Page 38 of Legacy

“Technically.” I shrug. “But if a brother is bringing the vote to the club, it means she means enough to them that there’d have to be a pretty big reason for his family to deny it.”

“So you voted with Luna?” Reagan mulls that over. “When she and Ghost got together?”

I nod.

“And Tempe?”

“We did. But there were no objections. We knew they were part of the family the second Steel and Ghost fell for ’em. It was just a formality by the time the guys brought it to everyone else.”

“Family,” she whispers, repeating the word, and I realize that’s the part she’s hanging onto.

I still don’t know much about hers, except that her parents cared more about appearances than their daughters, and she’s still carrying the burden of whatever they placed on her.

“Family is what we are around here.”

Her gaze lifts to Bea running around the yard. “I see that.”

My throat tightens, and I have to look away to loosen it.

“So thepropertypiece of it…” She trails off.

“It’s not quite like it sounds. Or, at least, it’s not as one-sided as it sounds.” I thread my fingers through my hair. “Yes, giving an old lady a property patch tells everyone else she belongs to him, but that’s only because he belongs to her in return. Plus, it offers her the protection of his club.”

“Like if something bad happens to you?”

“That’s the worst-case scenario.”

She glances out at where Bea is running around, kicking her soccer ball. “So, Bea’s mom… she was your old lady?”

“No. Sera is a whole other story.” I drag my fingers through my hair, burying my frown when Bea turns to me smiling. “Nice kick, Honey Bea.”

She does a curtsy in her purple tutu before once again chasing after the ball.

“Sorry, I just assumed.”

“It’s fine.” I rest my elbows on my knees and stare out at the yard. “Sera was a patch bunny, and I barely knew her other than having a little fun. We weren’t in an actual relationship.”

“Oh.” Reagan’s face pinches.

“Yeah. We hung out a couple of times, and then she disappeared because she said the club life wasn’t for her. I didn’t see her again until ten months later when she had Bea in her arms. She said I could either have my daughter, or she’d find someone else to raise her, but that she didn’t want her.” My hands clench. It’s rare I think back on that particular conversation because it turns the world dark. Ican barely breathe just thinking about it. “She was gonna just hand our daughter off to a stranger. My fucking kid.”

Reagan tenses beside me. “I’m sorry, Jesse.”

“Me too.” I swallow hard. “We haven’t seen Sera since.”

“Bea’s lucky she has you.” Reagan’s eyes are on Bea now, running circles in the fake grass.

“She deserves a hell of a lot more than me.”

“No.” Reagan shakes her head. “You’re enough. Maybe you don’t see it. But you’re enough, Jesse.”

Those words slam into me so hard I can’t find my voice to argue with her.

I’m not enough.

But hearing it from Reagan makes me wish she could be right. So I let her believe it for both of us. She’ll be gone soon anyway. There’s no point dimming her light when she burns so bright I can’t stop looking at her.

“So, no old lady then?” Reagan eyes me.

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