Page 6

H umming under my breath, I clean the glass on one of the paintings, hanging on the wall. I step back and smile.

Perfect. Not a smudge in sight.

Walking back to the front desk, I stash the cleaning supplies under the counter. Midnight has a shelf in the back that he kept them on, but I hated walking back there every day when I wanted to clean the windows or the photos, so I’ve started keeping it up front with me. He never said anything about it, but I didn’t miss that a new bottle had been replaced on the shelf.

The bell on the door rings, letting me know someone’s arrived.

I stand up, and my smile falters for a second when I see two girls with a woman. We don’t allow children in here, but rather than come off as aggressive, I try to be polite.

“Hi, welcome to Dynasty. How can I help you?” I ask sweetly.

“I’m here to drop these two off with their dad.” The woman sneers at the walls as she looks around.

She seems like a peach.

“Oh, okay. Who’s their dad? I’ll go grab him,” I say as I take a step back.

“Midnight,” she says, making me pause.

I heard her wrong, right?

My heart races. “Come again?”

The woman glares at me. “Are you dense? I said their dad was Midnight. Now go get him.”

“I’m sorry, but Midnight stepped out for the evening. Is there something I can help you with?” I say as I watch the girls step closer to each other out of the corner of my eye.

“Yeah, you can call him and tell him that he can come get his kids,” she hisses, making me flinch.

Oh my god. He’s a dad. He’s a fucking dad.

“Give me one second.” I smile as I pick up my phone with a shaky hand.

Quickly, I find his number and try calling. It rings and rings and rings until finally going to voicemail.

The woman starts tapping her foot on the floor as the girls make themselves comfortable in the waiting area with their bags waiting at their feet.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? If there is one thing I know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, it’s that Midnight wouldn’t have left if he knew his daughters were coming by. Or if he did, he would have warned me. This has to be an unexpected visit, and I don’t know what to do about it.

“I’m sorry, but Midnight isn’t answering right now. Was he expecting you?” I ask, even though I think I know the answer.

“Look, it’s none of your business. I got shit to do, so I’m leaving the girls with you. Tell him to call me when he gets a chance.” The woman doesn’t even say goodbye to her daughters before stomping outside.

“Hey, guys, I’m Lainey. I guess I work for your dad?” I say as I walk toward them.

“Do you work for our dad? You don’t sound so sure,” one of them says.

“Selena.” One of the girls groans before looking at me. “Hi, Lainey. I’m Sienna, and this is my sister Selena,” she says, pointing her thumb at her twin.

I quickly commit their names to memory and study the girls appearances to try and remember who’s who. Sienna’s nails are painted a nude pink shade while Selena’s are bare. I’ll have to come up with a better method of telling them apart, but that will work for today.

“I was definitely telling you,” I say, winking at Selena. “It’s nice to meet you girls. Is there anything I can get you right now?”

“Can I get a Dr Pepper?” Selena asks.

“Oh, me too, please,” Sienna says.

I pause. “Does your dad let you have soda?”

Both girls roll their eyes in unison and say, “Yes.”

“You can ask Elle or Jerico,” Selena adds.

“I’ll do that. I’ll be right back.”

Turning, I dash down the hall. I find Elle in Jerico’s room, studying a sketch he has on his light board.

“Guys, we have a problem,” I hiss, getting their attention.

Elle frowns as Jerico sits up straight.

“What’s wrong?” Elle asks.

“Someone giving you shit?” Jerico adds.

He looks ready to wage a war, and shocks me. He barely knows me.

“Some woman just dropped off two girls in the lobby and bounced. She said they are Midnight’s kids.”

Jerico and Elle share a look and mutter, “Shit.”

“So I take it they are his.”

“Yeah, they are his,” Jerico says.

“Have you called him?” Elle asks.

“I tried, but it went to voicemail.”

“Leave it to that bitch to drop them here without a warning.” Jerico shakes his head.

Elle elbows him in the ribs. “Be nice.”

