“I know the feeling.”
David followed Brittany down the hall. Nick had been with her for two years, adopting Brittany’s now nine-year-old daughter as his own and having a baby with her. They were good for each other and David didn’t mind Brittany’s company. She was a nice woman, but he thought she was a bit of a flirt. Whenever he was around, Brittany’s tops were a little tighter than normal, her skirts and shorts a little too short. Nick didn’t seem to mind and no one else was complaining so David said nothing, but he did wonder about them. And Brittany seemed to walk with a little extra sway whenever he was around.
He knew she had come out of an abusive relationship with her daughter’s father and chances were she couldn’t shake off some of the things she had been doing before, but she did make him uncomfortable. This was the first time in two years David had been alone in a room, let alone a house, with Brittany.
His reputation of being a ladies’ man and sleeping around was one thing, but David drew the line at his brother’s girlfriend.
“How are the girls?”
“Good. Rachelle’s asleep in her bassinet at the moment and Melanie’s getting some homework done.”
Brittany entered the kitchen and David saw a tall, dark-haired girl sitting at the kitchen table, head down as she scribbled away in her workbook. She looked up as David entered, her face breaking into a huge smile. She squealed and jumped down.
“Uncle Dave!”
David knelt and hugged Melanie as she jumped at him, hugging him tightly around the neck. There was something really sweet about Melanie, and David was fond of the bright little spark. She had really come out of her shell since leaving her father, who had signed away his rights when he realized that there was no court in the country who would let him have unsupervised contact with his child.
Melanie was going to grow up to be a beautiful, smart woman.
“Hey, honey.” David managed to disentangle himself. “What homework are you doing?”
Melanie pouted.
“Math. I hate math.”
David chuckled.
“Want some help?”
“Please.”
Melanie grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the table. As David went past Brittany, he saw a flash of something across her face. Was that jealousy? Was she jealous of David paying attention to her daughter and not to her? David brushed it away, calling himself ridiculous, and sat with Melanie at the table. Anything to distract him from the fact his brother wasn’t here.
Brittany moved around the kitchen, cleaning counters and putting dishes into the dishwasher. She seemed to be a bit more forceful than she was supposed to be and David wondered about that. But he dismissed it; Brittany was Nick’s responsibility, not his. And he wasn’t going to give a woman attention because she was having a little tantrum.
It didn’t take long to do the rest of Melanie’s sums. She jumped down from her chair and took her things up to her room. David turned in his chair until he was straddling it, leaning his arms over the back, and watched Brittany as she started slicing chicken breasts.
“How are things, Britt? You look a bit run off your feet.”
Brittany raised her eyebrows, focusing on the chicken.
“That’s my normal expression.”
“Don’t play it off. What’s wrong?”
Brittany let out a heavy sigh and briefly stopping her slicing.
“I got a call from my friend who lives near Susie.”
“I take it she’s still being the unwilling ear to vent into for your ex-mother-in-law?”
“I’m afraid so.” Brittany finished her slicing and went to the sink, washing her hands thoroughly. “She called me to give me a heads up. Susie’s planning on suing for custody of my daughter.”
David was surprised at that. Brittany had been with her ex-boyfriend Luke since they were sixteen. His mother, Susie, had been an awful woman. She used and dealt drugs and verbally and physically beat her children. Yet her kids thought she walked on water. Brittany hadn’t seen it but she was in love with Luke. Things didn’t get better when Melanie came along, even going to the point where Susie used to declare that she was Melanie’s mother. It wasn’t until Brittany and Melanie were held hostage until Luke paid up the goods with his drugs that Brittany took the chance to run.
David was surprised Brittany and Melanie had come out of that relationship as well as they had done. There were still a few rough edges but they were thriving and David liked seeing Melanie smile. Brittany had done a good job protecting her daughter.
Luke had signed away his rights to his child so, technically, Susie had no chance of getting custody. On paper, she wasn’t the grandmother anymore. So, to hear that she was going to sue for custody when she was the most unfit mother David had heard of – even more than his own egg donor – was ludicrous.
Chapter 2
“She hasn’t got the money for a lawyer.”
“She’ll find a way.” Brittany scowled as she fished out some vegetables from the fridge. “And she thinks she has a chance.”
“I highly doubt it. The police have documented evidence, as does CPS, that she isn’t a fit mother to anyone.”
“But they have documented evidence on me as well.”
“And you can show that you’ve been a good parent since and it was the environment that you were in. Melanie is thriving and you’ve got a clean house. If they considered you an unfit parent, both Melanie and Rachelle would be in foster care.” David gave her a reassuring smile. “You should be fine getting a judge to laugh her out of court.”
But Brittany still looked upset.
“I can’t afford a lawyer, though.”
“Haven’t you asked Dad for help?”
“I can’t, David. It’s not exactly something I’m comfortable asking.”
David knew about that. Brittany was not used to asking for something. Before she had been berated and shamed for even asking for a glass of water. He stood and went to the counter, leaning on his side.
“Dad will help you out, no question. You’re the mother of his granddaughter and he’s adopted Melanie as his own. He wouldn’t let them go anywhere near that woman.”
