Travis (Grim Sinners MC Book 3)

by LeAnn Ashers

  “I will be back,” Travis says. He kisses the top of my head and walks into the bathroom. One by one, all the women scoot close to me. “Girl, where can I find one of them?” one lady whispers, looking at the bathroom to make sure Travis doesn’t hear. I laugh loudly at that. I don’t blame her for asking.

  “I didn’t find him, he found me.” I shrug. He took over my life the moment I met him. He dug his way in and stole my heart, then my baby’s. From the moment I met him, he’s been there for me and for her. Travis took on the role of Dad without even thinking about it. It’s like it just came naturally to him.

  “I hope one finds me!” One of the ladies smiles.

  “I’m Bailey.”

  The one closest to me raises her hand. “I’m Monica.”

  I smile at her. “It’s nice to meet you, Monica.”

  The door opens and Travis walks in looking like sex on freaking stick; he is a walking sin. Monica sucks in a sharp breath. Oh honey, I understand completely. I have that same reaction to him on a daily basis. He sits down beside me, totally ignoring the other women.

  Thirty minutes later the practice is over, and we all go into the gym. Gabby walks over, elated.

  “Bailey, may I speak to you for a moment?” the coach asks, and I follow her over to the side of the gym. Travis doesn’t follow, but I take his hand and lead him with me. I want him to feel involved in everything. Gabby has run off to the mat to do more flips. She is just five but she is beyond her years.

  “I never do this, but I wanted to see if you want to put your daughter into the elite group? It’s a lot more hours and more money, but she will get further training.” I look at Gabby, who is laughing as she plays with another kid, who is a few years older. “Your daughter is the best I have ever seen for her age. She is a lot better than some of the older kids, honestly. With some fine tuning, I do believe we have a future Olympian in our midst.”

  I let her words sink in, and I look at Travis and he nods at me. “Gabby, baby, come here.” She runs over and I bend down. “The coach her wants to ask you something, it’s up to you.” I smile at the coach and, when she smiles back, I can see the excitement. She bends down and asks my daughter, and Gabby screams, jumping up and down. “Yes!” Then she stops and looks at me. “Is that okay, Mommy?”

  “That is perfectly fine, angel.”

  She smiles that bright, beautiful smile and jumps up and down with pure happiness.

  “Follow me,” the coach says, “we need to sign some papers.” I follow her and this time Travis doesn’t hesitate. We sit down and my eyes widen at the price of everything. It’s a lot but it will let Gabby do what she loves. Before I can take out my checkbook, Travis is already writing the check. My eyes wide, I open my mouth to argue, but he leans over and whispers in my ear, “Angel, let me do this. You guys are mine, I take care of mine.” That leaves me speechless, and I just fall more in love with him. He isn’t afraid to tell me what he really thinks.

  We walk out into the gym, and Gabby runs over to us and grabs Travis’s hand. “Ravis, can we get a burger?” She looks up at him with those huge, beautiful eyes, and I watch him melt.

  “Yes, baby.”

  I hide my smile. Travis takes my other hand and, like a family, we walk out together.

  “One, two, three...” Travis calls from the kitchen while Gabby and I are running around the house trying to find a hiding place.

  Aiden is on the couch, laughing, as Gabby and I duck behind the couch. She covers her mouth trying not to giggle. “Ready or not…here I come!” Travis calls. Gabby hides her face in her arm, and I can see her body shaking with laughter. I hear Travis walking through the living room, and I peek around just as he turns the corner.

  “Come on, baby.” I take her hand and pull her into the kitchen. I open the cabinet door and slide inside with Gabby right in front of me, and I shut the door behind us. We sit for a while, waiting for Travis to find us.

  “Where, oh where are my girls at?” He calls from what seems like the living room. A second later the cabinet door is open, and Travis’s face comes into view. He grabs my hands and pulls me out, dragging me across the floor. I laugh hysterically, and Travis starts tickling my sides.

