Page 14 of Wildcard's Wager

“He’s earned the brand.”

“Would he survive it? He’s kind of old.”

“I could have lost my VP and my best friend. The brand is non-negotiable.”

I swallow at the intensity in Puma’s words. I may have been the one to bring Puma into the clubhouse, but he’s the one who turned the club around. He’s my President, and I’d die for him. So, I won’t question his decision. Somehow, I’ll have to make Brigit understand. “I promised Brigit she’d see him.”

“I can make that happen. He’ll be under house arrest. When are you coming back?”

“We’re having breakfast first. So, probably in an hour.” I end the call and breathe out a sigh of relief.

A sound behind me catches my attention. I turn to see Colt standing behind me. He’s wearing Spiderman pajamas. His intense stare has me worried.

“Good morning, Colt.”

“Good morning. Did you spend the night?”

“I did. Is that a problem?”

“Where did you sleep?”

“Umm…” I say, trying desperately to hide my panic. What the fuck do I tell him? I guess I could lie and tell him I slept on the couch, but do I really want to start our relationship with me lying to him? So instead, I chicken out and avoid the question. “Do you like pancakes?”

He nods enthusiastically. “They’re my favorite. Especially chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Good! Because I ordered you some. How about you get dressed and by the time you finish, they should be here?”

“Okay!” Colt runs back into his room. Now I just have to hope that they deliver breakfast before he returns. I don’t want him to lose trust in my word. Fuck, this parenting thing is hard. I’ve watched Puma take to it like a pro, but I’m definitely out of my depth.

The sound of little feet pounding in my direction makes my heart sink. Luckily, a knock on the door saves me. Opening, I find a server waiting with a cart carrying three covered plates and three carafes. Swinging the door wide, I let her inside and plan out the massive tip I’ll give her.

“Hi, Wildcard, didn’t expect to see you here. Is everything okay?”

I’d been so focused on the delivery that I hadn’t been paying attention to who was behind the cart. “Morgan! Sorry, I have a little boy who is hungry for pancakes.”

“Pancakes!” Colt squeals as he runs into the room, making Morgan and I laugh.

She grins at him, frowns, and then looks at me. “Wildcard…”

“I’ll take it from here,” I say, cutting her off and sending her a meaningful look.

She nods and switches her attention to Colt as she helps him locate the plate with his pancakes. Brigit enters as Colt slides into his chair. “Morning, momma! Look at this! Wildcard got me pancakes. With chocolate chips!”

“I see that. Did you say thank you?” Brigit says, giving me a grin.

“Thank you, Wildcard,” Colt says just before he shoves a huge forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

“Will that be all?” Morgan asks as I pull out a chair for Brigit.

“Yes, thanks Morgan. Morgan, this is Brigit, Colt’s mom.”

The two women smile at each other before Morgan takes the check from me and leaves the suite.

“Can we go swimming after breakfast?” Colt asks.

Although I need to say no, I struggle to do so. I don’t want to disappoint him. Brigit must see me struggle, because she takes control.

“Maybe later. We need to go with Wildcard back to his home and meet with some of his friends.”

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