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C harlie woke up when she heard someone coming into her room. She sat up some and smiled over at the door, thinking that she’d find Ink walking in. He had gone back home to pack some things for her and Bethany, and he promised he wouldn’t be long. Instead, Zeb stood in the doorway with a bouquet of flowers and a giant teddy bear.

“Hey,” he said, as though nothing bad had happened between them. He smiled at Bethany and Charlie felt sick to her stomach.

“Get out,” she ordered. She shouted so loudly that the baby stirred and cried out a little bit, but settled back to sleep.

“Now, is that any way to talk to the father of your baby?” he asked.

“You are not her father, and you can’t be here. I have a restraining order against you,” Charlie insisted. “How did you find us anyway?” she asked. She felt around for the nurse’s call button. Ink had taken her phone when he left to run home to pack a bag for her and Bethany. He knew her well enough to know that if she had her phone, she’d be texting everyone she knew about the baby. Sure, it was a short list, but he wanted her to get some rest, and he was right—she was exhausted. But seeing her ex standing over her daughter’s bassinet filled her with enough rage to take on the whole world, if necessary.

“I found where you’ve been hiding. I saw you in that biker’s truck, driving out of town, and I realized that he was the guy at the tattoo shop that I talked to the day you ran from me. You were crafty, I’ll give you that. You hid your pregnancy and if I hadn’t followed the two of you back to his house, I would have never known about my daughter. Were you ever planning on telling me, Charlie?” Zeb asked.

“No, not ever,” she admitted. “Because you will never be her father,” she spat.

His laugh was mean and Charlie worried that she had pushed him too far. She found the nurse’s call button on the side of the bed and pushed it. Hopefully, a nurse would come into the room and be able to go get help.

“You can’t keep me from her, Charlie. You both belong to me, and you know that I’ll never let you go,” he threatened. She believed him when he said things like that to her. She had lived through enough of his abuse to know that he’d make good on every promise that he made.

The nurse walked into the room and Zeb turned around. “Everything okay?” the nurse asked, looking between the two of them.

“No, call the police, please. My ex-husband is an unwanted guest. I have a restraining order against him, but he refuses to leave.”

“She’s a liar,” Zeb shouted.

The nurse stepped out into the hallway and shouted for security. Within seconds, two guards were in her room and had Zeb in custody. They cuffed him while the nurse ran to call the police.

“You’ll never win, honey,” he shouted. “I won’t let you go, and no piece of paper will ever stop me from getting to you and our daughter.” She swiped at the tears that ran down her cheeks as Bethany softly cried from her bassinet. She hated showing any weakness around her ex, but she couldn’t help her tears.

Charlie watched as the two guards dragged him out of her hospital room, promising to come back for her statement when the cops got there. She thanked them both, trying to ignore Zeb’s tirade of insults and threats. The only thing she needed or wanted right now was Ink, and the sooner he got back, the better.

The nurse walked into her room and picked up Bethany, handing her to Charlie. “It will be okay,” the nurse promised. “They won’t let him back in here. The cops are on the way and your, um, boyfriend is on his way back. I took the liberty of calling him to let him know what happened. I hope that’s okay with you.”

“It’s more than okay, thank you for doing that,” Charlie said. She rocked her daughter, hoping that the nurse was right. She needed Ink by her side—the sooner the better.

She had just finished feeding Bethany when Ink came running into the room and tossed her bags to the floor. He walked to the side of the bed and almost looked afraid to touch her. He picked up Bethany from her arms and smiled down at the baby.

“Are you okay, honey?” Ink asked Charlie. He sat on the edge of the bed, cradling Bethany in his arms.

“I think so,” Charlie said. “Do you think that the cops will keep Zeb in custody?” she asked.

“I have no idea, but we’re not going to stick around to find out. I’ve hired an at-home nurse to take care of you both for the next few days,” he said.

