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I whimper as he shifts backward, and instantly, I mourn the loss of him inside me. His lips twitch into a smirk, and I watch as he pulls his pants back on. I jump down from the kitchen counter and grab my own shorts and panties before heading to the bathroom to clean up.

When I make my way back into the kitchen, it’s my turn to smile as I lean against the wall and watch him disinfect the area my ass was just sitting on. Once he’s finished, he turns to me, his gaze meeting mine.

His expression causes me to be wary. I’m not sure what is going on, but he seems somewhat uneasy. “I went to see your father today,” he announces.

I open my mouth, then snap my lips shut. I’m not sure how to respond to that, so I don’t. My heart begins to race, and my skin instantly feels hot as he continues. Anxiety—that’s what I’m feeling right now. It begins to flow through me, from head to toe and down each arm. I can feel my body growing hotter with each passing second. I need him to hurry up and tell me what that means.

“If he goes to his attorney and continues with this bullshit, I made it very obvious it would be a mistake. He won’t win, and it’ll be a waste of money. I also warned him that it would ruin whatever relationship they have with you and Thea.”

“And?” I ask.

My heart slams against my chest, and I can’t help but wonder if my body will be able to contain it much longer because it’s seriously beating harder than it ever has before in my entire life.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do. Just know this, baby,” Brock murmurs as he closes the distance between us.

His focus is locked in on me. There is nobody else in this whole world right now but the two of us. When he lifts his hand, his fingers curling around the side of my throat and his other hand wrapping around my waist, every single ounce of anxiety leaves my body in a single whoosh.

“I fuckin’ got you, baby. Both of you. Nobody and nothing is going to touch you. Not fucking ever. I won’t let it.”

My heart begins to beat hard again, but for a different reason. Gone is my anxiety. It’s been replaced with love and a protective barrier that I didn’t even know existed. Reaching up, I curl my fingers around his wrist at my throat, and I dip my chin in a half nod.

“Okay,” I exhale. “Okay.”

He shifts his face closer to mine, and I feel his lips brush across my own before he rests his forehead against mine. “You got a whole family here at your back. I know it’s not the same as having them, but I hope we can make up for it.”

I almost laugh in his face, because honestly, a dog would probably make up for having them as my parents. I didn’t come back here to live with them because I needed their support emotionally. I came back out of necessity, and because I knew without a place to live, Thea and I would be in serious trouble.

Maybe I used them. And for that, I should probably apologize, but I have a hard time reconciling an apology after they claimed they should have my baby. Especially after my mother’s day-drinking, when I specifically asked her not to do that when she was babysitting.

It’s going to take some work on both our parts to be in a healthy place, and that’s going to take time. I doubt my parents are going to jump at the chance to mend this—not when it seems they still very much want to take my child from me.

“I do have a family here, and they’ve all done more for me than I could have ever imagined. And I have you and Thea. I have anything and everything I could have ever dreamed of. If they come around, then that just means I’ll have even more people. If they don’t, then it’s their loss, and I’m okay with that.”

“Hell fucking yeah,” Brock murmurs, shifting forward, and then his lips touch mine just as his phone begins to ring wildly from his back pocket.

His hands drop from me, and mine from him as well as he takes a step backward and fishes his phone out of his pocket. I watch as his brows snap together at the sight of whatever fucking name is on his screen. Then he slides his thumb across and holds the device to his ear.

“Hound,” he growls, giving his road name as his greeting. His eyes widen, his brows lift, and he lets out a chuckle. “No shit?” he says. “Yeah, we’ll be right there.”

Brock shoves his phone back in his pocket, his gaze finding mine, a smile playing on his lips. “Chassis is in labor. The whole club is going down to the hospital to wait for the baby’s arrival.”

“The whole club?”

He hums. “We’re a family, babe. One of us goes through something, the rest are right there in celebration or in grief. We are there to support, and this is going to be a celebration.”

“It sure is,” I whisper as I think about going to the hospital to have Thea.

I was alone. I labored alone, and I birthed her alone. The only support I had was the amazing nurses and my awesome doctor. But it was a lonely experience, and that’s when it hits me. I might not be able to pay any of them back for the way they took care of Thea and me setting up this house, but what I can do is be there.

For everything.

Every single thing.

I’ll be there. Right there. Always.

CHAPTER

SIXTY-THREE