Chapter 14
Rex
It’s amazing how life can change so fast. One minute, I was pining after Lena, wondering what had gone wrong and why she seemed to hate me, and feeling jealous of her growing relationship with Cole.
The next, the mystery had been solved, and she was finally in my arms again.
I was on cloud nine after our reconciliation, having had some of the best sex of my life and knowing that Lena was willing to try our unconventional proposal.
I should have known that happiness wouldn’t last long, that Mary Beth would betray us the moment she got the chance to.
When the gunfire started, my heart stopped, and I moved purely on instinct. My only concern was to protect Lena.
Lena is terrified, and it breaks my heart.
I wish I could make her understand that she’s safe with us, that I will protect her with my life, that Cole and the others will too.
The moment the gunfire started, I saw the terror on her face, and despite our reassurances that we’ll protect her, I could tell she didn’t believe it.
Lena has spent so long being independent and alone that she can’t trust herself not to have to fight alone anymore.
It’s been three days since the attack on the clubhouse, and Lena has barely left her room, other than to care for Mia and keep the little girl entertained.
My hopes of us getting back on track with our relationship have been dashed, as she has pushed me away.
She’s told me she just needs some space to process everything, and we’re all respecting that, but I can’t help feeling as if I’m losing her again.
I keep agonizing over it, worrying that one day I’ll wake up and she’ll be gone.
She was quiet again at dinner, immediately leaving after we finished saying she had to put Mia to bed. If tonight is like the other nights, she won’t come out of her room again.
“We can’t let this go on, can we? It’s not healthy for her to withdraw like this,” I say to the guys after she’s out of earshot.
“We need to give her time, she’s been through a lot of trauma, it’s perfectly normal,” Doc responds.
“Fuck that,” I grumble, getting up from my seat and heading upstairs.
Mia looks pale and exhausted when she opens the door and sees me standing there. It makes me wonder if I imagined the other night, how she kissed me and screamed my name while Cole and I fucked her.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, holding the door close to her, as if worried I might barge in.
“Yes, everything’s fine. I’m just worried about you.” I reach out for her, and she withdraws. “Talk to me, Lena, what’s going on? I thought that we’d moved past everything that happened between us. That we were going to give us a try again. Did I do something wrong?”
She shakes her head, looking forlorn. “No, no, it’s nothing you did.
I just need time to process everything. I have to think of Mia, of her well-being and what is best for her, not what I want.
Being involved with you all, with the Soaring Eagles, means danger.
You’re at war, there’s no denying that.”
“We’ll protect you.”
She holds up a hand, cutting me off. “I know that, but you can’t watch us twenty-four-seven.
I also don’t want to be responsible for escalating the conflict between you and the Iron Vultures.
I can’t help feeling that it would be best for everyone if Mia and I just left.
If we went far away from here, to another state, somewhere Zeke would never find us. ”
I feel sick at the thought of losing her and Mia, of them disappearing and never coming back. “You want to run again?”
“No. Of course I don’t. But what I want doesn’t matter. I need to do what’s right by my child.”
“What’s right for Mia is that her mom is happy and safe.
Living on the run isn’t a life for a child, constantly worrying he’ll find you, looking over your shoulder.
That’s no life for a child. Stay here with me, with a man who loves you, will protect you, and will be a father to Mia.
I promise to love her and raise her as if she were my own. Just stay, Lena.”
Lena’s stricken expression tells me I’ve said the wrong thing. Perhaps I’ve scared her off by admitting my feelings so soon. I know it’s early to be proclaiming my love.
“I’ll think about it. Please, Rex, just give me a little more time. I’m sorry,” she says, her eyes pleading.
I nod, trying and failing to hide my hurt. ‘Alright. I’m here when you’re ready, always. The others are too.” I don’t bother waiting for her to reply before turning and heading downstairs. The soft click of the door closing behind me feels final.
I bump into Doc in the living room. “How’d it go?” he asks.
“Not great.” I head over to the liquor cabinet and pour myself a large glass of whiskey.
“That bad, huh. Look, maybe now isn’t the time to tell you this, but Cole and I did something you’re not going to be happy about.” Doc looks at me earnestly, waiting to see if I want to hear his confession.
I pour him a decently sized measure of whiskey and hand it over before sitting down beside him. “What did you do?”
“We’ve made no secrets about our suspicions that Mia is yours,” he begins carefully.
“And I’ve told you that Lena has said she isn’t. She wouldn’t lie about that, especially not after we laid our cards on the table about the lies Mary Beth told and the reason she left. She’d have told me.”
Doc grimaces. “Right, well… before that, Cole asked me to do something.”
“Quit hedging and spit it out.”
“I ran a paternity test.”
“You did what? What the fuck, Doc? Why didn’t you ask me before doing this?” I say, jumping up from my seat.
Doc cringes guiltily. “I know, I know, I should have spoken to you first,” he says, holding up his hands in surrender.
“But you know how Cole gets. He wanted to do it sooner, but we told him not to. However, Mary Beth’s claim that the kid was Zeke’s decided it for him.
He had to know what we’re dealing with when it comes to the Iron Vultures. ”
I do. I’m going to have serious words with Cole about this. He might be the president, and I know how much of a control freak he can be, but this is on a whole new level. “Cole,” I shout angrily.
Cole appears from the other room. He looks between Doc and me. “So, he told you about the paternity test.”
“Yes. You had no right to meddle. This is between Lena and me. She told me that Mia isn’t mine, and I trust her.
Conducting this test without her permission is a massive violation of her trust. She’s already considering leaving.
How do you think she’ll react if she finds out about this?
I thought you had feelings for her? That you wanted her to stay? ”
“I do. I know it was wrong of me. I just thought Mia looked so like you, and I was suspicious. Then, I had to know if she was Zeke’s or not, if that’s what he wants,” Cole admits.
I know he finds it hard to trust people.
That, after her disappearance three years ago, and her history with Zeke and the Iron Vultures, he would have done his research to make sure that Lena wasn’t lying to us.
“Fucking hell, what a mess,” I mutter. “Does it even matter if Mia is Zeke’s? We’re not just gonna hand her over to him, are we?”
“Of course not, I just wanted to have all the information to hand. It’s better to be informed than blindsided by the enemy.”
“So, do you want to know the results?” Doc tentatively asks.
I stop pacing, looking sharply at Doc. “You know the results?”
He shakes his head. “No, we didn’t think it was right for us to see them before you, but we have them.”
I should refuse. I should trust Lena. But the temptation is too strong.
“Fuck, I’m going to regret this,” I curse. “Give them to me.”
Doc retrieves the envelope and hands it over. My heart hammers in my chest, and I try to tell myself this is all ridiculous, that I know it’s going to say Mia’s not mine. Yet, still…
I open the envelope and pull out the results.
“What does it say?” Cole asks eagerly when I stand there staring, dumbstruck.
“I’m the father. Mia is my daughter.”