Reckless Temptations (Tempted #4)(88)

“That, that right there is my life,” he declared, tipping his head toward me. “Not this. I don’t know how to do this and I never really wanted to.”

“You’re lying,” I insisted, searching his eyes for the truth. He may not have planned on this but over the last few months he gave me his best. His greatest attempt to make this work and I saw truth in his actions. He didn’t know how to be a dad or the main man in someone’s life but he wanted to learn.

The man in front of me now. He was the lie.

Wasn’t he?

“Ah, shit, don’t cry, Lauren. You know I’m right,” he exclaimed, as he ran his fingers roughly though his hair. “You know it’s the truth.”

I pinned him with a gaze and wiped away my tears.

I won’t cry.

I won’t give you any more of my tears.

“You people pride yourselves on being these badass men. You.” I pointed an accusing finger at him. “You call yourself a Satan’s Knight, a goddamn soldier of the devil, but all you are is a fucking coward with no backbone. You preach about loyalty and honor for your club but you don’t know the first thing about what either of those two things mean. Loyalty is about support, a strong devotion to something or someone. It’s a pity your loyalty doesn’t rest with your child.”

“Lauren,” he interrupted.

“No, I’m not done. Honor? Honor is having great respect for someone and that honor should be with me. I am the one giving you a son or a daughter,” I tipped my head back to the reaper on the wall. “He won’t give you a family. I know you think he already has, that these men are your brothers, and that’s all that matters but your brotherhood won’t keep you warm at night. Your brotherhood won’t give you the joy you’ll be missing out on by throwing your child away. So, fuck you, Riggs. Fuck your club and seriously fuck your patch.”

“Shut up,” he growled. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, Lauren. You have no idea how fucking loyal and honorable I am. And that’s okay, you don’t need to. You just need to stay away from me,” he hollered.

I took a step closer to him, the anger that consumed me faded and was replaced with determination.

I may have fallen, but I needed to get back up.

I need to fight.

A part of me wonders if he realizes how much of a fighter I truly am. Doesn’t he understand I would’ve fought for him too? But he lost that right. I won’t fight for him but I’ll fight against him. I’ll fight for Pea because someone had to.

“I can’t even say I’m sorry I ever met you because without you there is no Pea. I will always have Pea. So, thank you for that. Thank you for giving me something you’ll never enjoy. You’re the one who loses. You’re the one who has to live every day knowing you walked away from something great, something bigger and better and more rewarding than some pathetic patch.”

I walked to the bar, grabbed the empty bottle of liquor and turned on my heel as I wailed it across the room and it crashed against the reaper on the wall.

“Hope it was worth it,” I called over my shoulder, as I stalked out of the club.

I walked away from Riggs that night, chin up, head high but my heart shattered like all the pieces of glass that decorated the floor of the Dog Pound.





I stared at the reaper on the wall, the glass of the bottle crunching under my boots as I made my way to the wall. I ran my fingers over the paint that declared this the home of Satan’s Knights and then I reared my fist back and screamed as it connected with the wall.

I heard the door open behind me but I was too engrossed in demolishing the reaper, an image of something I thought I was supposed to live for. So why did it feel like the reason I was living just walked out the door and straight out of my life?

I felt strong hands wrap around my arms and pull me back, pulling me away from wreaking havoc on the devil that stole everything from me.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Blackie hollered, as he slammed my back against the wall.

“Let me go,” I seethed.

“Like you let her go?” Bones added, walking up behind Blackie. “What is wrong with you, man?”

I pushed Blackie’s hands off me causing him to stumble backward and scowled at Bones.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Bones taunted. “You just threw away the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to you and for what? Because you’re a pussy!”

I charged at him, rearing back my fist and letting it connect with the side of his jaw.

He gripped my cut, and slammed me back against the wall, his fist pounding against my ribs.

“Truth hurts, brother,” he hissed, as I pushed him off me and punched him again, aiming for his nose this time.

“Thought you’d be happy, me out of the way you’re free to claim her for yourself. That’s what you want isn’t it? Been dying to stick your dick in my girl since the moment you laid eyes on her,” I roared, as I threw him onto the pool table.

He kicked off the table, charging his head into my stomach and pummeled me to the floor.

“Someone will claim her, douche bag,” he clipped. “Girls like that will bounce back, move on and fall in love. Some other man will gladly grab what you threw away, only he’ll hang on tight, and that kid of yours? He’ll call someone else daddy,” he barked.