Page 44 of Dagger

“Knock, knock!” Mrs. Winters’ sing-song voice entered the lounge before she did, holding a giant bouquet of colorful roses. “Looks like somebody has a secret admirer!”

My heart leapt at the thought that Dagger had sent me flowers, but then I berated myself because it could be and probably was for Sarah.

“Oh,” Sarah cooed. “Looks like it’s not so complicated after all.” She wiggled her brows as Mrs. Winters set the vase in front of me.

“Me?” I looked up, my brows dipped in confusion. My heart hammered in my chest. “Are you sure?”

“Yep. Your name is on the card.” Her eyes sparkled and she stood, expectant.

So did Sarah.

I knew they expected me to open the card, so that’s what I did, but the words I saw were definitelynotfrom Dagger.

You don’t deserve this. You deserve nothing, and that’s just what you’ll get. Soon.

I dropped the card as if it burned my hand. This wasn’t a bouquet from an admirer. It was a warning at best—at worst it was a threat.

Sarah picked it up and gasped. “So not from the hottie who put the glow on you?”

I shook my head. “Definitely not.” Somehow, I managed to pull out my phone and snap a photo of the card before I sent it to Dagger and Slate. My instinct was to reach out for protection, and after that, terror settled deep in my gut. “I, um…” I stood, unsure of what I wanted to say. “I should get back to class.”

Sarah reached for my arm. “Are you okay, Sinclair? For reals?”

I nodded, then shook my head. The urge to brush off my problems was strong, but hadn’t I just told Sarah I wanted to change? “No, not really.”

“I had a boyfriend who couldn’t accept our breakup either. Restraining order pretty much did the trick.”

That would work if I knew who this jerk was. “Good idea,” I said, and got to my feet, and headed back to my classroom, “Keep the flowers!”

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

How could I have forgotten that I wasn’t allowed to be happy? I let myself foolishly believe that this joy could last, thatmy time with Dani and Dagger wouldn’t be so abbreviated. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It was like one of those television sitcoms that kept me company as a child. The time we spent together was special to me, and no matter how it all shook out, I would cherish my time with them.

There was no point lying to myself about my growing feelings for father and daughter. It was a ridiculous move, falling for the single dad biker and his adorable daughter, but I couldn’t help it. It was guaranteed heartbreak, but how could I not fall for him when I’d gotten to know the man beneath the ink and the leather? When he’d let me see the man beneath the steel, who was a secret sweetheart, a man who only wanted to be better for his kid? He had a fierce protective streak that had, for some inexplicable reason, extended to me.

And Dani? She had opened up and it was such a beautiful thing to watch. In class she spoke with confidence, stood tall when she presented her work, and she’d even made some friends. It felt good to know I had a small part in how much she’d bloomed, how easily she smiled now. How she didn’t divert her gaze when people looked at her.

I realized that I was starting to love that little girl as if she were my own, which was its own set of problems, because the one thing I knew for sure? Dagger didn’t want forever, which meant I was setting myself up for heartbreak. Double heartbreak, in fact, once for him and another for Dani.

But if this was my chance, my only shot at being part of a happy, healthy family, then I had to take this chance. I couldn’t interrupt this joy, couldn’t end it prematurely when it might be the only taste of it I got. I hadn’t been happy like this since before my mother died two decades ago. I needed this.

For however long it lasted.

“Sinclair.” Dagger’s voice was breathless and gritty, like he’d been chewing on sand and glass, washing it down with a neat shot of whiskey.

“Dagger, what are you doing here?” He was standing in the corridor outside my classroom leaning against the wall.

“I got your message. Where else would I be?”

My heart tap danced against my chest at his words, spoken so easily, so casually, as if there were no place else he’d rather be. “At work. Didn’t you say you had a back piece to finish today?”

He shrugged. “We’re taking a break for food and cigarettes. The school’s only a ten minute ride away. Are you okay?” He stepped inside the classroom wearing a serious expression.

“I’m fine. The flowers came to the front office because nothing or no one gets past Mrs. Winters. You know that.”

He flashed a smile. “She’s a tough cookie, but I can be charming.”

“Believe me, I know.” I sighed. “At first I thought…” I began and shook my head. There was no point goingthere. “The card had my name on it and, well, you read what it said.”

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