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“Are you with him? Does he love you?” Max laughs. “I know you don’t love him.”
“And what makes you think I don’t love the father of my baby?”
He laughs. “Because you love me, and… I’m glad you’re admitting you're pregnant.”
I stare toward him and sneer. “You’re ridiculous. Thanks for reminding me that you haven’t changed.”
“You wouldn’t want me any other way. So… where is this guy? I’d like to kick his ass.”
“You’re not kicking anyone’s ass. You lost the right to defend me two years ago when, you know, you started killing people for money.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m a bounty hunter, not a murderer.”
“You favor dead over alive, though. Can we at least admit that?”
He laughs, then settles with a straight face. “Being good at my job means that I do what’s necessary. Never more. Never less.” The way his mind works will always intrigue me. The guy could be stealing puppies from orphans, and I think he’d find a way to make it sound gallant.
“Look, as you can see, I’ve got a lot going on. So, forgive me if I steer clear of drama.”
He leans in, bringing with him the scent of warm cedar and leather.
My panties are soaked.
“Who’s the guy that knocked you up? Why isn’t he here?”
I stand from the table and pull my jacket on. I don’t need to answer his questions. Doing that will only lead me down the same rabbit hole I’m always hiding in. The escape hatch where I come to the same fucking conclusion every time.
I laugh to myself at the stupid thoughts racing through my head. Max and I don’t work, and the sooner my clit realizes that, the better off we’ll both be.
Max slides out of the booth and stands with me, tossing a twenty-dollar bill down on the table. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll find out on my own.”
I narrow my gaze. “Is that a threat?”
“I don’t make threats, little cat. I take action. This guy isn’t here with you for a reason. What’s the reason?”
“How do you know I’m not with him? Maybe he’s at work. Maybe he has a real job. Maybe he’s putting together baby gear while he stirs a pot of soup on the stove top. Maybe he’s so sweet that he told me to take a break and go get some pie.”
“Is he?”
My stomach turns and I push past him, walking out of the diner with purpose. Max may have owned me in the past, but not my future.
“Little cat,” he growls at me. God, I loved it when he called me that. I felt so small, so dainty, so… his.
But… I’m not his! “Stop calling me that!” I drag in a deep breath of cool mountain air and turn toward him.
He’s in my space, big and wide, rough and brooding. “Are you in danger?”
I glance away and back again, pinching my lips together slowly. “Stop. I didn’t come back here to start things up with you. I came back because I had nowhere else to go. All I want is for my baby girl to be born in peace. That’s all.” A tear tumbles down my face.
His rough, cracked thumb reaches up and catches it. “What did he do to you?”
Our eyes meet and a lump forms in my throat. A lump that reminds me of the secrets I’m keeping and the feelings I’m never going to stop feeling for the big, bad-ass biker who won’t let go.
Chapter Two
Max
Collette is exactly like I remember her. Short, curvy, long blonde hair twisted in curls, and stubborn as hell. The woman would rather die than ask for help.
