Roar approached him. "Hell of a situation."
"I knew it would be difficult for him to become an occasional father, but I thought Kelli would raise the kid. Never saw her walking away and leaving him the baby. What the fuck would cause a mother to walk away from her child?" he asked.
Roar grunted. The more Brage thought about it, the angrier he became. He was close to both of his parents. Having an ocean separating him from them was rough. But to think his mother would've ever given him up was unimaginable.
"He'll be a good dad," whispered Roar.
"Ja." Brage exhaled in acceptance. "The kid'll be loved."
Peer turned from the table. The anguish etched on his face warned Brage that he'd finally accepted the events of the night.
He put his hand out stopping Peer from storming off and doing something stupid. "I'll stay with you."
Peer's lip curled. "I don't even know my son's name."
Brage planted his hand on Peer's pounding chest. "Then you'll name him."
Peer reared back and stormed toward the door. Roar stopped Brage from following him.
"Let him cool off and get his head on straight. The men won't let him leave the alley seeing his condition." Roar walked over to Holly, leaning over and looking at the baby.
Brage took out his phone and texted Elling. He would have no problems closing down the bar for the rest of the night if Dinah was having trouble keeping up with the customers while working on her own.
It was going to be a long night. Those he cared about were unsettled, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to help.
Chapter 19
Brage stroked Dinah's hair. She kept her head on his shoulder and her legs wrapped around his back. After having sex, she had no desire to leave him, and he seemed happy to hold her.
"Poor Peer," she whispered.
Once the bar had closed, she'd hung around Brage who had stayed with Peer until dawn broke, making sure the man had everything he needed. She closed her eyes, riding Brage's heavy sigh.
"He was only going through the motions of taking care of his son. Doing what everyone suggested." She swallowed. "He's in shock. I wish there were something I could do to help him."
"Mhm." His hand lowered to her bare hip.
She raised her head and gazed into his eyes. "He's been nothing but kind to me since I began working at The Fire Ring. Sure, we had our moments, and he tested me on my loyalty while working, but I've talked to him more than you."
"You can't fault us...me, for protecting the club." He cupped her face in his hands. "Each member here is my family."
"Just like Brad and Tony are mine," she murmured.
Brage hummed, neither accepting that statement or denying it. She crawled off his lap and stood from the bed. Every time the subject of her brothers came up, she was reminded that Brad's name was on her birth certificate.
Because she couldn't remember her parents, she'd calculated in her head the difference in her age compared to Brad. Then, hated herself for even wondering if they'd kept a secret as big as Brad being her father from her.
Of course, it was impossible. Brad was sixteen years old when she was born. Besides, if he had been her dad, there was no reason to keep it a secret.
"Babe?"
She hooked her bra and looked over her shoulder. Brage sat naked on the bed, making no move to get up or get dressed.
"Open the top drawer in the dresser," he said.
Expecting to grab him a pair of boxers, her hand stilled over the open drawer. On top of his clothes was a pile of gum. Every brand imaginable, and all cinnamon flavored.
She hurried back to the bed and tackled him. Giddy as an addict finding a pile of drugs, she kissed him solidly on the lips and ended on a loud smack.
Brage chuckled. "Happy?"
"You have no idea. Thank you." She scrambled off him and not able to wait until she finished dressing, unwrapped a piece of gum and chewed. "Oh, my God. This is...heaven. Seriously, the best day I've had in a long time."
Realizing her declaration sounded stupid after having sex with Brage and going through the emotional roller coaster of being kidnapped, her brother being shot, and all the answers to her problems that still remained unreachable, she turned from the bed and got dressed.
Mixing pleasure with a friendship—no, what she and Brage had couldn't be considered a friendship. They were together out of necessity.
She understood the dangers Moroad posed. Her brother had told her as much that her life was also in danger from them. Now she believed him.
Staying at the Slag clubhouse probably wasn't any safer, but Brage was willing to help keep her safe. Until she knew what was going on or she could contact Tony, the smartest thing she could do was stay here.
She appreciated Brage wanting her. Any woman would feel good if a man remained attracted through her break in trust. She found him irresistible in ways that surprised her, but she wasn't delusional about what was happening between them.
Pulling her hair out from underneath her shirt, she glanced at Brage while searching for her shoes. He continued to watch her.
"Are you okay?" She stuck her toe into her sneaker and wiggled her foot in.
"Ja." He stood and retrieved a pair of boxers. "We need to talk."
"Now?"
"Downstairs." He pulled on his jeans and sat down to lace his boots. "Roar wants to talk to you first."
"About last night?" She stroked the mascara onto her lashes. "Things were hectic at the bar, but Lizzy helped pour drinks
