Page 2 of Dagger

“I need to stop at the clubhouse for a bit and talk to Diesel.”

Her gaze swung to mine. “Is Chopper there?” All the kids loved the club dog even though he farted like a sixty-year-old with lactose intolerance.

“Yeah, Chopper is almost always there.”

“Last time he was at Leo’s place,” she said sadly. Dani was one of the oldest kids in the MC and though she was happy to no longer be the only kid, she found it difficult to connect with them. “I hope he’s here,” she said softly before she got lost in the book she always kept in her backpack.

***

“We’re here,” I said after another twenty minutes on the road.

Dani looked up at the familiar brick building and closed her book with a heavy sigh. She shoved it into her backpack, swung it over one shoulder, and exited the car. “Okay.”

I opened the door and Dani stepped into the clubhouse first, scanning the area for the bulldog that wasn’t there. I watched her shoulders fall in disappointment before she caught herself, then she found a chair in the corner that gave her a view of the entire bar, pulled out her book, and shut out the rest of the world.

I wanted to say something that might reassure her, but I couldn’t. Hell, I didn’t know what to say to make anything better, so I didn’t even try. I went in search of my brothers. The office was, for once, empty so I retraced my steps through the bar and went out back where I found Slate, Rocky, and Maverick. “Diesel around?”

Rocky shook his head. “Nope. Some appointment for Leo. He’ll be back later, what’s up?”

We all had our roles in the MC and even though I was patched, I wasn’t an officer. My role was to be there but more than that, I ran Steel City Ink. I had done since Dani’s mom was found face down in a ditch on the way out of Vegas. It allowed me to do something I was damn good at, stay in the MC and keep my daughter safe. “I’m not sure that something is up but something is going on that we all need to be aware of.”

Maverick snorted. “That’s about as clear as dog shit. What is it?”

I ran a hand through my shoulder-length hair and blew out a breath. Steel City Ink was my baby, but the club was mylife. “Some of the remaining Blood Fangs have been in the shop getting new ink.”

“It is a tattoo shop,” Slate offered sarcastically.

“Right, which is what I thought at first too. But they’re all getting the same damn sign and I’m not sure, but I think it’s a new MC or gang.” I pulled out my phone and showed them the tatts. “Does it look familiar?”

“Nope.” Slate snatched the phone and tapped the screen a few times. “I’ll look into it and get back to you.”

“Thanks.”

I headed back inside and found Peyton, Laura, and Harper surrounding Dani, who was smiling under all that female attention. She needed a mother figure, more than Callie and Charlie, I knew that, but dammit if I had the time or the inclination to get serious with a woman. “Dani,” I called out.

She looked up and her smile slowly died as wariness clouded her eyes. “Yeah?”

“Hungry?”

She nodded.

“Let’s grab some food. You pick the restaurant.”

“Me?” The surprise in her voice told me that keeping my distance from my own damn kid might not be the best course of action.

“Yeah, you. Come on.”

Her smile came slowly, slightly hesitant as she stowed her book in the backpack and closed the physical distance between us. “Can we go to Kung Pao Tacos?”

Sounded horrible as fuck but I smiled. “Hell, yeah.”

I needed to do better. I was all Dani had, and she was all I had.

Chapter 2

Dagger

This was so fucking wrong.

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