“That has to be expensive, Ink. I can’t afford something like that,” she admitted. She hadn’t had a job since before she married Zeb. She got half of everything in their divorce settlement, and she planned on going back to work at some point, but then, she got pregnant.

“How about you let me worry about the costs and you just worry about getting stronger and taking care of Bethany,” he said.

“I can’t let you do that,” she insisted.

“Of course you can, honey,” he said. “Remember, you promised to be mine, and I plan on holding you to that promise, Charlie.” He was right, and all she wanted at the moment was to be able to go home. If Zeb came looking for her again, he wouldn’t be able to get to her, or Bethany—Ink would make sure of it.

“Okay,” she whispered. Ink kissed Bethany’s little head and then leaned in to gently brush his lips over Charlie's. He was so gentle with them both, that she wondered how he ever got the reputation as a big, bad biker. It was as though he had two sides, and she had to admit, she had fallen head over heels for both of them.

Charlie had been looking forward to her first night out since having Bethany. It had been almost a month since she had given birth, and even if her energy levels were still at a dismal low, she was excited to get out of the house and be with Ink and his friends. He even promised to get up with the baby so she could have a few beers and sleep in the next morning. She knew that Bethany was in good hands with Ink at the helm. Watching him with her daughter melted her heart and had her thinking that things might all just be all right. They hadn’t really talked about the future, agreeing to deal with things day by day, but she hoped that someday, Ink would want to be a part of her and Bethany’s family. First, she had to deal with Zeb and his bogus claim that he should have full custody of Bethany. Her court case was in just two days, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe every time she thought about it. Ink promised her that no judge in his or her right mind would ever give him the baby, but until the court case was over, she wouldn’t be able to think of her or Bethany’s futures.

“I’m running to the little girl’s room,” she said to Brooke and Ink. “Be right back.” She walked back to the ladies’ room and to the back stall. She was about to walk out of the stall when she overheard a few women walking into the bathroom, talking about her and Ink. She was able to peek out of the corner of the stall to see the three women who were talking about them. She didn’t recognize any of them or remember seeing them around the bar.

Charlie stood in the corner of the bathroom, hiding behind the stall doors. She was sure that the three women who were gossiping about Ink didn’t know that she was there, but maybe that knowledge wouldn’t have stopped them from gossiping.

“Did you hear that he’s loaded?” the redhead asked the two other women.

“You really think that’s true?” another woman asked. It was hard for Charlie to see her because she stood by the bathroom door.

“I do,” the brunette said. “He just moved to town not too long ago and he bought that big house and the building that his tattoo shop is in. I’d say that qualifies him as having money.” Charlie had never really thought about how big Ink’s house was or whether or not he owned the building that his tattoo shop was in, but maybe the gossipy women were right. The question was—why wouldn’t Ink tell her about having money? Was it a secret? Maybe he had come into money illegally or something, and didn’t want to tell her about it. One thing was for sure—she needed to figure out if the women were right or not because if Ink had lied to her this whole time, she was going to have to rethink everything about their relationship. Zeb had lied to her repeatedly, and she blindly let him. She wouldn’t play that fool again. She wouldn’t stick around to wait for another man to treat her the way that Zeb had.

“I heard that someone died and that he got the money that way,” the redhead insisted.

“Do you mean that he killed someone and took the money or someone he knew died and left him the money?” the other woman asked.

“No clue, all I know is that if the woman he’s with now ever gives him up, I’m moving in on him fast enough to make her head spin,” the brunette said. “He’s hot, has his own house and business, plus he’s rich. I mean that’s like winning the jackpot.” They all hummed their agreement, and she felt sick to her stomach. Would Ink find her to be so disposable as the women in the ladies’ room talking about him? She hoped not because she was falling for him. Maybe Ink wasn’t ready to hear that from her, but it was true. Since having Bethany, she imagined the three of them being a little family.

