Page 8 of Sinful Skulls (Rebel Skull MC #9)

Chapter Eight

Daisy

T hat was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I sit on the plane, fighting like hell to remain in my seat. I have a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach I can’t seem to shake.

My thoughts are about to spiral into a full-blown panic attack when my phone dings. I look at the screen. It’s one word.

Brody: Breathe.

I laugh out loud, startling the lady next to me. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries, honey.”

Brody’s message manages to calm my racing thoughts. I take a deep breath. Everything is okay. I’m going on a new adventure. There’s nothing to fear.

Me: Thanks for the reminder.

I rub my finger over his message, take another breath, and then switch my phone over to airplane mode.

The rest of my traveling goes smoothly. I send both Brody and my parents a quick message when I make it safe and sound to my dorm room.

My roommate and I hit it off right away, and the rest of the week goes by in a blur. It’s amazing being in Paris, but I find myself pulling up Brody’s name more often than I thought I would. We agreed to go cold turkey after I let him know I made it.

Since I can’t talk to him, I start writing to him in my notes. I know it’s strange, but it helps.

Monday morning, I wake up excited for classes to begin. Carly, my roomie, and I are having lunch in the courtyard when she covers her mouth and giggles. “Oh my god, Dean Baxter is staring at us.”

“Where?”

She shifts in her seat. “You don’t know who he is?” she asks, shaking her head like that’s the craziest thing in the world.

“I know who he is, but I’ve never seen him.” My gaze roams over the people around us.

Carly snorts. “You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s the only reason I chose this school. He’s fine as fuck.”

Just then my eyes stop on a man who’s staring at me. He’s older, but Carly’s right. He’s very attractive, I guess. He smiles at me and stands.

“Shit, he’s coming this way,” she squeals, turning away from him.

“Daisy, Carly,” he says, nodding at each of us in greeting.

He knows our names. Now that’s dedication to his students.

“How has your first day been?” he continues, his attention bouncing between the two of us.

Carly speaks up right away. “Great. Just great.”

His focus turns to me. “What about you, Daisy? Are you getting settled in?”

“Yes, thank you. I’m very excited to be here. It’s a beautiful campus. Very inspiring,” I tell him.

“Good. I’m glad we’re off to a great start. I’ll leave you two to your lunch.”

He takes a few steps away and then pauses. “Oh, Daisy, could you stop by my office after your final class today? I wanted to visit with you about your scholarship.”

My brows instantly pull together in worry. “Oh, yes, of course.”

His smile calms my nerves. “Nothing to worry about,” he assures me.

I give him a little nod.

As he walks away, Carly ogles his backside and whistles. “Damn, he’s got a fine ass.”

It makes me laugh, and I go back to my meal.

Carly turns to me. “I’m so jealous you get to be alone with him.”

I snort. “Don’t be. I’m sorry, but Mr. Baxter isn’t my type.”

“Are you kidding me? Look at him,” she presses. “What is your type then?”

My fingers wrap around the skull ring around my neck, and I shrug.

She shakes her head like I’m either blind or crazy. “If that man hits on you, you better not turn him down. If all I get is to live vicariously through you, I’ll take it.”

I laugh again, because there’s no chance of that happening. He’s the dean, and he also teaches classes. I’m sure Dean Baxter is a professional.

When my class ends, I head to the other side of the building for my meeting with him. He’s standing outside his door, waiting for me.

“Daisy, I’m glad you found me. It’s a bit of a maze on this floor.” He steps aside to let me enter his office in front of him. His hand brushes across my lower back as I slide past him.

I push it out of my mind as he closes the door behind us. I’m letting Carly get in my head. He’s just being polite.

He rounds an antique wooden desk, gesturing for me to take the seat across from him. When I’ve settled in my chair, he offers me a drink.

“Oh, no thank you,” I decline as my gaze roams over his office. It’s more like a small apartment, and there’s artwork everywhere.

He relaxes back in his chair, rubbing his hand over his clean-shaven chin. “I can’t believe how much you look like your father.”

My head pulls back. “You know my dad?”

His smile makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

“I do.” He nods and then pulls out a file, dropping it on the desk in front of him.

He steeples his fingers over his mouth, deep in thought before his eyes rise to meet mine. “He was my brother.”

Was? What the fuck am I missing here. I feel like I’ve stepped into the twilight zone. My dad doesn’t have any brothers.

“Um, I’m sorry, but you must have mistaken me for someone else.”

The dean pushes the folder across the desk. “My brother’s plan was to deliver this news to you himself, but unfortunately he was involved in an accident and is no longer with us.”

My hand trembles as I pull the folder onto my lap and open it. Inside I find a copy of adoption papers. My adoption papers. I swallow hard. “I’m … I’m adopted?”

I flip through the pages, finding a DNA test in the back. If this information is accurate, I’m the biological daughter of a man named Theodore Baxter.

“This can’t be true. My parents would have told me.”

“It was a closed adoption, as you can see. It was kept quiet because your mother was a student of his.”

My mouth falls open slowly.

“He … he was a teacher?”

Dean Baxter nods. “He taught science. It was his first love, but painting was his true passion.”

I’m silent as I stare at the papers on my lap. The world as I know it is crashing down around me.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but maybe this answers some questions you may have about yourself.”

My gaze snaps to his.

“I’ve got to get to a meeting, but why don’t you stop back by tomorrow? We’ll talk more then.”

I stand up, hugging the file to my chest.

He doesn’t ask for it back as he walks me to the door. “I’m sure this comes as a shock, but I felt you deserved to know the truth, Daisy.”

Internally I’m having a full-blown meltdown, but outwardly I remain calm. “Thank you. I’ll … um … yeah, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

I rush out of his office before I lose my shit in front of him.