Page 70 of Steal

She sighs but doesn’t argue as she climbs on in front of me. I wrap my arms around her and whisper, “Okay, Trouble, just like when you were in college, turn the key….”

Half an hour later, Western lets us in, and Cass pulls up near the clubhouse door. Careful not to jolt my leg, I put the stand down and carefully climb off the bike, then hold my hand for a trembling Cass.

“You did good, Trouble,” I say as she clings to me as she climbs off the bike. When she straightens, she glares my way, and I grin innocently, asking, “What?”

“You know exactly what! This is exactly what you did eight years ago.” She mimics my voice, "Oh, don’t worry, Trouble. I won’t make you go fast. I promise I’ll stay away from the throttle and let you lead!”

Pitbull and Cannon laugh while Piston stands near the door, biting his knuckles to hold his in, when she glares at the brothers.

Chuckling, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and kiss her head before whispering, “Stopped you from panicking over me and our daughter, though, didn’t it?”

She looks at me, and her eyes tear up again. She nods before grabbing my cut and placing her forehead against my chin for a beat. Then, she grabs my hand and helps me walk to the door.

Piston kisses Cassy’s head, and then opens the door for us. Instantly, she gets emotional at seeing Moira still asleep in Acid's arms while Perrie glares at him.

“Give me my niece!” Perrie snaps, but Acid shakes his head and states, “Nope, you’ve had months with her when you decided not to tell me she even existed, and besides, you're pregnant and shouldn’t carry her.”

Perrie glares at him but soon softens when Cass sniffles and whispers, “Acid….”

He turns, and his eyes soften as he walks over to us. Anchor takes me from Cass before she grabs our daughter, whose head lolls on her shoulder. Cass sobs.

“She’s alright, Cass. Medic has done a full workup on her,” Acid whispers, but she pushes her face into our daughter’s hair.

“Acid, guide them over to Perrie for me, brother,” I request, and he nods and stands next to her but pauses when I kiss Cassidy’s head. The whole room gasps when I rasp, “I’m going to finish this shit with Faith, then I’m going to grovel, and we’re going to find a house we’ll share, as a family, after I hand in my patch.”

Cassidy looks at me, her lips parted. I guess she didn’t think I meant what I said to her.

I smile at her and use her shocked state to gently kiss her lips, aware of the cut on her bottom lip. Then, I kiss my little girl's head, and nod to Acid, whose mouth is hanging open.

“Council brothers, outhouse now!” I boom, shocking them into action as Anchor grips my shoulder and whispers, “If you think I’m allowing you to leave this club, your legacy, then you’re fucking crazy.”

I look at him and reply, “My woman and kid come first, Travis, and the club has done nothing but tear us apart.”

That said, I get out of his grip and limp toward the back door, trying to ignore the pain shooting through my leg.

I’ll never put Cassidy last again.

28

Cassidy

“Please tell me he did not just say he’s handing in his fucking patch!” Bulldozer snaps as the brothers stare at the door to the yard where the council brothers went.

“Come on, Cassy,” Acid whispers, and I nod, keeping hold of my daughter tightly as I allow him to guide me down the steps and over to my tearful sister.

When close, she wraps her arms around Moira and me, and my tears fall as I put my face back into my daughter’s neck as my sister guides us to a chair.

“My woman and kid come first….”

Colt’s words echo as I sit with my daughter in my lap.

“He didn’t mean it, right?” someone says loudly, and another states, “Surely, he didn’t fucking mean it? He’s our brother, our family. He’s the reason why the club has grown….”

I swallow hard and try to wipe the tears off my cheeks with my arm before I place two fingers against my daughter’s pulse, counting it.

“He meant it,” a prospect says from behind the bar, and I look up to see him looking my way. There’s no resentment or anger, just sadness for me, for Colt. He continues, “His daughter was taken by a woman who wanted him and did everything she could to have him, including helping a man assault his girl.” He looks around the room. “He means it.”

When every brother looks my way, a lump forms in my throat.

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