Page 109 of All That Glitters

“Shouldn’t that be my choice to make?”

“If the roles were reversed, would you let it be mine?” I return, already knowing the answer.

“Dammit, Hazel. I don’t like this.”

“Can’t say I’m jumping for joy myself.”

“What about the baby daddy? Is he going to be a problem?”

I shake my head. “I’m not going back to the clubhouse. I’m staying with Midas.”

Before she can say anything, I continue, “I’m not a club girl anymore, and I’m not an old lady, so the MC’s hands are tied.”

“Fucking club politics,” she snarls.

“I might want to cut off his dick in his sleep, but I know Midas will keep me safe until they catch this guy.”

She bites her lip, and I know she has more to say. Thankfully, she refrains. Truth is, I don’t have any more answers to give her. I might be making the biggest mistake of my life by moving back in with Midas, but if there is even a single chance that something might happen to my baby, then I’ll take every precaution I can.

“I’ll help you pack up your things,” she finally settles on. I give her a shaky smile, which makes her curse. She stomps over to me in that way she does when she means business and wraps her arms around me. “I made this all about me, didn’t I? I knew I’d suck at this friend thing. I just don’t want to lose you, and I sure as fuck don’t want anything to happen to you and my niece or nephew.”

I lean back and look up at her.

“What? I’m calling dibs now before you go back. I’m going to be the best aunt in the world.”

“You’ll spoil them rotten, won’t you?”

“Every chance I get,” she admits proudly.

I wipe my eyes and grin at her. “The way I see it, my kid would be lucky to have such a protective aunt looking out for them.”

She narrows her eyes and points her finger at me. “What have I said about making me cry?”

“To do it often?”

“Ha-fucking-ha.”

“I’m going to miss you, Del,” I admit, and this time she gives in and lets a tear fall.

“Why does it feel like I’m not going to see you again?”

I laugh. “Once this is all cleared up, I’ll be?—”

“A mom. You’ll have a little human to raise, and working in a diner will be the last thing on your mind.”

“In other people’s lives, maybe. But as I like to eat and I want to feed my kid, I’ll be back, if you’ll have me. I can’t work while this is going on for obvious reasons, so I’ll be at Au temporarily, but after that…” my voice trails off as I get a look at her face. It’s not that she doesn’t want me to come back. She just doesn’t believe I will.

“Del?”

“Yeah.”

“I have no family outside of the MC. And as you know, with them, the club will always come first. If you think I’m walking away from my kid’s favorite aunt, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“You’ll come visit?”

“As soon as I can. And you can come visit me too.”

Her face falls at that, and though she doesn’t say it, we both know she won’t.