  “I am going to save you, Mommy!” Gabby screams and tackles Travis’s side. He pretends to fall down sideways, and she lands on top of him and tickles him. “Now who’s boss, huh?” Aiden and I laugh, and her little face is scrunched up, pretending to be tough.

  “You think you’re mean?” Travis picks her up and throws her up in the air. She laughs, her arms and legs flailing. He sets her down and she lies on his chest, still giggling.

  “You’re the best, Ravis.”

  She yawns and I look at the clock. It’s around 2:00 p.m. “Want to take a nap, baby?” I brush her hair over her shoulder. She nods and I stand up, helping her up with me. “Go change into some comfy clothes, I will be up in a few.” She runs up the stairs.

  “What do you say we take a nap too?” Travis winks, letting me know we would be doing anything but sleeping. I hear my phone ringing from the living room, and I grab it off the coffee table and answer it without looking.

  “Miss Cowell?” A man’s voice says before I can even say hello.

  “Yes, this is she.”

  “This is Mr. Downey, your father's lawyer. I am sorry to inform you of the passing of your father. You are needed here to discuss the will.”

  “What?” I sit down on the couch, shock riding through me. My father is dead, and I didn’t even know it? My mother never even thought to tell me. I had hoped someday that we would be able to move forward and have a relationship. That is naive thinking, honestly, but every girl wants her father to be in her life and protect her.

  “How soon can you get here?” he asks without emotion.

  “I can be there tomorrow,” I whisper, my voice cracking. Even though my father was shitty, he was still my father and I wanted him to be a dad.

  “Call me when you land and we can schedule a time.” He hangs up and I put down my phone without looking at anyone. I know if I look at Travis I won’t be able to hold it in.

  Gabby is lying in her bed and looking at the door, waiting for me. I pull the blanket up and kiss her forehead. I will never understand how a parent could not be in their kid’s life, love them, and cherish them. “Sleep well, my baby.”

  She closes her eyes and I pull the door shut, just leaving it cracked. I slip into my bedroom, where Travis is already waiting for me. I shut the door and the first tear escapes. “Come to me, Momma.” He opens his arms and I all but run to him, wanting him to take all of this away. I wish with everything in me to do it all over again. My biggest wish in life was to have a dad. I wanted someone to be there with me through thick and thin, hold my hand, and push me to be the best person I could be. “What happened?” He kisses my temple before stepping back to look at me. His thumbs catch my tears, wiping them away.

  “My father passed away,” I get out through a jumble of sobs and a ton of emotions that I can’t even comprehend. He closes his eyes and pulls me into his lap, just holding me while I let out all the pain that I have suffered through the years. “My father died. Apparently, it was a quite a while ago, because that was my lawyer telling me that I need to be there for the reading of the will, which I don’t understand because he hated me.” Travis jumps. I look at him, wondering what is wrong.

  “Your father hated you?” I can see he is pissed off.

  I sigh, closing my eyes, before I get ready to unload everything. “My father and mother were just bad parents. They never raised me. That was left up to the nannies.” I sniff, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. “I wanted nothing more than to have my parents in my life. But they never showed me any love, and I went to look for it in all the wrong places. That’s where Randall came into the picture. My parents loved him until I got pregnant. When they found out I was pregnant with Gabby, they threw some clothes in a bag and gave me a hundred dollars. I can still
see the look in his eyes when he threw my bag on the porch: a look of pure disgust. He told me that I was not his daughter. I was dead to him. I had nightmares for a year after that.

  “I would never, ever do anything like that to Gabby. I would support her and be there with her every step of the way. It was so hard, I had no one. I had Gabby by myself. I did everything myself and did whatever I could to be the best mother I could be. I didn’t care if I didn’t eat for days. The smile on my baby’s face gave me so much more.”

  Travis is shaking, and his fists are clenched at his sides. I open his hand. “I loved my family nonetheless. I just regret that I never got a chance to make it better.”

