Page 61 of Steal

I catch her as she jumps, and hold her close as she squeezes my neck, before I catch a glimpse of Cassidy’s tearful eyes watching us.

Yeah, I’m not losing this….

24

Cassidy

I give Mr. Anders a small smile as I hand him his prescription and discharge papers, before heading to the nurse’s station, trying to stay focused on my day.

It’s been two days since Steal kissed me, two days with my mind in a fog. He seems so sincere, but the past still haunts me.

How can I push forward with him like he wants if I know I’ll bring up his misdeeds during arguments? And let’s not forget the asshole kidnapped me and our daughter, then had prospects pack up my apartment and hand in the keys.

The soil I put in his coffee maker this morning doesn’t make up for the fact he’s churned up my life. Maybe I need to mix some laxatives into his morning shakes, though somehow, I doubt that will make him hate me. The man’s been taking everything I’ve thrown at him, including the lizards in his office three days ago.

How I got in and out undetected I’ll never know, especially when I refuse to go to the clubhouse.

“Are you okay, Cass?” Sandra, the head nurse, asks as I place the clipboard on the tray.

I smile at her and lie, “I’m good, just tired.”

She hums. “Not long now until you take your boards.”

I wince and grumble, “Thanks for the reminder.”

She laughs, her gray hair falling over her eyes, which wrinkle at the corners. The woman is a saint, I tell you. It doesn’t matter if a patient is screaming and shouting at her or crying, she always stays calm.

Sticking my tongue out at her, I walk away from her laughter, and head to the waiting room.

“Who is next?” I ask to the room full of awaiting patients.

A guy with a cut eyebrow, looking me up and down while licking his lips, stands but freezes halfway when a voice snaps, “Look at my woman like that again, and I’ll gut you!”

I look to my left and raise a brow at Steal, who is busy glaring at the guy who now looks ready to piss himself. I notice a certain little redhead missing.

“Colt Brody,” I state, and he looks my way, his eyes softening when our gazes meet, “where is our daughter?”

The guy who licked his lips sighs and looks down, making me snort as Steal walks over to me. He cups my cheek and presses a light kiss to my lips, making my traitorous body tingle, and yes, I lean into him like the idiot I am.

He whispers, “With Killian, at home.”

I nod and leave his orbit and the waiting room, needing a little space, because I can feel myself weakening toward him despite my concerns.

“You do know the brothers aren’t very happy that they don’t get to meet Moira, let alone watch her,” he says as I walk to the staff room, him hot on my heels.

I didn’t realize it was already my break time, but I’m guessing Sandra was in on Steal being in the waiting room, especially by the grin she’s currently sending me.

“Traitor,” I mumble as I walk past, making her laugh. "I don’t trust them, Colt. Killian has wormed his way in, proving he'll die before anything happens to her, but the brothers, not so much,” I remind him as we walk into the room and to my locker. He sighs as I grab my bag and dig for my phone.

“I know, but what can they do to earn that trust back, Cassy? Because I’m telling you now, if you can’t trust them?—”

I cut him off, “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll be banished from the clubhouse, blah, blah, blah.”

I grin at the thought but ignore the pang in my heart.

Steal snorts. “No, you won’t be; I’ll be handing in my patch, Trouble.” I look at him in shock, and he shrugs. “I told you, I fucked up, I know this. At the very least, over the years, I should have explained things better, and then you would have taken my cut sooner, but I didn’t, and this is my penance.”

“Colt,” I start, unwilling for him to hand in his dad’s legacy over me when I don’t know if I can forgive him, but he cuts me off and demands, “Do you love me?”

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