Free Devil's Angels Boxed Set: Bikers and Alpha Bad Boy Erotic Romance by Celina Reyer, Emily Stone, Evelyn Glass, Joanna Wilson Page B
from Atticus’ face. “That can’t be true. Gary would have never lied to me. I can call Mariah right now and ask her.”
Christian sat back and gestured towards the phone on his desk. “Call her then.” He waited while the old man just sat there staring at him. He could see the wheels turning. “Gary was the father of Lacey’s baby. I guess I made a convenient scapegoat. If you’d ever bothered to find out anything about me, you’d have known that I would never let any woman who was pregnant with my child out of my sight.”
It couldn’t be true. He didn’t want it to be true. Gary had been more than a second, he’d been like a brother. Conversations they’d had about the situation came back to him. How he didn’t want Atticus to confront Christian and kick him out. That it had been a private matter and that, ultimately, Lacey had made the decision that cost her own life. That he couldn’t just kick Christian out of the club for something Lacey herself had wanted done.
Gary had lied to him. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he could tell that Christian was telling the truth. There was nothing in his eyes now but pity. “What have I done?”
The door opened behind him and Sandy walked into the room, unadulterated disgust on her face. “What you did, Daddy, was judge a man without any real evidence, then condemn him to years of mistreatment. You deserve to go to jail for what you had done to Christian. I thought you were better than this. Thought you were a man that people could look up too.”
“Sandy, please—” Atticus stood and reached out for his daughter but she pulled away, tears of anger and disgust running down her face. She shook her head at him then turned and ran out the door.
*****
Atticus made to go after her, but Christian stood and stopped him. “Let her go, Atticus. She needs time to calm down.”
The older man walked back to his desk and sat heavily in his chair. He didn’t know what to say or do. He’d been so angry that it had made him stupid. All these years of hatred would cost him his daughter. Mariah too, probably. “What are you going to do, Christian?”
“Question is, what are you going to do, Atticus?” Christian’s head was starting to hurt from all the stress and anger that had been riding him since Mariah had shown up at his door. “Right now, only a couple of people know what you did. You can be a coward, pretend it didn’t happen, and lose your entire family—or you can stand up and turn yourself in, take your punishment and start earning everyone’s respect back.”
Christian’s words shocked him. He’d figured that he’d call the cops, but he wasn’t doing that. He was giving him a chance to redeem himself. He’d obviously misjudged the young man. “Why would you do that after everything I’ve done?”
Taking a deep breath, Christian said the words that he’d never expected to say in his life. Words he thought would never be meant for someone like him. “Because I’m in love with your daughter, and I want her to be able to be proud of the men in her life. I’m doing it for her.”
Atticus nodded, then picked up the handset on the old phone in his office. “Who do I ask for?”
“Detective Mann. He’s a good guy.” Christian waited while he dialed and was patched through to the Detective.
While Atticus was talking, he pulled the disposable cell out of his drawer and set it on the desk. He wouldn’t be the only one going down today. When he hung up from the Detective, he dialed his lawyer and told him to come immediately to the office.
Atticus stood and walked around the desk, offering Christian his hand. There was a short moment when he thought the younger man might refuse, then he stood slowly and shook it. “Go find my daughter.”
Christian managed a small smile. “I know just where to look.”
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Much like the last time they’d
Christian sat back and gestured towards the phone on his desk. “Call her then.” He waited while the old man just sat there staring at him. He could see the wheels turning. “Gary was the father of Lacey’s baby. I guess I made a convenient scapegoat. If you’d ever bothered to find out anything about me, you’d have known that I would never let any woman who was pregnant with my child out of my sight.”
It couldn’t be true. He didn’t want it to be true. Gary had been more than a second, he’d been like a brother. Conversations they’d had about the situation came back to him. How he didn’t want Atticus to confront Christian and kick him out. That it had been a private matter and that, ultimately, Lacey had made the decision that cost her own life. That he couldn’t just kick Christian out of the club for something Lacey herself had wanted done.
Gary had lied to him. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he could tell that Christian was telling the truth. There was nothing in his eyes now but pity. “What have I done?”
The door opened behind him and Sandy walked into the room, unadulterated disgust on her face. “What you did, Daddy, was judge a man without any real evidence, then condemn him to years of mistreatment. You deserve to go to jail for what you had done to Christian. I thought you were better than this. Thought you were a man that people could look up too.”
“Sandy, please—” Atticus stood and reached out for his daughter but she pulled away, tears of anger and disgust running down her face. She shook her head at him then turned and ran out the door.
*****
Atticus made to go after her, but Christian stood and stopped him. “Let her go, Atticus. She needs time to calm down.”
The older man walked back to his desk and sat heavily in his chair. He didn’t know what to say or do. He’d been so angry that it had made him stupid. All these years of hatred would cost him his daughter. Mariah too, probably. “What are you going to do, Christian?”
“Question is, what are you going to do, Atticus?” Christian’s head was starting to hurt from all the stress and anger that had been riding him since Mariah had shown up at his door. “Right now, only a couple of people know what you did. You can be a coward, pretend it didn’t happen, and lose your entire family—or you can stand up and turn yourself in, take your punishment and start earning everyone’s respect back.”
Christian’s words shocked him. He’d figured that he’d call the cops, but he wasn’t doing that. He was giving him a chance to redeem himself. He’d obviously misjudged the young man. “Why would you do that after everything I’ve done?”
Taking a deep breath, Christian said the words that he’d never expected to say in his life. Words he thought would never be meant for someone like him. “Because I’m in love with your daughter, and I want her to be able to be proud of the men in her life. I’m doing it for her.”
Atticus nodded, then picked up the handset on the old phone in his office. “Who do I ask for?”
“Detective Mann. He’s a good guy.” Christian waited while he dialed and was patched through to the Detective.
While Atticus was talking, he pulled the disposable cell out of his drawer and set it on the desk. He wouldn’t be the only one going down today. When he hung up from the Detective, he dialed his lawyer and told him to come immediately to the office.
Atticus stood and walked around the desk, offering Christian his hand. There was a short moment when he thought the younger man might refuse, then he stood slowly and shook it. “Go find my daughter.”
Christian managed a small smile. “I know just where to look.”
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Much like the last time they’d
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