  “That is the worst fucking thing I have ever heard, baby.” He shakes his head, his jaw clenched. “The thought of you suffering one second…” He trails off.

  I lay my head on his chest. “That part of my life is over, Travis.”

  He looks me straight in the eye. “That shit will never fucking happen again. I have you, baby. I will always have you, always.” He kisses me, tears rolling down my cheeks and mixing into our kiss. He breaks the kiss. “I will charter the plane for us tonight, and I will be with you every second of the way.” That takes a huge load off my shoulders. I don’t think I could face my family alone after all these years and after everything that happened. That pain is raw, even now.

  “Sleep, angel,” Travis says.

  I close my eyes. So many thoughts are circulating through my brain, and my heart just hurts. It’s also filled with dread about what is to come.

  Bailey

  We arrived in Hawaii early in the morning. Then we went straight to the hotel and had a long nap.

  Travis had planned and booked everything for us, I didn’t have to worry about a single thing. He even got us a suite so Gabby could have her own room. Now I am standing outside the lawyer’s office, with Travis by my side and Gabby holding my hand. I am scared. I am about to see some people that I have not seen in over five years, the very people who treated me like I was trash and don’t claim my angel. This is hard.

  “You have this, Momma. Head up high and show them the person you are,” he whispers in my ear. I kiss his cheek; then I straighten my shoulders, lift my chin, and walk up the steps. I know I look absolutely amazing. When I said he planned everything, I didn’t mention that he bought me an amazing dress and shoes. I look like a million bucks. He is in a freaking suit, and my mouth has been dripping ever since he walked out of the bathroom. Gabby is wearing a green dress that shows off her beautiful brown hair.

  When Travis opens the door and I step into the waiting room, eyes immediately go to me. Then my mom, my cousins, and my aunts look at Travis and eventually settle on Gabby, who is hiding behind his legs.

  My mother stands up like she is about to take a step in my direction. I arch an eyebrow, daring her to do such a thing. The lawyer steps out of his office and looks at me, his eyes moving from my head to my toes. Travis wraps his arm around me and I smirk. I love his protectiveness.

  They all file into the office, and I squeeze Travis’s hand. He sits down right outside the office door. “Right here, Momma.”

  I smile and step inside, shutting the door behind me. I sit down on the chair closest to the door, and the lawyer waits for everyone to get situated before he starts. “I only called two of you here today, I guess you are here for moral support?” he asks the gang of people with my mom.

  “We assumed that we were included in the will,” one of my aunts says. I hate her. She has always been such a bitch.

  “I am sorry, ma’am, but only two people are in this will.”

  One of my cousins gapes at the lawyer in disbelief. “You mean to tell me that he left her something?” She looks in my direction.

  The lawyer looks confused. “Shall we get started? A year ago he revised his will.” My mother looks shocked and, honestly, why would he change it? I never thought that I would be left anything. He probably just wanted a mockery to be made out of me. The lawyer takes out a letter. “He wanted me to read this out loud, but it is addressed to you, Bailey.”

  Dear Bailey,

  You are the biggest regret I have in my life. I regret that way I treated you, and I will live with that for the rest of my life. I allowed myself to be manipulated, to be controlled, and that led to your not being a part of my life as you should have been. My wife’s jealousy, hatred, and bitterness filled my every pore, and it changed me.

  I tried to reach out, to apologize, and my wife told me that you died in childbirth. I was devastated. I thought you had died thinking that I didn’t love you. That is not the case, but I was foolish, selfish and, honestly, just dumb. I hate myself for the way I have treated you, and I regret that I never got you meet your daughter. My grandchild.

  Then I learned that your mother had lied. You were alive. It was too late, the damage was done, but I wanted to do something that I should have done in the beginning. I should have taken care of you. This is nothing, but it is all I have to give you and Gabby. I love you, I am sorry, and I will rest easy knowing you will forever be taken care of. I hope you can forgive me.

  Love,

  your dad.

