Chapter 9
Ophelia
After the accident, I winced when I realized it was five days before Christmas, and I hadn’t gotten the rest of my wrapping done.
I groaned at the thought as I waited for Soraya to walk out of school.
The moment I saw her, I frowned.
Something was wrong.
Soraya’s eyes were downcasted when she climbed into the car.
I frowned, then knowing I couldn’t ask her until we got out of the line, I drove on, all the while glancing at my girl in the back seat.
Who now had her head resting against the window, her eyes unseeing the scenery as we passed it by.
The moment we got in the driveway, I shut the car off, climbed out, then moved to help Soraya get out.
And there, I bent at the knees and asked, “What’s wrong, pumpkin’ head?”
She sighed, bit her lower lip, then moved her unicorn backpack around, opened it, reached in, and grabbed something. Then she sighed again.
What on earth?
It wasn’t until I had the paper in my hand and read it that I understood what was wrong.
That rat bastard.
That. Fucking. Rat. Bastard.
I was cursing him seven ways to Sunday when the front door opened, and Saint came walking down the steps. Well, stomping them is more like it.
A frown marred his handsome face, then anger clouded his eyes.
If I didn’t trust this man, I would have grabbed my daughter and ran.
However, I trusted him.
And he proved that I could when he slowed his steps the moment he made it to us, wiped that expression from his face, and then he squatted beside us.
Carefully, he took the paper from my hand and read it.
Then he looked at Soraya and said, “You want to go to this?”
She nodded, then she shook her head.
He chuckled, “Well, which is it?”
Soraya looked at me, then looked at Saint, she was silent for a beat, then said in so low a voice, I had to strain to hear, “I want to go. But...”
In a soft voice, he asked, “But your father isn’t here?”
She shook her head.
That was when Saint looked at me.
His eyes bored into mine, then he looked at Soraya and said in a voice that I could have sworn was laced with uncertainty, “Well, I know I’m not your father. And seeing as I’m in your life. And seeing as I plan to be in it for a fuck of a long time. Would you allow me the honor to take you?”
Soraya’s whole face lit up, then she nodded so fast I was afraid she was going to topple over.
***
That night, after I helped Soraya get ready, there was a knock on the front door.
I grinned, then moved toward it.
Once I had it open, there Saint stood.
He wanted to treat this like a real date.
To show Soraya what she should expect, no, in Saint’s words, demand.
His beard had been trimmed.
His hair had been slicked back.
The leather band I had gotten for him when I thought about him at the market a few days ago.
A black shirt that was partially buttoned showed off his tattoos, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
Black trousers and his black motorcycle boots.
Man, but did this man do things to me.
If he wasn’t here to pick up Soraya, and she wasn’t here, I would climb this man like a monkey.
However, the best part about the whole look?
That was the deep red suspenders he had on that matched perfectly to Soraya’s deep red dress she was wearing tonight for the father-daughter dance they were having at the school.
I winked at him and said, “She’s almost ready. Please, come in.”
He came in and then winked at me.
I looked up at him and said with my whole heart, “I love you, Saint.”
He looked down, then back into my eyes, leaned down, and kissed me in a way I knew he was pouring every ounce of feeling he felt for me into that one kiss.
A kiss so powerful that I swayed backward when he moved away from me.
Then that was the moment that Soraya came down the stairs, and I watched as my big man smiled, his eyes got misty, which caused mine to do the same.
He walked over to her and dropped to one knee, then he pulled something out of his pocket and held it up for her to see.
When I saw it was a gold bracelet, my breath stalled in my lungs at his words, “When a man picks you up for a date, he better bring you flowers.”
She nodded. Taking in his words with a serious look, I knew she would remember for the rest of her life.
But this is something from me to you. Told you that I love your heart. And this is my symbol for you that will never change. Inscribed on the heart is, Princess, I love you – Saint. ”
I didn’t even try to stop the tears that trailed down my cheeks.
I watched as he clasped it around her wrist, and then he picked her up and brought her over to me.
I leaned up on my tip toes and placed a kiss on her cheek, “I love you, pumpkin’ head.”
She was smiling from ear to ear as she said, “I love you, too, Monnie.”
Then, after I got a kiss from Saint, I stood there in the doorway while he carried her to his truck, buckled her up, and then placed his fist over his heart and tossed me a wink.
He had my girl.
And nothing in this world would harm her with him at her side.
I got videos sent to me while I wrapped Christmas presents via Kettle.
Who was quickly becoming my daughter’s best friend.
