Page 102 of Shine: Sins of the Father
I stare at the boy in wonder.My son.I reach out and stroke his blond curls. He seems fine, and I can only pray he is. My eyes lift to Fiona, and I cup her cheek. She turns into my touch, and that means the world to me.
“What about you? Are you okay?”
“While he was in pediatric radiology, they took me down for an x-ray. I’m fine. No fracture, just bruising.”
“That’s wonderful news. Are you in a lot of pain?”
“It’s uncomfortable. They gave me something for the pain.”
“Is it helping?”
“A little. It took the edge off.”
“What happened?”
She tells me everything about the car accident, then frowns.
“How did you find out?”
“Reckless asked me where I was. I told him I’d been waiting at that park for you, but you didn’t show. Five minutes later, he pulled up on his bike and told me what happened. I raced right over. Reckless tried to stop me, but I wasn’t having any of that.”
“Did my father see you?”
“Babe, the waiting room is filled with leather cuts. I breezed right past everyone and went straight to the nurse, demanding to see you. When she said only immediate family was allowed back, I told her I was Dylan’s father.”
“Reckless told you?”
“Babe, Reckless told me the morning you cut out on me.”
“You knew? All this time you knew? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was waiting foryouto tell me. I wanted to hear the words come out of your mouth.”
Her face falls in shame. “I tried to tell you. A million times, but I was afraid. I was going to tell you that first night, but thenmy father started hollering in the hallway. And then at the diner, but I chickened out.”
“What were you afraid of?”
“A million things. I was afraid of how my father would react, and the longer I waited, the harder it got. Plus, I was afraid of that man who shot at us. I can’t put a target on our son’s back.”
I look at the child, thinking about what she says. Then look at her. “I swear to you, Fiona. I’m not going to let that man anywhere near you or our child.”
She gets tears in her eyes and nods, then looks toward the waiting area. “Does my father know?”
“He heard me tell the nurse, and before she buzzed me back, I saw the look on his face; pretty sure he wants my hide nailed to his clubhouse wall.”
“This is such a mess.”
“I don’t give a damn about that. I want to be a part of our child’s life, Fiona. I know you’re capable of raising him. I’ve seen the way you built that business from nothing. You’re a strong woman, but you don’t have to do this all alone. Not anymore.”
She tears up again, and the baby fusses.
“Can I hold him?”
“Of course.” She passes him to me.
We only have a moment before Wolf, with Crystal on his heels, bursts in.
He and I stare at each other, and Wolf points at me. “I want to see you back at the clubhouse.” Then he looks at his daughter. “You should have told me, Fee. You should have fucking told me.”
