After Us (Next Generation #6) - J.M. Walker Page 0,106

in his bed. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him to make love to me in it. To distract me and himself. Even if it was just for a moment. But those words never left my lips as he backed up and slowly left the room.

I cried myself to sleep then. I couldn’t help it. I could already feel him pulling away. He was going to go after the mayor. I knew because it would be what I would do if I knew exactly where he was. And if I wasn’t pregnant.

A light but firm knock sounded on the door. My heart jumped.

“Come in,” I called out, sitting up.

The door slowly opened, revealing Cyrus and Sammy.

A hard sigh left me at the sight of them. “When did he leave?” I heard myself ask.

“How did you know?” Cyrus asked, leaning against the wall.

Sammy came into the room and went to the window. He opened it and lit up a smoke. “She knows him, that’s how.”

“He’s going after him. The mayor.” I couldn’t even cry, I was so damn furious. It was like this newfound rage coursing through me, closed up my tear ducts.

“He is, kiddo,” Cyrus said gently.

“And neither of you could have gone with him?” I asked, my voice a little more curt than I had intended.

Sammy muttered a curse.

Cyrus’s jaw clenched. “We tried but he wouldn’t let us. He asked us to take care of you.”

“Well it seems to me that you should have been keeping me and my daughter safe and that hasn’t happened. She’s missing. Remember?” I regretted it as soon as I said it.

Cyrus flinched. “That’s not fucking fair.”

“I know.” I shook my head. “I know. I’m sorry. He didn’t even say goodbye. He just left. What if I don’t see him again? What if something happens and he’s taken from me? What if he just gives up on us? What if…” A sob broke free, tears finally filling my eyes. “What if he leaves me because he can’t handle it?” I dropped my head in my hands, covering my face and letting the cries wrack through my body. All of the emotions weighed heavily on my shoulders, making them shake and tremble.

The bed dipped in front of me and I could only assume that it was Cyrus. He was the hugger between the two of them. Sammy not so much. He didn’t like being touched. It made me wonder why when he’d had a damn good childhood. Both of them did. Even though they lost their parents and I could appreciate the pain and anguish they had felt and still felt, it made me wonder if something else had happened.

“You have no reason to apologize.” That was Cyrus.

I looked up, being met by his dark eyes. Sammy still stood by the window, puffing on his smoke. His jaw clenched and unclenched but he wouldn’t meet my gaze. He was probably as pissed as I was.

“Did he say when he would be back?” I asked softly.

“He’ll be back when he has your daughter in his arms, Piper. He couldn’t wait anymore. His contact told him where she was, and he went after her.” Cyrus stood and began pacing. “I’ve always known something was shady about the mayor, but I never knew what. We tried proving that he was operating an underage strip club but couldn’t pin anything on the bastard.”

Sammy only grunted.

“What about Greyson? What about the other guys? Do they know that Jaron went off by himself?” None of this made sense. No bike club would let someone fight a battle by themselves. They were like a brotherhood. I had seen that over the years with my mom and her sisters from the King’s Harlots. I had seen that with Shadow’s club. They must know that Jaron left.

Cyrus stopped pacing, his dark eyes locking with mine. “We were asked to keep this to ourselves.”

Sammy muttered another curse, slamming the window shut. “Why the fuck are we even listening to him? He’s been selfish this whole time and we haven’t seen…” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“But it does matter.” I slid out of bed and went to the door. “You two can come with me if you want but I will tell Greyson that his son left.” I lifted my hand when Cyrus and Sammy both took steps toward me. “Try and stop me and I will tell him that it was your idea for Jaron to leave.” I left