Instead, I leaned over him and took his face between my fingers. I forced his chin toward me so he had no choice but to look me in the eyes. I held him there for a few seconds, enjoying the look of fear in his eyes.
“Sean,” my dad said from me behind. It was a warning, but I didn’t care. I only had eyes for Zach.
“Listen to me,” I hissed. “If you ever touch my daughter again, I will kill you.”
Zach jerked his head away from my hand, but I held him tightly. I leaned even closer to his face and glared into his eyes.
“Am I clear?” I asked. “I will kill you.”
With that, I threw Zach’s head against the ground and turned to leave. Now that my moment with Zach had passed, I wanted to check on my daughter. My dad stepped in my way as I tried to leave, but I stepped around him easily.
“Sean,” he called after me.
“Don’t,” I yelled. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I need to go check on my daughter. I need to make sure she’s okay.”
“Are you sure she’s really your daughter?” Zach asked from the floor.
When he spoke, I was sure I heard him wrong, but as I turned around, I saw a sickening grin spread across his face.
“What?” I asked.
I stared at Zach blankly. My anger slowly gave way to a new, more intense emotion. I flashed back to my life nine years ago. When Paisley was conceived, I wasn’t living the best way. I spent all my time with the motorcycle club, and Claire hated me for it. She begged me to quit, but I never did. I ignored her wishes.
Zach’s words burned a hole in my stomach.
Zach’s bloody grin widened. “I said, are you sure she’s really your daughter?”
“Fuck you,” I snapped. I glared at him before I spun back around to leave.
I marched toward the door, but someone was blocking my way to the hallway. I looked up to see Tara, staring at me with wide eyes. She looked from me to Zach and then back again, understanding dawning on her face. I didn’t know if she really understood the true meaning behind Zach’s words, but I was certain she had heard them.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Tara
“Are you sure she’s really your daughter?”
Zach’s question echoed into the hallway. I had just set Paisley up in my office with her sketchbook. After making sure she was okay, I hurried back toward the conference room in time to hear the tail end of Sean and Zach’s argument.
When that question hit my ears, I froze where I stood. I could hear faint whispers as Sean said something and then soft footsteps, but I couldn’t make out his words. I didn’t hear anything else until I was standing in the doorway and Zach repeated the question again. I stood there, staring at Zach as he bled onto the conference room floor.
“Are you sure she’s really your daughter?”
When I looked up, Sean was walking toward me. He didn’t see me at first, but as he looked up, his eyes fell on my face. He paused for a fraction of a second, taking in my surprised expression. Without a word, he brushed by me and ran down the hall to my office. I saw him disappear inside, and a moment later, he reappeared with Paisley by his side. He wrapped his arm protectively around the little girl and ushered her toward the elevator. Neither of them looked at me as they walked.
I couldn’t believe what I’d just seen and heard. From the time Zach barged into the conference room and grabbed Paisley, I knew we were in for a horrible day. I’d never seen Sean so angry. He charged across the room and threw Zach against the wall like he was nothing. I didn’t blame him. When I saw Zach reach for Paisley’s arm, I was livid. I moved forward, but Sean was faster. By the time I reached Paisley, Sean already had Zach pinned to the wall.
Carrying Paisley to my office was nerve-wracking. I didn’t want to leave Sean alone with Zach, but I knew I had to take care of Paisley first. She wasn’t hurt, but she was scared. Terrified. I did my best to calm her before I returned to the conference room, but I never imagined I would walk in on the scene before me.
With Sean now gone, I could take in the room in its entirety. Zach still laid on the floor, his nose bleeding profusely. As I watched, he slowly crawled onto his stomach and pushed himself to his feet. He groaned and winced. The sight filled me with a sick joy. He deserved whatever pain Sean inflicted upon him.
While Zach struggled, I turned my attention to Ray. He had sunk into a chair at the conference table after Sean left. His head was on the table, and I knew he was just as upset as I was. Neither of us could believe what had just happened between Sean and Zach.
I took a step forward, wanting to comfort Ray, but Zach’s head snapped up at the sound of my footsteps.
“What are you still doing here?” he demanded. “Get your stuff and leave. You’re fired.”
I blinked and looked at Ray. He didn’t lift his head. I felt my stomach drop, but I turned around without a word. After everything I just witnessed, I didn’t have it in me to fight Zach’s decision. If he wanted me gone, I would leave. That was fine. So long as he never hurt Paisley or Sean again.
I walked toward my office, and everything felt fuzzy. My head spun, and I couldn’t shake the incessant ringing in my ears. I saw stars at the corner of my vision, and I thought I might faint. I didn’t. Instead, I moved slowly down the hall until I reached my office. When I stepped inside, I closed the door firmly behind me and slid to the floor.
My hands shook, and my head drooped between my legs. I took deep, steadying breaths and tried to calm down. The events of the day played in my head over and over again until finally, I had no choice but to get up and move. Zach wanted me gone. He told me to pack my things and get out, so that was what I would do. As much as I hated the idea, I was too worried about Sean and Paisley to care much about myself.
Just minutes ago, I stood in that conference room and asked Sean to explain his strained relationship with Zach. I thought it was so important for me to know the truth, but now I wasn’t so sure. Obviously, there was much more between the two brothers than I ever imagined. For Zach to grab a little girl like that? For Sean to beat Zach so badly he could barely move?
“Are you sure she’s really your daughter?”
I heard Zach’s voice echo through my head as I sat on the floor of my office. I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I had a horrible feeling I didn’t want to. Part of me wanted to know the truth. It felt like the most important thing in the world. For me to find out what went on between Sean and Zach was the one way I would be able to make a sound decision about my relationship with Sean. Thinking about it now, it didn’t make sense.