Page 44 of Bound By Consequences
Ryker came from a family where his father had like a dozen wives, and there were a ton of kids. Some kind of religious cult or something that he’d left a long time ago. That was about all I knew. “Yes. Some of it.”
Her eyes met mine as if she was waiting to gauge my reaction. “Ryker is my cousin.”
I didn’t let go of her hand, but this had my body jerking back as the shock overtook me. Cousin. No way. That couldn’t be true. Could it? What the fuck? That couldn’t be because she’d be in a life completely different. “Seriously?” I asked, feeling incredulous.
“Yes. Long story short, I grew up in that life. That way of thinking wasn’t for me, and I had to run away. Ryker helped me and my sister Katie break away and brought us here to live.” Her hand started to tremble, and I could feel her start to pull away from me, but I held firm and grabbed the other hand as well.
While I had no first-hand knowledge of this religion, I’d watched enough television shows to know she looked nothing like them. She didn’t wear the dresses that covered her from top to toe. Nor did she have her hair in a bun thing on the top of her head. “But that night we met, you had on party clothes and didn’t act like I’d think someone from a religious cult would act.” She was all over me as I was her on the dance floor and in the room. Never would I have thought she had such a primitive upbringing.
Fuck, I was loving that damn smirk on her face. Even as confusing as this situation was, I couldn’t help but take the time to admire her.
“Oh, if my parents would’ve seen me, there would’ve been hell to pay. That night I’d snuck out with a friend of mine, Ari. It was only the second time we’d done it. I had a bit of a rebel in me.”
What were the odds that we would see each other in a bar and end up here? Especially for someone who didn’t go out and had a very conservative upbringing. It was strange, but it also felt honest.
I was getting no vibes that Cyrus, I mean Ensley, was lying about any of it. The name thing would definitely take some getting used to, but in all of this, I felt she was sincere. And my bullshit meter was pretty spot on.
Her hands felt soft against my rough ones. My thumb slowly stroked her skin as I held her. More than anything in that moment, I wanted her to feel comfortable and safe with me. “Must’ve. Why did you leave?” Maybe her group wasn’t like the others I’d heard about. Maybe they were nice and more open. Hell if I knew, but it was a very valid question and one I needed the answers to.
This time, her hands clutched mine tightly as she turned her body to meet mine, garnering every bit of my attention. Her focus was intense, like whatever she had to say next meant more to her than anything. I felt myself go on high alert, but I didn’t let it show. Another trick I’d gained from Uncle Sam.
But the next words that came out of her mouth would change my life forever. No amount of decorum or stoic blank faces could’ve helped me in this situation. “Because my father wanted me to abort my baby.”
Baby. “Baby?” I asked, puzzled as my heart started to thump heavy in my chest. The world seemed to shift. The air grew thick.
Her gaze never left mine, and it felt as though she was trying to get inside my head and figure out what I was thinking. Me? I didn’t even know what I was thinking. “That night we had together, Micah, we made a little girl.”
My world stopped for a moment and tipped on its axis, spinning so out of control it threatened to explode. My damn stomach never got butterflies, but fuck if I didn’t feel them now.
Baby.
A child.
We had a child?
“What?” She held onto my hands this time as if I was going to run away and leave, but I was too rooted to the spot to even think of going anywhere.
Nothing would get me to leave at this point. There were too many unanswered questions. My chest got so damn tight. A tiny human was mine?
Really?
Looking to her car, in the backseat was a baby seat as all the pieces of my life started falling. Everything I thought I knew seemed to change in the blink of an eye. Fucking hell.
Ensley looked at me with such hope in her eyes. Hope that I’d believe her? Hope that I’d want to be part of my child’s life? Hope I wouldn’t screw her life up? Hell, I didn’t know at this point.
And here I thought making amends with the Ravage MC was going to be a heavy load to carry.
She hesitated momentarily, biting her lip before repeating herself. “You have a daughter, Micah. Her name is Remy.” I was pretty sure she’d have to tell me this about a million more times before I could wrap my head around it.
The news rocked me to my core.
I pulled away from her and got up from the table, running hands through my short hair. A kid. I had a damn kid. A living breathing human being with my DNA. How was that even possible? We used protection. That I was for certain because never had I’d gone ungloved.
Mentally, I needed to process this news. Fuck, I was trained to handle any situation, but they didn’t teach this shit.
Confused, worried, scared, happy…. Hell, I didn’t know how I was feeling.
Visions of a baby crying, poopy diapers, and vomit pelted me like rocks. I misheard her. I had to; there was no way I had a kid. Was there?
