Page 41 of Loki’s Spellbinder (Hunters Creek Archangel’s Warriors MC #14)

Reaching back, she picked up something off the bed.

She held it in the air, then let it slip from her hand to fall back on the bed.

It was her property cut. Rushing to her to put an end to this, I wasn’t paying close enough attention.

When I reached her, the pain and fury in her gaze hit me a moment before she grabbed my shoulders and then kneed me in the balls.

I crumpled. As I lay there in agony, she walked out the door without a backward glance.

I knew she didn’t because I watched her even though my eyes watered, and I couldn’t speak. Moments later, I heard the door slam.

It took several minutes to catch my breath and be able to think and move. I fumbled for my phone. I had it in my hand when I heard footsteps. I turned, hoping it was her, but it wasn’t. There stood Bull and Tank. Talk about humiliating.

“You alright, brother?” Tank asked.

“Other than the dent to my pride, the fact I’ll never father more children, and my old lady just left me, just fucking peachy,” I said sarcastically. I rolled and eased to my feet. My balls still hurt.

“It’ll take more than your woman kneeing you in the jewels to stop having kids, though you won’t feel like sex for a day or two. As for your pride, if you mean us seeing this, don’t worry about it. You need to make things right with your woman,” Bull said.

“I tried, and that’s how I ended up on the floor. She doesn’t want to see or hear anything I have to say. She accused me of keeping secrets, and it’s a deal breaker for her. Did you let her have one of the townhomes, or did she go to town?”

“I thought it better to keep her on the compound, so she’s in the first one. Jocelyn and Brynlee went with her, but she sent them back. She doesn’t want to speak to anyone,” Bull added.

“Let her calm down. I’ve pissed Brynlee off several times, and she always forgives me,” Tank assured me.

“Did she ever give you her cut back?” I asked, pointing to the bed. They both flinched.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m lucky she didn’t take out her gun and shoot me,” I added.

“Does she think you kept the kid a secret? Hell, Bull said you had no idea he existed, and that you need another test to be sure he’s yours.”

“No, she isn’t mad about him. Brae said to look at him. She knows he’s mine. What she’s mad about is that I didn’t include her in our conversation, Bull, and that I’m keeping secrets about my past. She told me about hers, but I haven’t done the same.”

“She’s right. You can’t blame her if she’s been all-in and open, and you haven’t,” Pres said.

I limped to the kitchen. They followed. Walking hurt, but I knew I had to work off the pain. I stood by the counter and hung my head.

“What secrets?” Tank asked.

“I’ll explain, but not until after I tell Braelyn. If she’ll listen.”

“I suggest you let her cool off and think. She’s not going anywhere.

I told the prospects not to let her out of the gate, and the automatic gate release is turned off.

Not that she can probably go far on foot before we find her if she did find a way out.

I know when pissed off, women can do more than we think.

While she settles, you need to come to my house,” Bull said.

“Why?”

“Because there’s a scared little boy there who doesn’t know what’s happening and is about to lose it.

Devyn and Jocelyn are with him, along with Ace and the kids.

That boy has been abandoned by the only parent he’s known.

He was left with a stranger, who he’s been told is his dad.

He needs to know someone wants him, Loki.

Braelyn is an adult. He’s a child. He comes first,” Bull explained.

I knew he was right, but it still didn’t change my desire to run over to see her. However, I couldn’t leave Xander afraid.

“You’re right, Pres. Let’s go see him.”

“I’ll go back and make sure the others know that Braelyn isn’t to leave or be given a ride,” Tank added.

“Do that. I’ll be along when I can,” Bull told him.

We went out the door together. Tank squeezed my shoulder before heading toward the clubhouse. Bull and I began walking toward his house.

“Do you know what you want to say to him?” Bull asked.

“Hell, no, but you’re right. He’s a kid and needs me more than she does. And something tells me, Brae would agree. God, Bull, if only I had told her about Roxie and the other. What’s she gonna do when she finds out I hid two things from her? I don’t know what I’ll do if she leaves me.”

