Page 30 of Biker's Hostage

“I hear you,” I replied, holding my hands up. “I hear you...”

“I don’t know what my daughter sees in you, but she sees something,” he explained, terse. “And damn, I know that if someone had seen something in me when she was born... I might have believed in myself a little more.”

He was clearly not used to talking this openly with anyone, let alone someone like me, but from what he was saying, it sounded a lot like... a lot like he wanted me to...

“Why are you telling me all of this?” I demanded. I needed to know the truth. I couldn't deal with all this back and forth. If he wanted me alive, he had to say it. Once and for all.

He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head, as though he could hardly believe he was going to say it.

“I’m going to let you out of here. And you’re going to go to my daughter. And you’re going to take care of her and that baby. You hear me? You do anything to fuck it up—”

“I won’t,” I assured him quickly. And I wasn’t just saying it because I knew that it would save my life. No, I meant it. From deep down inside me, I meant it. I wanted to be there for her and our child in any way they needed me—and the shock of realizing that was almost more than I could wrap my head around.

“Good,” he muttered, and he jerked his head toward the door. “Come on. Get out of here. Before I change my mind.”

I clawed to my feet, the wound in my thigh aching, and rushed to the door, and he barred it with his arm just before I stepped outside.

“I mean it,” he growled, raising his eyebrows pointedly. “You hurt her, you give me any reason to second-guess this...”

“I’m not going to. I mean it. I want to be with her. And I want... I want to be there for our child, too.”

With one more hard look, he pulled his arm away, and jerked his head toward the door.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

Chapter Twenty-One – Chelsea

“Oh my God, Zane!” I gasped as the door opened and I saw who was standing on the other side. Relief flooded through me as I leapt to my feet and rushed toward him, wrapping my arms around him tight. I breathed in his scent, trying to confirm to myself that, yes, he was really here—this was really happening. I couldn’t believe it.

I glanced around, searching for my father, who had to be the reason that Zane was standing in front of me right now, but there was no sign of him. My heart dropped.

“My dad...?” I asked, voice cracking slightly. If Zane had done something to him...

“He’s fine,” Zane promised me. “He’s the one who let me go.”

“He let you go?”

No, there had to be something wrong here. The way my dad had reacted when he heard about the pregnancy, I thought he was going to kill Zane. But, instead, he was standing right in front of me, gazing at me like he couldn’t believe it either.

“Looks like he’s giving me one chance,” he explained, shaking his head. “I know. I can’t believe it either...”

“One chance?”

“One chance to prove myself to you,” he replied, a smile crossing his face as he reached out to cup my cheek. “And the baby.”

“Holy shit,” I murmured, shaking my head. “I... I can’t believe it...”

“Me neither,” he admitted. “But I’m not going to question it. Not if it means I get to be with you.”

I leaned my forehead against his, closing my eyes for a moment, letting the reality of this situation settle in around me. He was here, with me. My father hadn’t just let him live. He had brought him to me. He had given him the chance I had pleaded with him for, and now... now all we had to do was prove that he deserved it.

“Thank you,” he whispered to me, and I opened my eyes again, frowning at him.

“For what?” I asked, shaking my head.

“For believing in me. I know I didn’t give you good reason to. I’ve been a fucking asshole, and—”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that,” I murmured. I hated hearing him put himself down.

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