Chapter 9
“Aw, she’s so cute and getting so big.” One of Devyn’s employees cooed as Devyn walked by with Hazel toddling beside her.
“Thanks,” Devyn replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Her mind was occupied with Haze. It had been two days since she saw him at the compound. He’d been calling her and texting her, but she’d been avoiding him.
When she left the compound, she sensed danger.
She didn’t like how the atmosphere had shifted so suddenly.
It reminded her of that day three years ago, when her best friend got shot, and they had to duck and run to safety from the gunshots ringing out.
The smell of gunpowder still stung her nostrils if she thought about it too hard.
The other day felt like God had smacked her on the back of the neck with his sandal to remind her that she needed to stay the hell away from Haze.
But that thought even felt wrong. The conflict inside her caused her normal bubbly personality to go mute. All she wanted to do was contemplate what to do about Haze.
Flashbacks of the night she shared with him filtered through her mind as she walked toward her office with Hazel clinging to her finger.
The way he made her feel so safe, his smile, the words he spoke to her—how could she stay away from him this time around?
She’d gotten to know him more. She’d gotten to know his family.
The people she partied with weren’t bad people at all.
Then why does danger seem to follow them?
She sighed as she entered her office.
“Here, baby. Play with your iPad while mommy gets some work done.” Devyn handed Hazel her iPad from out of her workbag and got her comfortable on the floor with her favorite blanket and stuffed animal.
“Ice cream, Mama?” Hazel asked innocently as she woke her iPad up.
Devyn laughed. “Yes, baby. When mommy’s done with work, I’ll take you to get some ice cream. You need to eat some lunch first, though, okay?”
Hazel smiled at Devyn, showcasing her baby teeth and pink gums. Devyn’s heart melted. That little girl could get anything she wanted. As much as she got on her parents for spoiling her daughter rotten, Devyn was just as bad.
Her eyes shifted to her desk. She had a mountain of paperwork to go over, and she wanted to look into an expansion for the dealership.
It had been on her mind for a long time now, before she even took over the dealership, but she couldn’t lie.
Hanging around the compound, seeing all those beautiful bikes and meeting all the cool ass people that rode them, lit a fire under her.
Devyn knew that she had a solid two hours before Hazel started cutting up. Normally, she wouldn’t bring Hazel to work with her, but there were rare occasions that she needed to. Today happened to be one of those days. Her parents had doctor appointments to go to, and Koren and Emilia were at work.
Days like this made her wish she had a partner to help with Hazel.
Her mind immediately went to Haze. Tears clouded her vision.
She had tried to tell him a couple of times about Hazel, but the words never came out.
Eventually, she knew she would need to answer his calls and have that conversation.
Her heart both ached and raced at the thought.
With a groan, she slid into her chair behind her desk.
“Wrong, Mommy?”
Hazel’s little concerned voice caused Devyn to smile. She gazed at her daughter and smiled. “Nothing, baby. Nothing at all.”
Hazel peered at her mother for a couple more seconds before she returned her focus to her iPad. Devyn knew she needed to get her shit together, and quick. If for nothing else, then for her daughter.
Deciding to push her chaotic thoughts to the side, Devyn focused on the pile of work she had to do.
As the clock inched toward that two-hour mark, she kept an eye on Hazel, who grew restless.
Right at noon on the dot, Hazel tossed her iPad to the side and glared at her mother. “Tired, Mama. Ice cream.”
Devyn giggled. “You did good, booger butt. We can leave in a few minutes.”
“I not booger butt. You booger butt,” Hazel said with her little face scrunched up.
“Girl, bye.” Devyn giggled as Hazel waddled over to her while rubbing her eyes.
It was time for her afternoon nap, so Devyn needed to wrap up quickly so she could feed her baby and get her to bed.
Hazel did not operate well with no sleep or while she was hungry.
She turned into a little gremlin, and Devyn knew she only had about thirty minutes before a full-blown tantrum started.
Hazel climbed up onto Devyn’s lap and snuggled into her chest while Devyn checked a few more emails before she packed it up for the day.
Her office door opening knocked her out of her zone.
Her eyes landing on Haze knocked her out of orbit.
His handsome face frowned at her. He looked like he was about to tell her off for ignoring his calls and texts, but then his eyes landed on Hazel.
Devyn’s heart stopped.
A blind man could see plain as day that Hazel was his child. They were identical, down to the thick pink lips and dimples in their cheeks.
“The fuck?” Haze muttered. She could see his brain working, trying to come up with an explanation.
Tears clouded Devyn’s vision as she stood up with Hazel in her arms. She wouldn’t let her tears fall. She refused to make this moment about her. Devyn was the one that made the decision to box Haze out of Hazel’s life. It was time for her to face that shit.
“The fuck?” Hazel mimicked her father with a smile on her face.
Devyn was too nervous to scold her daughter. Her eyes met Haze’s, and she saw a world of hurt and pain there.
“Haze, I-I can explain.”
Haze’s jaw clenched. He marched over to the chair in front of her desk and sat down. “Get the fuck to explainin’.”
Devyn sat back down slowly as her mind raced. That guilt that had been clawing to get out of her for three years had finally been let loose, and she felt like it might swallow her completely whole.