Page 54 of Devil's Queen

“I’m sorry, Beaux,” I whisper, tears welling in my eyes. “I never wanted things to turn out this way. But please understand that everything I’ve done, I’ve done out of love for you.”

Beaux looks up at me with tears shimmering in his eyes, his voice small and vulnerable. “Will he ever want to meet me?”

I reach across the table and take his hands in mine, offering what little comfort I can provide. “I don’t know the answer to that, but if that’s what you want, I can ask him.”

Beaux’s eyes light up with hope, his small fingers clutching mine tightly. “Please, Mom. I want to meet him. I want to know who my dad is.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, the weight of my decisions heavy upon me. “I’ll see what I can do.” A mixture of excitement and apprehension dances across Beaux’s face as he envisions the possibility of meeting his father for the first time. My heart breaks to see him yearn for something I couldn’t give him all these years. “I need you to understand that if your father agrees to meet you, it doesn’t mean everything will change overnight. Relationships take time to build.”

Beaux nods solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation. “I know, Mom. But I still want to try.”

“You aren’t mad that I didn’t tell you?” I ask.

Beaux shakes his head, his eyes filled with understanding and forgiveness. “I’m not mad, Mom. I know you did what you thought was best for me.”

His words wash over me like a balm, easing some of the guilt that has weighed me down for so long. I can’t help but feel a surge of pride for the resilient young boy sitting across from me.

“Thank you for being so understanding and forgiving. It means the world to me.”

A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “You’re my mom,” he says simply. “No matter what, I’ll always love you.”

Tears spill freely down my cheeks as I reach across the table and pull him into a tight embrace. In that moment, I am reminded of the immense strength and love that exists between us. We may not have all the answers or an easy path ahead, but we have each other.

As we hold onto each other, I make a silent promise to Beaux and myself to do whatever it takes to create a future where he feels loved, supported, and whole. Together, we will navigate this new chapter in our lives, one step at a time.

And perhaps, just perhaps, in the process of reconciling with the past, we will find a glimmer of hope for our future—a future where Beaux can meet his father and his half-sister and discover a connection that has been missing for far too long.

REMY

After droppingBeaux off at school, I make my way to the shop. The motorcycle lot is already packed with bikes when I arrive.

With one tough choice behind me, it’s time to face the next one. I haven’t informed the club about Diaz’s ultimatum yet. I park my motorcycle between Tinley’s sleek black Harley and Cheyenne’s weathered vintage Triumph, feeling a mix of anticipation and trepidation.

I walk toward the shop’s entrance, my boots crunching on the gravel path. I’m greeted by the smell of fresh coffee brewing in the corner once I make it inside—an improvement on the gasoline and engine oil smell that normally smacks me in the face when I enter the shop.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Harlow calls from the other side of the room. “We were about to start without you.”

I stalk toward my club sisters as they shuffle into our meeting room. Tinley leans against the open doorway, arms crossed against her chest.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, why?” I remark.

“One, you’re never late, and two, because I have eyeballs. What’s going on?”

“Besides the obvious?” I sigh. “Rex found out about Beaux last night.”

“Oh fuck,” she swears.

“Exactly,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “Went about as well as you could expect. I told Beaux this morning.”

Tinley’s brows furrow, concern etching her features. “How’d he take the news?”

“Better than his father. He wants to meet Rex, officially.”

“You going to let that happen?”

“I promised him I’d try.” I shrug before I usher Tinley inside as I follow her.

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