CHAPTER TWO
– ZORA –
“Wait, please,” a voice calls out and I inwardly groan.
I have a hot shower and a book calling my name, not one more patient. My feet are hurting, and I really want to go home to my cat. I want to sit on the couch beside him with my fluffy socks and a nice glass of wine to enjoy a quiet evening.
Releasing a deep sigh, I turn and come face-to-face with a blast from the past. Holy shit, it’s Grayer Xane Balls.
Balls. The corner of my mouth twitches. Boy, did I tease the man with his last name, and I wasn’t the only one.
Though, I was the only one he didn’t beat to a pulp for giving him shit.
I was also the only one who called him Grayer while everyone else uses Xane.
“Grayer, what are you doing here?” I wonder.
It’s then I notice the little bundle in his arms. A baby. He has a child? An unexpected stabbing pain hits me straight in the chest. He has a child, probably a wife along with it. Once upon a time, we made a pact to be one another’s first.
To get married and start a family. Childhood dreams. Until he started acting like an asshole, making us go head-to-head at every turn.
Though, we did share our first kiss and gave our virginity to one another.
Young love and all that until we had a wake-up call, one that sent him running.
Well, leaving town without a word. It took me years to get over him...
judging from my body’s reaction? I’m still not over him. Ugh. Asshole.
Flipping the switch from personal to professional, I tell him, “Oh, what’s wrong with your baby? Come on in.”
He rumbles something, but it gets lost when I’m already standing inside the clinic. I wait for him to enter and lock up behind us.
“Bring your son or daughter back here,” I murmur and walk toward the back.
“Not my kid, Z,” he grunts.
We’ve used to be on a first-letter basis, and I guess he thinks we still are. Wait. Did he say not his kid?
Hitting the lights, I ask, “Not your child?”
I turn to face him and feel my eyes go wide. “What did you do? Kill the parents and steal the damn child as a peace offering before coming here?”
Outside I didn’t notice the blood spatter on his biceps, shirt, and all over his damn face. Now, though? With the bright light in the exam room? Yeah, it’s clear he slaughtered someone before coming here.
Shit. I shouldn’t pull our own personal stuff into this. Me thinking I was pregnant a decade ago, which I wasn’t because my period was simply two days late, happened right before he left town without a word.
I’m very aware of the patches on his leather vest, and the president part stands out. Growing up in this town where his father’s motorcycle club practically runs everything, it’s obvious the blood is human.
His lips part and I hold up my hand to stop him. “Don’t say anything, I don’t want to know, nor do I want to get involved. Give me the child and leave. I’m guessing that’s why you came here, right?”
“Yeah. Let’s just say the parents are out of the picture.
I found the kid on the floor at his father’s house without a diaper.
By the look of the feces surrounding him, he was left there for a day or two.
I heard the mother dropped the baby off before she left town with another guy.
The kid deserves a clean cut if both parents don’t give a shit. ”
Dammit. Why does he have to spill these details?
I grab my phone and search for the number I need. “I’ll call social services, afterward I’ll give the baby a quick examination. You can leave once I’ve placed the call.”
“Anxious to get rid of me, Z?” His voice sounds husky and it makes my heart skip a damn beat.
Screw him and screw my damn body. Giving him my back, I quickly make the call. After a few minutes, I’m thankful to know the social worker is on her way, and she already knows of a temporary placement for the night.
I hold my arms out and Grayer carefully hands the baby over to me.
“Thank you,” I murmur and keep staring at the little child instead of meeting his gaze, much safer.
“I gave him a quick bath before I came here. Probably shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t stand seeing the kid in his own shit. His skin is so damn raw.”
“It’s okay.” My voice is gentle while I answer Grayer and soothe the baby at the same time.
I give the boy a quick exam to make sure he’s in good health. I ask Grayer, “Could you reach in that cabinet and get me a diaper? Also...wait. Come stand here and keep an eye on him.”
Grayer takes my place and I quickly move around the room to get the things I need. Knocking makes me aware the social worker is already here.
“Shit,” I grumble.
“I’ll get the door,” Grayer rumbles.
I’m rooted in place when I feel him step close behind me and his hand slides into my front pocket. So. Damn. Close. I swear my pussy clenches in anticipation, but he’s gone before my mind plays catch-up. I give a quick shake of my head to clear the fog of desire.
