“You’re a wanted man. Every cop in the state is looking for you and you show up here. You can’t be that stupid.” Viper held him against the wall.
Rad shoved against Viper’s hand on his chest, but didn’t gain even an inch against the bigger, stronger asshole. “I came for my kid.”
“Lobo returned her to some purple-haired chick this morning.”
Rad couldn’t believe it. “No fucking way. Why the hell would he do that? His sister promised she’d watch Lana for me.”
“It looked like you were never coming back, what with your face plastered all over the news, dumbshit.And we’re not an orphanage.” Viper grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him toward the door, several of the other biker dudes taking notice. Viper shoved him outside and followed just enough to let the door slam behind him, the thumping sound of classic rock muffled by the metal door. “Your kid’s not here. You don’t belong here. I suggest you get as far away as possible because Lobo is out for blood since you put us all in jeopardy by ditching your kid here.”
Rad took the warning to heart and ran back to the car he’d stolen from a parking lot in Sheridan, when he’d made a run up north to pawn the rest of his stolen goods. He needed the cash to get him and Lana out of the state and far away from Hunt and the Willow Fork officers hunting him down.
But when Rad climbed behind the wheel and peeled out of the parking lot, he knew he should cut his losses and get the hell out of Wyoming; instead, an unraveling happened inside him and all he could think about was what Cyn had taken from him. His girl, his baby. Now he’d never get either of them back.
It was all her fucking fault for meddling.
He had nothing left.
No way did she get to raise his daughter, keep Lana from him and live with Hunt all happy as a family.
Fuck that.
If he was going down, he was taking Cyn and Hunt with him.
Chapter Thirty-One
Cyn stood in Hunt’s living room looking out the tall windows at the wide expanse of pastureland and woods beyond. She kept her arms wrapped around her waist. Her thoughts and emotions overwhelmed her. She tried to hold it all together, but everything seemed to have piled up inside her and she thought at any moment just one more thing could take her to her knees.
“What did the pediatrician say?” her mother asked behind her.
She’d called as soon as she and Hunt were on the way back to Willow Fork with Lana to let her mom know they’d found her. They arranged to meet at Hunt’s house after they had Lana checked out at the ER and met with a social worker about Cyn keeping Lana. Because everyone knew Angela’s story, that Rad was still on the loose, she was family and they were staying with a cop, it was a relatively quick process to get approved for temporary custody. On the drive back, she’d ignored Hunt’s concerned glances and questions and called the lawyer about legal custody and adoption. She’d meant to call days ago but never got around to it because of all the things happening to her.
Since Cyn didn’t answer, Hunt filled her mom in on Lana’s checkup. “The doctor said she’s in good health, though she’s a bit underweight. She recommended a different formula than the one she’d been given lately. Cyn and I stopped at the store on the way home and picked some up, along with diapers and wipes. My brother’s fiancée, Shelby, left a box of my niece’s baby clothes for Lana on the porch before she went into work. Cyn spoke to a lawyer. They’ve begun the process for Cyn to get full custody of Lana. Once we have Rad in custody, we can pursue adoption.”
“We?” her mom asked.
Cyn wasn’t surprised by Hunt’s blunt announcement. They hadn’t discussed it. Then again, maybe they didn’t need to. They’d taken another step closer to each other this morning when he’d shown her the nursery upstairs.
Had that only been this morning?
She had no idea what time it was right now, but it felt like this day would never end.
“If she agrees to it. Cyn and I are building a life together. Right now, things are new. We both know what we want. And it starts with us being there for each other through all of this.”
Her mom sighed. “It’s been a lot. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through,” her mom said to Cyn’s back in a rare show of concern. “You found them, Cyn. Angela would be so happy to know you found her little girl and that she’s with you now.”
Yes. Cyn would raise Lana and do the best she could to be the mother Angela would have been to her. She’d tell Lana all about her wonderful mom.
But it wouldn’t be the same.
Would it be enough?
Lana deserved to have her mother in her life.
Rad took that from her. He took Cyn’s sister and Terri’s daughter. He needed to pay.
“Cyn. Look at me.”
She didn’t want to look at anyone right now. She wanted to lose herself in the beautiful view and feel something other than the anger and pain writhing inside her.