When we reach the room, I hang back against the door frame. Gabby plays with her plastic set of keys and tries her best to stuff them into her mouth. I watch as Skull walks over to a large African-American man wearing faded jeans, a green t-shirt, and a leather vest similar to the one Skull wears all the time. He’s tall—even taller than Skull, though not by much. He’s lean and muscular and wears an easy smile. In fact, he looks happy.
He’s got a little boy held close to his side. The boy is playing with the man’s ear. It’s cute, and somehow it makes this big man look even sexier. His other hand is draped over a blonde. She looks strangely familiar. Skull and the man are talking, but my eyes are on the woman. Where do I know her from? I take a couple of steps closer, still hanging back and not wanting to bring attention to myself if possible. She looks a lot like me. Actually, with Katie changing her hair color, I’d say people would mistake this woman as my sister even more so than Katie, except she’s prettier. She has curves and hips that I could only dream of having. She’s rubbing her very pregnant stomach and talking to Skull. He’s smiling at her in a way that makes me ache. It’s reminiscent of how he used to look at me.
“Querida, you are much too beautiful to be with this hombre. Run away with me and let me treat you like the princesa you are,” Skull says, and I try to ignore the way his flirting hurts me. It cuts me that he calls her his dear one, as he once did me. The man with her doesn’t look like it disturbs him that Skull is hitting on his woman. Scratch that, he does look pissed. Maybe he’ll beat the hell out of Skull. I could cheer him on.
Do it. Do it! I urge him silently.
“Keep it up, Skull, and I’ll kill your ass like I should have done years ago. You’ve been a thorn in my side for far too fucking long.”
Skull just laughs it off. The blonde reaches up on her tip-toes and kisses the other man. “Behave, Dragon,” she whispers in a soft voice that radiates with warmth.
He looks down at her and gives her a smile, the kind that makes you feel like an intruder.
“I’ll show you just how good I am behaving when I get you home, Mama,” he whispers, and the woman blooms in a deep blush.
Then he does something that surprises me and makes me ache. He leans down and places a small kiss on her forehead. It’s so strange and seems out of character from this big man. It makes me instantly jealous of this woman, who clearly holds this man in the palm of her hand. I’m jealous of the love the two of them have and obviously cherish… the kind of relationship I wanted…
“Is this your daughter?” the man asks Skull, and then I’m instantly aware of all eyes on Gabby and me. I swallow nervously, wishing I had chosen to stay in my room instead.
I’m ignoring Beth. It’s not the most adult way to handle the conversation, but it’s survival. I shouldn’t have asked Beth to join me. It was a weak moment. I wanted to show off my child and her mother to Dragon. Seeing the way he and Nicole are with each other, though, brings home exactly what I’ve been robbed of—what Beth and her family took from me.
Today starts my revenge. When Dragon, nosy bastard that he is, asks about Gabby, I’m forced to acknowledge the woman who is the reason my insides are rotting away.
I turn around and take Gabby from her mom. The child cries and reaches for Beth.
Wanting her mother over me. Because she doesn’t know me. Because I am a stranger.
Hate burns in my stomach yet again. I give in only because I can’t stand to see my daughter cry. My daughter who doesn’t know me. My daughter who doesn’t want me to hold her. I’ve tried. It always ends up with her crying. Beth takes hold of Gabby and instantly, she stops. Anger wars with this feeling of failure.
Dragon slaps me on the back, moving beside me. “Dom is the same way. He’d much rather be on his Mama’s hip than mine. Who can blame them? I’d choose them over our ugly faces any day of the week,” he teases.
I know he’s trying to make me feel better. He’s a true friend and he alone knows how fucked in the head I am right now over all this shit.
Before I can respond, he’s looking at Beth. “You must be Skull’s wife.” Hearing him call her that pisses me off even more. A wife is someone who stays by your side, who fights with you and holds their ground with you. A wife is someone like Nicole. Despite all of the shit her and Dragon went through, her love for him never wavered. She sure as fuck didn’t run away and keep Dragon’s boy from him.
“I’ve got to go. My men are waiting on me. You call me if there’s trouble. Keep your family safe.”
“Always, asshole. You know that,” Dragon grumbles.
We might be friends, but he doesn’t take it well when anyone tries to tell him how to take care of what is his. I’d be the same way if I had any claim over Beth.
I throw up my hand to say bye, then walk away without looking back. I feel like a fucking intruder in my own damn club. Just one more thing Beth seems to have taken from me.
“Skull?”
Beth. Her voice stops me. I can’t bring myself to turn around.
“What?” My voice is cold, but it’s nowhere near as cold as my heart.