Chapter 4

Four

The blood is pumping so fast in my veins it sounds like a drum in my ears. I knew I shouldn't have gone to the store tonight, but I was so excited about Glenn learning how to walk that I just needed to get him some new shoes so he'd be more comfortable. It's my fault because I didn't wait for someone to come with me.

No, this isn't my fault. It's the creep who's following me's fault.

"Talk!" I yell down at the man who is still staring up at me in complete shock.

"I wasn't..." He starts, and I pick my booted foot up, ready to bring it down on his face. I watched him follow me through the store, and when he couldn't find me, I hid behind one of the displays and watched him panic. He's definitely following me.

I may not be part of the Eve's Fury MC officially yet, but I know about all the trouble they've been getting in recently, mostly because they're allied with the Wings of Diablo. There's a group called the Faceless that were trying to take them all out. Lucky for us, the good guys won. The Wings of Diablo, Purged, and the boys of Djinn clubs were able to bring down the Faceless, at least as many of them as they could. There are still quite a few out there roaming around. Maybe this asshole is one of them.

I dart my eyes to the side of the store where I pushed Glenn just in case things got dangerous. He's still sitting there, happily chewing on his fingers, unaware of what his mother has just done.

"Wait, wait! Okay, I was following you, but I wasn't going to do anything. I didn't mean to scare you." The man puts his hands up while he's still on the floor, and I back up from him. I'm not going to wait for him to reach for a weapon, but right now, it looks like I'm more of a threat than he is.

"Get the hell up and get away from me," I snap, backpedaling in the direction of Glenn. I want to get out of here as fast as possible.

"Wait, don't run off. I just want to talk to you."

The man gets up but doesn't make any quick movements in my direction. I appreciate that. He's a big man. Tall and built, but not so much I'd think he lives in the gym. Just enough so I know he does something physical for a living. My eyes scan his body from his feet up to his face before I look away.

"I don't have anything to say to you. You could've asked me to talk while we were in the store. Right now, all I want-" My thoughts come to a screeching halt as I look back at the man and take in the expression on his face. One I see nearly every day when Glenn doesn't get something he wants.

My feet move toward the man on their own. It feels like something is pulling me closer to the one threat in the area when all my instincts are screaming that I should run away. He focuses his gaze on mine, and I stare deep into his gray eyes.

Glenn's eyes.

"Oh God... no, oh God no!" I croak before I slap my hand over my mouth and begin to back away again. This time with no more fight. This can't be happening. I'd never thought I'd see him again, but I'd bet everything I have that the man in front of me is Glenn's father.

"Please don't cry. I'm not going to hurt you." The man moves forward, and I feel the tears sprouting from my eyes coming faster.

"Bullshit! Stay away from me," I yell.

"Addison, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk," he tries again, moving forward.

My back hits the shopping cart, jostling Glenn, which causes him to let out a short screech and reach up for my hair. He pulls hard, babbling something that I can't pay attention to right now.

"Addison, please," the man in front of me says. He's closer than he was a moment ago, but his voice feels like it's far away. The world tilts from side to side, and I blink furiously a few times, trying to right my equilibrium.

"Hey! Hold on." The man in front of me dashes even closer, and just as I'm about to fall, he catches me in his arms.

I want to push away. Move out of this mess that I've found myself in, but for the life of me, I can't muster up the strength. I was sure when Hollister was killed that I'd never have to think about that life again, only to have it come screaming back into my life when I least expected it.

"Please, just let me go. I just want to go."

"Listen to me, Addison, I'm not going to force you to stay here. I just want to talk to you for a second, and then you can be on your way. I'm not going to hurt you."

He could be lying, I'm sure he is, but the sincerity in his eyes helps me drop the anxiety building inside of me.

"Come on, let's sit down before you fall over."

I nod shakily before I reach behind me and grab Glenn out of the shopping cart. The minute my arms are around him, he starts to wail. He must feel my energy. Mojag and Catori are big on the energies we put out being felt by the people around us. That must be what's going on with Glenn now. He knows I'm scared, and so is he.

I take a few breaths to calm myself down before I walk over to the bench and sit down.

"What do you want from me? I'm not working anymore." I let the words come out of my mouth before the man even has a chance to say anything. If he thinks he's going to get another roll in the hay with me, he's out of his mind.

