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CHAPTER TWO

CY

“Hey, Cy, do you mind picking up Charlotte for me from school today?” Willow asks, one of her boys propped on her hip, hand holding that of the other boy.

Taking in the flustered look on her face, I cock a brow. “Where’s Gemini?”

“Malice has her. I’m trying to keep the boys away from their sister because she’s running a fever and not feeling well. Malice put her down for a nap in the office while he and Hammer go over some things. But I have to put Gates down for his nap, then take Gavin for a checkup.”

Damn, how the hell the woman does what she does, taking care of triplets and helping as much as she does around the clubhouse, not to mention helping one of her friends with watching Charlotte.

“I’ll handle things,” I tell her, nodding. “Wanna tell me why you didn’t just call Alanna to tell her you can’t pick Lottie up?” Not that I didn’t mind spending time with the kiddo. Gotta admit, in the past two years, the little girl has become just as much a part of this club as any other kid belonging to my brothers. The only difference is her mom isn’t an ol’ lady.

No, Alanna wasn’t an ol’ lady. But she’s a woman I’ve been into from the moment I set eyes on her. It didn’t matter to me that she was raising her sister. It didn’t matter to me what she was hiding, and we all know she’s hiding something. As much as I’ve wanted to look into her, I haven’t out of respect for her. I figured one of these days, she’ll eventually open up to me.

It sucks for me ‘cause it seems she’s never gonna do that.

“Rebel needed Alanna to be with her at a very important meeting today. I don’t want to bother them. The way Rebel talked about this one, it was different from other meetings she’s mentioned in the past.”

Furrowing a brow, I find myself curious. Rebel hadn’t said anything to me about it either. When it comes to her law office, she always runs shit by me, has me do checks for her, and whatnot. This is something she hasn’t had me check into.

“Don’t worry about, Lottie, Willow. I’ll get her. Just text Alanna and let her know she doesn’t have to pick her up from here or your place. I’ll take my little terror home.”

The little girl has become special to me. I’ll be the first to admit she’s got me wrapped around her little finger. When it comes to her, I’ll do what I gotta do to make sure nothing happens to her.

A week ago, Willow hadn’t been able to pick her up from school, so I’d done it and brought her to the clubhouse, where Willow asked me to bring her. I got to the school at the end of the day, and Charlotte had been in tears. Someone had been picking on her. I’d taken her right into the school and spoke with the teacher. The woman had been annoyed that she was being questioned about it. Because of this, I went to the administration and told them that if this continued, none of them would be pleased. I wasn’t about to have my little Lottie upset or be bullied in any way.

Charlotte’s in preschool, so there shouldn’t be any of these issues. Just goes to show what the fuck people are teaching their kids at an early age. My pops and Rebel’s mom, were both hard asses when it came to teaching us how we treat people.

“Thanks, Cy, I appreciate it.” Willow smiles and shuffles off with her boys.

Shaking my head, I check the time on my phone. I still have another thirty minutes before school lets out, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get her early. I was on the list for pick up. Maybe I’ll treat Lottie to some ice cream before taking her home.

Yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do. Then I’ll take her home, fix dinner, and make sure Alanna also has something to eat when she gets home from work.

Alanna’s got a hell of a body. Sexy. Sinful. Beautiful. She can’t be more than five foot five. Her tits are perfect size for a handful. Her ass it’s just right to be able to hold on to.

If she weren’t so damn skittish, I’d already know what she feels like while taking my dick.

I keep telling myself if she doesn’t come around soon, I’m gonna do what I do best and get to the bottom of what the hell’s going on with her. Something’s up, and more than once in the past couple of months, I’ve noticed her growing far more skittish.

Still, you could tell she always put Charlotte first even when it comes down to where she and Charlotte live. While Charlotte had a room all to herself, everything a girl could want inside it, Alanna slept on the couch, her clothes stored in other places while keeping everything clean and neat.

It drives me nuts that she’s constantly refusing help when she needs it. Won’t let the club move her from the little one-bedroom house. Hell, the place couldn’t even be considered a house with how small it is. Plenty of times, she’s been offered Avery’s old place. I even bought a house with the intent to move both of them in, and still, she wouldn’t move into it. Granted, she didn’t know it was my place.

Rather than getting my bike, I head for the truck I bought to keep on hand. The four-door diesel truck was nearly as nice as my bike. I lifted it, changed out the wheels to thirty-sevens, put a push bar on the front, and pretty much made it so if and when Alanna ever rode in it, I’d have to lift her into it, even with the step bar.

Charlotte loves riding in the truck, which is a bonus. Granted, she calls my truck her black steed. Why, I don’t have a clue, and she refuses to answer whenever I jokingly ask about why she calls my truck that.

Either way, it didn’t matter to me, so long as she was still laughing and lighting up the world for those around her. The kid is just that good of a person, and she’s only four. I can only imagine how she’ll grow up and be later in life. So long as no one diminishes the beauty within her.

“I wanna gets Momma a prize for her birth-ay,” Charlotte announces, chocolate circling her lips as she scoops up yet another big bite.

“What do you wanna get her?” I knew Alanna’s birthday was coming up, and she was turning twenty-three. I feel like I should be shot because of the age difference between the two of us. Were I’m thirty-two, there’s a ten-year difference between Alanna and me. Still, it didn’t matter to me. We’re both adults, and age shouldn’t be a problem.

“She should have sumsin pretty. Momma never gets herself pretty bows like she gets me.”

Damn, this kid is something else. “You wanna get her some bows?”

“No, sillwe, she doesn’t wear bows.” Another scoop of chocolate goes in her mouth, her eyes alight with glee.

When I picked her up from school, I swear the whole damn place heard her squeal my name when she saw me. Never in my life did I expect something to feel so damn good. Makes me want to make it so this girl was mine rather than just Alanna’s little sister. It’s fucked, I know, but Alanna is the only mom Charlotte’s ever known from what I’ve gathered.

“Alright, so what is it you wanna get if not bows?”

Charlotte sets her spoon in her nearly empty bowl, leans forward, and waves a hand for me to come closer. Doing what she wants, I wait for her answer.

“I wants Momma to find her prince. Like in the storwes she tells me at night. The one who wides in on his black steed and wescues her from the monswers who are afwer her.”

Well, shit.

I wasn’t expecting that from her. In three sentences, Charlotte gives me answers to two things and she doesn’t even know it.