Page 21

Nikki

“Y ou must be the lovely Nikki. We’ve heard so much about you.” A tall, handsome man with green eyes and long hair drawled as he took my hand.

“So much about you.” This biker had olive skin with hazel eyes the same as the younger one who’d introduced himself as Gio. “His words didn’t do you justice. Big fan of the show, by the way.”

“Thanks. I’ve heard about you guys too.” I looked around my kitchen where half a dozen bikers had gathered to make me blush and my little girl giggle. “Coffee? Water? Something else to drink?” I never hosted this many people at once in my house and I was overwhelmed.

Livvy however was in her element, fascinated by all the men and their doting attention. “I like this one Sniper. How ‘bout you?”

The heavily tatted man with close-cropped hair grinned and leaned on the counter, seriously pondering the question. “You can never go wrong with chocolate anything, but there’s just something about peanut butter that feels like home.”

She scrunched her face up adorably and when her gaze found Logan’s, he gave her a ‘told ya’ expression, so I guessed they’d already had the cookie debate. “It’s good,” she said.

Logan rounded the counter and scooped her up. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

She nodded. “It was real hard. Maybe next time you can bake peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, so I don’t have to choose?”

Everyone laughed again, enamored with her.

I have to tell him.

“You’re seriously smart, kid.” Gio leaned in and examined her face. “Did you say you were sixteen? Seventeen?”

Livvy’s head fell forward, and she laughed as if it was the funniest thing she ever heard. “I’m five but my birthday is soon. Right Mommy? We’re having a party just for me!”

“So young?” Gio shook his head. “Too smart.”

“You can’t be too smart, Gio.” She rolled her eyes, and he laughed again.

“Cute kid.”

I gasped at the deep voice that appeared beside me out of nowhere. Diesel was the President of the Steel Demons MC, and the man used his words sparingly. He didn’t talk a lot the way the other guys did, instead he watched and observed, took in all the details, which was a terrifying thought. “Um, thanks.” He made me nervous, probably because he wasn’t as gregarious as the rest of the guys. “And thank you, for your, um, help.”

His lips tugged into some semblance of a grin. “We’re bikers but we’re not bad guys, something I think you know better than most.”

“Bikers come in all shapes and sizes, colors, and legality.” Highway Pulse drew all types but there was a disproportionate number of bikers among our listeners.

“You sure you’re good with Rebel staying in your house? With you and your daughter?” His gaze studied me a little too closely.

Did he know about Livvy, or did he at least suspect? “I’m good, yeah. Yes, I mean. He’s… fine.”

A long silence settled between us as we both watched Logan move around the room with Livvy in his arms. He looked like a natural, as if he’d been doing this from the day she was born. Tell him, damn it!

“Where is Livvy’s dad?”

I turned slowly, watching Diesel’s profile. His jaw didn’t clench, his breath didn’t hitch, and he gave no other indication he suspected anything. “That’s a complicated question.”

He grunted a response that was somewhere between a laugh and a huff. “Isn’t it always?”

I kept quiet.

“My son’s mother had him and I didn’t know. For years I was in the dark that I had a kid. It was a twist of fate that brought me the truth and when I found out I was scared as hell, but I couldn’t wait to meet him and be his dad.”

Oh shit. He knew. Diesel totally fucking knew about Livvy. I didn’t know how he’d found out, but his story made it clear that he suspected. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I’m just saying, I wish I knew sooner.”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Duly noted. Thanks.”

“No problem. We look after our own. Always.” He finally turned to face me. “Do you have any idea what the Blood Fangs think you have on them or Councilman Cameron?”

I sighed and shook my head. “Nope. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, among other things and I have a theory.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Since the caller on my show mentioned it, there have been a few stories about him and his connections both online and in print. They might think I’m the source.”

“Are you?”

I laughed. “At this rate, I really fucking wish I was the source. The truth,” I sighed and tucked a lock of hair behind my ears, “is that I don’t know anything. That video was just a one-off, I swear.”