Something I definitely don’t need when it involves Grayer Xane Balls. Last time I saw him was the day he left town to join the Army. His father kept me up-to-date and it’s why I know he joined a motorcycle club in New Jersey after he was honorably discharged.
I know there’s a difference between movies and reality, but when you have a motorcycle club in your own town? You get an eyeful of how they live if you want to or not. And since Grayer is the president now? Yeah, it’s safe to say the man has women throwing themselves at him.
All while I needed freaking years to get over him and only recently went on a first date.
Which was a total disaster in my opinion, so I won’t be doing that again any time soon.
Besides, I’ve been career driven ever since Grayer left and that hasn’t changed since I made my dream to become a doctor into reality.
The clothes I put on the baby are too big, and if I have to guess? The little boy is about a week old. With one arm around the little bundle I move to where we keep some formula samples and go into the kitchen.
“Oh, Zora let me help you.” Margot, the social worker, comes to a stop next to me and places her bag on the counter to take the baby. “There, now you have two hands to make his formula.”
“And fill out the paperwork while you can feed him.” I give her a thankful smile.
Margot’s eyes slide to the doorway where Grayer is standing. “Nice to see you two back together.”
I groan inwardly. Small towns mean no freaking privacy. Margot is as old as my mother and lived on the same street as us.
“We’re not together, Margot.” I sigh. “He just happened to be here when I found the baby in front of the clinic.”
I have no clue why I’m covering for him, and it’s useless because Margot states, “You did good coming back to town, Xane. Your father was a great man, and what happened to him was awful.” She nods at the little boy in her arms. “I’m glad you stepped up to continue his work.”
It doesn’t matter if the man is splattered in blood and probably killed the little boy’s father. All people see in this small town is a man with a reputation. One who can get anything done by doing whatever the hell he wants, however he feels the need to get it done.
A promise here, a trade there, a marker to cash in, or simply taking control.
At least, that was the way his father ruled this town, and it seems Grayer stepped into this role without blinking twice.
Clearly, I don’t know the person Grayer turned into because we were both barely eighteen when he left.
Without so much as a goodbye, have a nice freaking life, I might add. Great, I was already tired and now I’m cranky as well.
“I’ll get the paperwork in order for you,” I mutter and step forward.
The annoying man is blocking the doorway, preventing me from leaving the room.
I narrow my eyes. “Do you mind?”
A sexy smirk tugs at his lips and his voice is husky when he says, “Not at all, Z.”
He slightly turns to give me some space. Some. Meaning half my ass can barely squeeze through it. Ugh.
“I’m not the size of the stick figures you fuck that hang around your clubhouse, Grayer. Now fucking move,” I grit, barely keeping my voice low enough so it only reaches his ears.
“The fuck you just say?” Grayer snarls.
He flashes his arm out and before I know what’s happening, he has me by the wrist and is tugging me along while throwing over his shoulder, “Give us a minute, Margot.”
I try to rip my arm free and am finally able to do so when he pulls me into the office and closes the door behind him.
“What the hell?” he snaps.
“That’s my line, asshole,” I grumble and stalk to the file cabinet where the documents are I need to grab.
“Stick figures? Really?” he huffs.
I take the papers I have to fill out and grab a pen from the desk.
“Not my business, Grayer,” I state, and lift my gaze to connect with his.
“I shouldn’t have said it, but I’m tired and cranky and you clearly think my waist is still the size it was when I was a teenager.
Clearly, things change. Now, can you go back to Margot?
Or leave since your job of dropping him off is done? Thanks.”
I focus back on the papers in front of me and release a deep sigh. After a few minutes I gather everything I need and notice Grayer is still in the room with me. Ignoring him, I stalk out of the room and head for Margot.
“Here you go.” I put the documents in her bag.
“Thanks, Zora. I will update you as soon as I’ve dropped him off,” Margot tells me.
I give her a nod. “Appreciate it.” Glancing down at my watch I notice two hours have passed. “Alex is going to be pissed I’m late.”
“Who the fuck is Alex?” Grayer grits.
Margot giggles. “Her cat,” she tells the annoying man before turning her attention back at me. “Alex licks his own balls, I’m pretty sure he couldn’t care less if you’re home a little later than usual.”
I ignore both as I lock up the clinic. Time to get home and put this awkward encounter in the past. Exactly where Grayer should have stayed.