I smirk up at him. “No, I won’t.” Knowing full well the minute I can, I’m running.
“Fine. Instead of me hunting you down and kidnapping you, then trapping your ass, how about we negotiate?” Wren reaches up and touches his face and he doesn’t push her hand away, just looks at her as he speaks to me. “You want your own place, and I want you with me.”
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” I snap.
He smiles at Wren, and it makes it so much harder to stay angry at him. I hate that she instantly trusts and loves him. She always wants me, but for some reason she seems lost in him right now.
I feel ya, sister. I feel ya. He’s easy to get lost in.
“If that’s the saying you want to go with.” He shrugs, not denying it.
“I’ll be in a place owned by you, remember,” I point out. “But that doesn’t mean you can pop over unannounced,” I reiterate, sitting taller.
“Why? Do you plan to have company?” He’s careful with how he words it, and I’m not sure if it’s because he has Wren in his hands or because he doesn’t want me to say no.
“Why does it matter?” I shoot back. I shouldn’t be playing with fire, but I can’t help myself. He reaches up and Wren grabs hold of his hand and wraps her little fingers around one of his. She smiles and giggles, and I melt, just melt. I didn’t know I wanted to see this. I assumed I could do this all on my own, and I have.
But seeing them together? Now I am questioning, is it mean of me to keep him away from her?
“I still want you. Let’s make no mistake there, Sailor.” He gets straight to the point. “I will not share you.” His eyes move from our daughter to me. “Do you understand?”
“Luckily for you, I’m not yours to share.” I smile sweetly at him. “And I won’t negotiate with you. If you think out of all of this you still get me, you’re wrong,” I point out.
Benny walks in, limping. His eyes fall to Keir, and he pauses before he looks at me. “We have company,” he states, straightening his back. “Hello.” He nods to Keir, and I shake my head.
“Benny, this is Keir.”
Keir walks over with Wren still attached to his hip and offers him his hand. “Wren’s father,” Keir announces.
“Mmm…” Benny shakes his head, but not for long. “I’ll let you two be.” He turns and walks away.
“Her father?” I ask him when Benny’s gone. “You haven’t seen her for six months, and all of a sudden you’re her father?” I chuckle. “Tell me…” I pause before continuing, “… if I was a random one-night stand who just so happened to have your child, what would happen then?”
“I would have shot you the minute I found out you were pregnant,” he replies coldly, making my heartbeat pick up.
“You would have shot me?” My breath hitches. “I’m glad I never told you then.”
“Not you. We’ve established this, Sailor. You said any other girl. I would have shot any other girl but not you.”
“Doesn’t make me feel any better,” I mumble.
“I should have shot you when I found out, so it wouldn’t incite a war between the families.”
“A war?” I ask, confused.
“Pack your bags.” Keir walks to the living room and then straight to my bedroom. I follow and watch him open the door before he steps in and sits on the bed with Wren. “We’re leaving today.”
No more discussion.
That’s it.
Well, that isn’t how it’s going to go anymore.
Chapter Five
Keir
“You haven’t agreed to anything I mentioned.” I had hoped she would forget. Wren touches my face, and I’m amazed by her. She’s so quiet and calm. I’m in love with her already. Why did it take me so long to come back for them?
“What?”
“I want the old apartment. I want you to call before you come over. You are not my boyfriend nor my lover. You are Wren’s father and that’s it.” Sailor’s arms cross over her chest, pushing her boobs up and I smirk, and she looks down at her top, which is covered in stains, then scowls at me.
“I’ll call first,” I tell her.
“Thank you.” She moves to the closet, pauses, her hand still on the handle before she speaks. “You won’t ever take her from me, will you?” Her soft eyes look over her shoulder at me, and the vulnerability there is hard to take.
“Never.”
She blinks a few times before she turns back and starts to pack her things. “I have to speak to Benny. Can you watch her?” She leans down, her face directly in front of mine, but it’s not me she’s looking at. She leans in farther and kisses Wren’s cheek before she straightens. I nod and watch her walk out.