Chapter 3
CROSS
The blend of love and anguish that shadowed Hannah’s eyes as she spoke about Isa hit me harder than I anticipated.
Her voice had shaken slightly, her gaze bright with unshed tears.
She had a vulnerability that cracked right through my tough-ass armor.
It was crystal clear how deeply she cared for the tiny girl she’d brought to me.
And how fiercely protective she was even though Isa wasn’t hers by blood.
Before I could find words to respond or even process my own reaction fully, Hannah straightened abruptly, visibly forcing her emotions back under control.
She cleared her throat softly, her gaze darting away to hide the rawness I’d seen.
When her eyes met mine again, they were bright with a dry, self-deprecating humor.
“If you’re planning on sticking around, you should probably consider not making it so damn hard for people to find you.
” Her voice held a faint edge of teasing sarcasm, masking the vulnerability I’d glimpsed seconds before.
She arched a brow at me, her lips quirking into a challenging smirk. “You know, for future reference.”
I frowned, irritation prickling at the back of my neck. “Me being hard to find was intentional, sweetheart. I—”
She cut me off with a soft, mocking snort and folded her arms beneath her tits, unintentionally drawing my gaze there for a heated second. “Let me guess—dodging all the angry women you’ve left behind in your wake? The ones you conned out of their panties?”
Frustration tightened my chest, my jaw clenching as my patience snapped.
Moving faster than she expected, I reached forward and cupped her chin firmly in one hand, forcing her startled eyes up to meet mine.
My grip wasn’t harsh, but it was strong enough to show her exactly who was controlling this conversation.
“Enough. Close that pretty mouth of yours and listen for once.”
Her eyes flared wide with surprise, a flash of heat and indignation flitting through the expressive brown depths, but something else was there, too.
Her lips parted softly, her breath hitching as her pulse quickened visibly in her throat.
I forced myself to ignore my body’s instant reaction, focusing instead on the weight of the truth I needed her to understand.
“I’m not hiding from some trail of broken hearts and pissed-off women.
” My tone was low and devoid of humor. “Got a twin brother, Gavin, who’s nothing but a fucking walking disaster.
Spent his whole life causing trouble, and he doesn’t give a shit who gets hurt along the way.
Especially me. For years, I was the one cleaning up his messes.
Whenever Gavin pissed someone off, they’d come looking for me, thinking I knew where to find him or that I’d protect his sorry ass. ”
Hannah’s eyes searched mine, her rigid posture softening slightly because she was clearly taken aback. She didn’t interrupt or challenge—just listened intently, like she was trying to weigh the truth of my words against her assumptions about me.
I drew in a slow, steadying breath, forcing down the simmering anger and frustration that talking about Gavin always stirred up.
“When I finally left Atlanta, I decided I was done being Gavin’s damage control.
Finished letting his choices fuck up my life.
So I made myself hard to track down. Reduced my digital footprint, obscured my records, and got rid of anything tied directly to my name or location.
Kept just enough official information out there to stay legal, but any correspondence routes through the club’s businesses.
Nobody’s been able to find me unless I wanted them to. ”
Her brow furrowed slightly as she took it all in, processing the depth of the measures I’d taken. “That’s…intense.”
“It was necessary.” My thumb brushed gently along her jaw without thought. “Gavin made plenty of enemies. Men who didn’t give a fuck if it was me or him they found, as long as someone paid for what he’d done. Wasn’t gonna risk any of that bullshit following me anywhere ever again.”
The longer I looked at her, the clearer the realization became. My brother had told Isa’s mom that he was me when he spent the night with her. That was why my name was on the birth certificate. The pieces fell into place, and a surge of cold fury shot through me, chilling my blood.
“My fucking twin,” I growled.
This whole fucked-up situation had Gavin’s signature written all over it.
I glanced back at the store, thinking about the little girl waiting for me in there. Then I looked back at Hannah, who watched me with indecision written all over her face.
“Can we go back inside and talk? I’d like to get to know Isa while I explain everything.”
Hannah’s stubborn expression softened just a touch, and she nodded.