Jerico looks at me. “Miranda’s his baby mama. She has a tendency to drop the girls off here unannounced when it’s not Midnight’s weekend. He never says no because he loves time with his girls. You should text him so he knows they are here.”

I slap my forehead. “You’re right, I didn’t even think to text him. I was just overwhelmed with the whole interaction.”

“Yeah, Miranda is a pain in the ass. Do you mind hanging out with them until he gets back?” Elle asks.

“I don’t mind. I actually like kids.”

“Sweet. They are honestly sweet and will stick to themselves. They’ve spent enough time here that they know the rules,” Elle tells me.

“Okay, cool. I can text him.” I turn toward the door but pause. “Wait, they asked for Dr Pepper. They can have soda, right?”

“Yeah, Lainey, they can,” Elle tells me softly.

“Shout if you need us.” Jerico tells me.

I nod and head down the hall toward the break room. I snatch two cans of Dr Pepper from the fridge before heading back out to the lobby. Both girls are exactly where I left them. Selena’s got a tablet in her lap, and Sienna’s got a textbook and a notebook in hers.”

“Here you guys go. Do you need anything else?” I ask as I set the cans down onto the coffee table.

“Nope, we’re good.” Selena smiles and Sienna nods.

My eyes dart to the textbook again, and I know it’s overstepping, but I can’t help myself but to ask. “Do you have any homework? Or do you need help with any?” I ask as I bite my lip.

“I finished mine in the car. Sienna can’t look at a book when she’s moving, or it makes her sick,” Selena tells me.

“Selena…is nothing sacred?” Sienna groans.

“Hey, I just tell it like it is.” Selena shrugs.

“Alrighty then, well, if you need anything, I’ll be over there.”

Both girls nod and go back to doing their thing. I go back to the desk and pick up my phone and shoot Midnight a text.

Me: Hey, uh, your daughters are here at the shop. I don’t know what you want me to do, but I’m cool hanging out with them until you get back. Let me know when you get a chance.

Blowing out a breath, I stare at the girls. If I had to guess, they are about ten or eleven. They have Midnight’s hair and skin coloring and are completely gorgeous. I can tell with just spending five minutes in their presence that he’s going to have his hands full with them when they are older.

When the girls start whispering to each other, I can’t help but smile. I don’t need to see them interact with their dad to know that they love him. It’s blatantly obvious with how comfortable they are just hanging around the shop.

I shake my head. Midnight’s a dad and something about that is…hot.

I’ve never been into single dads, but apparently there is a first time for everything.

Church is tense. Everyone is on edge and at varying levels of pissed the fuck off.

When Reaper called the emergency church, I had no idea the type of bomb he was about to drop on us. I had no idea that the blow coming would be worse than what we’ve already gone through.

William fucking Dansworth is the bane of all of our existence.

The man needs a bullet between the eyes, and then, for good measure, be staked to the ground before being lit on fire until he’s nothing but a pile of ashes.

Natalie’s ex, who also happens to be a former Lotus MC reject, is making our lives hell. He’s running for mayor, and he’s basing his campaign on getting rid of the local MCs in the area. He somehow got a picture of some of our members, Reaper being one of them, and painted a bull’s-eye on it, and now he is spreading it around.

How he never died after being shot and then going up in a burning building is beyond us. It’s like the motherfucker has kept collecting lives like he’s in a video game.

The situation isn’t good for any of us.

“We should put a hit out on this motherfucker.” Pinky says what we are all thinking.

“Yeah, if only it was that easy.” Reaper sighs.

I find myself speaking up. “How’s Natalie holding up?”

“She’s a fucking mess. She had Bullet reorganizing the clinic earlier. Doc and Evelyn aren’t going to be able to find anything down there next time we have a problem,” Reaper tells me.

“Shit, someone better warn your sister now,” Spider says, trying to lighten the mood.

