you will always be the truth."
The distinction is important, I realize. He's not promising full disclosure, just honesty within the boundaries he deems necessary. It's more than most people offer.
I nod my acknowledgment and turn to go, but his voice stops me at the door.
"Camryn?"
I look back, finding his expression softer than before. "Yes?"
"Last night," he begins, and my heart skips a beat, "during the storm. You did good."
It's not what I was expecting him to say, but the simple praise warms me nonetheless. "I had help," I acknowledge.
A small smile curls the corner of his mouth. "Anytime."
The promise in that single word follows me as I make my way back to the main building, my mind replaying our conversation, analyzing every nuance.
There's something developing between us, something beyond the protective arrangement we've agreed to.
I'm not sure what to call it, or if I should even acknowledge it at all.
I find Emily still in the kitchen, now engaged in an elaborate game involving plastic dinosaurs and what appears to be a city made of pancake pieces. She looks up when I enter, her face bright with excitement.
"Mom! Sera has pet dinosaurs! And Ruby knows how to make a volcano with baking soda! Can we get baking soda?"
I laugh, relief washing over me at seeing her so animated. "We'll see. Are you having fun?"
"The best fun! Can I play with Sera and Ruby all day? Please?"
I glance at Octavia, who gives me an encouraging nod. "If it's okay with Octavia, then yes, you can play for a while. But at some point we need to do a little schoolwork."
Emily's face falls slightly at the mention of schoolwork, but she recovers quickly. "Okay! But can we do the schoolwork after the volcano?"
"Deal," I agree, unable to resist her enthusiasm.
As the girls return to their game, Octavia approaches with a fresh cup of coffee. "They're getting along well," she observes.
"Thanks to you," I say gratefully. "It's good for her to have other kids around, especially now."
Octavia nods in understanding. "Children need normalcy, even in abnormal situations." She hesitates, then adds, "I hope you don't mind my asking, but... how are you holding up? Really?"
The genuine concern in her voice catches me off guard. It's been a long time since anyone other than my immediate family showed such interest in my wellbeing.
"I'm..." I start, then stop, unsure how to answer. "I'm taking it one hour at a time," I finally say. "I’m trying to keep it together for Emily."
"And for yourself?" she presses gently.
I shrug. "I haven't gotten that far yet."
She touches my arm briefly just as Effie comes to join us, the gesture both comforting and understanding. "When you do, remember you're not alone. All of us, Eda, Effie, Seri, and I, we've been through our own versions of hell. We get it."
"Eda mentioned something like that," I recall. "About all of you having bad situations in your past."
Effie's expression turns wry. "That's one way to put it. Let's just say these men didn't come into our lives because everything was sunshine and rainbows."
The parallel to my own situation isn't lost on me. "How did you know?" I ask, lowering my voice so the children can't hear. "How did you know you could trust them? That they weren't just trading one kind of danger for another?"
It's the question that's been haunting me since we arrived at the clubhouse. These men might be protecting us now, but they're still outlaws. Still dangerous. Still living outside the rules that govern normal society.
Effie considers my question seriously. "I didn’t," she admits. "Mayhem and I met when we were young. We fell madly in love and our relationship was everything, until it wasn’t. I loved him deeply, but I couldn’t trust him for a while because he was stupidly trying to protect me.
But never, not ever, have I felt unsafe and neither will you. "
Her words resonate deeply, striking a chord I didn't realize was there. That's exactly how Storm makes me feel. Challenged, yes. Unsettled by his intensity, definitely. But never unsafe.
"They live by a different code than most people," Effie continues. "But it's still a code. Loyalty, protection, family—those aren't just words to them. They're a way of life."
Before I can respond, the sound of motorcycles starting up outside draws our attention. Through the window, I see several bikers preparing to leave, Storm among them. His face is set in grim determination as he pulls on his helmet, exchanging brief words with Shadow before mounting his bike.
"Where are they going?" I ask, unable to hide the concern in my voice.
Effie follows my gaze. "Club business, probably. They don't tell us everything."
A knot forms in my stomach as I watch Storm and the others ride out through the gates. There's only one piece of club business that would involve Storm right now: Eric.
"They'll be back soon," Effie assures me, misreading my expression. "In the meantime, why don't we set up that volcano experiment the girls are so excited about? It might help pass the time."
I nod, forcing a smile for Emily's benefit when she looks up excitedly at the mention of the volcano. But as I help gather supplies, my mind remains on Storm, wondering what exactly club business entails and whether he'll return with blood on his hands.
And the most disturbing part? I'm not sure how I feel about that possibility.