Page 27 of The New York Nighthawks, Vol. 2

ROAN

Igrinned as Cassidy belted out the lyrics—her version of them anyway—to the latest musical she’d fallen in love with. Ava was staring out the window, but I could see her fighting a smile in the reflection in the glass, and her shoulders were subtly shaking.

Our clasped hands were resting on my thigh, and I raised them up to brush a kiss over her knuckles.

If the rest of my life was like today, I was the luckiest bastard in the world.

I couldn’t wait to slip my ring on Ava’s finger so we all shared the same last name, and hopefully, our foursome would grow soon.

Which reminded me that I still hadn’t brought up the fact that we’d never once used protection in the last few weeks since I’d popped her cherry.

“Daddy?” Cassidy’s sweet voice floated over the music.

“Yeah, sweet cheeks?”

“Can evwy day be today?”

My heart melted, and from the look on Ava’s face, so did hers. “We can’t go out and do fun things like the zoo, carnival, or movie dates,” I answered. “But we can still have fun every day. We can laugh and love”—my hand tightened around Ava’s—“and make each one special in its own way.”

Cassidy was quiet, so I glanced in the rearview mirror to see her eyes narrowed as she contemplated my response. Turning my eyes back to the road, I pressed my lips together to suppress a laugh. Fuck, my kids are cute.

“Okay,” she finally piped up. “But we have to listen to music evwyday and dance. Deal?”

We always had a mini “dance party” before bed to get their wiggles out, then read stories to calm down and get comfortable. “Deal,” I agreed, slipping my arm behind me to lock pinkies.

“Aunt Ava, will you dance with us?”

Ava twisted in her seat, smiling brightly. “Of course, Cassie-bear. I wouldn't miss a dance party with you and Daisy-bell! How would I ever get to sleep without getting out the ants in my pants?”

Cassidy giggled hysterically, then chattered on about something with Ava.

I wasn’t sure what they were talking about because my attention was caught on the strange car parked on the curb by the gate at the end of my driveway.

It had New Jersey plates and looked like it had seen much, much better days.

I hit the button to open the gate and slowed the SUV before turning onto the driveway.

The other car started and pulled in right behind me. There was a man at the wheel, and though there was something vaguely familiar about him, I didn’t recognize him. I debated whether to wait and call my security to deal with him, but then Ava gasped and went rigid in her seat.

She snatched her hand from mine, making me scowl, and crossed her arms over her chest, sort of tucking into herself.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“It’s Darren,” she whispered.

Rage exploded inside me, turning the edges of my vision red. But I wasn’t about to scare my daughters by starting anything in front of them. So I continued driving forward, hitting a button on my steering wheel as I approached the house.

“Hey, Roan. What’s up?” Prentice answered.

“I might have a problem. Can you come take the girls to your house?”

“Sure, be there in five. You need backup?”

“Maybe,” I replied, my eyes still watching the car inching onto my property behind me.

“I’ll call around.”

“Thanks.” I hung up as I pulled into my garage.

Ava was practically curled up in her seat, sitting as far away from me as possible.

I reached over and took hold of her chin, forcing her to look at me. “Hey. I won’t let anything happen to you or the girls, baby.”

Instead of looking relieved, she was staring at me warily, almost as if she were expecting me to…then it clicked into place.

“Ava, nothing your brother does will change how I see you, how I feel about you. He’s an as—” I broke off and peeked back at Cassidy, who was once again singing to the music—“a jerk, a money-hungry addict who made my cousin’s life miserable and neglected his children.

You are nothing like that. You are all love and sunshine.

The girls and I adore you. He can’t change that. ”

Finally, I got the reaction I was going for. Some of the tension left her shoulders, but tears welled up in her eyes. “I-I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Now, stay here until Prentice comes to pick up Cassidy and Daisy. I’ll deal with your brother.”

“But—”

“No buts,” I interrupted. “I won’t be able to be at my best if I’m worried about you three.”

Ava’s face softened, and she nodded. I gave her a quick kiss, then blew kisses at my daughters before hopping out of the car.

Darren was standing in front of his car, leaning against the passenger side door, and smirking. “Seems my sister got here before me and got herself a really sweet deal,” he said slyly, as if he knew something I didn’t.

“I’m only going to ask this once, and then you’re going to get the fuck off my property,” I growled. “What the fuck do you want?”

He tried to look offended, though the effect was ruined by his naturally smarmy presence. “I just want my daughters. They just lost their mother, and they need me.”

I nearly gagged from the bullshit he was trying to feed me. “You barely saw them when Carrie was alive, so why are you so interested in them now?”

“They're my kids,” he snapped, his relaxed facade cracking for a moment. “I love them,” he finished with another greasy smile.

“Bullshit.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a large, black SUV.

Prentice parked directly behind Darren’s junker and hopped out.

He scowled at Darren as he approached, making the other man squirm a little.

But he walked right past the asshole and went straight to the garage.

When he came out with Daisy on his hip and holding Cassidy’s hand, he walked toward his car, doing his best to shield them with his big body.

“Cass!” Darren took a step toward Prentice, but he froze when the quarterback looked at him as if he was blocking the next touchdown.

