Page 67 of The Finding Series: Vol. 1

“Emma’s fine spending the night at the ranch.”

“I’m not talking about tonight.”

Dane pulled free of him and went to get the phone. From his annoyed curse Jax knew he’d broken it. His affect was starting to worry Jax more than his breakdown had.

“What are you saying?”

Dane began rifling through an address book he pulled out of the desk drawer. “Belinda has wanted Emma since the day Isaac died. She’ll take good care of her.”

Jax reached Dane in three sides and slammed him back against the wall. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Dane was eerily calm as he remained still in Jax’s grip. “It’s for the best.”

The man sounded like a fucking robot. Jax began to tremble as he realized his Dane was gone. He didn’t know this man.

“Dane,” he whispered as he gentled his hold on Dane and pressed their foreheads together. “Please don’t do this to me. Not when I just found you.”

He covered Dane’s mouth with his but the man didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. He forced Dane’s head up so that their eyes met and he said, “Nothing’s changed for me. I’m still here. I still love you. You could burn this place to the fucking ground and I will still love you. You can curse me to hell and back a thousand times over and I will still love you. Do you hear me?” he said harshly as he kissed Dane again.

Jax felt a tremor go through Dane. “Come back to me,” he urged as he kissed him again and tears pricked the backs of his eyes when he felt Dane soften beneath him and open his mouth. He pressed his advantage and kissed Dane thoroughly.

“I’ve never done anything like that before,” Dane said against his lips. “I kept hearing their voices and I just wanted to make it stop.”

“I know. We’ll figure it out.”

“It’s too hard, Jax. I don’t know how to make this work. I don’t know the right things to say.” Dane’s fingers bit into his skin as he whispered, “I could have hurt Emma.”

“No. You know that’s not true.”

“But I don’t. I don’t know anything anymore.”

Jax pulled Dane against him. “We’ll figure it out,” he repeated, hoping to hell Dane couldn’t hear the uncertainty in his voice.

* * *

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

Jax tightened his arm around Dane’s waist and drew him closer. He was glad when Dane’s hand closed over his. They’d been laying on Dane’s bed for the better part of an hour and Dane’s silence had Jax worrying that he was slipping away again. “No. I think you’ve had a lot to deal with lately.”

“Why do you want to be with me?”

“Because I think you’re one of the strongest, kindest men I’ve ever met. You’re an amazing friend and no child could ask for a better father.”

Dane was silent for a long time again before he said, “She’s not mine.”

“Yes she is.”

“Isaac was her biological father.”

“She’s yours, Dane.” Jax leaned down to press a kiss against the back of Dane’s neck. “I thought you and Isaac didn’t want to know.”

“We didn’t. Isaac’s mother sued me for custody after Isaac died and the court ordered a paternity test.” Jax was surprised at the revelation.

“Why did she want custody?”

“It was just her and Isaac after his father died when he was little. They were really close and it was hard for her to let him go. She never really liked me much – she told me once that Isaac could do better.”

Jax forced himself not to let Dane feel the anger simmering through him. He wondered if there had been any people in Dane’s life who had accepted him for who he was.

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