“I…”
Brittany still hesitated. David smiled.
“You still can’t ask, can you? Dad will get you a lawyer. Hell, I can get you my lawyer. He’ll be more than happy to help you out.”
“Really?”
At that Brittany perked up.
“Really. He’s got an ex-mother-in-law who made his life hell. He’ll more than understand.”
Now Brittany was beaming again. She practically skipped around the counter and jumped up, tugging him down to kiss him. David turned his head at the last minute and the kiss hit his cheek. Brittany drew back, blushing furiously but still smiling.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
They stared at each other. David could see the dilation of Brittany’s pupils, saw the way she licked her lips. He backed away, putting the counter between them, and Brittany started to follow him. She looked like she was going to jump on him.
This was not happening. Whatever Brittany thought, David was not doing anything with her.
As if conjured up by David’s thoughts, the front door opened and David heard Nick’s voice in the hallway. He turned away in relief and nearly hurried into the hall to find his brother kicking his shoes off.
“Hey, bro.”
Nick looked up, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, and grinned at his older brother.
“David.” They embraced, Nick clapping David on the back. “Sorry I’m late. Someone decided that she was going to work me on something that didn’t even need me.”
“She?” David raised his eyebrows. “I thought you had a male boss.”
“I do. This is one of my colleagues so not even a superior to me.” Nick sighed. “But she wants to be the boss of me. Among other things.”
David could see why. Nick was a handsome man. Almost as t
all as David, barely forty and with a body that said he worked out in the gym every day. He kept his black hair shoulder-length and tied back with a bootlace and a trimmed beard. Even though there were no tattoos visible in his suit, there was no doubt that he was a biker. Nick just had that air about him. Women were practically falling over themselves for him.
But Nick had eyes for no one but Brittany. Although David worried that Brittany was going to start wandering considering how she had almost come on to him just now. Maybe they should skip the beer and Brittany and Nick could go out to have a date night…
His thoughts were interrupted when Brittany came hurrying into the hallway, her cell phone clamped to her ear. Her face was white.
“Thanks for giving me the heads up, Callie. I’ll keep an eye out.”
Nick was over to her immediately.
“What is it?” he asked as Brittany hung up. “Britt, what is it?”
“Susie’s coming over.” Brittany looked like she was about to have a panic attack. “She’s coming to get her baby.”
Nick’s jaw tightened and he shook his head.
“Not happening.”
David could see that Brittany was about to break down and Nick was going into attack mode. Neither of them were going to be able to think rationally. This was going to cause a lot of fireworks when the former mother-in-law turned up.
Then he saw Melanie coming down the stairs. David fought down the panic and hurried to her.
“Melanie, go back upstairs.”
“Why?”
Melanie looked confused as David took her arm and led her back upstairs.
“Because we’re about to get an unwanted visitor and you need to stay safe.”
Melanie didn’t argue. From the way she tensed beside him, David guessed she knew. He urged her into her bedroom, starting to shut the door behind her.
“What about Rachelle?” Melanie asked.
“I’ll go get her.” David pointed to the bed. “Remember what Grandpa said? Hide under the bed and stay there until we tell you to come out.”
Melanie nodded and scrambled under her bed. David shut the door and hurried back to the stairs.
Then there was a loud banging on the door and shouting.
*****
Dagmar was exhausted. She had spent the last three hours moving her things from the apartment she rented with Jeremy to the apartment Steve’s brother-in-law rented out across town. Thankfully, all the furniture was from Jesse and her side of the family and the apartment was fully furnished. All Dagmar needed to do was fill up the three suitcases she had brought her stuff in and four boxes.
It didn’t seem like much left after ending a three-year relationship. But Dagmar wasn’t a materialistic person and she liked to be a minimalist. Being in a partial hoarder’s home drove her mad but now Dagmar was going to have her own place. And it was closer the hospital, so that was a bonus.
After moving everything in, signing the paperwork, and getting the keys, all Dagmar wanted to do was get into the bath and soak before getting takeout and binging on crime shows on her Netflix. This was something she hadn’t been able to do for a while; Jeremy would always find something for her to do. She was a maid when she got home and Dagmar hadn’t truly realized that until she was standing her living room looking at her new space.
But that was going out the window when her sister Callie called her. Callie was concerned about her former neighbor and their friend Brittany. Dagmar was surprised. Brittany had gotten herself and her daughter out of a bad relationship and was now with a biker with a heart of gold. Dagmar had met him a few times and thought Nick was a solid guy, albeit a little rough around the edges. The man absolutely adored Brittany. As the neighbor to Brittany’s former in-laws, Callie was subjected to their tirades.
This one was different. Susie, the mother, was determined to take custody of Brittany’s daughter and was going over to take the child. Callie was scared for Brittany and called Dagmar for advice. Dagmar wasn’t about to turn away a desperate need for help and she had a feeling someone was going to be hurt. Brittany was a sweet girl and she wasn’t about to let her go through more turmoil due to this woman.