Cassidy tensed and peeked around Prentice’s legs, her nose scrunched up. She hated being called Cass, and Ava was the only person she ever let call her Cassie. When she spotted Darren, her expression filled with confusion. Then her eyes strayed to me, and the terror in them broke my heart.

“Daddy?” she asked softly.

“Yeah, Cass?” Darren responded, despite the fact that she was clearly talking to me.

“It’s okay, sweet cheeks. Go visit with Naomi and the baby. I’ll pick you up later.”

“You can’t keep—” Darren started, outraged. I threw him a look that shut him up real fast.

Cassidy nodded and didn't spare Darren a glance when she whispered, “Love you, Daddy.”

“Love you, too, sweet cheeks.”

Prentice scooped her up into his other arm and hurried back to his car.

As he was leaving, two more cars drove through my gates.

They parked in front of Darren’s vehicle, and three of my teammates climbed out.

Surprisingly, Darren failed to notice their arrival, probably too busy spending my money in his head.

A hand slipped into mine, and my skin tingled from the presence suddenly standing beside me. I glanced down at Ava and gave her a reassuring smile. She returned it, then switched her focus to her deadbeat brother, her beautiful face twisted in a disgusted expression.

“Cassidy and Daisy are my kids. And Ava is my sister. I have every right—”

“You don’t have a single fucking right to my daughters or Ava. They belong to me. I protect and cherish what’s mine.”

Darren’s eyebrows went up, and he looked at Ava with an almost approving smile. “Well, well, Ava. Seems you’re moving up in the world. If I’d known you were going to go for the con on Ellis, we could have teamed up.”

Ava stiffened and snapped, “Cut it out, Darren. I haven’t seen or heard from you since Carrie told you not to come back until you could pay the child support you owed her.

Now you’re showing up here? If you really cared about Cassidy and Daisy, you would have contacted Roan beforehand so that you wouldn’t disrupt their lives.

You can pretend all you want, but we all know you’re just here to get money from Roan. ”

Darren’s gaze swept over the house and the multiple garages, his eyes practically filled with dollar signs.

“One of the girls at the diner mentioned that you quit unexpectedly to move to some swanky neighborhood on Long Island. I figured you must have a plan to get money from the rich asshole who took them from me. And I want my cut.”

I almost leaped at him, fists ready to fly, but Ava gently placed her hand on my arm and murmured, “He’s not worth risking the life you’re building.”

She was right, but it didn’t completely bank the fires of fury consuming me.

Meanwhile, my teammates had formed a wall behind Darren without him noticing.

“Get the fuck off my property, and don’t come back,” I snarled.

Darren must have felt the heat of the men at his back because his head jerked around, and his eyes grew wide and round. He turned back to me and tried to keep up his bravado, but I could hear the slight tremble in his voice. “You can’t—”

“Shut the hell up, asshole,” I grunted. “I have every right to have you removed from my home. You want to see your kids? Get a fucking lawyer.”

“You might want to save up, D,” Ava added in a saccharine tone. “Lawyers are expensive, and I doubt you’ll find one who’s willing to take your case until you’re caught up on the years of back child support you owe.”

Darren took a step forward, only to find himself hauled backward by Dempsey, a Nighthawks receiver. “I suggest you don’t try that again,” he grunted.

Rigby—a punter—and Ames—an offensive lineman—flanked Carrie’s ex, crowding into his space.

“You can’t—”

“I don’t know why you think you can dictate anything Roan or I do, D,” Ava snapped.

“If a warning won’t do it, how about I remind you that there’s a warrant out for your arrest in New Jersey?

” She pulled her phone out of her purse and held it up.

“I’m guessing New York won’t have any trouble handing you over unless they want to prosecute you instead.

I’m not sure how that works with the girls living here now. I think I’ll call them and ask…”

“Fine!” Darren spat. “I’ll go. But this isn’t over.”

“It sure as fuck is,” I ground out, crossing my arms over my chest and letting him see the bulge of my muscles. “Now, my boys are going to make sure you find your way off my property, and if I see you around me, Ava, or my children, I’ll file a restraining order.”

Dempsey released one of Darren’s arms, but it was quickly captured by Ames, and the two of them practically carried Darren to his car.

“To be clear,” I spoke up before they forced him into the driver’s seat. “If by some miracle—and it would have to be one hell of a miracle—you ever get your act together and have genuine interest in seeing Cassidy and Daisy—without an ulterior motive—I would not stand in the way.”

Ava’s hand on my arm tightened, and I glanced at her. Her expression was soft as she stared up at me, and it cooled some of my boiling anger.

I heard a crack and a girlish yelp. When I looked back to the car, Dempsey was grinning as he “helped” Darren inside. “Oops,” he muttered. “Watch your head.”

Darren looked murderous, but he just slumped in his seat and started the car as Dempsey slammed the door shut.

The boys lifted their chins at me in farewell, and I returned the gesture. “Thanks,” I called out.

Rigby grinned. “Anytime.”

Once the boys were gone, I turned to Ava, who’d removed her hand to cross her arms over her chest. She was observing me thoughtfully, and I raised an eyebrow in silent question.

“I belong to you, huh?”

“Damn fucking straight.”