Page 57 of Steal

I scoff, “Oh, so it’s my fault you treated me like shit for four years? Nice, Colt!”

He winces. “That is not what I meant, and you know it…. I was taking over from my dad, and some brothers, the ones Bull and Brute enlisted, didn’t want me to take over, and despite it being my father’s club, my family’s club, they were trying to use anything against me to take over. If I didn’t attend to Faith, my position was called into question, and it’s no excuse; I should have put you first from day one, and I didn’t, but I did what I had to over the years in order to keep the club my father’s legacy, my grandfather’s.”

I shake my head as tears build. I know what the club means to him, his family, but it didn’t take much to give a little back to me, and he never did.

I whisper, “It doesn’t matter….”

“It does,” he snaps, gripping my cheek harder. “It matters because I lost you, it matters because you got hurt…. It matters because you thought Faith came before you when she didn’t; she never did….”

I shake my head. She did come first whether he wants to believe it or not.

I sniffle as a few tears fall and admit, “It doesn’t matter because you and I are done. There is no coming back from the hurt and the pain. I’ve moved on with my life, and now so should you….”

His nostrils flare, but before he can say anything, I hear a cry, and I pull out of his grip and quickly rush into the room knowing she’ll be scared waking in a new place.

When she notices me, her tears stop, and her smile brightens as she scrambles out of bed.

“Hey, sweetie,” I whisper, picking her up and holding her close.

“Mommy…” she murmurs, and I smile until she whispers, “Daddy….” And my heart breaks.

Every day, I’ve spoken about Steal to her and shown her pictures, and at this moment, I don’t know whether to be happy or sad that they’re meeting.

Slowly, I turn and see him standing in the doorway, now wearing a pair of jeans, his chest still bare, his eyes on me and his daughter.

Damn, things would be easier if he didn’t look like that….

I tilt my head at him, ignoring the way my body wants to pull toward him and ask, “You just going to stand there or are you going to come meet your daughter?”

His throat bobs before he slowly walks over to us. When near, Moira lifts her hands to him, and he eagerly takes her from my arms. His eyes shine when she wraps her little arms around his neck and places a kiss on his stubbled cheeks. He looks at me and states, “I’m not giving up. If you want me to hand in my patch, I will, but I won’t give you or her up.”

I swallow hard, about to argue, but instead, he shocks me and states, “I know you are working nights this week. Killian will escort you to work from now on, and our daughter will be here with me. She’s no longer going to that daycare, and if you want to see her during your day shifts, then I’ll bring her in for your lunch breaks, but I’m not letting you leave me, not again….”

My mouth drops open in shock as he turns and walks out of the room, whispering, “All right, my little red, would you like some pancakes with strawberries?”

I hear Moira’s squeal of delight, and all I can do is stand here, shocked, with anger making its way deep inside.

He hurt me, he broke me, and yet he thinks what he says goes.

I narrow my eyes, and vengeful plans come to mind.

“You want us here, Colt Brody, then fine, you got us…” I mumble to myself before I storm into his room and grin.

I’m about to make his life a living hell for the years he forgot I existed unless he wanted to get his dick wet. Soon, he’ll be begging me to leave….

23

Steal – One Week Later

“So far, revenue is up by 23% this month. The Huntsmen Grub is bringing in most of it, and Huntsmen Arts is close second,” Piston says as he looks through the papers before him.

“What about The Huntsmen and the Huntsmen Angels?” Anchor questions and I wince as Piston sighs.

Crap, I knew there was something I was forgetting….

“They’re still profiting but haven’t gone up like the diner and tattoo shop. Some customers at the bar are complaining about Katie. She’s more interested in getting wasted than serving them. She expects them to buy her drinks, which is something we need to nip in the bud as soon as possible, and the strip club, I don’t know what’s happened there; we’re missing four days’ worth of income,” he answers, and every brother’s eye comes to me.

Damn, Cassidy is lucky I love her….

---