Chapter Seven
Landry
I follow Tate through the clubhouse with Lily cradled in my arms and my heart in my throat. I'm so nervous I feel a little like I might pass out. But Keegan trusts this man…and I trust Keegan. How can I not when he’s been the only person in my life to treat me like I matter?
That has to mean something, right? So does the fact that he spent the last year looking for me. Even without knowing about our daughter, he looked for me.
I still want to cry over that. But I can do that later…when I’m alone.
This clubhouse is nothing like the Sons of Loki's headquarters. Their compound is a maze of warehouses and cabins behind razor wire and electric fences. This is a mansion, full of expensive furniture, family mementos, and gorgeous paintings. It feels…safe.
"In here, sweetheart," Tate murmurs, holding open a door for me.
I hesitate for a moment, peeking inside. The room looks like a medical office, complete with an exam table and equipment cabinet.
My brows furrow, confusion swirling through me. "You work from here?"
He chuckles at the question, shaking his dark head. "I have an office downtown, and another at the hospital in Houston. But we added this room after Samara and I brought our baby girl home." A shadow passes through his eyes. "Scout was born with a congenital heart defect. We wanted to be prepared in case…"
He doesn't finish that sentence, and I don't ask him to do it. The pained look on his face says it all. They wanted to be prepared in case her heart stopped while she was here.
Empathy wells in my chest, squeezing my heart in a vise.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, stepping into the room his MC built just to make sure his daughter would have everything she needed, no matter what. Would Garrick and his men do the same?
Ha. Never.
They don’t want Lily because they care about her. I’ve seen the way they treat their women and kids. They’ll treat my daughter the same way. They only want her because she’s property in their eyes, something I stole from them. And men like that don’t know how to lose gracefully. They dig in their heels and fight, unwilling and incapable of admitting that they were wrong in the first place.
Leopards don’t change their spots. And men like Garrick and his MC don’t suddenly become compassionate or empathetic.
"Me too," Tate says softly. "If you'll give me a minute, I'll go get Samara."
"You don't have to do that," I say, deciding instinctively to trust this man. How can I not with fear still glinting deep in his eyes? I may not know him, but I understand that fear. I've lived with it every single day since I saw two little pink lines and realized I was going to be a mom. The fear of losing Lily, of not being able to care for her the way she deserves…yes, I understand that all too well.
The fact that this man feels it tells me all I need to know about him. He may be in an MC, but he isn’t like Garrick.
"It's okay. I think it'll be good for you to meet her," he murmurs before disappearing down the hall.
I stare after him, not entirely sure what he means by that. But he's out of sight before I can ask.
I settle into a chair in the corner with a sigh, adjusting Lily in my arms. She’s sleeping deeply, her little lips slightly parted. I brush my lips across her forehead, breathing her in. Her innocent baby smell soothes my raw nerves, just like always.
“Everything is going to be okay,” I whisper to her. The words have become my mantra over the last few months, like if I said them often enough, I could manifest that truth. But this time, they actually feel possible, like everything might just turn out okay.
It’s a dangerous feeling when hope seems destined to destroy me. But I cling to it anyway, sending up a prayer that I’m able to hang onto the little kernel of hope Keegan planted in my heart earlier.
I’m not sure how long I sit there, waiting for Tate and Samara, but I must doze off, because the next thing I know, a gorgeous brunette is gently shaking my shoulder.
I jerk awake, clutching Lily tighter.
“It’s okay,” the brunette says, smiling gently. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Her gold eyes lock on my face, full of empathy. “You must be exhausted.”
“I…yeah.” I clear my throat…try to clear my mind.
“Landry, this is my wife, Samara,” Tate murmurs from behind the brunette. “Samara, this is Keegan’s family, Landry and Lily.”
My heart clenches when he calls us Keegan’s family. I’ve never had one of those before. I only ever had Uncle Danny, and that man wasn’t family. He was a monster in a man’s clothing.
“Hi,” I whisper when I realize Samara and Tate are both watching me as if waiting for me to say something. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Samara shoots me another soft smile, peeking down at Lily. “She’s beautiful,” she whispers. “How old is she?”
“Four months. Almost five now.”
“Her name is Lily?”I jerk my chin in a nod.
“Do you mind if I take her from you, Landry?” Tate asks, but he doesn’t make a move toward me, like he’s leaving it entirely up to me if I want to hand her over or not.
I hesitate for a brief moment before holding her out to him.
He cradles her carefully, grinning down at her. “She’s a little sleeping beauty, huh?”
“She can sleep through anything,” I murmur, watching carefully as he carries her toward the examination table.
“Is she eating well?”
“About six ounces, every three or four hours.”
“That’s good. Are you breastfeeding?”
“When I can.” I swallow hard. “Um, I don’t always have a big enough supply to satisfy her, so I have to supplement with formula sometimes.”
“She tolerates it well?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re doing just fine,” he says, shooting me an encouraging smile as he places her on the exam table and then grabs a stethoscope, carefully holding onto her with one hand. “I’m going to listen to her, make sure everything sounds good.”
Samara slips into a chair next to me as Tate looks Lily over. “He’s good at this,” she says, her voice soft. “If it hadn’t been for him when I got custody of Scout…”
I glance over at her, my brows furrowed. “I thought she was yours?”
A flash of grief washes through Samara’s eyes. “She was my sister’s daughter,” she explains. “We adopted her after my sister was murdered.”
“M-murdered?”
“An MC.”
My eyes widen. So that’s what Tate meant about it being good for me to meet Samara.
“She knew things she shouldn’t have, so they locked her up. Never even let her see a doctor while she was pregnant,” Samara whispers. “Scout was critically ill when she was born, so my sister risked her life to escape and get her help. They found her before she could…”
My heart clenches in a vise. “I’m so sorry.”
