I lift my knuckles to knock on the door of the two-story colonial without sparing a thought for the consequences. I have to see her; I’ve barely been able to breathe all day, crushed under the weight of my guilty conscience.
Not even the thought of facing down Teagan’s furious mother is enough to run me off from their front porch. No, I’m going to talk to Teagan no matter what it takes, even if I have to slay a big, furious dragon first.
And that bravery is going to be put to the test right away since it’s Jennifer Merritt, her mother, who opens the door, not Teagan.
Fuck.
“What are you doing here? How did you find out where I lived?” she asks angrily, looking more intimidating in pink and purple long-sleeve pajamas than I thought possible.
“Sorry to bother you, ma’am. The Charlotte Savage Kings told me…”
“I should’ve fucking known,” she huffs as she crosses her arms over her chest, reminding me so much of her daughter – not just her attitude and looks, but her mouth too.
“They said they’ve been keeping an eye on you and Teagan since Roy died,” I say to try and ease her fury down a few notches. Apparently, that was not the way to go.
Her ivory face turns a reddish purple before she explodes. “I didn’t ask them to do a damn thing for us, and I haven’t touched a penny they’ve sent!”
“But you don’t seem to mind warming their beds,” I remark. It’s low, but I’m desperate to get information about Teagan, and I know she’s not going to cooperate unless I refuse to back down. One of the guys back at the clubhouse mentioned what a hellcat Jen was in bed when I first asked about her and Teagan. He apologized after he said it, but by then that cat was literally out of the bag.
Jennifer scoffs after she recovers from the surprised shock. “I’m a grown woman. It’s none of your business or anyone else’s who I sleep with!” she exclaims. “But, ah, I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention that information to Teagan,” she adds in a slightly more civil tone.
“I won’t. Unless she asks me,” I amend. “Because I’m not going to lie to her again if she’ll even talk to me. Is she home?”
“No.”
“Is she really not here, or does she just not want to see me?” I ask.
“She’s not here!”
Since her bike isn’t in the driveway, I assume that’s the truth. “Fine. I’ve been calling her, but she won’t answer her phone. Do you know when she might be home?”
“No idea.” She sniffs and looks away. “She didn’t stay here last night. We…we had an argument and she left. I doubt she’ll come around for a while.”
“What did you argue about?” I can’t help but ask.
“That’s none of your business either, but since I’m worried about my daughter and want someone to find her and make sure she’s okay, I’ll tell you.”
“Good. What did you do?”
“I, ah, I finally admitted to her that her father didn’t come around much because-because I asked him not to when she was little.”
“Oh,” I mutter with a wince. That’s fucked up, which she must know. No wonder Teagan was angry. She was so certain that her father loved the club more than her, even though I didn’t think that could be possible.
I already love her more than the MC, and I barely know her.
“She’s hurting and I want to find her sooner rather than later,” I tell her mother. “So, if you have any ideas about where she might be, please tell me. I fucked up, and I need to tell her that I only did what I did because I love her and don’t want to lose her.”
“You love her?” she huffs with a roll of her eyes.
“Yes, I do.”
“If you really loved her, then you wouldn’t have lied to her about prospecting or voted against it!”
Okay, wow. I guess Teagan told her mom everything before their argument.
“You can’t tell me that you want her to prospect with the same club that got the love of your life killed.”
“I didn’t say I approve!”
“So, I did the right thing then.”
“No, you’re being a selfish asshole!” she informs me.
“I’m being selfish by trying to protect her? That doesn’t make a damn bit of sense, woman.”
“You’re being a selfish ass because you’re not treating Teagan like an adult! She’s not a child. You can’t ground her or forbid her from doing anything if it’s what she wants. Even if it is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of a woman doing!”
“I wouldn’t let her jump off a cliff either, so what’s the difference?” I demand.
“The difference is that you can’t know that she’ll get hurt or killed by prospecting. Yes, the chances are higher, which is why I’m not a fan. But you can’t refuse her for doing something that you’re already doing, dumbass! You’re not worrying about her. You’re worrying about how you will feel if her choices hurt you!”
“Oh,” I mutter.
“Do you think she doesn’t worry about you in your little MC?”
“Yeah, but I’m…”
“A man? So what? The person I loved with all my heart was a man too. Bullets don’t give a shit about gender when they start flying, do they?”
“Uh, I guess not.”
“You guess?”
“Fine, you’re right. Is that what you want to hear? I don’t want Teagan to prospect because I’m scared of losing her!”
“And yet you already have by trying to stop her. So, you’ve got two choices, give her up or give her what she wants, even if you’ll hate every second of it.”
“You were furious that she was sleeping with me, and now you’re trying to convince me to let her be part of the club?”
Her mother shrugs. “I love Teagan. Even if I think she’s making a huge mistake with you and the MC, it’s her life to live, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess it is,” I agree. “And if you give in on this, you think that maybe she’ll eventually forgive you for keeping her father away?”
“It’s more likely she’ll forgive me if I don’t tell her she’s being an idiot.”
“Fine,” I say with a grin. “Do you have any idea where I might be able to find her?”
“She probably won’t be sitting still. If I had to guess, she’s riding around aimlessly on her damn bike. That’s what Roy did whenever he was upset. He said the road would eventually take his worries away or help him figure out what he should do about a problem.”
“Then Teagan could be anywhere.”
“She could, yeah,” her mom agrees. “Good luck finding her. I guess she could’ve done worse when she picked you. She said you didn’t cheat on her…”
“I haven’t. I won’t. I would never cheat on Teagan,” I assure her. “She’s the only woman I’ll ever want.”
The irritated mother eyes me up and down judgmentally before she finally says, “Then she’s a lucky girl.”