  The lawyer puts the letter down, and I stare at the wall above his head in pure disbelief. This is something I never expected. I know people can change; I just never expected it here. This has given me more than I will ever need, and I have peace in my heart knowing that, deep down, he did love me. He just didn’t know how to show it.

  No one is perfect. I will forgive him, and I hope he rests easy. He has the peace it seems he has been lacking for a long time.

  I look at my mom, who told my father I was dead, and she doesn’t even dare to look at me.

  “Let’s get to the reading of the will.” The lawyer starts reading, and I sink further into my mind. “Bailey is to receive six hundred million dollars.” My mouth opens. “Three hundred million dollars will be divided among her children, to be received when they are twenty-one years old.” I cover my mouth. I can’t believe this is happening. “Janet will receive a check of three thousand dollars a month for the rest of her life.” What the fuck? My mother is completely pale, and her sisters and nieces are looking from her to me with panic. “Your husband has left you a letter, Janet.” The lawyer starts reading.

  Janet,

  I know you’re confused and angry at the amount of money I have given you. You have never once in your life gone without anything, unlike our daughter. We threw her a bag and a hundred dollars, wishing her well. I will forever regret that, but you will never be sorry.

  I am leaving you more than she had. You will have your house and your cars, and the bills will be forever paid, but three thousand a month is all you will get. Oh, and before you start to contest it, you signed a prenup. I could have left you with nothing, but I am trying to turn over a new leaf and not be so cruel.

  Have a good life, and good luck to your new husband, who I know you will be searching for the second you leave the lawyer’s office.

  Holy fuck, he just roasted the hell out of her. My mother looks at me for the first time since she stepped inside the office. She was smug then, but now? Not so much.

  “Mrs. Cowell, I will start your payments immediately. I will be back in touch. I need to speak with Bailey here. We have things to go over.” My mother’s face is completely red at being dismissed like that. Her sisters tear her out of the room, and she slams the door shut.

  “Would you like me to wire the funds into your account?”

  Travis

  I have been staring at the fucking door ever since Bailey stepped inside. I want to tear that door off the hinges just to make sure she is okay. I hope that they didn’t just bring her here to humiliate her; she has been through more than enough.

  Gabby is playing on my phone, leaning into my side. “Ravis, when will Mommy be out?” she asks just as the door is wrenched open.

  Bailey’s mom and the other ladies step out looking pissed. I know
that she is Bailey’s mom, because Bailey looks a lot like her. “I can’t believe this!” she screams and runs out of the building. That is not what I expected one bit. Almost an hour later Bailey walks out in a daze. She takes my hand and leads me out of the building to our car.

  She stares out the window before looking at me and laughing, and she hands me a letter. I read it and I am shocked too. I am so fucking happy for her. This has to give her a bit of peace. “He left me everything. Six hundred million dollars and three hundred million to be divided among Gabby and our future kids. I never fucking expected that.” She bends over at the waist and laughs uncontrollably. “He left my mother three thousand a month for the rest of her life.”

  I laugh because that is fucking amazing. That woman told Bailey’s father she is dead, and she doesn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy.

  “I may have money, but it doesn’t change a thing in my eyes. I won’t allow it to change me,” she tells me.

  “I have money too, baby. Maybe not six hundred million, but you would never want for anything—vacations every week if you wanted.”

  She smiles. “I know what I want to do.” She turns around in her seat and faces me. “I want to open a place, like a huge house… It’s going to be a place for mothers, like me, who struggle to get on their feet. We will set them up with jobs, transportation—everything needed to give them a leg up in life. I will put the rest away for our kids.”

  She said our kids once again, hitting me right in my fucking soul. I touch the side of her face. “I think that is a beautiful idea, baby.”

  She smiles, and I want to tell her so fucking bad, right now, that I love her. “I love you, Momma, I can’t fucking hold it in anymore. I know it’s soon but none of that matters.”

  “I love you too, Travis, so much.” She kisses me, and I bury my hands in her hair, kissing her back hard.