Page 2 of Faking it with the Bad Boy Bikers

“Waylan…” I laughed and then pulled her into my side for a tight hug. “I love you, kid. You know that?”

She reached up and tapped my nose. “I love you, too. Can we go now? I want ice cream.”

“Stay in the car for me, okay? I just want to make sure our family is here before we both go.” I saw her start to argue and raised my eyebrows. “Stay put, Way. I’ll be back to get you in no time. The car’s on and you can listen to whatever you want while I’m gone. Just no country western. You know how Papa Jack gets.”

She huffed but nodded. “Okay.”

I ruffled her ringlets and took a deep breath. I had to step out of the car. I could tell people were starting to glance over and if I didn’t get out soon, they were going to be even more curious about the weirdo not leaving their car. I nodded to myself, giving myself a quick pep talk, and then opened the door. Stepping out, I looked up and locked eyes with Vera. Longing was a sharp and fast pain in my chest which froze me in place. She was only a year older than me. We were more like twins than big sister, little sister and seeing her brought back everything.

“Papa Jack!” A streak of black caught my attention, followed by a bigger streak of red ringlets. “Get back here, you old fart!”

CHAPTER 2

Woodrow

I was attempting to extract myself from a conversation about how many people I’d shot when a scream jerked me out of my discomfort and shoved me into work mode. I reached for my gun before remembering I’d left it at home since I was attending a fucking baby shower. As soon as I heard more of the scream, though, my shoulders relaxed and I couldn’t help walking towards the sound.

“You’re a pain in the you-know-what, Papa Jack! Get back here! You’re supposed to be in the car, and I was going to make you listen to country western music since you farted on me!” A feisty little redhead chased a giant black cat past me, her eyes narrowed in concentration and rage. “I’m going to cut all your hair off when you’re asleep tonight!”

“Waylan!” I glanced over my shoulder and nearly bit my tongue in half at the woman running past me. Same copper ringlets as the kid, same narrow-eyed concentration, the woman was definitely the kid’s mother. She also happened to be running with a very inefficient bra and I got an eyeful of the best rack I’d ever seen bouncing past me.

“No! Papa Jack!” I tore my eyes away from the mom in time to see the cat spot Bobby, Dean’s pajama-wearing dog. I stepped forward, fully expecting Bobby to charge at the cat and possibly eat it, but Bobby let out a frantic scream and took off running. The cat gave chase and the kid continued her chase, still screaming. “You’re a bully, Papa Jack! I’m going to tell Mom to put those nails on you again. In pink glitter!”

Bobby did a fancy spin move and ran as fast as he could, toward me. I could see Dean joining the chase, calling after Bobby, and when I glanced around, it didn’t look like anyone else was going to step in, so I sacrificed life and limb by waiting until the last minute to scoop the giant cat into my arms. Hewas even heavier than he looked and I only managed to keep my balance by catching the girl in my other arm when she got closer and started to fall.

“Thanks, mister! Papa Jack hates dogs. He beat up a Great Dane once and now we’re not allowed back at Petco.” The kid wasn’t fazed in the slightest at dangling in my arms like her cat. She grinned up at me. “Want to know a secret? He’s a bully but he’s secretly terrified of pickles. Not cucumbers, either. Just pickles. I’m going to get Mom to buy a jar and then I’m going to sneak one in his bed while he’s sleeping.”

“Waylan Danielle Hellstone.” The mom was red and out of breath when she got to us but it did nothing to take away from the overall effect she was having on me and probably every other red-blooded man at the party. Her chest was still heaving and when she bent over to rest her hands on her knees, I got a clear view down the top of her loose t-shirt.

The kid tapped my nose and wagged her finger in my face. I’d just been busted by a child for ogling her mother and I would’ve felt bad if the mother wasn’t such a walking temptation.

When she stood up again, the mom wiped her forehead and forced a smile. Her bright blue eyes barely took me in as she scanned her kid. “Are you okay, baby?”

I wasn’t okay. She wasn’t talking to me but I still wanted to answer to make her look at me. I wanted that husky voice turned on me, calling me baby.

“What the hell is going on here?” Mills Hellstone came stomping down the front steps of his house, his eyes narrowed on the back of my new favorite mom’s head. It took me that long to realize the entire party had gone silent and was just watching the woman in front of me.

I watched her wince before turning around to face Mills. I watched as his face dropped in shock. My blood boiled with a bizarre sense of possessiveness over the temptress slowlyinching her way closer to Mills. Was she a long-lost girlfriend? If she was, I was going to have to murder Mills to make room for myself.

“Nellie.” West and Tate joined Mills and they both looked as stunned as their brother. West’s voice was quiet but it carried across the silent party. “You’re here.”

“Why are you here?” Mills wasn’t quiet. He was loud and angry. His eyes narrowed on the woman as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you want?”

I stepped forward without thought.

“It was time to come home. Are Mom and Dad here?” Her voice was strong as she spoke, but I could see her nerves in the way her hands were clenched behind her back, gripping and releasing over and over.

Mills let out a bark of laughter. “Are you serious? They’ve been dead for a long time now. You would’ve known that if you hadn’t run off or if you’d ever bothered calling.”

The pained gasp which escaped her carried across the entire party. The sudden curving of her shoulders and the way her head bowed made me want to drag her away from Mills and maybe go back to knock some sense into the man. Why the fuck was he being cruel to the woman I was guessing was his sister?

I realized the kid in my arm was struggling to get down and hesitated to let her go. I wasn’t sure her mom was in a good space to chase after her again. When the little fighter sank her teeth into my arm, I had no choice, though. I swore and looked down at the deep bite mark she’d left, wondering where the kid had been raised, if not in the fucking wild.

I’d been expecting the kid to run away, chasing Bobby again or whatever else kids did, but she ran straight for her mom. She put herself squarely in front of her and then pulled her leg back and kicked Mills in the shin with enough power to have him hobbling backwards.

“Don’t yell at my mom!”

The mom, Nellie, I’m guessing was her name, wrapped her arm around her and tugged her behind her. “Waylan. I’m okay, baby.”

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