Page 6 of Pope's Penance

Legend stands in front of his mom and sister with his arms folded over his chest, his eyes are narrowed on Cyanide and Gavel as they watch him in turn.

I glance around, spotting all the eyes on them.Some are shocked, sad, worried, and even loving, while others sneer and smirk.I narrow my eyes at those, making a note in my head to keep my eyes on them.There should be no reason for those emotions aimed at Birdie, Kyrie, or the kids.

“Why hasn’t anyone gotten her a fucking chair?”I bark.“You’re not blind.You see she can barely fucking stand.”

“Don’t act like you care now,” Valkyrie mutters, guiding Birdie into the chair that Devious, another prospect, sets behind her.

I hold up a hand as discord rumbles through the room.

“Watch the disrespect,” I warn her gently.

She snorts.“Says the king of fucking disrespect.”

I grit my teeth, ready to snap, but I catch Legend backing up toward her with a wary eye on me.

Sighing, I clear my face of everything I’m feeling.

“Let it go, Ky,” Birdie husks, speaking for the first time since she came in here.

I’m so close to losing the fight against my need to go to her and shelter her in my arms.That’s the last thing she wants judging by the wariness written all over her.

Her fear of us and lack of trust tightens my throat.

“What happened to you?Where the hell is your husband?”

“Mister, who do you think did this to her?The Easter Bunny or something?”Legend snarks, his tiny lip curling back.

Hiding my humor, I lift a brow.“That’s what I was trying to determine, no?”

Legend raises his return.“Mom always says you should be direct when speaking to someone so they can’t ever mistake what you’re saying.It’s what you wanted to know, so you should’ve just asked her if it was him.”

Gavel’s laughter breaks the tension between me and my son.

My son.

Still fucking surreal.

“Boy’s just like you,” Gavel says, stepping next to me.

He faces Legend and his sister.My daughter.

What’s her name?

What do I call her?

I should have let Cypher do his deep dive five years ago, but I just wanted to fucking forget everything I’d witnessed the last time I saw her.

“Why don’t you two come with me so Pope can help your mom?”Gavel asks, holding out his hand.

I lurch forward when Birdie moves quickly.She jumps up and pulls her kids behind her, growling viciously at everyone.Through the slits of her puffy eyelids, her bloody eyes bounce around wildly.

We all hold up our hands, doing our best to appear non-threatening.

“It’s okay, little mama,” I soothe, the endearment rolling smoothly off my tongue.“No one is going to harm your babies.They can stay.Just, please, sit back down.You’re weaving on your feet, baby.”

My heart aches as she backs them away from us.She grabs the chair and drags it with her until it’s tight against the wall and she can see the exit.Despite the pain I know she’s in, she pulls the kids to her lap, holding them tightly as she watches us.

I take a seat on the floor so they know I’m not coming at them.An appreciative grunt leaves me when I notice the rest of the club doing the same.Hell of a thing seeing a roomful of deadly bikers who kill without remorse making themselves smaller for my woman and kids.

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