So, now Dagmar was driving her way over to Brittany’s home just south of the city. So much for having an evening off. But, at least, she wasn’t going back to Jeremy and she could have proper downtime when she was done.
Her cell phone started ringing incessantly when Dagmar got on the freeway, making the hands-free on her dashboard shake. Jeremy again. He hadn’t stopped calling her for the last hour and Dagmar had simply ignored it. Evidently he wasn’t taking that for an answer. Again.
Without taking her eyes off the road, Dagmar took her Bluetooth earpiece from the sun visor and fixed it to her ear, pressing the button to answer the call.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m on my way to a friend’s. She’s got a family emergency.”
“Oh, really?” Jeremy’s voice took a sharp edge. “So, you would drop everything for someone else’s family emergency but not for my family emergency?”
Dagmar sighed.
“Come on, Jeremy, why would I go to your mother? Jessie hates me and the feeling is mutual. You know that. I’m not going anywhere near her and I doubt she’ll want me in her presence.”
“She does love you.”
Dagmar rolled her eyes. That was the strangest way of showing love she had ever known.
“If she loved me she wouldn’t be calling me vile names. She wouldn’t be emotionally abusive. And if she loved you she wouldn’t have treated you so badly.”
What had always shocked Dagmar was that Jeremy knew that Jessie treated him abysmally and yet he didn’t do anything about it. He just let it happen.
“She loves me,” Jeremy protested. “She’s never denied that.”
“She’s never said she loves you, either! I kept telling you she was treating you like crap because she wants slaves in you and your sister and you finally saw it for what it was. Have you forgotten it all now she’s in the hospital?”
Jeremy was silent. Dagmar felt a glimmer of hope. Was she getting through to him? She wouldn’t get back to him but if he saw it and backed away now, there could be a chance. But then the hope disappeared when Jeremy spoke.
“I just think we need to let it go.”
“I can’t let it go, Jeremy. And I won’t.”
Jeremy snorted. Then he sneered in a way Dagmar had never heard before.
“Mom did always say you were a vindictive little bitch. That you held a grudge of a molehill. And she was right.”
Dagmar felt a shiver go up her spine. How long had he been hiding this? If she had stayed, when would he have shown this side to her?
“I’m glad you’ve swallowed your bullshit again.” Dagmar turned off the freeway. “I’m sorry, Jeremy, but I’m not going to go through this again. I’ve already moved my things out of the apartment and the keys are on the doormat. Don’t ever contact me again.”
“What?” Jeremy’s screech made Dagmar wince. “You’re leaving me?”
“I’m not going to be with someone who puts their abusive mother over their girlfriend and let them get abused. Bye, Jeremy. Number is being blocked.”
“Now, look here, you little…” Jeremy began but Dagmar hung up. She was still shaking as she pulled over, her hands trembling on the wheel.
Taking deep breaths, Dagmar took her phone out the cradle and began to put a block on Jeremy’s number. It rang halfway through but Dagmar managed to put the block on, shutting the ring off abruptly. Now it felt like a weight had come off her shoulders. Dagmar sagged in her seat and closed her eyes. Now that felt good.
Hopefully, Jeremy would bring his rational side through and see that she was right. Dagmar wasn’t staying around in a relationship for three people.
Her phone started ringing again and Dagmar glared at it. Then she realized it was a number in her phone and answered it.
�
�Hey, Britt. I’m just on my way. What’s happening?”
“Susie’s here.” Brittany was whimpering. “She’s banging on the door trying to get in.”
That was when Dagmar heard the banging on the other end. She could also hear a female voice and a male voice she guessed to be Nick’s telling her to go away.
“Nick’s with you?”
“Yes. His brother David is here as well.” Brittany sobbed. “But Susie won’t leave.”
The woman was going to go into hysterics if she didn’t leave. Dagmar could feel the part of her she kept locked away until she start work come forward and sit there, waiting to be used.
“Call the police, Britt.”
“But they’ll arrest all of us!”
“Don’t be an idiot. You won’t be arrested if you’re protecting your children. Call the cops.”
It was typical of Brittany. She had been taught by Susie and Luke that cops were the devil and to never call them because they arrested everyone. Even after two years with a new man, it was hard to break Brittany of that mentality.
Then there was a loud bang and a crash and Nick shouting even more.
“I’ve gotta go.”
Then Brittany hung up. Dagmar growled and dialled 911, putting the phone back into the cradle before pulling away from the curb, her tires spinning before shooting her forward.
“I need the police, please,” she said when the operator picked up. “And possibly a couple of ambulances.”
*****
“Let me in, Brittany!”
David hurried down the stairs to see Nick was trying to keep the door shut even with the chain on. A heavy thump hit the other side of the door. Susie had to be on drugs for a hit that big; she was a tiny thing. Brittany was pacing the hallway, arms clutching her body and looking like she was going to go into a full-out anxiety attack. She wasn’t doing anything to help Nick.
“Susie, you’re not allowed to be here.”
“Who says?” Susie screeched.
“I did,” Nick growled. “And I’m telling you to leave before the police are called.”
Fallen For A Biker_BWWM Romance Page 2
