Page 34 of Dagger

The tension in the room is suffocating, but it’s nothing compared to the sharp voice that cuts through it.

“The baby’s yours?” Hawk spits out, his voice dripping with disbelief as his eyes narrow on me.

I freeze, caught off guard. “It’s not yours?” I ask, my own voice sharper than I intend.

He laughs, but it’s cold and bitter. “It’s more mine than yours motherfucker,” he snaps. “I’ve been here. I’ve been the one looking out for her, making sure she’s okay. You? You bailed. You left her to deal with this shit on her own!”

The weight of his words settles heavily in the room, his anger hitting me harder than I expect. “She’s not yours,” I say quietly, keeping my voice steady even though the tension is threatening to crack me.

His fists slam onto the table, the sound echoing like a gunshot. “No,” he growls, his voice low and dangerous. “But she’s sure as hell notyourseither. You don’t get to leave and then come back and act like none of it matters. Like you’ve got some claim on her.”

“Hawk,” Mason warns, his voice sharp. “Sit down.”

Hawk turns to him, his eyes blazing. “No, Mason. I’m not sitting down. He’s the one who left. He’s the one whodisrespected the club, disrespectedher.And now we’re just supposed to give him a pass?”

I watch him, my stomach tightening. Hawk’s not just pissed—he’s jealous. I see it now, clear as day.

“Enough,” Mason barks, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. “Both of you, shut the hell up.”

Hawk glares at Mason, his chest heaving, but he doesn’t say anything else.

“This isn’t about Chloe,” Mason growls, his eyes darting between us. “This is about the club. Dagger screwed up. Big time. But he’s here now, and he’s going to pay for it. He’s on probation, and that’s the end of it. Hawk, sit your ass down, or you can join him.”

Hawk stares Mason down for a long, tense moment before finally sitting back down, his jaw still tight.

Mason slams the gavel on the table. “Church is adjourned. Dagger, stay behind.”

The others file out, but Hawk lingers near the door, his eyes still burning into me. There’s something in his expression—anger, betrayal, jealousy. I can see the wheels turning in his head, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. I used to be his friend. His VP. Now, I’m just his competition.

He doesn’t say anything, just shakes his head before storming out. The sound of the door slamming echoes through the room, but I barely notice. My cut feels lighter, the empty space where my VP patch used to be a reminder of how much I’ve lost.

And from the way Hawk looked at me, I know this fight is far from over.

Mason leans back in his chair, staring at me like he’s trying to figure out what to say. Finally, he exhales and rubs a hand over his face. “Alright, I’m talking to you as your best friend now,not your president. All this time…You didn’t know the baby was yours?”

“Fuck no!” I snap, the frustration bubbling up in my voice. “When I saw her the other day, withhim, I assumed her and Hawk hooked up after I left. Why else would he be all over her? Why would he care so much about a chick who’s got another man’s baby in her belly?”

Mason shakes his head slowly, his gaze steady. “Chloe is a good girl, Dag. Beautiful, funny. A lot of the guys see that.”

“So it’s okay for Hawk to be with her, but not me?” I bite out, the bitterness clear in my voice.

Mason’s expression hardens. “Fuck, Dag. Let’s be real—you sleep with anyone and everyone. You’ve never given a damn about what happens after. I didn’t want her to be just another pussy you fuck and chuck. She’s part of the club, part ofTank’s family.”

The weight of his words settles over me, but he’s not done.

“Hawk, on the other hand?” Mason continues, his voice lowering. “He wants her, Dag. And not just for a night. He wants her even if she’s carryingyourbaby. He wants forever with her.”

That hits me like a punch to the gut, burning like acid.

I glare at Mason, my voice rough. “And you think that makes it better? That I should just step aside and let him have her? Like I don’t care about her, like I didn’t fuck up because Ididcare?”

“You didn’t care enough to stay,” Mason snaps back, his tone sharper now. “You didn’t care enough to stick around and deal with the fallout. You left, Dag. And Hawk? He’s been here. He stepped up when you didn’t.”

The words cut deep, but I don’t let it show. Instead, I clench my fists, my jaw tightening. “I didn’t stay because I didn’t want to screw her up worse than I already had. You think I don’t know what I am, Mason? You think I don’t know what people expect from me?”

Mason leans forward, his eyes boring into mine. “Then prove them wrong, Dag. But you’ve got a hell of a lot to fix. You’ve burned bridges, and it’s on you to rebuild them. Chloe, the club... everything. And if you’re serious about her, you better figure that out fast, because Hawk’s not going to wait forever.”

I swallow hard, the weight of his words settling like a stone in my chest. Mason sits back, watching me, and the silence stretches between us, heavy and suffocating.

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