I pull, trying to get away, but he only tightens his grip, so I look up at him.

"Stay," is all he says to me, and I blink my eyes rapidly.

Did he just tell me to stay like some f.u.c.king dog? The fog he put me under starts to evaporate as anger replaces it.

"Let me go." I give him my f.u.c.k-off voice and tug on my arms again.

"No," he says then turns his attention back to Dagger. "What?"

"Brother, let her go." The air in the room changes, becoming thick and dense. It's coming off both Rhys and Dagger like a bulky smoke.

I suck in a deep breath, knowing I'll only add fuel to this fire if I don't tread carefully.

"Rhys," I call, getting his attention back. "Please let me go. I have to go check on my mom." I say it calmly, trying to defuse the bomb that I feel may go off at any moment.

"That's why I came to find you. She's awake and demanding she see you." Dagger shakes his head from side to side. "She hasn't changed a bit."

There is so much I want to know to this story, but one situation at a time.

"See? I have to go," I tell Rhys, whose eyes are p.i.s.sed as h.e.l.l and brows drawn together.

After what feels like the longest stare down in my life, he releases my hands, and I pull them in front of me then begin to rub my wrists, hoping he didn't leave marks on my body. I already have enough of those.

I step back a few feet, giving us some distance. "Hope you feel better," I tell him, still rubbing the sensitive skin as I turn to Dagger. "I'm going to her."

I dart from the room so fast one would think my a.s.s is on fire, but I don't care. I need time to process all of this.

I RUSH INTO Dagger's room to find the bed is empty, and my stomach plummets.

"Mom?" I yell, concern and fear cutting through me like a sharp knife.

The door to the bathroom opens, and my mother appears with Princess holding her up.

"There you are." Her voice is filled with pain. I would do anything to fix that for her.

I move quickly to her side.

"She had to pee while waiting for you, so I took her," Princess says, sitting Mom down on the bed gently.

I help her get comfortable on the bed, moving the pillows and pulling up the blankets to cover her body.

"Thanks," I tell Princess, so happy she was here to help my mom.

"Looks like you were busy." Princess chuckles.

My eyes flash to hers, my hands moving to my lips. They feel full and puffy. I shake my head, hoping she understands me. My mother is lying here, hurt, and there is no reason to bring anything else on the table right now.

"How are you feeling?" I ask Mom, focusing on her. Her brows are tight, and with only slivers of her eyes available to see, I can't read her fully.

"Like I got beaten up." She gives a soft chuckle then immediately begins coughing from it.

I sit on the bed, instantly feeling like the adult to her as the child. I grab her hand. "Mom, breathe for me. Slow and steady. In and out." I mimic what I want her to do, and she begins following. Just by holding her hand, I can feel her body begin to relax.

"Want me to give her something?" Princess asks, angling her head to her tackle box of meds.

I nod my head, not wanting my mom to feel any pain at all. Ever.

"Mom, what hurts the worst?" When the doctor came and checked her out while the boys were gone, he said that nothing was broken, but it would take her a while to heal. I'm also supposed to call him once she is lucid enough to answer questions. I need to remember to do that.

"My ribs and chest." Her breath comes out a bit wheezy.

"Your ribs are bruised bad, but not broken. The doctor said it'll take a while for it to feel better."

My mother turns her head to Princess. "Are you the doctor?"

Princess smiles. "No. I'm Princess, Pops and Ma's daughter."

Mom tries to widen her eyes, but comes up short and moans in pain, instead. "Really?" she asks through her busted lip.

"Yep. Got a brother, GT. He's around here somewhere." Princess rifles through her box. "So, you and Dagger?" she asks.

My mother turns her head. "Yes," is her only response, and this time, the ache in her voice is not from the physical pain she's in. This is deeper. She sucks in a breath. "How's Ma doing?" She changes the subject.

"Great. She's with Cooper, my little boy, right now. She's been by a couple of times while you were out."

Mom gazes off. "She probably thinks the worst of me. h.e.l.l, I bet everyone in this club does at this point." A lonely tear falls from the corner of her eye.

"Mom, they've all been great. You were right; I don't know what they did, but Dagger took care of everything. We just need to get you better." I brush the hair away from my mother's face.

"But I need questions answered." I jump at the deep voice of Dagger, who strides through the room and stops at the side of the bed.

My mother's grip tightens on my hand, and I try to get a little bit of reprieve by pulling back, but it doesn't help. It's not fear, though. She's not scared, but I can also tell she doesn't want me to leave her, and I won't.

"Here," Princess says, breaking up the tension that has seemed to enter the air. She hands me a bottle with pills. "These will help her. Two every four hours, no more. They're strong as h.e.l.l, so they'll keep her knocked out, but it's the best thing for her while her body heals up."

I take the bottle. "Thanks." I set it on the bed next to me.

"I'm heading out. Call Doc," Princess addresses me and I nod. "He'll need to do whatever it is he does and make sure she's good, but from the looks of it, she'll be fine."

"Thank you." I feel like all I've done with Princess is thank her repeatedly, but she's helped my mom out so much, so what else can I do?

Once she gives me a soft smile and leaves the room, Dagger pulls up a chair, moving it close to the bed and me. Is it unusual to feel this uneasy with your long-lost father? I hope so because it's there, and it sucks.

"Mearna, tell me," Dagger presses.

I would really like to hear this myself. What she told me in the car had to be the short version of it. So much more seems to have gone on here.

"I found out I was pregnant after I left, Cameron." She closes her eyes and breathes out. "I mean Dagger."

"And you're sure she's mine?" he asks, causing my back to stiffen.