The sound of glass hitting the table hard has us turning our heads. Honk is clenching his beer bottle and looking off into space. His gray hair has gotten whiter recently, and the wrinkles on his face have deepened. He looks like he’s aged ten years in just a few months’ time. I guess losing the love of your life will do that to you.

The phone rings in the middle of the table, making everyone tense.

“It’s them. Everyone ready?” Reaper asks.

Everyone answers yes, and he answers the phone.

“Crow,” he says to the leader of the Reno Renegades.

We are mortal enemies. Hate each other like no other. They even worked with this asshole for a bit, but right now, none of that matters. We are all up on the serving platter. If one of us falls, the other isn’t far behind.

We don’t trust them, but we need to do what we can to keep our clubs alive, and if that means we put the hate aside until we deal with the common enemy, that’s what we will do.

“Reaper, we got a fucking mess on our hands,” his gravelly voice says.

“Tell me about it. I have my men here, just so you know who’s listening.”

“Mine are here as well. We’re on the same page then?” Crow asks.

“If the same page is that this needs to end, then yes.”

“Good. I got an idea.”

Reaper looks around, and we all nod, signaling we are open to hearing him out.

“Tell us,” Reaper tells him.

He outlines the plan for us step by fucking step. It’s risky, but the payoff will be worth it.

After he hangs up, the daily fucking roundtable happens. Everyone has their opinions and wants to be heard. I just want it all to be done with.

Hours later, Reaper bangs the gavel. “Get out of here. We’ll reconnect tonight.”

Some of the guys jump up and rush out of the room. Leaning back in the chair, I check my watch. Shit, it’s already two a.m. We were in here for over ten hours, and it feels like barely any progress was made.

Reaper places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Are you staying here tonight, or are you heading back to your place?”

“Here. I’m fucking tired, and the girls are with Miranda.”

Reaper nods. “I’m sorry you missed your nightly call with them tonight.”

“It happens. They will understand.”

Reaper leaves the room, and I pull out my phone. I wait for it to power on, and as soon as it comes to life, it starts vibrating in my hand. When I see a text from Lainey, my heart clenches.

Shit, I hope she made it home okay on her own.

Opening her message, my heart stalls, and I have to read it twice.

Lainey: Hey, uh, your daughters are here at the shop. I don’t know what you want me to do, but I’m cool hanging out with them until you get back. Let me know when you get a chance.

Fuck!

I leave her message and see that I have one from the girls.

S & S: Dad, Lainey is awesome.

S & S: Lainey said you are at the club. How much longer are you going to be?

Goddammit.

Of all the days for Miranda to pull her shit and ditch the girls, it had to be when I wasn’t there. And of course, she wasn’t bright enough to bring them here where she knew I would be. At least she didn’t drop them off at my house where they would have been all alone.

I exit their chat and pull up Lainey’s number. My knee bounces as I wait for the call to connect.

“Hey,” Lainey says softly.

“Where are you? Are the girls still with you?”

“We’re at the shop.”

My eyebrows raise. “You’re still at the shop?”

“Yeah.” She hesitates. “The girls told me they had a key to your place, but I didn’t want to take them on a bus without your knowledge, so we stayed put. I hope that’s okay.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “No, it’s fine. I appreciate it, actually. Thank you.”

“It’s no big deal. We’re in the back. The girls are curled up on the couch and fell asleep watching some TV show. I hope it’s okay, but I took cash from the till and ordered us pizza.”

“No, that’s more than fine.” I sigh. “Look, I’m on my way, okay? I’ll come in through the back door.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon,” she says softly before hanging up.

Cursing, I bang my fist on the table.

I should have been there. I’m angry at myself and at Miranda for pulling her shit. I check my phone again, and sure enough, I don’t have a single message or call from Miranda letting me know that she was dropping them off.

It’s too late to do anything about it now. I can’t go back in time and change shit.

Standing, I make my way out of the clubhouse. I hope one of the cages is back after being tuned up because the last thing I want to do is drive home to pick up my truck before driving back to the shop to get my girls.