Page 14 of Kingston

My head hadn’t stopped spinning since the back door first swung open.“An appointment?On a Saturday?I don’t remember anyone telling me about an appointment today, but I-I can’t afford that, Kingston.”

I wasn’t even sure I could afford to get Iris more pain reliever.That Kingston got her to take both her ibuprofen and antibiotics was nothing short of a miracle, but she was already running low on both the children’s Motrin and Tylenol that I tried to keep on hand at all times.

“There’s an ENT specialist who was able to fit Iris in today.You don’t have to worry about the cost.I got you, baby.”He started to reach for me but stopped himself at the last minute when I tensed.Damn it.I wanted him to hug me again.I’d felt so safe when his arms were around me.But I couldn’t stop my reaction.It was just instinct.

Something darkened in his eyes, but he gave me a gentle smile.“As soon as you give me his name, I promise you’ll never have to be scared again, Demi.”

That would have been a nice alternate universe to wake up in, but I knew it was nothing but a wasted wish.Charlie and his family were too dangerous.I wouldn’t risk Kingston getting hurt.Not when he’d already done so much for us.

ChapterNine

Kingston

Pullingmy truck into Aggie’s parking lot, I kept the vehicle running while I glanced in the rearview mirror.Iris was still glowering at me, her arms crossed over her chest in the most adorable sullen pout I’d ever seen.She was pissed at me for letting the doctor look in her ears instead of telling him no.

I hadn’t wanted to put her in a situation where she was scared, but she had a real fear of doctors after her history of ear infections.She’d looked to me to protect her, and I’d held on to her while the doctor did his thing, but she’d still been uncomfortable with the thorough inspection the ENT had to perform to get a better idea of what was going on.

She was grumpy as fuck and mad at me and her mom, but we at least had a care plan that was going to save her ability to hear.Once she got the tubes placed in her ears, the ENT was confident that Iris wouldn’t have as many infections.

Demi sat quietly in the passenger seat beside me, her hands clasped in her lap.She hadn’t said much since we’d left the doctor’s office earlier.I could see the wheels rapidly turning in her head.The worry that weighed her down must have been crushing.

Money had never been an issue when I was growing up.My parents were well above the comfort zone when it came to finances.The only reason my mom worked was because she wanted to, not because she had to.Dad was a patched Angel’s Halo member, so he got a percentage of the MC’s funds on top of his share of the profits from Hannigans’.

I’d been making my own money since I was fourteen, bussing tables at Aggie’s and doing the dishes.When I was twenty-five, I bought in to Aggie’s.It wasn’t just because I wanted to give Mom a business partner and take some of the day-to-day pressure of running a restaurant off her shoulders.

Aggie’s was my passion, just as much as it was my mother’s.

Between the profits I earned from my share of the diner and the bar, plus what I made from my position in the MC, I’d never known what it felt like to struggle to pay bills—to worry about what would happen if I got sick and couldn’t afford to go to the doctor.But worry was all Demi did.

And I wanted to fix it for her.I wanted to give her and Iris the fucking world.I was going to take the load of stress off her shoulders and make sure she didn’t have to worry about anything ever again.

But I knew it was going to take time for her to trust me.Time to see that I was going to take care of her and her precious little girl.I just had to be patient and show her that everything was going to be okay.

We’d been parked for a few minutes before Demi finally blinked and focused on her surroundings.“I thought we were going home… I mean, back to your house.”She fidgeted with her seat belt.“I need to get my clothes out of your dryer, and then Iris and I can get out of your hair.”

Gritting my teeth to bite back the displeased growl that tried to break free every time she said something about leaving me, I unbuckled my seat belt and then her own.“It’s past lunchtime.I’m starving, babe.And I bet Iris would be a lot less grumpy if we filled up her tummy.”

“Kingston—”

I opened my door, shoving it closed before she could get out whatever protest she might have ready.Opening the back door, I reached in and unfastened Iris from her car seat that I’d taken out of Demi’s car.That vehicle was a deathtrap, and I was going to replace it as soon as I could.I might have gone outside and disconnected a few wires so it wouldn’t start while she was getting ready for the doctor’s appointment, making sure we had to take my truck.

But Demi was smart as hell—and resourceful.She’d had to play mechanic enough times on her own to know a thing or two about what made her car tick, and she’d noticed the issue right away.Thankfully, we were running behind, and she hadn’t had time to fix the car without making us late for the doctor.

While we’d been in the waiting room and Demi was filling out the family history forms for Iris, I’d texted my cousin Max to have someone pick up the car from my driveway with his tow truck.If it were left up to me, I’d crush the fucking piece of tin, but Demi seemed attached to the damned thing.Max was supposed to do a full service on it personally, replace the brakes, tires, and fluids.Whatever it needed to make it safer, I’d told my cousin to ensure it got done, and I’d pay for it.

Iris let me take her out of her seat, but she still had her arms crossed over her chest, turning her face away from me when I tried to kiss her cheek.She was a tiny heartbreaker, but I wasn’t above a little bribery to get her to like me again.“How about a milkshake?”

“No,” she said stubbornly, that crease between her brows reminding me so much of her mom, I got a squeeze in the middle of my chest.

“Chocolate cake?”I offered, walking around the back of the truck to open the passenger door since Demi hadn’t moved from her seat yet.

“No, no,” she shook her head, causing her blond pigtails to swing back and forth.“Hmph!”

I held out my free hand to Demi, almost holding my breath until she hesitantly placed hers in mine.With my heart giving a happy little kick, I tried to pretend like this woman hadn’t just given me a precious gift.“Ice cream sundae with extra hot fudge, sprinkles, and whipped cream?”

Iris started to shake her head again, but when I got to the whipped cream, she paused.“I likeded the whipped creams.”

“I’ll put extra, extra, extra whipped cream on your ice cream,” I bartered.“Butonlyif you eat some mac and cheese and maybe some chicken strips.Or do you want a hamburger?”

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