The bathroom door squeaked open, and Charlie quietly groaned. She was never going to get out of the stall and sooner or later, Ink would come looking for her. She wouldn’t put it past him to walk into the ladies’ room to find her.

“Charlie,” Brooke called, “are you still in here?” She didn’t answer, not wanting to give away the fact that she was hiding in the stall listening to their conversation about her and Ink.

“Um, we’re the only ones in here,” the redhead insisted.

“Yeah, and we’re having a private conversation,” the brunette added. Charlie held back her gasp.

Brooke took a beat before answering the woman, and when she did, Charlie almost wanted to leave the stall just to cheer for her friend. “You three need to leave,” Brooke insisted.

“Who are you to tell us what we need to do?” the third woman asked.

“I’m the club Prez’s Ol’lady,” Brooke spat, “and if you three don’t leave the bar now, I’ll have him and a few of the other guys throw you out. So, do you want to do this the hard way or the easy way?” Charlie could almost hear the women rolling their eyes at Brooke and when she asked them a second time what they planned on doing, they scoffed at her.

Brooke pulled her cell from her pocket and again threatened to get the guys involved, and Charlie had to admit she admired her. She hadn’t known Brooke long, but she seemed like the type of woman who didn’t take any shit from anyone—including her husband. “The hard way it is then,” she breathed.

“No,” the redhead hissed, “we’ll go. No need to call in the muscle.” She looked at the other two women and they seemed reluctant to follow her out, but they did. The door closed with a thud and Charlie wasn’t sure if she should continue to hide in the stall or go out.

“You in here?” Brooke asked.

“No,” Charlie called back. Brooke’s giggle filled the bathroom and Charlie rolled her eyes.

“I thought that you might be,” Brooke said, “and after I watched those three walk in here, I thought that you might need some backup. They are trouble and like to stir up shit in the club.”

“They said if Ink ever decides to dump me, they’d be waiting to take their turns,” Charlie said, leaving out the part about them talking about Ink being loaded. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to share that bit with Brooke. What if she already knew it to be true and was helping Ink to keep it a secret from her?

“I’d like to see them try to take Ink from you. The guy is smitten, but don’t tell him that I said that. If he finds out that I actually used the word, ‘Smitten’ to describe him, he’d be pissed, and I’d never hear the end of it. You know how he is.” Charlie nodded, but she wasn’t sure if she knew Ink at all right now. What if those women were telling the truth? What if the rumors about Ink being rich were true and he never told her? They had been through so much together in such a short time, that she wasn’t sure if she really knew anything about Ink, but she planned on finding out. One way or another, she’d figure out if Ink had been lying to her, and if he had, she’d have to find a new place for her and Bethany to lay low because she couldn’t stay with a man who lied to her. Zeb had done that to her and so much more, and she wouldn’t ever go back to living that way again.

Charlie had used every spare second to sneak around Ink’s house, looking for any paperwork that would show that he had been keeping a secret from her. She honestly didn’t care if Ink had money. None of that ever mattered to her. He had kept her and Bethany safe from Zeb and for that, she’d always be grateful to him, but she wouldn’t be able to stay with him if he was keeping secrets from her. To Charlie, that was the same as lying and she couldn’t live like that—not again. But finding any evidence of his money had proven fruitless. She knew that he might be keeping all his important documents at the shop, but she hadn’t had an excuse to stop by there in the weeks since having the baby. Charlie planned on stopping by the shop with the baby sometime later that week, and she’d find a way to go through his office. She felt bad about snooping, but after living with Zeb for years, she had learned to be really good at it—sad, but true.

For now, she had to get ready for her court case with her ex. Brooke and Mace had agreed to keep her while she and Ink were at court, and she was grateful. Ink was incredibly sweet and patient with her, but leaning on him while she was snooping around his house, felt wrong. Still, she took the comfort that he was offering because she had become used to it, for better or worse, she had fallen for Ink, and letting him go, if necessary, was going to break her heart. She’d do it though—not just for herself, but for her daughter too.

