Page 84 of The Last One You Loved
“I don’t know if he can help with the Mila situation, but I do think he might be able to add some insight into what’s going on with the Gears. Sybil said Chainsaw won’t be in charge long, and that sort of made me wonder if Trap was making moves to take the club back. I’d like a few minutes with him to get some answers.”
I left my food behind, searched the floor for the jeans I’d tossed in our dance down the hallway, and pulled my phone from the pocket. There was another text from an unknown number I didn’t even bother opening. I just pulled up the number I had for Trap.
The same woman answered as had the other day. “Hey,” I said. “This is McKenna again, Trap’s daughter.”
“I passed your message on. That’s the best I can do.”
“Thanks. I just… It’s really important. Is there any way you can get him another one? Explain it’s urgent.”
“Hold on.”
I was pretty sure she muted me, and I suddenly wondered if she was with Trap, if he’d purposefully had her pick up so he didn’t have to talk to me. It tore a little in a way I didn’t think Trap was capable of doing to me. I’d never really let him in close when I was little, not only because he was rarely around but because I’d been afraid he’d see through me to what Mama was doing. I’d been terrified of what he would or wouldn’t do. The nothing he’d done had almost been worse. He’d let the Hatleys take me without even a second glance.
In truth, I wouldn’t have wanted to go with him, and maybe he’d known it.
“McKenna?” Trap’s deep voice, scratchy and aged from years of smoking, actually tugged at my heartstrings even as he was ripping it out for having dodged my calls.
“Hey, Trap,” I said. “Long time no talk.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Been a few years. You good?”
No, I wanted to say. No, my world had fallen apart. But then I looked over at Maddox sitting at the table, and I wondered if it had fallen together instead. The same thought that had hit me while riding with Maddox and Mila hit me all over again…like this was exactly where I was supposed to be.
“I’m in Willow Creek,” I told him.
His response was immediate. “Ah, shit. I’m sorry, darlin’. I forgot to tell you I sold the place. I needed the money.”
“It’s not a big deal. I think you needed it more than I did,” I said with a little laugh. He didn’t respond, and I wondered if he felt any real remorse or just felt bad I’d found out he’d broken his only promise. “So, look. I have some questions I need to ask you?about Mama and the Gears. Did you know she had another little girl?”
“I heard something like that.” His voice took on a wary tone.
“Do you know who the father is?” I asked.
“It sure as hell isn’t me,” he grunted out, and it felt like a slap. I winced.
“I figured,” I said. It was what I expected, but the relief I felt at his confirmation was enough that I knew, somewhere in my subconscious, I’d actually wondered about it.
“Look. I can’t talk on the phone about any of this, darlin’,” he said, bite gone but the wariness still there.
“Okay. Can we come and see you?” I asked.
“Who’s we?” he asked, even more hesitantly.
“Maddox Hatley and me,” I said.
“The sheriff?” he snorted. “I bet he does have questions.”
Silence settled down between us. I waited, almost able to hear the debate in his head. Finally, he responded, “Can you be in Knoxville on Friday?”
I covered the phone and repeated the question to Maddox. He nodded.
“Yes, we can be there.”
Trap gave us the name of a diner where he’d meet us at ten in the morning and then hung up. I was suddenly bone-weary from the full range of emotions that had wound their way through me in the last few days. From the amazing, incredible, delirium-inducing sex Maddox and I’d had. From years of living with a tiny prick of hope that I actually had a father who would do something just for me, only to have even that slightest whisper dashed away. The demon called hope had scored another point.
Maddox was up out of his chair and surrounding me in his arms in two long strides. He hugged me to him tightly, kissing the side of my head, and I let the warmth and comfort of him and his embrace wash over me. I needed to stop hoping. I needed to just make what I wanted to happen come true.
There was nothing I could do about my career at the moment. I’d lose it, or not. But I could do something about this…about Maddox and Mila and the beautiful life I could have if I let myself be here. I just had to make the scary step. I had to come out of hiding, open my heart, and let them in.