My mother opens her eyes and narrows them at Dagger. "What do you think? Think long and hard about your answer." He takes a bit, and Mom doesn't let it rest. "You want a paternity test to prove it? Fine, do it. But you know she's yours. I never messed around on you, and after I had her, I wasn't with anyone for over three years." That piece of information surprises me, but when I think back, I don't remember ever seeing my mother with anyone, not that I would remember at that age. It was just me and her, and we were happy with that.

Something flashes in Dagger's eyes then dissipates. "You didn't think to tell me?" Dagger presses, the gruffness in his voice changing from questioning to p.i.s.sed, but his body stays pretty relaxed, given the topic of conversation.

"No," my mother answers evenly. "I wasn't going to tell you."

"Why, because of the club?" Dagger's voice rises.

"You didn't love me, Cam-Dagger. I had already decided to leave. There was no need for you to know." Mom shuts her eyes like the memories are too powerful to bear.

"You're dead f.u.c.king wrong. I loved you, so don't you dare throw that s.h.i.t at me."

I suddenly feel like I shouldn't be here for this intimate conversation. I feel like the odd man out, but my mother's steel grip on my hand tells me I'm not going anywhere.

"Second, you know, if I knew I had a kid, I'd want to be a part of her life."

That statement hurts a bit, but I suck it down. I always wondered whether my father would have wanted to be a father to me or if he would have ignored me if he had known about me. I'm not sure how I feel about the answer he gave, though. Part of me aches for all the time I've missed getting to know him and the other part is so confused.

"What, Dagger? Going to bring her to club parties? Drink with your friends? Come on." My mother's annoyed voice catches me off guard. h.e.l.l, she doesn't have enough strength to get to the bathroom by herself, let alone go toe to toe with Dagger.

"Bulls.h.i.t. This isn't on me, Mear. You did this s.h.i.t. You f.u.c.king hid my kid from me." Dagger's fists clench, and I go into protective mode, immediately moving closer to my mother.

His eyes flash to mine in recognition of my stance. "I'd never lay a hand on her. Even though I'm p.i.s.sed as s.h.i.t that she kept you from me, I'd never hurt her." He turns back to my mother who nods. I relax a little yet stay on guard.

"It was the best decision, Dagger. You have to admit it."

"Bulls.h.i.t. You didn't tell me, because you didn't want to come back. You wanted to stay away from me; that's why you didn't tell me. You knew that, if I knew about the baby, I'd have taken care of you, and you would have been stuck here with me. You wanted out, so don't try this holier-than-thou bulls.h.i.t on me. It doesn't work." Dagger's tone is clipped, making my heart break for my mother. She still loves this man, and I have no doubt that what he says is one hundred percent true from the way my mother's acting. How differently would my life have been?

My mother turns her head away from us, the sound of a sniffle entering the room.

"Okay," I say, breaking this up. She's been through too much, and this is not helping the situation. "I need to give Mom her medicine and check her bandages. Can you give her a break?" I ask him-well, more like demand, but he doesn't seem like the type of guy who takes to demands very well.

"Mearna, this s.h.i.t is not done." Dagger stands from the chair just as the door to the room flies open, all of our eyes moving to the sound.

"Dagger!" a light-brown-haired woman shrieks. "Where in the h.e.l.l have you been?" she says to him.

The woman is wearing a leather vest like the one Princess wears, but it's her p.i.s.sed off face that grabs my attention.

"Flash, get the f.u.c.k out of here." Dagger's tone is impa.s.sive.

My eyes widen as Rhys moves in the door behind the woman, his eyes intent on me then on the woman.

"You haven't even checked in. You always check in so I know you're not dead." The woman puts her hand on her hip, jutting it out in a b.i.t.c.h stance.

My mother's hand begins to tremble.

"I don't gotta do nothing. Get the f.u.c.k out."

"Who the f.u.c.k is this?" The woman's eyes come to me and my mother, her anger radiating off her. "This your piece on the side?" I want to punch the f.u.c.king woman. Can she not see how badly my mother is beaten? What the h.e.l.l is wrong with her? I rise from the bed, my mother still clutching me.

"I'm no piece of anything," I say as her eyes pierce into mine.

"I didn't ask you s.h.i.t, you stupid b.i.t.c.h," the woman growls, and my spine straightens.

"Enough!" Dagger barks out.

Rhys comes up behind me, his hand resting on my shoulder, and I feel instant comfort.

"Bulls.h.i.t, enough. That b.i.t.c.h talks to me, and I get the enough?" the woman-Flash is it?-doesn't want to give up.

Dagger moves quickly, grabbing the woman and pushing her up against the wall of the room with his forearm.

I jump as fear takes me over. What the h.e.l.l is he doing? He said he wouldn't hurt my mother, but he'll hurt this woman?

"See that girl standing there?"

Flash nods her head, her eyes wide as Dagger points to me.

"That's my daughter."

"What?" Flash says in a gasp of disbelief, but Dagger doesn't answer.

"That woman in the bed is the mother of my child. Now you know what the f.u.c.k is going on." Dagger steps away from Flash, but she stays by the wall, stunned. Dagger turns to me. "Give your mom the medicine."

My shoulders jump, and I listen to what he says, helping my mother sit up and take the pills while the room stays silent.

"You have a kid?" Flash asks.

"Looks like it," Dagger answers.

Rhys stands there, almost feeling like a bodyguard of some sort, but surely Flash wouldn't come after my mother or myself, would she?

"But ..."

"No more questions!" Dagger yells, and my mother moans.

"Cameron, stop yelling," she says quietly.

Flash sucks in a breath so deep it takes all the oxygen from the room. Then her eyes widen and go to Dagger. "Cameron?" she whispers, shaking her head. "No one ..." She trails off.

"No, and don't f.u.c.king start."

"What's your name?" Flash asks my mother.

"None of your f.u.c.king business. Get out," Dagger orders.

"Mearna," my mom answers softly.