“Mace and Brooke are here,” he said, sticking his head into the bedroom. She was pumping breast milk for Bethany. “You almost done?”

She pasted on her best smile and nodded, “I’ll be down in a minute,” she agreed.

He crossed the room and gently kissed her lips. “Don’t worry, honey,” he said. “Everything will work out—you’ll see.” She nodded again, not able to talk past the lump in her throat. How could Ink be so confident? She wouldn’t believe that everything would be okay until the judge awarded her full custody of Bethany. Anything less would drive her mad and having to share her daughter with her abusive ex would be enough to send her over the edge.

“I’ll be downstairs,” he promised. “We need to leave in ten minutes. I’ll fill Brooke in on where everything is, and you come down as soon as you’re ready.”

“I will,” she promised. “Thank you, Ink,” she said as he walked out of their bedroom.

“For what?” he asked, stopping in the doorway.

“For having my back,” she said.

“Always, honey,” he promised. “You and Bethany are my priority, that will never change, Charlie.” Hearing him say those words to her gave her that damn hope again—hope that she shouldn’t be feeling, but it was still there.

By the time she checked on the baby, promising her daughter that they’d be home soon, they got to the courthouse just in time for the doors to close. She sat up front next to the lawyer that Ink had hired for her. He sat right behind her and even though she could feel Zeb’s eyes on her, she refused to look over in his direction. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear and worry on her face or in her eyes. Charlie just needed to remember to stay strong for her daughter and she’d find a way to deal with everything else later.

“Just breathe,” Ink said from behind her. She smiled back at him and nodded.

“All rise,” the bailiff shouted as the judge made her way into the room. Her lawyer had explained how lucky she was that they had Judge Keller presiding over her case. Apparently, the judge was fair but also hated dealing with abusive assholes. Charlie was hoping that was true because she really needed a win today.

The judge called the court to order, and everyone sat down. She felt as though she was holding her breath waiting for Zeb’s lawyer to start talking and when he finally sat down after spouting more lies than she could count, her lawyer stood and presented her case. He showed the judge the photos that the police department took of her bruises and black eye when Ink took her down to file her restraining order against Zeb. He also shared video footage of Zeb’s tirade at the hospital when he broke the restraining order and was arrested. He argued that her ex wasn’t fit to be a father because of his abusive anger management issues. Charlie watched the judge, hoping that she’d give some inkling about how she might rule, but she was sitting on the bench as though she was made of stone. If she was swayed one way or another, Charlie couldn’t tell.

“I’m going to go back to my chambers and review the evidence and make my ruling in one hour,” the judge banged the gavel down on her desk and Charlie jumped.

“What does that mean?” she asked as the courtroom stood for the judge to leave the bench.

“It’s a good thing,” her lawyer assured. For some crazy reason, Charlie was having trouble believing him.

“He’s right, honey,” Ink assured. “How about you let me take you to lunch? It will help pass the time.” Her stomach did a little flip-flop at the mention of food. There was no way that she’d be able to keep anything down until she knew how the judge would rule.

“I can’t eat,” she insisted.

“Okay, how about a walk then?” her lawyer asked. “The fresh air might help with your nerves. I have a few phone calls to make, and I’ll call you on your cell if there are any changes or updates in your case.” Charlie thanked him as he stood and exited the courtroom.

“So, how about that walk?” Ink asked. “It might help you feel better.” Nothing was going to make her feel better. Not until she knew that her ex wouldn’t be able to touch her daughter.

“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed. She knew that Ink wasn’t going to give up on getting her out of the courtroom, and he was probably right—fresh air might take her mind off things. She doubted it, but it was worth a try.

They left the courthouse and as soon as she stepped into the cool air, she felt a bit better. “You know, you can tell me anything, Charlie,” Ink insisted. “If you want to tell me how you feel, I’m here for you. Nothing you say will ever change how I feel about you.”