“You’ll be a sad bastard, but we’re not letting that happen. Stay positive. You might have to beg and pay penance for a while, but if you keep her, then it’s worth it. Just know not to do it again.”

I snorted. “Believe me, that lesson has been burned into my brain. I tell her everything as soon as she lets me see her.”

“Good.”

We spent the rest of the walk in silence. Bull gave me time to organize my thoughts. When we entered the house, we stopped to remove our boots. Neither of us wanted Jocelyn to beat us with her broom for tracking dirt into the house.

“Duchess, where are you?” he called out.

“We’re in the living room,” she called back. As we got closer, I heard the murmur of voices. Waltzing in there, we found Devyn and Jocelyn. There was no sign of Ace or the kids.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“Ace went to show him where the bathroom was. We told Caeden, Corinne, and Hayden to stay in the playroom until we call them,” Jocelyn explained.

“It was sweet when they asked Xander to play. He was so nice to them. He didn’t say anything about being so much older and not into what they are,” Devyn added.

The light patter of footsteps made me turn. Ace and Xander walked in. As soon as the boy saw me, his apprehension worsened. I knew I was probably scowling like an ogre, so I smiled.

“Hi, Xander, I’m sorry I was gone so long. I hope you got to know everyone here. I’ll introduce you to the others later. We’re a big group, so I understand being overwhelmed by so many strange faces.”

He sat on the couch, and I went to sit next to him. The others got up and slipped out. I wanted to beg them to stay, but I relaxed when Bull remained in the room.

“That’s alright,” Xander mumbled.

“No, it’s not. I went to talk to my woman and lost track of time.”

“Is she the one who left when you went with him?” he asked, pointing to Bull.

“That’s the one,” I verified.

“Is she still mad about me?” he asked.

“Xander, she isn’t mad about you,” I assured him.

“Yes, she is,” he said dejectedly.

“No, she’s upset with me because I didn’t tell her about your mom, and she thought we told each other everything. I don’t want you to think she’s angry at you.”

“Are you getting rid of me like Mom did? Troy doesn’t want me, so she said I had to live with you. If Brae doesn’t want me, you’ll do the same. It’s alright. I can go into foster care,” he said woodenly.

His easy acceptance told me this kid had probably never had a lot of love from his mom.

She set him up to feel unwanted and unloved.

For a kid to accept foster care so easily angered me.

Roxie explained in her letter that her current boyfriend didn’t want a kid mucking up their lives, especially one that wasn’t his.

It was why she decided to tell me after all these years that I had a son.

“No one is putting you in foster care. Brae isn’t the kind of woman to tell a guy he has to give up his kid to keep her,” I informed him.

There was a flare of hope in his gaze. “I promise, I won’t make noise, and I’ll clean the house, do chores, and I won’t eat too much. That way, you won’t have to spend much money on new clothes.”

My gut tightened. Again, I wanted to have Roxie’s neck in my hands.

“Most kids do a few chores, Xander, even mine. Picking up your toys, cleaning your room, or putting away dishes aren’t too bad.

Who told you that you made too much noise, ate too much, and cost money to get more clothes?

Your mom? Or her boyfriend?” Bull asked.

He was covering for my silence as I absorbed what the boy said.

“Mom was always upset that I would forget to clean the house and do the laundry. She’d ground me when I forgot to do it all or went to play first. I wasn’t allowed to leave my room unless it was to make dinner for us, clean, or go to school, when she grounded me.

The longest time lasted three months. If I ate too much and grew, she would get upset.

Troy said that kids cost nothing but money, and we suck the life and soul out of people. He doesn’t want kids.”

“Xander, I believe learning to cook, wash clothes, clean, and more is good for kids,” I started. He cut in before I could qualify my statement.

“Then I’ll do it. If you want me to mow the yard, I will. We didn’t have one. I’ll wash all the clothes, clean the whole house, and cook dinner. I pack my lunch, so you don’t need to do that. And if I can get a job, I can pay for my clothes,” he promised.

