my neck tingling. “Should I be concerned?”
A laugh boomed through him. “You’re a jealous fucker. That’s not what I meant. I like her as if she were my own granddaughter. She makes me not miss Bee so much.” He shook his head. “I like them young but not that young.” His laughter shook his shoulders.
“I’ve come over here with Sammy and Cyrus,” Piper explained. “I would have a drink with him while the rest of the guys did their thing. Since he’s not president anymore.”
“She kept me entertained. Spent many nights talking about you, Jaron.” Shadow leaned an arm on the hood of the SUV. “You don’t need to worry about anything. You have Piper’s heart.”
I knew that but it still didn’t mean that I liked the fact that he got her alone when she should have been with me. But my stupid temper got in the way and ruined everything.
“We should go,” Cyrus said, his eyes flicking to mine.
“Right.” Shadow closed the door, give us a two-finger salute, and headed back into the club.
“What did your dad find out?” Piper asked softly, snuggling into my side.
“I don’t know.” But I had a feeling that we were about to find out something that neither of us could prepare ourselves for.
No matter how much we tried.
Piper
Once we reached the Hell’s Harlem clubhouse, I was met by both of my parents. Tears of relief streamed down my face that I had them with me, but anguish ripped through my soul just the same. I had given them their one and only granddaughter and I knew that the fact she was missing, hit close to home. My parents struggled in the beginning. Together and apart. My dad was a dick, his words, and he vowed to this day that I would end up with someone who wasn’t like him.
“Daddy, I’m…” I looked down at my hands folded in my lap. “I’m going to have a baby and the father is Jaron Mercer.”
When my father had covered my hands and gave me a small smile, I knew that it was Jaron I was meant to be with. I had dated a handful of guys, Ashton and Aiden not counting, and my dad never liked any of them. But he never questioned what I had with Jaron. Not once. I often wondered why but with everything that had gone on, I never had a chance to ask.
“Greyson told us everything,” Mom said once we were inside and seated in the living room. It wasn’t a spot I had been in before, since it was on the side of the house where Greyson and Eve spent most of their time. But he wanted to give us some privacy. I appreciated it. I appreciated all of it.
“I don’t know what to do,” I finally said. I expected the tears to continue but when they didn’t, it concerned me. My pain was turning to rage and that didn’t sit well with me. Jaron had gone through the same thing and was taken from me. This time, I could sense the fury in him, and I knew that he was going to go after whoever was doing this shit.
Whether I liked it or not.
“You’re strong, baby.” Mom wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in close.
I didn’t know where Jaron was but even though he was close by, I missed him. No, correction, I ached for him. I missed his wrath, his rage, his passion as we argued.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked softly.
“He’s with Greyson, probably trying to figure out what the hell’s going on and make it so Jaron doesn’t burn the world down in the process.” Mom sighed. “I never wanted this for you. I prayed for an easy life. You would meet someone, have babies, if that’s what you wanted, and spend the rest of your days happy and content.”
“No mother wishes this on their kid.” I leaned my head against the back of the couch. “I just hate not knowing what’s going on. I hate not knowing where my daughter is. I hate that this is making Jaron lose himself. I hate…” My throat closed, working hard over the lump suddenly lodged in it. “I hate what it’s doing to us.”
“You’re strong,” Mom insisted.
I jumped to my feet and began pacing. “Are we though? It’s not like our relationship is conventional by any means. He went to jail before we could ever date. I had his kid by myself. And…” I cupped my stomach. “I’m