He said nothing for a long time, just studied my face until he found whatever he was looking for. “I believe you. Just needed to know what else to look for.”

I didn’t know what that meant so I just shrugged. “They think I know a hell of a lot more than I do. Trust me, if I did, I’d talk about it on the radio where it couldn’t be edited.”

That made him smile. “Maybe you’ll get your wish.”

I let out a huff of laughter. “Yeah, maybe.”

“This isn’t a long-term solution,” he added out of the blue, stealing my smile. “Eventually the Blood Fangs will come here, which is probably why Rebel wanted you to leave, because you might not want to be here when they do.”

“You mean if they do.”

Diesel shook his head. “Wish I did. This isn’t the first time our MC has been through this.”

Shit. “How long do you think we have?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know. Do you really want to wait until it gets to that point?” He looked around the kitchen. “This is a nice home you’ve created for you and Livvy.”

“Okay, message received. Loud and clear.”

He smiled. “Rebel said you were smart. See you around, Nikki.” He whistled. “C’mon, let’s head out.”

Livvy took her time, hugging each one of the guys before letting them go, and then she climbed up Logan and waved them off from the doorway.

I needed to tell him.

It didn’t matter if he hated me. It didn’t matter if we were over before we ever really got started. What mattered was that he knew about Livvy, and they could strengthen their bond as father and daughter. Whatever happens, you’ll deal with it the way you always do. Like a champ.

“Something weighing on your mind, beautiful?” Logan’s voice was deep and teasing in my ear, and it sent a rush of heat down my spine and around my waist like a caress before it settled between my thighs. Hot and wet and heavy.

“A lot, actually.” I turned to face him and took a step back. I couldn’t touch him or let him touch me or else I’d never get the words out.

“What’s wrong? Tell me.” His hands gripped my shoulders. “Nikki.”

My eyes slid shut for just a moment. “I have to tell you something. It’s something big and I’m just trying to find the words to tell you without you hating me.”

“You’re scaring me.” His brows dipped and he searched my face.

“Logan, the reason that I was so upset with you about leaving without a word was, initially, all about my ego. I thought I had misread everything between us, that maybe I had rose-colored goggles on and the night wasn’t what it seemed.”

“You didn’t and it was exactly how it seemed.” His jaw clenched tight, but his gaze held mine. “It was a mistake, that’s all.”

“Yeah, I know but a couple months later it was about more than my ego.” I sighed, searching his gaze to see if he knew where I was going with this long-winded speech. Or was it a monologue? “It was because my period was late, and I was pregnant.”

He froze. I mean still as a fucking statue.

I was terrified but I had to move forward. “Yeah. I did a few shows with a garbage can beside me so I could get sick during commercial breaks. I went to the doctor and found out I was pregnant.” I shook my head. “I was terrified. And angry. And hurt.”

“Pregnant.”

“Yeah,” I sighed.

“Livvy?”

I nodded, the words stuck in my throat. “I know I should have told you sooner and I understand if you hate me.” I held my breath and waited for Logan to yell, to shout, to call me all sorts of angry names.

But he said nothing.

“Logan. Say something.”

“Livvy is my daughter.” Again it wasn’t a question, just a statement of fact.

“Yes, and I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything sooner.”

“Damn right you’re sorry.” He frowned and his lips pinched into a scowl. “You should have said something. Sooner.”

Whatever else he said was muffled by the sound of rapid gunfire followed quickly by the sound of my living room windows shattering. “Shit!” I ducked instinctively but my mind went to Livvy who would, no doubt, come running. “Livvy!” I knew she couldn’t hear me and would probably be scared, today had been too fucking eventful, so I rushed towards the steps and therefore towards the gunfire.

“Nikki, get your ass back here!”

I didn’t listen. Livvy needed me and now that he knew, he could do whatever he wanted. I had to get to Livvy. It was almost impossible to duck and run up the stairs at the same time, and I tripped several times before I made it to the top. “Livvy,” I whispered to myself, focused only on getting to my daughter.

Making sure she was safe.