“And?” He could just get to the point, but then again, he loves to draw things out.
“Emerson called me, woke me up from my nap,” okay, I don’t give a shit about that. So, I start tuning him out while I scan through the papers on my desk. “Stoney’s apparently on his way. He’ll probably be here tonight, so I think—”
“What did you say?” My heart practically stops beating.
“I said Stoney is on his way.”
“Why?” He has to know. He has to know something.
“Your guess is as good as mine. You didn’t have a meeting planned with him?”
I shake my head, “No. We usually meet in Lancaster, Pennsylvania when we need to meet. But Omen and Tracker usually handle shit between the clubs when it comes to our alliance. You know as well as I do that Stoney and I can be a bit catastrophic when we’re together, like mixing oil with a flame.”
Ricochet chuckles lightly, “I think you understated what it’s like when you two meet up. More like a Hiroshima level bomb.”
“At least you get my point,” I mutter, trying to think of what could be causing this unannounced visit. Then it hits me.
Destiny.
He has to know about Destiny.
Chapter Three
He wasn’t a hero to the world, but he was a hero to his little girl
~Unknown
Cowboy
Destiny’s kept me busy for the past few hours, makin’ me chase her little butt through the club, attend stuffed animal tea parties, and so much more. She’s the light of my life and doesn’t even know it. “Daddy, can we make cookies?” She asks while she yawns.
I know this girl has to be tired, but I’ll give her anything she wants in this world.
I nod, “Sure, baby. Come here and we’ll go to the kitchen.”
She yawns widely as she comes over to me, and a better idea strikes me. “Actually, baby, let’s go around the corner to the bakery. I think you’re gonna need some sleep soon.”
“Mmkay . . . but Daddy?” She looks up at me through those pretty brownish gold eyes of hers.
“Yeah?”
“When I wake up, you’ll be here, right?”
“Of course, I will, baby. Why are you asking that?” I question, craning my neck a bit to the side.
She shrugs her shoulders and looks down at the ground, “You always leave so fast.”
God, this little girl just broke my fuckin’ heart. I hold my arms out to her and pull her close, “Sweetie, I hate leavin’ you so much. I hate goin’ back to Canada, but it’s somethin’ I gotta do.” Fuck, I’m about ready to cry. This little girl makes my heart beat most days. Hell, if I didn’t have Destiny I don’t know if I could’ve gotten through most shit.
I stand up and tug her along with me, grabbing a coat hanging on the rack in her room and help her get into it. She wraps her arms around my neck and holds onto me, burrowing her face against my neck and staying quiet.
I go downstairs, exit the club and make a right, walking two blocks until we get to the small Italian bakery. They have the best fuckin’ cannolis I’ve ever had. Then again, New York cannolis are something you can’t compete with.
“Hey, Cowboy, haven’t seen you in a while. How’re things going?” Charlotte, one of the bakery’s regular girls asks me.
“Not bad, you know, just stayin’ busy. How about you?”
She smiles widely, “You know, same old, same old. What can I get for you and Destiny today, the usual?”
I release a laugh and nod at her. “Yeah, that should be fine.”
“Do you want your usual chocolate cuppie cake, Destiny?” Charlotte asks, trying to peer over at her.
Destiny doesn’t say a word, but instead looks up at me with a curt nod.
“Yeah, sorry she’s being quiet. I think after this we’re gonna go back to the house and get her settled in for a nap.” I tell Charlotte, who smiles in understanding. If I remember correctly, she’s a single mother.
“It’s perfectly fine. I remember when mine were that little. They’d run around for hours and then boom, it was time to take a nap.”
“Yeah, she’s ready for the nap, that’s for sure.”
“Awe, well, get her to bed soon. Let me get your cannolis and cupcakes. Want me to mix up goodies for everyone at the club too?”
“That would be amazing. Thank you,” I reply as Destiny tugs on my cut. I glance down at her, “What’s up, baby?”
“Daddy, what about Mommy?”
I cock a brow, “What about Mommy?”
“Do you miss her too?” God. What a fucking question.
“Are you askin’ me that ‘cause of earlier?” I question her, almost immediately getting a nod in response.
God, I do miss Tala. I miss her so fuckin’ much, but we’ve got so much history and shit between the two of us. When she ended up finally tell me Stoney was Destiny’s biological father, I think I about lost it. She knew how much Destiny meant to me, and still does mean to me, and she didn’t think to share that shit, to tell me the damn truth. Fuck, I don’t care what any DNA test says. Destiny is as much mine as she is Tala’s.
“You hug Auntie Faith, but not Mommy.” Destiny’s eyes look down at the floor, not wanting to maintain eye contact with me, I guess.
“I hug Mommy, baby. I think you’re just asleep when I do.” I’m lyin’ to her, and I damn well know it, but I don’t want Destiny to see this is the reality between Tala and I. We barely look at each other, try not to stay in the same damn room when I’m in town. For fuck’s sake, how is Destiny seeing this already? God. I thought we had at least a couple more years before these sorts of questions started being asked.
“Oh, okay.” Destiny smiles brightly at hearing that, and Charlotte puts the bag of goodies on top of the counter.
