Chapter 30
Slate
I t’s not unusual for me to spend hours in my office at home even though I prefer my office at the clubhouse because it has all of my high-tech gadgets. The club office was my happy place where I could unleash the full power of my skills to help my MC and my brothers.
And now Emma. And Ash.
My home office had enough privacy for me to spend some time looking into Mark Edwards. Again. I needed to know everything about this asshole. I dug deeper than I usually would have since the last time I tried to look into him, the sheriff interrupted my progress. He’d asked enough questions that I knew Mark had been feeding him information mixed in with speculation.
“Gotcha motherfucker!” Between bank records, email accounts and all the shit I found when I was inside his house, I had everything I needed to get him to back off or ruin him forever.
A soft knock sounded on my office door, and I knew it was Emma. Ash’s knock was still tentative as if she wasn’t sure whether or not I would yell at her. I hated that shit, but I knew only time would fix it.
“Yeah?”
Emma peeked her head inside, her brown hair pulled into a messy topknot and her lips stretched into a hesitant smile. “Busy?”
I glanced down at the screen and then back up at Emma. “Nope. Not anymore. What’s up?”
She pushed the door open and lugged a picnic basket inside that was at least half her size, grunting when she settled it on the table near the window. “What’s up is that I’ve packed a picnic for us. All we need is a good spot. Know of any?” Her teeth sank down into her bottom lip as if she was a little bit nervous.
I leaned back in my chair. “I might. What’s the occasion?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been working for a week, and it feels good. I feel like I have a purpose, like I’m being useful and not just a waste of space. It’s a good feeling and I want to celebrate it while I can.”
My brows dipped and I took in the signs of worry that she did a terrible job at concealing. It was easier to hide things from Ash because kids took most things at face value, but her sweet smile didn’t fool me one bit. “While you can?”
She nodded. “I don’t know, Slate. It feels like everything is going too well, you know?”
“I know that’s been your experience.” I stood and walked around the desk, holding her hands in my own. “But I also need you to know that no matter what happens, I got your back. We’re a team now. Whatever else happens that’s always going to be true, okay?”
She nodded but I wasn’t sure if she believed it. “Yeah, okay. I can’t help it.”
“Time. It’s going to take some time, but I’ll be happy to remind you whenever you forget.”
Her smile beamed a little brighter. “Deal.”
“Good.” I gripped her chin between my thumb and forefinger and tilted up before I brushed my lips across hers.
Emma moaned and gripped the fabric of my t-shirt in her hands, pulling me closer. Her tongue flicked out against my lips, teasing me, tempting me to open up, which I was happy to do. She moaned again and rubbed her body against mine.
I pulled back. “So, about that picnic?”
She laughed and kissed me again before she took a step back. “Right. The picnic.”
I laughed with her. “I know just the place.”
***
An hour later we sat on a blanket on a soft patch of grass. “Wow, all of this is part of your MC?” Emma looked around the green space with a growing smile.
I nodded. “Yep. We came in through another entrance but if you look over there, you’ll see the clubhouse.” We were about a half mile from the building, close enough for protection or backup if we needed it and just far enough for privacy. Plus, as the land was ours there was no chance of her asshole soon-to-be ex brother-in-law turning up. Emma had told me she was going to file for divorce, and I’d agreed with her that it was a good idea. Not just that it made her a free woman, but also from the cops’ point of view it looked like she believed he was still alive.
As for what would happen once Emma was free… I knew it was still early days and not even two months since we’d reconnected, but looking at her and my daughter both happy and contented, everything just seemed right, I wanted them to be my family. We’d both had a chat and decided that today would be the day we’d tell Ash I was her father. I was equal parts excited and scared as hell as to what her response would be.
“Well you’re right, this is the perfect picnic spot.” She looked around, let out a deep breath and then began to unpack the basket. “We have a little bit of everything, roast chicken, potato salad, caramelized carrots, and there’s mini cheesecakes. Enjoy!”
“Mommy it looks so good!” Ash’s eyes were wide as saucers as she looked at everything, hesitantly testing out a carrot. “It’s so sweet.”
“See? Vegetables can be really good.”
She nodded and handed one to me. “Wanna try?”
I leaned forward so she could pop into my mouth. “That’s delicious, Emma. Gimme more.”
Ash giggled and fed me another one. “Don’t eat them all.”
Emma let out a wistful sigh and when I turned, she wore a small smile. “Guys,” she began with another sigh, but this one was tentative. Almost scared.
“Yes, Mommy?” Ash held a piece of shredded chicken between her fingers, her greasy smile fixed on her mother.
Emma smiled again and her shoulders visibly relaxed. “I want to talk to you about something important, Ash. Your father.”
