Page 24 of Dagger

The technician grins. “Would you like to know the baby’s sex?”

“Hell yeah, we do,” Hawk says, then glances at me. “Right?”

I nod, my breath caught somewhere between nervous and thrilled.

“It’s a boy!” she announces, her voice lighting up the room.

“A boy!” Hawk laughs, throwing his arms up like he’s just scored a touchdown. “You’re gonna have a little dude, Momma Bear!”

I can’t stop smiling. “A boy,” I whisper, the reality sinking in.

On the drive home, Hawk can’t resist. “So, Momma Bear,” he teases, tapping the steering wheel, “have you picked out any names yet? Something strong, like Titan or Diesel. Ooh, how about Hawk Jr.?”

I roll my eyes, laughing. “Definitely not Hawk Jr.”

“What? Hawk Jr. sounds badass!”

“It sounds ridiculous,” I shoot back, grinning.

He chuckles, glancing over at me. “You’re glowing, you know that? Like, nuclear-level glowing.”

“Shut up,” I say, swatting at his arm, but my smile betrays me.

He grins, his eyes on the road. “You’re gonna be a great mom, Momma Bear. You got this.”

And just like that, I feel it—the steadiness he always brings, grounding me in this wild, beautiful moment.

We pull into the parking lot in front of Perdition, laughing about the ridiculous name he suggested. I push open the door to the clubhouse, still caught up in the moment.

That’s when I see him.

Dagger.

He’s sitting at the bar, nursing a drink like he belongs there. His dark eyes lock onto mine the second I walk in, and the world tilts. My smile freezes, my heart pounding so hard it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.

I can’t move. Can’t breathe.

Dagger stands abruptly, his barstool clattering to the ground behind him. His eyes flick to Hawk, then to me and my hand resting protectively over my stomach. His expression hardens like stone.

“Dagger,” I whisper, but it’s too late. He looks like he’s about to rip Hawk apart, his fists clenching at his sides.

Hawk notices the shift and steps forward palms raised in front of his chest, his usual easy-going demeanor replaced with something more serious. “Calm down, brother,” Hawk says, his voice low and even. “Ain’t what you think.”

Dagger doesn’t answer, but the tension in the room spikes.

“What the hell’s going on in here?” Mason’s voice booms as he steps out from the back. His eyes sweep the room, landing on Dagger. His face tightens for a second before he barks, “Dagger. In my office. Now!”

Dagger doesn’t move at first, his jaw ticking, but then he turns, his eyes meeting Mason’s. Without another word, he stalks off toward the office, his shoulders stiff.

The sound of the door slamming echoes through the clubhouse, and the room falls into silence.

I exhale shakily, finally finding my voice. “He’s back,” I mutter, my eyes still glued to the office door.

Hawk puts a hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, he is. You okay?”

I nod slowly, but my mind is spinning. Dagger’s back. After all this time, he’s here. And I have no idea what happens next.

Why did Dagger look so damn upset? The way his eyes burned into Hawk and his fists clenched at his sides—he looked like he was about to destroy this place and everyone in it, including me.

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