Page 3 of Derick

Reality slammed back into me as the gorgeous, little girl giggled and threw herself at me, yelling, “Mine.” I caught her, shocked as she hugged herself to me, and still giggling, repeated, “Mine.”

“That’s my line, little princess,” I whispered, as I hugged my woman’s daughter to me.

Ruby

Hope wouldn’t goto the daycare at the gym. She threw the biggest tantrum to end all tantrums, and in the end, to keep the peace, I’d taken her out and thought I could watch the self-defense class until she settled. Hope didn’t want to go into the class and voiced her protest loudly, drawing everyone’s attention, including the one man that I wanted to avoid at all costs.

I knew he was a Silverman, and not just any Silverman, but the brother of the one my father’s biker gang had kidnapped andalmost killed. He was also the most handsome man I’d ever set eyes on. He was well over six feet tall and had blond hair and the warmest brown eyes I’d ever gazed into. I lost myself in the soothing chocolate heat of them for a moment before his touch sent a fire through my body that I’d never felt before. It felt good. Touch from men—well, any other than my brother—was something I avoided at all costs.

Aside from my brother, I couldn’t remember the last time a man had been nice to me. Toby was the only man I ever permitted to touch me. He was safe. I knew he’d never hurt me. He was my protector. He was Hope’s only male role model, and he was her number one protector. I knew if anything ever happened to me, he would take Hope and treat her like she was his own—no, better than his own. Hope didn’t like men either, but that was my fault, she saw how they’d treated me and the women around us, and none other than my brother had ever been nice. So, I was shocked when Hope threw herself at the Silverman and claimed him as hers loud enough for everyone to hear.

His reply of, “That’s my line, little princess” shocked me even more, especially when Hope let the Silverman hug her.

I stumbled over, cautious of the gorgeous Silverman. I racked my brain for his name. I knew his older brother, the Silverman my father had captured, was Dustan and his brothers were Stephan and Derick. Twins, but not identical. This man was either Stephan or Derick. I hadn’t taken enough notice of them before to know which one he was as I never thought in a million years I would ever be in the same room as them. I knew they hated my father’s club, The Devil’s Queens, and even though I despised my father and his group of arseholes, I didn’t think they’d like me if they knew I was the daughter of the president.

“Hope, baby girl…I... let go of the man.” I didn’t want to giveaway that I knew who he was. I didn’t want him to know whoI was either. I didn’t think he would be giving me soft, warm eyes and being so nice to my daughter if he knew who I was. After all, it was my father who gave the order to kidnap his brother.

“No, Mummy. He’ed mine.” My daughter’s big dandelion eyes gazed at me, and my heart melted.

Derick, or Stephan, whoever he was, chuckled, and it was a deep, soothing sound. I liked it. I could listen to the sound every day if I was given a choice.

“Hope. That’s a pretty name.” His index finger bopped her on the nose, and Hope made my favorite sound in the world, she giggled. “I’ll be yours, princess, if you’ll share with me your beautiful mummy?”

“Mummy, he’d calls yous beaut…iful.” Hope beamed at me, and for the millionth time since she was born, I knew I did the right thing keeping her. She was the best thing in my world. I felt my cheeks heat and gazed around the room as it sunk in that we had an audience.

Clearing my suddenly dry throat, I mumbled out, “Th…thanks. Um, c…can you please, er, well…pp…put my daughter d…down?”

“No. No. No,” Hope protested. “Isza liked him, Mummy. He’s mine. Ours.”

Groaning at my stubborn daughter’s words, I took another step closer only to stop when he followed my lead and closed the distance between us. He moved Hope so he clutched her with one arm and held out his other. “Derick. Derick Silverman. I know this little one is Hope, and you are?” He raised one blond brow.

For a moment I forgot my name. Not that I would tell him my full name, but I stared at the hand he held out while the other clutched my baby and I considered telling him a fake name, or snatching Hope and running, but I ignored his hand, took a step back, and whispered, “R...RR…Ruby.”

The smile that came over his face had him going from gorgeous to ‘way too good-looking to even be real’. He had perfect, white teeth, full lips, and long lashes any woman would kill for. He was dangerous to me, because he was a man to dream of, and I’d sworn off all men. I knew that Silverman men were good men too, and from what I’d heard and seen plastered over the internet and magazines, they treated their women like rare gems. I highly doubted he would be so eager to hold my daughter and learn my name if he knew who I really was.

“Ruby…” He raised his brow, and I knew he was waiting for my last name, but I wouldn’t give it to him.

Shaking my head, I held my arms out for my daughter to come to me, but the little terror clung to Derick and buried her head against him, turning away from me. “Hope. C…cc..come to Mummy.” She shook her head against Derick’s chest, and the rumble of his chuckle had her giggling again.

I was glad he thought this was funny, because he now had a permanent friend in Hope and a monkey that would cling to him better than glue.

A deafening whistle had our standoff stopping, and we both looked to the other end where a huge man, who looked like he ate steroids for breakfast, stood with two others a little smaller. “Show’s over, ladies. It’s time to start the class.” He clapped his big hands. “Derick, how about you and your new friend be the checkers? Your new friend might even help you show technique.”

Hope giggled like the big man was telling the funniest joke. She knew he was talking about her, and she loved the attention. I couldn’t remember the last time my daughter had giggled.

Giving up on getting Hope back, I went to the back of the group to watch the class but kept the corner of my gaze always on Derick and Hope. Derick must have known I was wary, as he didn’t move out of my line of sight. The big man introducedhimself again as Darren for the people that had been focused on what had happened between the Silverman, Hope, and I.

Listening to Darren, my guard came down and I relaxed as the class started participating around me.

Derick

I rememberedwhat my cousin had told me about these women, and I wondered what had happened to my skittish soulmate. I’d make sure our family security could get everything on her. I needed a last name, and I was sure I could get one, if not from her then from the records from the gym. The only problem I could come up against would be if she were one of the women from the shelters of halfway counseling houses, but there was always someone among those places willing to sell info if it was needed.

My mind raced over a million scenarios as I held my woman’s daughter, of what could have happened to her and why she not only had a daughter but looked like she feared her own shadow. In our history of soulmates, I couldn’t remember one already having a child with someone else. Come to think of it, there was no mention of illegitimate Silverman either.

I gazed down at the gorgeous, little girl, and my heart squeezed and a feeling of instant love washed over me. It was like I just knew this little girl was my daughter. It didn’t matter we weren’t blood related; she was now my kid, and I would do anything for her. I just had to get her mother to give me a chance. I had a feeling it was going to be a lot harder for the mother to fall into my arms, like her daughter had.

As I stayed in Ruby’s line of vision, Hope clung to me. One of her tiny hands gripped tightly to my shoulder, and her other gripped my shirt. Her legs were wrapped around me tight, and my hold on her was light, ready when she was to let her get down, but I didn’t think she was letting me go anytime soon.

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