Page 18 of Rebel

I rolled my eyes and once again in his presence I was transported back to that night years ago. Being around Logan had been easy then and even with all the time that passed, it still was. Normally I wouldn’t let my guard down in front of anyone who wasn’t Mia, but I didn’t bother trying to hide the way myhands shook, or the fact they’d gone ice cold. Tears pooled in my eyes as reality settled in about what had happened tonight.

Someone tried to kill me.

That was bad enough, but the fact that Livvy would be left alone in this world haunted me. If not for her, I might not have survived my dad’s death. It was more important than ever that I clue Logan in on his role in our daughter’s life.

“Hey, what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” He was on his feet and at my side in an instant, his big hand settling on my back as he pulled me into a hug. “Talk to me.”

“Someone tried to kill me.” The words were muffled against his hard, broad chest.

“And they fucking failed,” he growled and rubbed soothing circles on my back that should have relaxed me, but instead it fired me up until my body hummed with desire. “Don’t cry, Nikki. Please don’t fucking cry.” His words came out anguished and I felt bad.

“Sorry.” I pulled back and grabbed a napkin to wipe away those silly tears. “I’m better. Thanks for being a, uh, chest for me to cry on.” And thank the heavens above for that beautiful chest.

“Anytime. I’ll be sticking close and keeping an eye on you until this shit is over.”

My brows dipped. “What are you talking about? That’s not necessary.”

“It is,” he insisted angrily.

“Well I can’t afford to pay you, so absolutely not.”

His smile reappeared. “I didn’t ask you to pay me, did I?”

“No, Logan. Absolutely not.”

He leaned in close, whispering in my ear. “It’s not up for debate.” His smile dimmed and the playfulness vanished. “You didn’t call.”

“No,” I agreed. “I didn’t, but I meant to.” That was only a little lie. I wanted to call him, but I couldn’t, not with this big secret hanging between us. “Life has been crazy, and the threats have thrown me off my game.” I hated lying. I didn’t want to be a liar but every minute we spent together, and I didn’t tell him about Livvy, made me a dirty rotten liar.

“If you’re not interested you can just say that, Nikki. The offer to help you still stands.”

Well shit, that only made me feel worse. It was an out and I should’ve taken it, but I couldn’t. I owed him some type of honesty tonight. “It’s not that Logan, I promise. I have been busy, but I’ve been trying to get over my own damn feelings. You left before I woke up and you didn’t call or leave a number and honestly it kind of messed with my head. And my confidence. I spent the past few years hating you and that’s not easy to get over.” I felt ridiculous admitting that, but I owed him that much. “I needed to get over that before I called you.”

“And you’re not over it yet? I told you what happened—I was just as pissed that you didn’t call me.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t explain to him just yet how these feelings of abandonment were worse because I’d carried his child. Even though I knew now that he hadn’t just upped and left, all those years of resentment had colored my opinion of him. “I wasn’t, or at least I didn’t think I was, but you’re not the callous bastard who left without a second thought, you’re theguy I met before that night, the guy I really wanted to spend the night with.”

Logan’s smile came slowly and white hot, and I knew that I was in trouble.

Real trouble.

And for some reason I couldn’t seem to look away from the walking, talking embodiment of the best kind of trouble.

Chapter Eight

Rebel

Nikki was a mother. Holy shit, she had a kid! It took a few hours before the shock of that fact had worn off. Her daughter was the little girl I’d helped at the festival, the one I thought belonged to her friend, Mia. I recalled that she told me there was no boyfriend and no husband, which made me curious about the asshole who’d knocked her up and disappeared without a backwards glance. Whoever he was, he was supposed to protect them both, to keep them safe from harm and now they were in the crosshairs of the Blood Fangs MC and where was he? No fucking where to be found.

I’d spent the past few days watching Nikki and her daughter from afar. She didn’t want the protection she desperately needed, and I knew that asking for forgiveness was much more effective than asking for permission, so I followed her at a distance as she went about her business.

She insisted she didn’t need a bodyguard when she caught me on the first day and she had demanded that I back off and let her live her life. I agreed, and then did a better job of being her shadow, so she didn’t realize she had one. Some people were stubborn as fuck and would rather think they were safe because people were generally good and not pieces of shit. If that’s what Nikki needed, I would give that to her while I made sure she and her little girl were safe from harm.

Yesterday she hadn’t noticed me at all, but I was there watching when two Blood Fangs prospects followed her to theradio station and then to the grocery store, before I made them see what a bad fucking idea that was. I listened to the show from my perch on my bike that was parked right beside her car to make sure nobody tampered with anything. When the show ended, I moved to the street and followed her home, and she was none the wiser. It was a perfect arrangement for both of us. I didn’t have to argue with her, and she was safe under my protection.

Today she’d woken up early with the idea to take her daughter to the park, and I dutifully followed—with the permission and blessing from Diesel and Rocky. The little girl had more energy than my whole fucking MC, but Nikki took in stride with a beautiful smile that lit up her face. Jealousy tugged in my gut at the idea that another man had gotten more time with her, had given her the joy on her face and walked away. I wondered if she loved that man, if she longed for him in the late night hours when she was done being a mother and was just a woman.

“It’s Rebel!” The little girl stood more than fifty feet from my hidden spot, jumping up and down before she stomped her feet excitedly. “It’s Rebel,” she said again just in case the people on the other side of the park hadn’t heard her.

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