"What? Is that what you think I want from you?" He groans and drags his hands through his hair before he looks up at the sky, praying maybe. "I'm not here for sex, Addison." He turns in my direction, and my skin crawls when the very edge of his knee touches mine. The last time he touched me, he got me pregnant. I like to think I've grown from the person I was at that time, but the trauma I feel is real.

"What do you want then?" I ask, lifting my chin, trying to get my emotions under control.

"Can we start with the little stuff first? Do you remember me?"

"Obviously," I answer deadpan. Why would I have such a guttural reaction to someone I don't remember?

"Do you remember my name?"

"I only know you as Daddy. That is what you like to be called, isn't it?" The words slide out of my mouth laced with venom. I remember my night with him clearly. Aside from the fact that Hollister had taken me to the big house where he only entertained his best clients, it was the first time any of the Johns ever worked hard enough to get me off. As sad as it is, this man is the only other person aside from myself to get me to orgasm. Yeah, the sex was good, but I'd rather go through life having bad sex than be forced to sleep with someone for money again.

He cringes at the sound of me calling him Daddy, but he doesn't deny it. "My name is Hardy," he corrects me.

"Okay, Hardy, now what do you want?" I spit out again.

"I want to know..." His voice cracks as his eyes leave mine and settle on Glenn. He clears his throat before he continues, "I want to know if that child is mine."

"No," I answer too quickly. "He's mine. I don't know who the father is. I was a prostitute after all, or don't you remember?" Hoping that is enough to get him to back down, I get up from the seat and start walking toward the car.

"Bullshit." Hardy leaps up from the seat and steps right in front of me, stopping me from getting any further away.

He grabs hold of my arm, and it's only the fact that I have Glenn in my arms that I don't turn around and punch him in the face. I'm not going to risk my child's safety.

"I know you, Addison. I know what that bastard Hollister put you through. I know the type of people he would've put you with. Tell me the truth, is that my kid or not?" Hardy snaps in my face, and my anger at the situation and at him pushes to the forefront.

"What the hell difference does it make? I don't need you or anyone else trying to come into my life and tell me what to do with my son. I've been doing just fine on my own raising him. Whoever his father is, he can stay away."

Please let that be enough. Please let this man just drop this.

When Hardy crosses his arms over his chest and widens his stance, I know that I'm not going to get what I wish for.

"That's not your decision to make."

"So what? You saying that you want to take this to court or something? You want to get the authorities involved? Because I will fight you tooth and nail. I'm a damn good mother."

Fear blossoms on Hardy's face. I've hit a nerve.

"Oh yeah, that's right. I don't need to go far to get the authorities. I'm sure there's someone at your job that handles things like this. Isn't that right, officer?"

Besides him, the officers were the worst of my johns, mostly because they knew I couldn't go to anyone if they tried to do wrong by me. I mean, who was I going to tell, another one of their police buddies?

"Addison, I'm not trying to take him away from you. Hell, I'm not even trying to tell anyone anything you don't want them to know. Right now, all I want is to know if he's my child, and if so, what I can do to help. It's my screw-up. I should be doing what I can to make it right in whatever way I can."

Screw-up? My heart sinks, and I hold Glenn tighter to my chest. "This baby isn't anyone's screw-up. He's the best thing that ever happened to me. The mere fact that you'd put him in that category lets me know all I need." I sidestep the man and try to walk away, but I see him getting ready to cut me off again.

"If you stop me from going to my car, I swear on my life I'll scream bloody murder. I'll make up such a wild story they'll have no choice but to take you in. Even if they manage to clear you of everything, I'll be long gone before you ever get a chance to see me or this little boy again." I keep my gaze locked on him and watch as defeat washes over his features. Getting the cops involved is really the only card I can play. I really hope I'm not going to have to follow through on it.

After all, what cop is really going to believe an ex-prostitute over a fellow cop?

Quickly and without looking back, I make my way to my car and strap Glenn in. My hands are shaking so hard I can barely turn the key to start the car.

Pulling out of the parking lot, I take one final glance in the rearview mirror to see Hardy standing there watching me.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

But now that it has, I don't know who I can turn to for help.

I could bring it up to the club, but that means they'd possibly have to go against the entire police force. I can't bring that kind of trouble down on them.

No, I'm going to have to handle this on my own.