Dark Secret - Avelyn Paige Page 0,56
the courthouse tomorrow. I’m not letting another day slip away without you being my wife. I can’t risk you running again.” I smile up at her. “What do you say, Shel?”
“Say yes already, Mom!” Hayden shouts.
“Yes!”
Revealing the contents of my project, Shelby breaks down into a sobbing mess. The beautiful ring glittering in my hand is the one belonging to her grandmother. I slip it onto her delicate finger and rise, holding her against me.
“How did you get her ring?” she murmurs against my shoulder.
“Lorna. I think she finally likes me.”
Hayden comes barreling in between us, hugging us both.
“Don’t think I forgot you,” I whisper to her. The two of them release me, and Hayden turns to face me. Pulling out a second ring, I hand it to her. Her face pales as she brushes it with her fingers.
“This was the ring I bought for your mom on the night of my patch party. This ring is my commitment to you. No matter what happens, we will always be family.”
Curling her hand over the ring, she hugs me tightly. “I love you, Dad.”
“And I love you.”
“How about we get this show on the road?” Judge bleats out.
Priest shoves his way to the front of the crowd and positions himself between us, while Hayden steps to her mom’s side, serving as her maid of honor.
“We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Shelby Dawson and Wyatt Hayden.”
“Wait!” my daughter interjects, stepping between us.
“That’s your name? Wyatt Hayden?”
I arch my brow. “Yeah?”
She wrinkles her nose in disgust. “So my name is going to be Hayden Hayden?”
Laughter erupts around the room, but Shelby and I just grin at each other. That’s my girl. My girls. My life.
Judge
One Month Later
“Fifty fucking years old, GP,” I say, gripping a beer bottle in my hand. “That’s half a fucking century.”
Numbers had never bothered me before. But then, I’d never turned fifty years old before today either. I motion for the waitress to bring another round before turning to watch the girls on the dance floor.
They’re all so fucking young. I could be their damn grandfather. That shit is truly depressing.
“Cheer up, old man,” Hashtag chuckles, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Your present will be here soon.”
I love my club, and they know I’ve been struggling. First with Natalie and Kevin, becoming an instant dad to two damaged teenagers. And second, that I’m almost old enough to collect a fucking pension—if I had one.
That’s why they’d suggested a new venue. They’d brought me to Sharkey’s. This bar is perfect for a guy like me, or so they’d said. It had been once, about fifteen years ago, but now I feel like I should be walking around, handing out condoms and ten-dollar bills.
“Excuse me?”
I turn to see who’d spoken, and take in the tall, slender woman in front of me. Her hair is pulled into a tight little knot at the back of her head, and her glasses are resting on the tip of her nose. She’s wearing a business suit, the kind you see in movies with the sport coat and matching skirt. She looks like a librarian, but the girl is stacked, and that’s when I realize just what kind of librarian she is.
“Halle-fucking-luja!” I roar, looking around at my boys. “I thought you guys had gotten me something stupid, like a new helmet or a saddlebag for my ride, but this….” I look the librarian up and down with insurmountable approval. “Fucking hell. Happy birthday to me!”
The woman’s eyes go wide as she takes a step back. “I beg your pardon?”
“Do you just do the show, or do you provide the after-party too?” I reach for her, wanting to feel her on my lap.
“Judge,” GP blurts out from behind me.
“I don’t provide any show, sir,” she snaps back, her face twisted in anger. “And I don’t like what you’re insinuating.”
Laughing, I take another swig of my beer. “I’m insinuating that I can’t wait for you to take off that shirt and show me them gorgeous titties.”
“Judge!” GP hollers, but it’s too late.
The librarian’s hand comes up and slaps the side of my face, hard enough to send my chair sideways.
“I will not be spoken to like that. My name is Grace Halfpenny, and I’m a caseworker for Child Protective Services. I’m looking for a man named Eugene Grant.”
Oh shit. I sit up straight in my seat and place the beer gently down on the table. “I’m Eugene.”
I ignore the snickers from the guys around the table as Ms. Halfpenny huffs and pulls a stack of papers out of her briefcase, plopping them onto the table in front of me. “Mr. Grant, it has come to my attention that you’ve been caring for a Kevin and Natalie Tucker without legal right to do so. Those children are wards of the state.”
I may have offended her, but I don’t like her tone when it comes to those kids. “Those kids are orphans who had nowhere to go. They’ve had a fucked-up few years, and the last thing they needed was to be separated and shoved into some goddamn foster home.”
“Mr. Grant, you don’t have the right to make that call.”
I stand and move closer, using my size to intimidate her. “I will make whatever call I see fit. Those kids are happy with me, and that’s how it’s gonna stay.”
Her nostrils flare, and I have to remind myself that she’s a total bitch, because the look of her pissed off is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen.
“You haven’t heard the last of me, Mr. Grant.” Turning on her heel, she marches toward the door.
“I liked you better when you were a stripper!” I call out to her back, just trying to piss her off now.
It works. I smirk when my words stop her short, but she doesn’t give me the satisfaction of seeing her sweat. Instead, she keeps walking, straight out the door, and hopefully out of my life for good.
Yeah, right.
“Wait,” Twat Knot says with a laugh, clearly not getting the brevity of what had just happened. “Your name is Eugene?”
Read more about Judge’s story in Dark Guardian releasing September 30th, 2020.
The Series
Dark Protector
Dark Secret
Avelyn Paige is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes stories about dirty alpha males and the brave women who love them. She resides in a small town in Indiana with her husband and three fuzzy kids, Jezebel, Cleo, and Asa.
Avelyn spends her days working as a cancer research scientist and her nights sipping moonshine while writing. You can often find her curled up with a good book surrounded by her pets or watching one of her favorite superhero movies for the billionth time. Deadpool is currently her favorite.
Also by Avelyn Paige
The Heaven’s Rejects MC Series
Heaven Sent
Angels and Ashes
Sins of the Father
Absolution
Lies and Illusions
* * *
The Dirty Bitches MC Series
Dirty Bitches MC #1
Dirty Bitches MC #2
Dirty Bitches MC #3
* * *
Other Books by Avelyn Paige
Girl in a Country Song
Cassie’s Court
Geri Glenn writes alpha males. She is a USA Today Bestselling Author, best known for writing motorcycle romance, including the Kings of Korruption MC series. She lives in the Thousand Islands with her two young girls, one big dog and one terrier that thinks he’s a Doberman,, a hamster and two guinea pigs whose names she can never remember.
Before she began writing contemporary romance, Geri worked at several different occupations. She’s been a pharmacy assistant, a 911 dispatcher, and a caregiver in a nursing home. She can say without a doubt though, that her favorite job is the one she does now–writing romance that leaves an impact.
Also By Geri Glenn
The Kings of Korruption MC series.
Ryker
Tease
Daniel
Jase
Reaper
Bosco
* * *
Korrupted Novellas:
Corrupted Angels
Reinventing Holly
Other Books by Geri Glenn
Dirty Deeds (Satan’s Wrath MC)
Hood Rat