“Whoa, hang on, you didn’t let me finish.

I want you to know how to do those things, but it doesn’t mean you do all of them.

The house is a joint job for everyone who lives in it.

Washing your clothes might be good, but not mine or Brae’s.

And while helping around the house is expected, you wouldn’t have the whole thing resting on you.

You have to have time to be a kid and have fun.

However, if you break the rules, you could earn a grounding.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, do you know where your mom is?

When she dropped you off, did she say whether she would stay close by?

Where are you from? Was she going back there? ” I asked rapidly.

“She and Troy were going on a long vacation. She didn’t say where. We live in Springfield, Missouri. She’ll drop me off at the orphanage if you take me back. She told me that.”

“No one is dropping you off anywhere. I grew up in Missouri, but lived in a different part of the state. I met your mom in Colombia. Did she tell you much about me? Did you always know who your dad was?”

Xander’s eyes lowered, and he stared down at his hands.

They were clenched together. “Mom always told me my dad didn’t want her anymore because of me.

She said that when you found out she was pregnant, you kicked her out and told her to go away.

But she didn’t tell me your name until we were almost here.

She said if I behaved, you might keep me now that I was older and not a crying brat wearing diapers. ”

I had to bite my bottom lip until I almost bled to hold back the cursing I wanted to do.

What kind of person told her kid this kind of shit?

A damn piece of filth who didn’t deserve anything short of living in the gutter.

Roxie didn’t know it, but she’d just guaranteed I’d see her ruined and that worthless boyfriend of hers would be right there alongside her.

“Xander, I never knew you existed. Your mom never told me she was pregnant. She and I had a disagreement, and things kind of fell apart, but she didn’t tell me she was having a baby.

I would’ve never let her keep you from me.

However, since your mom told so many lies, we have to do something first.”

“You want to take a DNA test to be sure I’m yours. When can we do it? How long will it take to get the results? Can I stay here until we know?” He asked those questions anxiously.

“You’ll stay here, and I’d have to ask someone who is a doctor. Bull, can you see what Zara says about that?”

“Sure will,” he said, taking out his phone.

“Who is Zara?” Xander asked.

“She’s the old, I mean, wife of one of the other guys in my club. His name is Demon.”

“You have funny names. Why would she know?”

“We do have funny names. I’m in a motorcycle club.

We take on names like Demon or Loki, which are road names.

The other members are called brothers. Demon is a club brother.

His wife, whom we call an old lady, is Zara, and she’s a doctor.

If anyone knows, it’ll be her. Tell me about yourself.

What do you like to do? Favorite foods, anything. ”

As he eagerly chatted, I stayed focused on him and fought not to let my mind drift off to think about Braelyn.

Bull briefly interrupted to let us know Zara said it would take up to five business days to get the results.

She was able to do it. She’d stop by in the morning to get fresh samples, then take them to work with her and send them to the lab.

The longer we talked, the more of myself I saw in Xander.

It wasn’t just his looks, but his mannerisms and what he liked.

It was uncanny that a child raised away from a parent, and I was choosing to believe I was his dad, could end up so much alike.

I tried to see Roxie in him. While I saw aspects of his looks that were part of her, the rest were only tiny glimpses.

We talked for an hour before I felt he was as relaxed as possible.

I soothed his fears that I wasn’t going to ship him to foster care or an orphanage.

He was smiling when Jocelyn called him to have a snack with the other kids.

I told him to go and enjoy himself. I explained that I needed to step away for a while and talk to Braelyn.

He seemed to understand as Bull promised they’d keep him with their kids.

I thanked them both. Devyn and Ace were hanging out so their son could play with his aunt and uncle.

Seeing a boy two months older than his uncle and aunt was wild.

I left Bull and Ace explaining how they got their names and how they were related.

I took my time walking to the townhomes. I tried to formulate my speech to Brae. I wondered if she’d open the door and listen? If not, I’d keep coming back until she did.