Page 66 of Steal

I gently bounce my knee, holding my phone tightly as I stare off into space while my sister grips my free hand beside me, the brothers all looking at me with concern.

My phone has been blowing up, and I know it’s Tanner wondering what is going on, but I can’t face reality just yet because I know, for a fact, I will break. Ironically, my body is gravitating toward church, to Colt….

He’s still the one I need in time of uncertainty, and what happened in his office is proof of that. He’s my everything and that hurts to realize.

“They’ll find her, Cassy,” Perrie whispers, but I don’t answer.

I haven’t been able to think since I received the message. As soon as we came to the clubhouse, Killian needed my skills, though Medic is now watching him, and then Colt broke.

In all the years I’ve known him, I have never seen him break, and it was heartbreaking.

I meant what I said to him; it’s not his fault. He couldn’t have known the bitch would take our daughter, that she’d turn crazy like this.

My phone rings again, and I look at the screen to see it’s Tanner again. I sigh as Perrie says, “He won’t give up; just answer it.”

I do as she says, but before I can speak, he states, “Well, she finally graces me with her attention!” I wince. “I find out from Sandra that you rushed off in the middle of your shift for some emergency with Moira, and what, you decide not to fill me in. I’m your?—”

I cut him off, “Moira was kidnapped by Colt’s ex-fuck buddy!”

Nothing but silence meets my outburst, and I know he’s processing.

“Shit,” he chokes out after a few minutes, and I grimace, feeling guilty for not at least messaging him when he’s been there since the day Moira was born.

“I, uh, I need to go, but I promise I’ll keep you updated,” I whisper.

“Love you, sweetheart,” he says back after a beat, and I smile a little, and reply, “Love you too, Tan.”

I hang up and sniffle before looking up to see every brother looking at me with narrowed eyes, and I raise a brow at them despite the tears falling.

“Does my prez know you're telling another man you love him when he’s doing everything possible to win you back?” Art asks with a bit of heat behind his words.

“By taking me against my will?” I retort.

He narrows his eyes while Bowler, an older generation brother and father to Anchor, chimes in, “No, by showing you he needs you,” and I look at him. His dark brown eyes soften, seeing I’m close to breaking as he says, “That man has loved you since the moment you met. Has he made some bad decisions in the name of the club? Yes, he has, but he got cocky and thought you’d always be there for him while he was trying to prove himself to the club, to his dad. He doesn’t deserve to know you're professing your love to another man, especially not while he’s trying to find your daughter.”

I sigh and sit back as I look at all the brothers watching me with disappointment—what jackasses.

“Seriously, you all think I’m the type of woman who would declare her love for another man while my daughter is missing, after I screwed your president in his office?” I state firmly, and Perrie, spits out the water she was just drinking.

“Okay, that just makes it worse,” Bulldozer adds with disappointment.

I sigh and admit, “Tanner is gay,” and every brother's eyes widen in shock, but Canine laughs and says, “You’re punishing him.”

I lean back and just shrug, not confirming, and the brothers all nod with pride, like they weren’t ready to scream and shout at me despite my daughter having been kidnapped by a woman they all believed over me.

My body tenses and my sister whispers, “Your mind just went there, didn’t it?”

I nod, and Canine’s smile disappears. “We were just looking out for Steal, sweetheart.”

Slowly, I stand and nod, “Just like you were all looking out for the crazy bitch four years ago when she ensured I was assaulted, and I got a gun held to my head, right?” They wince, and I shake my head. “You know what? I’m done. I was pushed aside for years because of this club and that woman. Then I spent another four years raising my daughter alone, all because of this club and that woman.” I look at each man. “If I tell another man I love him, whether he is gay or not, has fuck all to do with any of you, because I never asked for this. I didn’t ask for Steal to bring me here and hold me against my will, I didn’t ask to be involved with the club, and yet here I am, saving one of you while trying to put aside the fact that bitch could kill my daughter!”

“Cassy,” Perrie whispers, but I shake my head and walk toward the bathroom. Some clubwhores look at me sorrowfully, while others glare at the brothers, but I ignore them, even though they’re on my side.

Surely the brothers know they’ve fucked up if the clubwhores are pissed at them.

“Cassidy!” Bulldozer shouts, but again, I ignore him and walk into the bathroom just as my phone goes off.

I sigh and take a look but swallow hard.

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