Page 10 of Cougar

“Birdie? Do you need anything?” I call as I knock on the door. I don’t hear a reply, so I try to turn the knob finding it locked. “Birdie? I’m going to get you some water and leave it outside the door.”

When I come back with water and a towel, the front door flies open, and in walks Abilene. Her eyes are set on me. I have heard the things this woman can do. I have every reason to be scared for my life. Her eyes are locked on me, and she starts shouting words I can hardly make out.

“Are ya da fathar?” She screams at me incoherently.

“What?” is my intelligent retort.

“Are ya da fathar? Where have ye been? I know that she is farther along than she be telling us. Ya just show up now? Ya claim to love her, but do ye know her? Are ye ‘ere because ye care about her or just because ye shagged up and are going to be stuck with her for dee next eighteen years?”

Abilene’s face is as red as her hair. I am trying so hard to figure out what she is asking me or accusing me of. I have no fucking clue what she said. She has a thick accent that is ordinarily easy to figure out the basics of what she is asking you. Sometimes, I forget it’s there as it’s like it all but disappears. Right now, in this moment? I can’t make heads or tails of it. My eyes flit to the bathroom door, hoping AJ would come out and save me from her mother’s rampage. Then it clicked. She asked if I was the father.

“Yes, I am the father of that baby. I am here for her and the baby she’s bringing into the world.” I puff up my chest a little, trying to find the confidence I very much need. Next thing I know, Abilene is smacking me with the papers in her hand and yelling thick, unintelligible words at me. I hold my arms up, trying to block her blows, when I hear a dark chuckle from behind her.

“What good are ye?” Abilene turns her venom on Butcher. “Ye left them alone. Lord knows what cockamamie plan they concocted while unattended. I bet they think they are gonna get married and live happily ever after. Fix it before I’s fix you, my love. And lord tundering jeysus, you better fix it good.” With that, she pushes past both of us and goes into the bathroom. How the fuck did she get in there?

As quickly as she ninja’d her way into the bathroom, she leaves just as quick with a dazed and sleepy looking AJ. Guiding her past us and back into the bedroom, leaving me alone with a sinister-looking Butcher in the hall. I think I am gonna be sick—and not from the vomit smell building in the hall. With a grunt, Butcher walks toward me, taking the towel and cleaning spray I had before his wife came in and started screaming strange words at me.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Closing my mouth, I go to try again before Abilene comes out of the room. Too late.

“Get out of here. She’s asleep, and I’m gonna clean this mess. You,” she points to her husband, “what are ye still doin’ here? I told ye to fix this.”

She grabs the towel and cleaning spray from Butcher, “Get out.”

When I look at Butcher, he nods, letting me know he wants me to come with him. I glance back at Abilene and decide that Butcher might be the safer bet. Which, you know, said no one ever.

I follow Butcher out of the apartment, and it’s no surprise that he leads me into his shop. I’m walking into my death. He’s going to cut my ass up and feed his pigs. Taking a deep breath, I calm my ass down. I remind myself that I’ve done nothing wrong. All I’ve done is fall head over heels for his daughter.

When we enter the back kitchen area, Butcher goes straight for the freezer while I stand around like a jackass. He comes out with a giant slab of meat. If I had to guess, I’d say part of a cow, judging by the size. When he slams the meat onto the table, he reaches for a knife and starts making precise cuts into its flesh.

I stand here doing nothing except pray he won’t turn that blade on me.

“Out of all the women in the world you could fall for, you had to choose my baby girl.”

He doesn’t look at me. His focus remains on the meat as he pulls piece after piece away from the slab. I never thought I would be in this position—having to defend myself for falling for someone. But then again, I sure never thought the one I’d fall for would be one of my brother’s kids. That sounds incesty. I gotta rethink that description. I shake my head to get myself outta this head space. Basically, I tell myself fuck it and tell him the truth about how I feel.

“It wasn’t planned, Butcher. I didn’t go out of my way to find your kid and get her to fall for me.”

“No,” he slams the knife down, “you just got her pregnant.” He’s turns to face me, and the rage is boiling under his skin. The knife may be on the table, but I know I’m not safe from him. He could have that knife up and in my body before I even pulled my gun. Shit, do I even have my gun?

I start the motion that makes me look like a fish again, trying to come up with something. Anything. But I can’t because, for some fucking reason, I realize now that AJ never told her parents who the baby’s father is. I claimed the baby with zero hesitation. Of course, they would think I knocked her up and left her to be.

What a fucking mess this is.

“Brother, I don’t know what to say. I didn’t know that she got pregnant. I didn’t know that she was your daughter until yesterday. I get why you’re mad. That’s your little girl. I promise you, though, I didn’t hunt her down.”

“And why the fuck should I believe you?” he yells at me. I don’t want to fight with him, but I know Butcher. My energy needs to match his, or I don’t stand a chance.

“You never speak about your kids! How the fuck would I have known?!” When he snaps his head up and snarls, I decide this tactic isn’t the best. I let out a breath so I can control my own temper. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. But it’s true, Butcher. You didn’t talk about them. I had only heard her name when y’all said it that one day and you told me it was none of my business.”

“You knew her name. You shouldn’t have done shit!”

“She told me her name was AJ. I know her as AJ, not Aletta.”

Butcher grabs the knife and stands there. He turns the knife in his hands, and I hate to admit it, but my hand goes to my gun. Oh yay, I do have it. When he lets out a swoosh of air and hangs his head, my hand falls to my side. He puts the knife back down and places both hands on the table. His shoulders are bunched high, and his head hangs low.

“My daughter is all I have left when it comes to my kids. My son killed himself years ago. I’m still not over it. I’m protective as fuck when it comes to my little girl. You know she came here because I’m only one more missing kid away from snapping?” he looks at me, and I see nothing but pain in his eyes. Shaking my head, he continues, “She’s here because her father is a fucking mess. Now she’s pregnant. She’s bringing a baby into a world where someone in our own club is on the wrong fucking side.

“People are buying children to do who the fuck knows what because even more disgusting pieces of shit decided to start The Company to cater to these sick fucks. My baby is bringing a baby into this. And where the hell were you?”

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