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“Okay, but later?”

“You bet,” I chime in. “We could come back here or you could go swimming at a friend’s house with the other kids.”

This catches Colt’s attention. “What other kids?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” I tease him. “I live in a place with four other kids. They’re all about your age. We have a jungle gym outside and a huge entertainment center inside. We’re building a pool, too, but in the meantime, we know someone who loves having all the kids over to swim.”

“Why do you live with kids? Are they yours?”

I chuckle. “No. They aren’t mine. I live in the clubhouse. They live there, too. With their parents.”

“Wildcard is the Vice President of a motorcycle club,” Brigit explains. “Their club owns this hotel.”

“You ride a motorcycle?”

“I do.”

“Could you take me for a ride?”

“That’ll be up to your mom. She’ll want to make sure you’re safe. So we’ll have to follow her instructions.”

Colt looks at his mom and then back at me. “We’ll need helmets and pads for our knees and elbows. Can’t go too fast. We’ll need to look both ways and be on the lookout for cars.”

“That’s right,” Brigit says. “However, a motorcycle is a little more dangerous than a bicycle. Maybe Wildcard can give you a ride around the clubhouse parking lot at first instead of out in the street?”

“I think we can arrange that,” I agree, giving Brigit a grin. My heart swells at the thought of taking Colt on a ride on mybike. Being able to share that experience with my son sounds amazing. “You’re a pretty smart kid. How did you get to be so smart? School?”

“Mom says I’m smart like my daddy,” Colt replies.

That statement puts me on my ass. It may have been a simple comment, but the emotions ravaging through me are, in no means, simple. They’re more powerful than a freight train hurtling down the tracks at top speed. I have to blink to keep the tears at bay. When I glance at Brigit, I see that she’s watching me.

“Colt? Remember when I told you that your daddy couldn’t be with us in Boston because he had other commitments?”

“And that we couldn’t live with him because of ‘reasons?’” I chuckle when he includes the air quotes. “Grown-up reasons you would explain to me later. Which is totally unfair, by the way, I’m almost six.”

I chuckle at his indignation while Brigit grins.

“You are almost six, which is why I think it is time you met your father.” She gestures toward me. Colt frowns at her, but I watch as he figures out her meaning. His eyes widen as his bottom lip trembles.

“You’re my dad?”

“I am. Is that okay with you?”

Colt slides out of his chair and rushes to my side. Lifting him up, he wraps his arms around my neck and squeezes tight. The feel of my son in my arms makes it impossible for me to fight back the tears.

CHAPTER TEN: BRIGIT

Seeing Wildcard tear up as he holds his son has me doing the same. I’ve dreamed of the two of them connecting ever since I held Colt for the first time. I wasn’t completely honest with Wildcard about why I didn’t call him when I discovered I was pregnant. The biggest reason was the potential danger of Squiggy discovering my location, but it wasn’t the only reason. The fear of Wildcard rejecting me and my child kept me from making that call. However, watching them together makes me feel like I failed them both.

Pushing away from the table, I fast walk back to my bedroom and duck into the bathroom. After turning on the sink to cover my sobs, I slide to the floor. All my pent-up emotions burst through. I try to stop when I hear the door open and close. Wildcard slides down next to me and pulls me close. He says nothing until I get my sobs under control.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything?” I reply, making him chuckle. “I kept you from your son and kept my son from his father. Seeing Mike murdered and seeing you shot. Knowing my father is the one who shot you, and knowing that he’s out of jail, but no one told me. I’m so scared. Scared you and Colt will hate me. Scared thatthe mob will find me or the cops will arrest me. It’s just too much.”

He rubs my arm as I list my grievances. “Okay, let’s start with the easiest. You explained why you didn’t reach out to me about Colt. While I would have loved to have been there for his first five years, we can’t change the past. I just want to be part of his life from now on. So, I’m hoping you plan on sticking around Vegas. If not, we’ll figure it out. Together.”

I open my mouth to speak, but he places his finger over my lips. “We’re not talking about it right now. Let’s work on the other problems first.” When I nod in agreement, he removes his finger. “Don’t worry about Colt right now. He’s fine. He’s happy and seems excited about getting to know me. If he wants to know more when he’s older, we’ll deal with it then. As for the rest, let’s get you and Colt packed so we can head over to the clubhouse. Puma needs to hear what happened in Boston. You have us in your corner and we will make sure no one gets to you. Not even the cops.”