“I’m feeling nervous, but other than that, I really don’t have any deep, dark secrets that I’m keeping from you, Ink,” she insisted. “You know, the same goes for you though. If you have anything that you need to tell me, you can. I won’t judge you or anything like that.” She wasn’t sure if she should be opening this can of worms during her court case recess, but he had set her up perfectly to ask if he was keeping something from her.

“I’m an open book, honey. I would never lie to you. You told me that Zeb used to lie to you, and I wouldn’t hurt you like that,” he promised. She knew that Ink would never intentionally hurt her, but what if he was keeping a secret from her? Would he even consider that to be a lie? She was about to ask him when her cell phone rang in her purse. She dug it out to answer it.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hey, Charlie. The judge has made her decision early and is calling everyone back to court,” her lawyer said. She felt sick to her stomach as he said those words to her.

“The judge made up her mind early? Is that a good or bad thing?” she asked. She started walking back to the courthouse with Ink following her.

“It can go either way, but I have a good feeling about this. I’ll meet you back in the courtroom. How far away are you?” he asked.

“Ink and I are walking into the courthouse now,” she said. “I’ll see you in a minute.” She turned the corner, almost walking into Zeb, when Ink grabbed her arm and pulled her back against his body.

“Hey, honey,” Zeb taunted. He knew that using any endearment for her would piss Ink off.

“Aren’t you breaking a restraining order, asshole?” Ink breathed.

Zeb chuckled, “Well, my lawyer is right over there. I’m betting that he’ll be able to handle a little restraining order if I need him to.”

She could feel the anger vibrating through Ink and she reached around and grabbed his hand. “He’s not worth it, Ink. He’s just trying to piss you off.” She knew Zeb enough to know that he’d do anything to get a rise out of Ink so that she’d be alone in the courtroom, and facing the judge by herself wasn’t an option.

Zeb laughed again and she pulled Ink along with her to the security checkpoint. They got through quickly and she met her lawyer outside of the courtroom. She could tell by the expression on his face that he noticed that Zeb was right behind them.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I will be as soon as this is over and I hopefully never have to see him again,” she admitted. She knew that someday, he could come back after Bethany, but hopefully, that wouldn’t be for a very long time.

They filed into the courtroom and were immediately asked to stand for the judge. Charlie thought for sure that she was either going to pass out or be sick when the judge told them all to sit down. She knew that the judge was talking, but the ringing in Charlie’s ears was drowning out everything that she was saying.

The next thing she heard was Zeb shouting at the judge that she was biased because she was a woman and probably hated him. The judge banged the gavel on her desk, telling Zeb to sit down, but he refused, shouting horrible accusations at the judge.

“Take Mr. Blue into custody and charge him with contempt of court. Maybe some time in a jail cell will calm you down.” The two officers standing on either side of the judge’s bench took Zeb into custody, and she looked back to Ink. She wasn’t sure if she should be happy or upset about the judge’s ruling, but judging by Zeb’s reaction, she had won her case.

“You will keep full custody of your daughter, Mrs. Blue. And if your ex-husband violates the restraining order or my ruling, you have your lawyer contact me. Men like him shouldn’t be allowed to father children—or marry women, for that matter. I’m sorry that you had to endure all of that, but you and your daughter are free now.”

“We are?” she asked.

“You are,” the judge said.

“Thank you,” Charlie whispered. The judge called the court to a close and the courtroom stood as she left the bench.

“You did it, honey,” Ink whispered into her ear. No matter how many times she was told that she had won her case, she had trouble believing it. Charlie had a feeling that it was going to take some time for it all to sink in, but for now, all she wanted to do was go home to Bethany and just hold her daughter. For the first time in a long time, she felt a sense of relief and freedom that she had never felt before. Zeb was finally out of her life, and she’d be able to move on with hers. The question was, would she and Bethany be moving on alone or with Ink?