And when I heard about what he did when we had been in that accident, I knew that for the rest of her life, there was one person she could call if she couldn’t reach either of us.
Then, I received another video of a woman hitting on Saint.
She said, “You’re one big strapping man. I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
He shook his head, “Don’t need one. My woman has my heart in the palm of her hand.”
And with that, he turned around and started to walk away. But my little girl had to have the last word, just like I taught her to do. “He’s taken. Back off.”
With the next video I received right there, in that moment, I knew.
If Saint asked me to marry him within the next five seconds, I wouldn’t hesitate with my answer.
Because in that video, Soraya was in Saint’s arms, swaying to the song, I Loved Her First.
Needless to say, by the time they got back, I was close to a bucket of tears over this man.
And not the bad kind of tears.
No. The good ones are when your world has finally been sewn back together because of one person.
And after we got Soraya in bed, I proceeded to show my man how much he meant to me.
His growls and moans were music to my ears.
***
It was the next day, and we were about to head to the clubhouse to do Agatha’s Secret Santa and potluck when there was a knock on the door.
Saint’s hands were full of four trays of unicorn brownies, to which I winked and said, “I got it.”
He narrowed his eyes, “Keep your body behind the door.”
Soraya asked, “Why?”
“Because a man opens the door. A man protects what’s his.”
At that, my daughter simply nodded.
I laughed as I headed to the door.
I had opened it and stood there, shocked.
Because standing there on our front porch was Peter.
I heard Saint ask, “Who is it?”
When I didn’t answer him because I was frozen.
Not in fear. But in anger.
The balls he has for showing up here.
The audacity to show up here.
Here!
In our home.
In our safe place.
I was about to open my mouth when I felt Saint at my back and Soraya at my side.
And then I saw a few brothers who had offered to help take the rest of the food I had made to the clubhouse, pull in front of the house.
That was when Peter opened his mouth and said, “It’s not my child. My child is standing right there.” Then he pointed at Soraya.
I was so confused. What did he mean that’s not my child. “What do you mean it’s not my child?”
That was when he looked at Saint, and Saint moved, but he moved to pick up Soraya.
I looked at Peter and snapped, “Explain, Peter. Right now. What do you mean?”
Peter decided to take a step back as he asked, “He didn’t tell you?”
Saint growled, then looked at Soraya, “Monkey earmuffs, princess.”
Saint didn’t speak until Soraya nodded, brought her hands up, and used the brown casted arm to block one ear, then her free hand covered the other ear.
Knowing she could probably hear him, he lowered his voice, “Not telling her something that would hurt her. But you obviously don’t see things that way. Should have gutted you when I had the chance.”
Peter’s face paled.
Well, that was a glorious sight I wouldn’t have thought I would have seen today.
“Peter. Tell me. Now.” I growled.
His brows lifted, “You didn’t talk to me like this when we were together.”
I snapped, “Because I had lost my backbone after the things my father had done. But not anymore. My man helped me build it back up and made it strong. And as long as he’s by my side, I know that my backbone won’t ever get weak again. Now. I’m going to ask you one more time. What. Did. You. Mean?”
He threw his hands up and then rumbled out, “Okay. Okay. Fine. I didn’t kick you guys out because the boss made me. I kicked you guys out because the woman I had fallen in love with told me she was pregnant with my child.”
I didn’t move.
I didn’t speak.
But a bubble of hysterical laughter fell from my mouth.
I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t breathe.
Tears formed in my eyes.
My stomach tightened.
I gasped through my words as I said, “You... mean... to tell me... that in one day... you fell out of love with me... and in love... not even hours later.... with... another woman?”
“Can’t love two women. You do. Means you don’t know what love is.” Xander rumbled at his back.
I looked over Peter’s shoulder, locked my eyes with Xander’s, and nodded.
Saint moved and placed Soraya down, and then he lightly moved me out of the way.
“Let’s you and I take a trip to the clubhouse, yeah?”
And then I watched as Saint grabbed Peter by the collar of his shirt and dragged him down the steps.
His voice calling out to be let go that he would sue, to unhand him.
“Gotta still be breathin’ to sue,” Xander said as he moved.
Jasper was grinning when he opened the door to one of the trucks and then closed it after Saint tossed, yes, tossed him into the back seat.
Then he looked at me and winked.
After they left, I looked down at Soraya, who was smiling.
As was I.
The brothers who stayed behind helped us get everything loaded up, and then we, too, headed to the clubhouse.