Samara meets my gaze. “They couldn’t save my sister, but Tate saved Scout. And he made sure the MC responsible paid for their crimes.”
“He killed them?”
Samara laughs quietly. “Oh, he wanted to kill them,” she says, shaking her head. “But no. Most of them are in prison. They’ll be there for a long time.” She nods at Tate, who is listening to Lily’s heartbeat. “He and his brothers are some of the good ones. I’m guessing since Keegan brought you here, you need their protection.”
“I…” I swallow hard and then nod.
“Another MC?”
“The Sons of Loki,” I whisper. “They’re looking for me. They w-want to take Lily from me.”
She slips her hand into mine, squeezing gently. “It’s easy to give up hope, but these guys won’t let them take your baby. I’m guessing that man of yours won’t let that happen, either.”
“Keegan isn’t mine.”
“Does he know that?”
“I…” I stare at her with wide eyes, not sure how to answer that question. Not sure what Keegan thinks or what we are, exactly. I’m not sure about anything right now, honestly.
I came here expecting to have to walk away from him and our daughter to keep them safe. Instead, I’m here, with a member of an MC checking over my daughter, and Keegan talking to the sheriff. I have hope, and I want to cling to it with both hands. But wishing for a future with Keegan on top of it seems like asking for a little bit too much.
People like me don’t get unlimited wishes or chances. If we’re lucky, we get a lucky break now and then. Wanting more seems greedy and selfish. But I want to be greedy and selfish. I want to reach for Keegan with both hands and never let go.
I’m just…fucking terrified. He kept me going when nothing else did. If I lose that hope now because things don’t work out, I’m not sure what that leaves. Me, shattered into pieces, probably.
It’s a scary prospect. But fear is familiar. It’s become an old friend at this point. And maybe that tells me everything I need to know.
Once Tate finishes checking over Lily, he passes her back to me.
“She’s healthy,” he murmurs, smiling at me. “You’re doing a great job, Landry.”
“T-thank you,” I whisper, my throat tight. I think I needed to hear that, more than he knows.
“Why don’t you bring her by my office tomorrow, and we’ll start sorting out the vaccinations she’s missed?”
A surge of panic rushes through me. “I…I don’t have insurance. I can’t leave any sort of paper trail for them to follow.”
“You don’t need insurance, sweetheart. We’ll handle it and make sure they can’t track you, okay?”
My head bounces in a grateful nod.
“Come on,” Samara murmurs, wrapping her arm around my waist. “Let’s get you and that sweet baby to a room so you can get some rest while Keegan talks to the guys.”
“Room?” I arch a brow at her.
“Bedroom,” she clarifies with a little laugh. “Believe me, we have plenty here. I asked Gloria and Rulie, the couple who take care of everything around here, to set up Scout’s old bassinet for you so you’d have a place to put her.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, my throat tight with unshed tears as she leads me down one hall and then another.
We stop at the last door on the left before she pushes it open. I step inside, blinking around me. I’m not sure what I expected when she said bedroom, but it wasn’t this. This is a suite, complete with a massive king-sized bed, the promised bassinet in the corner farthest from the window, a separate seating area, a desk, and a television. There’s even a private bathroom attached. The floor is dark hardwood like the hallway, with a giant rug stretched across it. Gorgeous black and white photographs of the town hang in different spots on the walls.
“The room is yours for as long as you need it,” Samara murmurs, squeezing my arm. “Get some rest, and I’ll ask Gloria to bring you something to eat.”
“You really don’t have to do that. This is already too much.”
“Nonsense,” she disagrees with another smile. “It’s the least you deserve after everything you’ve been through. And trust me, you’ll want a room of your own to escape to with the guys watching over you. I love them to death, but a girl can only take so much being looked after before she wants to smother someone with a pillow.” She flashes me a mischievous look. “These big idiots have no chill. Just ask any of the wives around here. We spend half our days finding ways to stress them out.”
Lily chooses that moment to let out a soft wail.
Samara glances down at her, her expression softening. “I think Sleeping Beauty is hungry. You take care of her. I’ll go see about getting you something to eat.”
“Thank you,” I say, but she’s already sailing down the hall, leaving me and Lily alone. I stand there briefly, just trying to get my bearings before Lily cries again, flailing her little fists in outrage.
“I hear you, sweet angel,” I croon, striding toward the chaise to feed her.
She lets out a grunt and settles, latching on as soon as I have her against my breast. For long moments, she just eats while staring up at me intently. She reminds me of Keegan in that way, always watching attentively with those not-quite-hazel, not-quite-green eyes. She’s always so calm and quiet.
Eventually, however, her eyes drift closed again. Her head lolls to the side, a little bit of milk dribbling from her parted lips. I gently wipe it away and then change her diaper before placing her in the bassinet.
She settles with another little grunt. I watch her momentarily before crossing to the bed and sinking down.
My head is spinning.
I feel like I stepped out of my world into an alternate dimension where a real future is possible. Where people are genuinely kind and caring, for no reason beyond being built that way. It’s disconcerting in a good way, but it makes me anxious, too.
I’m used to running. To always looking over my shoulder and questioning everything. To seeing the worst of humanity, not the best.
Silver Spoon Falls is unexpected, and that makes the ground feel shaky beneath my feet, like it might crumble at any moment.
When it does, I have a feeling it’s going to hurt even worse this time. If Garrick and the Sons of Loki find me after I’ve spent time here, with people like this? It’ll feel like being plucked from heaven and dragged to hell. I can’t let myself get used to this. And yet…I want it so damn badly.