Page 28 of Baby Me
“A club girl?” June’s face immediately drained of color when she realized the implications there. My son and I were both potentially the father of the baby along with several of our club brothers. Kip didn’t bother to give her more of an explanation and instead turned his attention back to me and nodded toward the papers he placed in my hand moments ago.
“That test says I’m not the father, but that I am related to her. That puts you on the hook,” Kip explained as I finally turned my attention to the DNA results on the paper he had handed me.
“Why are we just finding out about this kid if she’s the same age as Knox? That’s what? Eight months now?”
“Seven,” Star corrected.
“Tripp?” June questioned. “This isn’t true.”
“Fuck!” I huffed out before looking away from the papers and giving June my attention. “That was when I saw you out with Barry.”
It killed me to see June standing in front of my kids crying about another pregnancy that would most likely keep us apart. It was as though history was repeating itself. “It looks like I’ll forever be punished for that mistake.”
“No offense, lady, but I think there are bigger things to talk about here than your hurt feelings,” Breakneck snapped at her. It was the first time I realized he was even in the room.
“Excuse me,” June gasped.
“What the fuck, Break?” I stood there ready to hand my enforcer his ass, but then his next words nearly doubled me over as if he had been the one to strike out at me physically.
“Your kid has cancer, man. That’s what we brought you here to tell you. She needs a bone marrow donation. Star was tested, she’s a half match to the kid. Don’t know about Kip yet. I’m guessing you won’t be enough of a match based on what I know about that shit, so that won’t matter. But Vina’s been doing this shit alone, brother. I think maybe you need to worry about that woman’s drama later,” Breakneck said, pointing to June who was openly sobbing in front of all of us. “Worry about helping your daughter and her momma out instead.”
“Fuck!” I roared. “She’s a baby. How is she sick?”
“Cancer doesn’t care, man.” Breakneck moved closer and grasped my shoulder to offer me support. I’d been ready to drop from the shock and honestly didn’t know whether to knock him off or fall to my fucking feet. I went with option three and pulled him in for a hug because I needed someone to lean on in that moment and fuck, I needed to hide the damn tears that spilled from my eyes at the thought of having a daughter who was so fucking sick that she needed a bone marrow transplant to survive.
“Break, why don’t you get June home for us. I think we have some things to discuss as a family and I’m not sure she wants to be here for this.” Star ordered.
“Don’t you dare try to send me away,” June shouted at my daughter as she stood with an angry fist in the air, pointing an accusatory finger at Star for some fucking reason. “None of this is your business.”
“You need to sit the fuck down, lady. Tripp is my father. That baby is my sister. And you are absolutely nothing. He hasn’t put a fucking ring on your finger or his colors on your back, so you can fuck right on off with that attitude.”
“Star!” I bellowed. “This was big news to hear. Have a little fucking heart.”
“You know what, Dad? You’re the one who has been keeping whatever the two of you have going on a secret, so if you want to blame anyone for how that shit just went down, go look in a mirror.”
“You are a disrespectful brat.”
“You’re standing in my motherfucking house!” Jared reminded June. “You will not speak to my woman that way.”
“Get out!” Star pointed to the direction of the front door. “He’s right. Our family is in crisis and the last thing we need is for you to stand here and pretend that everything happening is all about you.”
June took one menacing step toward my daughter when I called her off. “June!”
“Don’t be angry with me because I’m his daughter. He was married to my mother.” Star spouted before I could deescalate the situation.
“He was supposed to be married to me then!” She turned her hateful glare on my son. “But your mother got knocked up with you conveniently when Tripp and I were having a fight. He was my fiancé back then. She stole him away. Now, history is repeating itself again.”
My face drained of all the blood that had been in it. In all her anger, June had just outed herself as the other woman in my life before I met Kim. My kids had heard stories about her from their mother and uncle when they were growing up. They knew the truth. Because they knew the truth of our history, I didn’t think they would take too kindly to June being welcomed back into my life. She would be a constant reminder of their mother and how we wouldn’t have been a family if June had gotten her way.
“June, you need to go. I’ll come find you once I know everything. We’ll talk then.”
“No.” In the most literal sense of putting her foot down about something, June stomped at me. “Either you leave here with me now, or that’s it, we’re done. I won’t come in second to your children you had with some whore again.”
Jared grabbed Star just as she launched herself toward June. “Call my mother a whore again, you fucking cunt! I will kill you! I will fucking gut your sorry ass!”
“Holy shit!” Breakneck called out. “Shoulda taught baby girl how to ride. She could have been an enforcer too.”
“Get the fuck out, June.” I yelled at the woman who just today had become free to date me in the way we had been working toward for months – years, if you counted our shared history.