Page 43 of Tusk's Fury

Clara shoots me a dirty look and follows her. I keep hold of my daughter. Now that I know she’s mine, I’m never letting her go.

Tex shakes his head, looking downright exhausted from trying to help me keep my shit straight. Instead of telling me that I’m an asshole for spoiling the vibe, he changes the subject. “It’s a shame that shit-for-brains ex-wife of yours used your old sperm to get herself pregnant again.”

I sigh, bouncing the baby in my arms. “I know. I’m still fucked up over that. It feels like being taken advantage of in the worst way. Of course, every kid is a blessing. I’m not denying that. It’s just my luck that I somehow managed to make a baby with her without even sticking my dick in crazy. I thought I was home free after the divorce was finalized, but no. Nothing in my life is ever that fuckin’ easy.”

Tex lets out a low whistle. “You sure know how to pick ‘em, man.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, tell me about it.” I glance down at Victoria, her tiny hands curled into fists against my chest. This—this moment, holding my daughter—is the only pure thing in my life right now.

Tex watches me for a beat before sighing. “Look, I get that you’re pissed Brittany kept the pregnancy from you. But you can’t keep hammering her for it. You’ve got what you wanted. You found her, and now you know about Victoria. Don’t go and fuck it all up by making her regret telling you.”

I nod, exhaling hard. “Yeah, yeah. I get it.”

Tex snorts. “Do you? ‘Cause you’ve been acting like a goddamn caveman since we landed.”

“I know,” I admit. “I just… I keep thinking about all the moments I missed. I should’ve been there, Tex. Through the pregnancy, the birth… Hell, even just rubbing her feet when she was tired.”

“So, what are you gonna do about it now?” Tex challenges.

I lift my gaze to his, determination settling in my chest. “Talk it out with her. No matter how long it takes.”

Tex nods, seemingly satisfied. “Good. Now stop being a dumbass and go talk to her before she locks you out completely.”

I glance towards the hallway where Brittany disappeared, my gut twisting. I’ve spent so long searching for her, only to let my anger cloud my thinking when it really mattered. I wasn’t about to let that happen again.

With a deep breath, I rise to my feet, still cradling Victoria. “Wish me luck.”

Tex smirks. “You’re gonna need more than luck, brother.”

Chapter 15

Brittany

As soon as I got to my room, I stripped off and headed for the shower. I couldn’t take any more stress today. The headache that had eased up before, now pounded, and I hoped the sensation of hot water running on the back of my neck would ease the tension in my shoulders.

Standing there under the showerhead, Tusk’s words keep echoing in my mind. There was no male voice to soothe her in the womb. She should have had that. He’s not wrong about that, and it makes me feel like shit. Her father should have been there during the pregnancy. Only that’s not something I really thought about. Of course, I talked to our baby while she was in my belly. At first, I just thought it was some kind of fantasy conversation, but later in the pregnancy, she would kick when I talked to her. When I realized that she might be able to hear or sense me talking to her, it was on. I rubbed my belly and talked to her a lot.

Tusk is right. Our baby should have had a male voice talking to her as well. I don’t know why that thought never occurred to me. Maybe because I had it firmly in my mind that he was back with his ex-wife and therefore wouldn’t be interested in the baby we made together. This is my first baby, and I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I console myself with that thought as I soap myself up and finish my shower. After drying off, I pull on nightclothes and head out to the bedroom.

Clara is there, rearranging the bassinet that her toddlers outgrew, for Victoria. It’s a nice one that breaks apart into two pieces, the frame and big basket that holds the baby.

She glances up at me, temporarily ignoring the elephant in the room. “Alright, it’s as good as it’s going to get.” When I don’t respond, she adds, “When Tusk is finished being an ass, you can lay her down for a good night’s sleep. If you need a break at some point in the night, you can bring her to me and Tex.”

“Thanks, but I’m sure that I’ll be fine taking care of her myself.”

Handing me a comb to get the tangles out of my hair before it dries that way, she tells me, “I just want you to know that you have options. You’re in transition right now, so relying on your best friend is nothing to be ashamed of.”

When she sits down at the foot of the bed, I turn slightly in my chair to face her and begin running the comb through my hair. “Speaking of things I’m ashamed of, he’s right, you know?”

Her face is still carrying a hint of anger from earlier. “Yeah, I get that. My problem is that he’s just shooting off at the mouth in front of anyone who happens to be around instead of having a private conversation about it.”

“He’s got a right to be disappointed in me, angry even.”

“Yeah,” she says imploringly, “but you have to know there’s a right way and a wrong way to bring things like this up.”

“I think that sometimes when we make stupid mistakes that hurt the people we love, maybe we deserve an off-the-cuff comment or two. At least with Tusk, I don’t have to worry about where he stands on a subject or what he’s thinking. He comes right out with it.”

Clara rolls her eyes. “Tusk is a straight shooter, I’ll give you that. And I know you appreciate that quality in a man. But don’t let him trample over your feelings simply because you feel guilty for zigging when you should have zagged.”

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