Page 19 of Claimed By the Biker Brothers

Have you seen him anywhere? I text Knox.

Not yet. The other MC members did spot him around town, but they haven’t been able to tail him anywhere. He’s a slippery SOB.

“Figures,” I mutter mostly to myself. Calvin has always been a slippery prick.

“Okay, the pies are still quite fresh,” Pilar says as she returns with a loaded tray for us. “Two pecans, two cinnamon shakes, and I threw in a basket of bacon and cheddar fries for you ladies to nibble on.”

She sets everything on the table, while Kyra’s eyes light up at the sight of the pie. It’s as if she’s gazing upon the Holy Grail itself.

“Thank you, Pilar, you’re way too kind as always,” I tell our good friend.

“Don’t mention it, querida. It’s never a bother, not with you,” she replies and gives me a subtly worried look as she lowers her voice. Simultaneously, Kyra gets a hold of her fork and gets to work on her pie. “Have you seen him yet?” she asks, keeping her voice low.

“No,” I say. “I hope I never see him again.”

“You still have my home number, right?” she asks.

“I have your cell number too,” I say with a smile. “Nobody calls a landline these days, Pilar.”

“Well, you call me if you need me, okay?”

I give her a nod. “I will. I promise.”

“Alright, then, I’ll leave you ladies to enjoy your meal,” Pilar says and heads back to the counter as new customers come into the diner.

“Thank you, Pili!”

For a moment, I’m frozen on the spot and glued to my seat. One of the men who just walked in looks a bit too much like Calvin. It’s not him, but the resemblance alone is enough to fill me with dread as I take a deep breath and muster the strength to pretend there’s nothing wrong.

“Mommy, you look worried,” Kyra declares as she prepares to take a bite of her pie.

“I do?” I ask her, fingers already on my touchscreen keyboard. I ask Knox to join us, if only so I can feel him closer; so I can feel safer.

“Is Daddy coming back?”

My stomach drops. “Whoa. Where’s that question coming from, honey?”

“I heard two of the teachers talking.”

“Where?”

“In the hall when I was coming back from the bathroom,” she says. “I heard Miss Smith tell Mrs. Lister that my dad was back, and they were worried about me.”

It’s not a conversation I wanted to have anytime soon, but I guess I can’t avoid it. Just as Knox comes in, I give Kyra a soft, tender smile. “Honey, it’s true. Your dad is back in town, but I haven’t seen him at all.”

Knox reaches our table, pausing to look at us—particularly at Kyra.

“You said Daddy’s a bad man,” she says, then notices Knox. “Uncle Knox!”

“Hello, princess,” he chuckles and takes a seat next to me. “That pie looks fantastic.”

“It’s so good!” she says, nodding at her plate. “Do you want some?”

“Here, you can have all of it,” I say and I give him mine. “I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“What’s up?” Knox asks, noticing my muted discomfort.

“Daddy’s back and my teachers are worried,” Kyra answers for me.

---