Page 189 of Second Sets Omnibus

My daughter. A whole fucking, walking, talking child that I didn’t have a clue about knocked on our door and called me daddy.Daddy. Somehow, she knows who I am, but I don’t know who she is. Not yet. I will, though. I will not be Dennis Knight, the man who ran away. I will be Kieran Knight, the best fucking father she’s ever seen. No matter the sacrifices I make to ensure my child is cared for. Gloria was a shit excuse for a mom time and time again. The moment my father walked out, so did she. I was never a human being to her. I was just…nothing.

But Lyric is vibrant and full of life and love. Everything inside me melts, thinking about the amazing mother River has become. Lyric is living proof of the love and support she’s given her.

I shove all those thoughts away, interrupted by the voice beside me.

“Is that a—” Rad stops dead, glancing at my purchase. A tight smile pulls at his tight lips as he approaches the counter, locking eyes on the tiny brunette pushing her way through.

“Daddy!” My heart fucking stops when she hugs my leg, tugging at my shirt to get a peek at the new gadget I impulse-bought.

“Little Blue,” I breathe, hauling her into my arms and securing her to my body. It’s so right. I feel it in my fucking bones. She’s mine.

“Is it mine?” she asks, curiously looking at the large bag and poking it with her finger. Those eyes find me again, filled with hope; I can only nod. It hasn’t even been five hours, and I’m wrapped around her little finger. Forever in her debt and destined to carry out every request she throws my way.

“All yours,” I reply in a gravelly voice, thick with emotions.

Every minute I’m in her presence, a rightness clicks inside me. Like I was meant to do this or be here in her company, River promised we’d sit down and talk this over because the number of questions I have could fill up an entire twenty-four-hour period.

Lyric’s entire face lights up when I completely unwrap the cotton candy machine, and she squeals with delight, clapping her hands.

“Cotton candy!” she shouts again with a grin. “Can we do it now?” she asks, looking around the room at the four of us with those big, puppy dog eyes she’s somehow perfected.

“Of course,” I mutter, furrowing my brows as I stare at the box, perplexed by the damn instructions. “But after you eat your burger.” With eagerness, she shoves her burger into her mouth and quickly eats her fries without argument.

Like a real family, we all gather around the kitchen island, inhaling our food in silence, keeping our eyes on the ringmaster—Lyric. She’s the only reason we’re able to stand being in the same room as each other. It’s been years since we’ve stood side by side without arguing or shouting. Somewhere along the way, my best friends became strangers. Now, it’s time to mend our bond. For River and Lyric—the two most important women.

After we’ve discarded our food bags, we once again settle around the island with our hearts in our throats.

“Let’s do this, Little Pretty Girl,” Rad says, tearing open the box and setting it up on the countertop. “What flavor should we try first? Cherry? Pink Vanilla? Grape? Blueberry?” With each flavor he reads off, he grabs the bottles from the box and sets them down.

“Blueberry,” she says in awe, watching as Callum reads over the instructions and starts setting up the pink machine.

After ten minutes, we manage to wrap the blueberry cotton candy around the tube and grin when Lyric devours it with happy hums of approval. My heart swells ten times bigger at her satisfaction. Her simple happiness is better than fucking music and my guitar. It soars beyond the feeling I get when I’m front and center on the stage, with the spotlights blaring down on my sweat-soaked face with millions of fans chanting my name.Lyric encapsulates that mood just by the smile on her face and the tiny laugh from her throat. She takes away the stress on my shoulders, replacing it with pure joy. I’ll hold onto this feeling for the rest of my life.

“What the fuck,” Rad hisses, straightening to his full height as the rumble of a loud car roars down the driveway. “It’s him!” Rad hisses, widening his eyes. “Dude!” he shouts, marching toward the window. Throwing open the blinds, he watches with rapt attention. “Mr. Sexy-In-Tight-Jeans is sauntering into her house. Again!” I shake my head at his antics but slowly move toward the window when Lyric hustles over, planting herself in his lap.

“Uncle Rocco,” Lyric says, taking a big bite of her cotton candy and staring out the window.

We each peer down at her and then at each other with our brows raised into our hairlines. Rocco? Why do I suddenly feel like a protective monster ready to tear his head off?

“Just your uncle?” Rad asks, swiping some of her hair back from her face. “He’s not another daddy, is he?” His brows furrow when she giggles. “Better not be,” he mumbles through gritted teeth. I swear he mutters no more dicks under his breath. I haven’t seen Rad this pumped up for something since—well—River. I swallow hard as his eyes lock on the house across the street with interest.

Are we really heading down this road again?

“Just Uncle Rocco.” She shrugs, leaning her head on Rad’s shoulder. “Not my daddy.”

I’m not the only one she’s got in her grasp. They all look at Lyric the same way, like she’s the sun in the sky, shining on their day and warming their hearts. Adding my—our—daughter to the equation brings hope to our situation. Finally, something positive rests on the horizon for Whispered Words. Not just for us as a band; it’s for us as a whole. Rad. Callum. Asher. Kieran.

“Uncle?” I ask curiously, raising a brow.

“That fuc–uh, that big tool took River on a date Saturday!” he grits out in a quiet voice, with anger lacing his tone. A possessive light streaks in his eyes. My damn face twists.

“And you?” I question, keeping it as vague as possible.

“Jesus,” Callum mumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Stalked her to the restaurant and made his presence known.”

Asher and I blink at Rad like he’s lost his goddamn mind. Again. He’s pulled some stunts in the past. But this? My heart fucking twists at the implications. When Rad wants something, he goes after it in full force without looking back. He’s really doing this again without knowing the whole picture. How can he do that?

“Shh, little ears.” Rad points down to Lyric in his lap, greedily sucking in the cotton candy as a bluish tint stains her lips and chin, leaving the evidence of her sweet treat behind.