My heart skipped as I realized what was happening. I watched Emma’s smile spread wide as she cupped one side of Ash’s face.
A look of worry flashed over my daughter’s face, “Daddy Alex?”
“No sweetheart, your real dad.”
“My dad? My real dad?” her eyes widened.
Emma nodded. “Your real father. Remember what I told you about him?”
Ash nodded and closed her eyes. “You and Daddy were like two ships in the night and by the time you realized I was growing in your tummy, the ships had passed.” Her eyes opened. “And you couldn’t find him.”
“That’s right.” She smiled softly. “Well a funny thing happened recently, and it brought me face to face with my past. Your dad.”
Ash sat up taller, her elbows rested on her knees, face cradled in her hands. “Where is he?” She looked around, her smile grew wide.
“He’s here. Back when I knew your father his name was Asher which is why I named you Ashlyn, so you would always have a small piece of him with you.”
I smiled. Until that moment it hadn’t occurred to me that was why her name was so close to mine.
“Mommy,” she moaned.
Emma’s smile widened. “You know him as something else.” Her gaze landed on mine. “Slate. Ashlyn meet your father, Asher.”
Ash gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. She turned slowly to look at me and her smile grew bigger and bigger until she laughed. “You’re my daddy?”
My gaze went to Emma first and then back to Ash. “Yeah, Ash, I’m your dad. How do you feel about that?” I was grateful to Emma for telling our daughter some version of the truth that didn’t make it seem as if I abandoned her.
The little girl licked her lips, her gray-blue eyes never left mine as she tilted her head and studied me. “Are you happy to be my daddy?”
That was easy. “Hell yes. You’re perfect.”
Tears started almost immediately, and I didn’t know what to do other than to scoop her in my arms and hold her close. “Are you not happy to be my little girl?” I looked over at Emma who wore another soft smile that confused me, then she mouthed the words, happy tears .
At that my heart cracked right down the middle. To see this little girl so happy to have me as a father almost made me tear up myself, I never thought of myself as anything special, but now I was gonna be the whole world to Ash. She pulled back and held my face in her little hands. “I like you and I want you to be my daddy. Our eyes are the same.”
I smiled again and pressed my forehead to hers. “Yeah, our eyes are the same. And our hair.” I tugged on one of her curls. “I’m glad you’re my kid, Ash. I can’t wait to get to know you and teach you everything I know.” I meant those words with every fucking fiber of my being. She was fun and bubbly, and I wanted to do everything in my power to erase the years she spent with Alex Edwards.
Her and her mother.
Her smile grew as she wrapped her arms around me and held on tight. “I’m glad you’re my daddy, Slate. Can I call you Daddy?”
I nodded, swallowing around the big ass boulder of a lump in my throat. “You can call me whatever you like, sweetheart.” I hugged her back, tighter than I’d ever hugged anyone since I wasn’t much older than Ash. It felt so fucking good and this sense of protectiveness rose up in me, stronger and deeper, more intense than anything I’d ever felt in my life.
“I’m gonna call you Daddy. Okay, Daddy?”
I laughed and nodded as she climbed from my lap and grabbed another carrot. “Yeah, okay.” My gaze met Emma’s, and I found her eyes filled with tears she never let fall and a happy smile on her face.
“Thank you Mommy for finding my Daddy.”
At those words, the tears slid down her cheeks and she let out a shaky laugh. “You’re welcome, honey. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mommy.” She turned to me. “You too Daddy.”
My heart was full to bursting and I spent the rest of the afternoon happier than I’d been in a long damn time. Suddenly I understood—viscerally—what my brothers had fought so hard for. I knew why they were willing to go to war, to scorch the earth to protect their women and their children.
I just fucking got it.
Emma and Ashlyn were my family.
They were mine to protect.
They were mine.
Mine.
I happily answered Ash’s questions about my family on the way back home, giving her a PG version of my life growing up, confident she would never know the truth about her grandparents.
“Thank you,” I told Emma when we arrived back at my place. “You don’t know how much that meant to me, fuck Emma, this feeling in my chest? Thrilling.”
Her smile was sweet, and I stared for a long minute, capturing the moment in my memory forever.
Once I’d put the now-empty picnic basket in the kitchen and we were just getting ready for an afternoon of watching movies on the sofa, there was a loud knock on the door. It continued until I yanked it open with a scowl. “What the fuck do you want?”
Detective Massey stood on my doorstep with a smirk on his face. “Arrest warrant for Emma Victoria Roberts.” He waved the piece of paper in the air happily as if it was goddamn lottery ticket.
“No.” It was the only word Emma managed to get out before and after they slapped the handcuffs on her and took her away.