Page 7 of Cougar

Immediately, Storm, Gears, and every single one of my brothers standing around starts laughing. They’re all trying to hold it in. They look like Spongebob and Patrick from that one episode. You know the one. Hint, twenty-four.

“What is happening?” I absentmindedly ask. “Butcher, she’s right here.” I pull AJ’s hand forward, so she has to take a step in front of me. The second it clicks for him, his happy-go-lucky demeanor is gone, and pure rage is in its place.

Oh, fuck.

I can’t do anything other than push AJ to the side before Butcher’s fist connects with my face. Compared to Butcher, I am a small man. One good hit from him knocks me on my ass. He’s over me, gripping my shirt, ready to punch me again before AJ calls out, and her hands grab his fist.

“Daddy, stop!”

Daddy? No. She’s Butcher’s daughter.

“You’re Aletta?” She nods her head. “This changes nothing for me.”

“The fuck did you just say?”

“Daddy. Get. Off. Him. Now.”

Don’t get hard, don’t get hard. Don’t. Get. Hard.

Something inside Butcher snaps at her tone, and I’m grateful because my chanting, yeah, it wasn’t working. The last thing I need is Butcher realizing that his daughter’s dominant tone turns me on.

“This isn’t over, Cougar,” he tells me as he walks out.

“Well. At least one of the things I wanted to talk to you about is now handled,” she smirks and turns to follow her dad. After a few steps, she turns back and mouths I’m sorry. I give her a nod and watch her leave. Once she and Butcher are both outside, the guys lose their shit.

I look at Storm and point my finger at him, “You’re a fucking asshole. You could have warned me.”

“And miss that? I don’t think so. I have no regrets.”

I shake my head at him, and surprisingly, I smile. I meant what I told her; this changes nothing. It will make things a bit more challenging, but I’m ready.

“This is what happens when you claim a bitch without getting a full name and history.” Gears says, coming up beside me. I feel a tingling of rage bubbling under my skin. I take a deep breath before gritting my teeth at him.

“Don’t call her a bitch.” If my head weren’t splitting from having my ass handed to me, I would take a swing at him.

“Dude. You claimed Butcher’s daughter.” He laughs.

“Yeah,” I pick my hat up off the floor and put it back on, “I’m so fucked.”

Three

Aletta

I follow my dad out to his bike. My shorter legs need to take two or three quick steps to meet his single long stride, especially when he’s in a hurry. I beg him to stop before he tears out of here half-cocked, causing trouble for everyone he meets until he calms down.

“Daddy, please, just talk to me,” I beg. He stops dead, and I all but run into the back of him. I stumble back, and he grabs my arms to steady me when he turns to look at me.

“You have been in town for almost two months. I know his ass was in jail or out on runs for most of it. So, tell me. How long have you known him? Is he the reason you’re sick most mornings?”

“Dad,” I gasp, looking back to the garage, then to him. “How did you—”

“—You and your mother are a lot alike. More so now that extra hormones are running through you.”

“Dammit,” I mumble, recalling the night I came into town. The entire drive, I contemplated how I would keep my parents from finding out. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell them. It was more me wanting to wait until I knew what to say. My mother, though. She’s a goddamn bloodhound and made me take a test in front of her about twenty minutes after I walked in.

“Besides, you’re always sick. It became even more obvious when you were helping your mom with the books and got sick at the sight of blood. Let’s be honest, honey. You can take apart a cow like a pro. You getting sick at the sight of blood makes zero fucking sense. I may be slow, but I’m not dumb, little girl.” Dad lifts my chin to make me look at him and my eyes well.

I can’t tell him about the father of this child. What would he think of me? Being pregnant by one man but so quick to fall for another. So, I stay quiet and will the emotions to remain below the surface. Dad pulls me into a comforting hug, and I lose the battle with my tears.

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