Page 17 of Sold to the Single Daddies (Southern Heat Reverse Harems #4)

Reagan

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Harley.

Mason’s so mad at me.” I sat in the open doorway of our motel room since the AC unit was on the fritz and the night air was cooler.

“I don’t know why I told him the truth. It went from us talking about finding jobs here since we’re planning to stay for at least a little while longer, to him telling me he was worried he wouldn’t be able to go to school this year and then to me admitting to him why I spent the night with the Hellstone brothers. ”

“God, Rea. No teenage boy wants to hear that his sister sold herself to pay his way. He’s probably at that bunkhouse trying to cut his own eyes out right now.”

“Thanks, Harley. That’s really helpful.” I glanced back at Lucky and wondered if I’d made a huge mistake in coming to Devil’s Den. I still wasn’t sure what kind of fathers the Hellstone brothers would be, even if they were willing. What kind of men would try to buy a baby from its mother?

“Stop thinking so much, Rea. I know this isn’t what you wanted but you just have to go with the flow for a bit. Mason will get over the shock of finding out you spent the night at a sex club to pay for his tuition—”

“I went in your place!”

“I know! I’m just saying, he’ll get over it. And I’m not holding out much hope but maybe the guys will come around and realize they’re being the world’s largest dicks.” She sighed. “Then maybe you’ll get the fairytale I know you were plotting in your head.”

I ground my teeth together.

“I wasn’t plotting any fairytales, Harley. The only thing I wanted is for Lucky to have a good father, or fathers .”

“Sure.” She said something else but I couldn’t hear her over the pounding of my heart.

The motel owner, a creep named Dave, had stepped out of the main office and was watching me.

He’d always given me the creeps but when I had Harley and Mason with me, I felt untouchable.

All alone, I felt like a sitting duck. When he started coming my way, I thought about ducking back into my room and slamming the door shut but the reality was the locks barely held the door shut, much less secure.

“Rea?”

I swore.

“Sorry, Harley. I’ll call you back. Dave is heading my way.”

“Are you okay?”

I took a deep breath and told myself I was overreacting.

“I’m good. Of course. I’ll call you later.”

I hung up just as Dave reached me. He leaned against the door frame and grinned at me.

His white t-shirt was stretched out around the neck and arm holes and it was stained from sweat and god only knew what else.

His jeans were somehow both too large and too small for his oddly shaped body and he wore open-toed sandals which showed off his hairy feet.

“Well, well. Look at you. All by your lonesome. Where’d all your people go, pretty girl?” He reached out and touched a strand of my damp hair. “It must be my lucky night to finally get you all alone.”

I shuddered and leaned back in the chair to put space between us. I should’ve stood up when I saw him coming but I hadn’t and it was too late now. If I stood up, I’d be right in his space.

“They’re coming back. They’re on their way back from Devil’s Den now.”

“You sure are a pretty thing.” He reached for me again and a deep voice shot through the night from behind him.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Dave and I were both shocked when we saw it was Tate Hellstone coming toward us like some sort of avenging demon. In the dark motel parking lot, his cowboy hat kept his face in shadow but the size and build of him was threatening without the dark scowl of his face showing.

“Touch her again and I’ll break your arms off and beat you to death with them. Go back to your office and don’t fucking think about coming out until we’re gone, you piece of shit.” Tate grabbed the front of Dave’s shirt and shoved him away. “And you .”

I squeaked as he turned his thunderous gaze my way.

“Me?”

“What the fuck are you thinking? Staying in a piece of shit place like this with our son. Staying alone in a piece of shit place like this with our son. And sitting with the door fucking open like a beacon of light to all the fucking monsters of the night. You’re fucking lucky you’re not mine or I’d bend you over and spank the hell out of you.

Now get your shit together. You’re coming with me. ”

I was so in shock over his threat that I stood, turned into the room and started packing my bag. It took me a few seconds to snap back to attention.

“Hey! I’m not going with you. With the way you and your brothers have been acting, you’d probably take me out to the woods and leave me to die while you stole Lucky.”

Tate took two menacing steps toward me and gripped my upper arms. Before I could process what was happening, he’d spun me around and landed two hard slaps to my ass.

They were serious slaps that stung and made me jump away from him while holding my ass.

When I looked back at him, he was breathing like an angry bull and staring me down.

“I suggest you get your shit together. You’re coming with me one way or another.”

“But—”

“You’re not keeping Lucky here! You shouldn’t want to.

Jesus, Reagan! Think about your son!” He started grabbing the few things I had around the room and shoving them into my worn duffel bag.

“I’m not arguing with you and you’re not getting an option.

You can come willingly or I’ll tie your ass up and take you that way. ”

The spanking and the threat of ropes made my face flare and I cursed my body for reacting.

I had enough sense to understand his threat was real, though.

I gathered all of Lucky’s things and gently tucked him into his carrier.

I didn’t say anything else to Tate. I was confused by his appearance and his attitude.

He’d threatened Dave for me. He’d spanked me.

He’d also implied I hadn’t been thinking about Lucky, which made me want to shove him down.

His truck was parked across the parking lot, in the dark, but with a clear line of view to my room. He watched me set up Lucky’s car seat and then waited outside my door for me to climb into his truck before he went around and got behind the wheel.

“I could fucking shake you.”

I crossed my arms and leaned my head against the window.

“What’s new?”

“You’re lucky I was here.”

“Why were you here?”

He pulled onto the highway and headed back towards Devil’s Den.

“I heard that you were staying here. With our son. It’s a dangerous motel for anyone, much less a single woman with a baby. You could’ve gotten our son hurt.”

“I carried Lucky to term all by myself and I’ve taken care of him for three months without your help.

As much as I want him to grow up with a father, it’s not because we need you to save us.

I’ve been on my own for a very long time, first taking care of Mason and now Lucky. Thanks for your input, but go to hell.”

“How’s taking care of Mason going for you?”

I felt the words like a punch to the chest. I didn’t have anything else to say to him, so I remained quiet as panic and shame fought inside me.

“Reagan… I—” He cut himself off and grunted. “We’ll be there soon.”