Page 46 of Could Be Worse
Zane had followed me, but he had orders to keep his eyes on me. It wasn’t because I couldn’t manage. Except, I faintly recalled, he had held onto my arm…
“The blackmailer is your sperm donor. During church, Maddox selected a couple of men to search for him. You’re old enough to know I’m prepared to take him out.”
Oh my gosh, I couldn’t believe how much he was telling me. Usually, I’d hear stuff from the old ladies, not my dad. “My sperm donor sent the pictures of Mom?” I should’ve been shocked, but I wasn’t. Growing up in a MC, all kinds of weird shit happened.
“I’m confident it was him.”
“And you’re going to kill him?” The air in the room grew thick, like a hot summer’s day in the south.
“Yes, because years ago I told him to stay away and he crossed the line, peanut. He’s the reason you quit the Nutcracker.”
“My bio dad is trying to destroy me, and now he wants five million dollars.” I slowly blinked as I attempted to register what my dad had told me. I couldn’t have heard him correctly. He and my mom had never spoken of my sperm donor, and I had never pressed them about him.
“Peanut, what are you talking about? How do you know he wants five million dollars?” My dad grabbed my shoulders firmly. “Answer me, Sadie.”
“My phone.” I pointed to it on the bed. “Am I in danger?”
“I’d never let anything happen to you.” He grabbed my device and put it in front of me to unlock it.
“What about Bryce and the girls?”
“The club will protect them, too. But when we find the fucker who made you miss out on being the Sugar Plum Fairy, he’s done for.”
Done for repeated in my head. I knew what he meant. Dead. Dead, dead, dead.
I started to believe I’d had too much tequila. I must’ve been dreaming because the room went from swaying to spinning, then everything went dark.
16
Bryce
Last night I had texted Sadie to let her know I’d call after putting the girls to bed, except I hadn’t. Cat and Tori had been out of sorts since Connie’s arrival. They’d been guarded and had never warmed up to their mother.
Their behavior hadn’t surprised me at all. Children sensed when a person wasn’t good. Cat and Tori had only been babies before Connie had left us, but I would bet my life they remembered not feeling safe and being neglected.
My sweet girls had struggled to sleep. They were afraid Connie would come back and take them from me. It had broken my heart to hear them cry and beg to stay with me. Connie must’ve said something to them when I’d been out of earshot. Where else would my innocent babies have gotten such a ludicrous idea?
Of course, I’d let them lie in my bed, and after comforting and assuring them they’d always be with me, we’d fallen asleep…
This morning, I was crazy anxious to see Sadie.
The doorbell rang, almost causing me to drop my coffee mug. Usually, she knocked so she wouldn’t wake the girls. Was she angry I hadn’t called?
“Good morning, Sunshine.” I swung the door open and nearly choked on my saliva when I was greeted by her dad. “Zander. Um. I was expecting—”
“I know who you were expecting. Sadie isn’t here.”
“I see that. Is everything okay? Is she okay?” Had something happened that prevented her from replying to my text?
“She’s been put on lockdown. Pack a bag for you and the girls, and I’ll take you to the clubhouse.”
“Excuse me? What for?”
He entered my house and closed the door. “Listen Bryce, you’re a good man. I like you. My daughter likes you, and I know you two are getting very close.”
Oh, fuck. “Is that why you want to take me to the clubhouse? Gonna teach me a lesson or something?”
He chuckled and slapped his hand against his thigh. “No, nothing like that. It’s why Sadie came home.”