Relief slid through me that she was agreeing to go back inside so we could discuss things. The tight line of her shoulders softened just a fraction, and I knew it meant she was at least willing to hear me out.
We moved silently back toward the store, and I swung the door open, letting Hannah step in ahead of me.
The scent of apples and cinnamon wrapped around us as we entered, comforting me in a way I hadn’t expected.
Clara glanced up from the counter, her expression immediately relaxing into a soft smile when she saw Hannah had returned.
But her gaze darted cautiously to mine, clearly assessing if shit was about to get tense again.
Isa squirmed unhappily in Clara’s arms, her small face scrunched and fists waving as frustrated whimpers filled the air.
Without hesitating, Clara crossed over, gently placing the fussing baby in my waiting arms. It happened so naturally that I didn’t even pause to think about what to do.
I just cradled her against my chest, shifting instinctively so her tiny head settled comfortably against me.
Almost immediately, Isa calmed, her small body relaxing into mine with a soft sigh.
My chest tightened as a fierce wave of love surged through me and nearly stole my breath.
I looked down into her delicate face, noting the faint dusting of lashes and tiny rosebud lips pursed gently in sleep.
It was the same overwhelming sensation that had slammed into me when I’d first laid eyes on Hannah, but pure.
This was my baby girl, the one I’d been waiting my entire life to hold without even realizing it.
A stifled laugh drew my gaze up sharply, and I turned toward Rebel, who stood beside Clara, his eyes glittering with barely contained amusement.
His expression clearly said that I was done for.
He’d recognize the feeling since I’d watched him fall hard and fast for Clara the same way.
The bastard clearly loved watching me go down the same fucking path, but I couldn’t even bring myself to glare at him. He was right, and we both knew it.
When my gaze shifted to Hannah, my heart lurched inside my chest. She stared at me, wide-eyed, looking both stunned and softer around the edges than I’d seen yet. The guarded tension in her eyes had melted slightly, replaced with something almost like wonder.
Seeing her expression finally tipped me over the edge, pushing me into fully accepting what my heart had been shouting at me since the moment I first laid eyes on her. She belonged to me. I glanced down at Isa. To us.
Taking a slow, steady breath, I forced myself to focus.
I had to lay it all out clearly. She deserved that much.
“Need you to hear me, Hannah. What I said outside about having a twin brother wasn’t bullshit.
We’re identical, down to everything but the ink on our skin, and he’s spent his life causing trouble I’ve had to clean up.
That birth certificate…it might have the name Griffin Reid on it, but I didn’t father this baby. Gavin did.”
Her expression tightened again, skepticism returning as her lips pressed into a stubborn line. Before she could speak, a deep voice sounded from the edge of the store, startling us both.
“He’s telling you the truth.”
I turned toward the sound, surprised to see the president of my MC standing silently just inside the doorway. King had entered so quietly, I hadn’t even noticed. His presence was commanding as always, his eyes assessing the room with cool authority.
His attention was fixed firmly on Hannah as he moved toward us.
“Cross has an identical twin, but they are opposites when it comes to character. Gavin Reid is trouble, through and through. That’s why the Hounds helped Cross go off the grid.
Was the only way to cut ties and make sure Gavin’s shit couldn’t touch him here. ”
The unwavering certainty in King’s voice had a visible effect on Hannah.
More of the tension drained from her shoulders, and she exhaled slowly, her expression shifting subtly as she processed this new information.
Her guarded skepticism softened into careful consideration.
I could tell she wasn’t ready to trust me fully yet, but the doubt clouding her gaze had started to clear.
She finally met my eyes again. “Regardless of all that, my job is to ensure Isa is safe and cared for. I’m going to stay here until I’m sure everything is settled and I’m convinced you’re not going to abandon her.”
Her fierce protectiveness sent a deep rush of satisfaction rolling through me.
Her words confirmed exactly what I’d hoped—she wasn’t running.
She was already planning to stay in town, and that meant one less obstacle standing between us.
The corner of my mouth twitched slightly, but I quickly stifled the reaction before she could see it.
Hannah was staying, which meant she was almost right where I wanted her.