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“I no wanted to. Dat’s a good reason!” She stomped her foot and Arrow had to force himself to keep from grinning. Oh, she was in full on little mode and he loved it.
“Kitten, you are trying hard to not sit comfortably tonight.”
“I is not!” She stomped her foot again. “Daddy is being a meanie head.”
“Those words aren’t very nice, Kitten. We don’t call each other names.” He slowly raised an eyebrow at her and waited a second to see if she’d apologize.
“I didn’t say you are a meanie head, I’s said you werebeinga meanie head. Don’t you know the difference?” She mocked his earlier words and rolled her eyes. Oh yes, someone needed a spanking.
“We’re going to go inside and finish this discussion.” The implication was not lost on her.
“W-w-what you mean, Daddy? We is in public.”
“We are not in public. We are very much in private. The clubhouse is my second home, and yours, too. Everyone inside is family.” Their conversation faltered as Wyatt stepped forward, his brow furrowed and a shadow of uncertainty flickering across his youthful features. He stopped short, hands fidgeting with the hem of his worn-out jacket—a nervous tick that didn't escape Arrow's observant eyes.
“Arrow, um... I gotta talk to you.” Wyatt's voice was thick with emotion, almost trembling. “I know things look bad, but?—”
“Spit it out, kid,” Arrow said, his tone firm but not unkind. He stepped back from Emilee, taking her hand as if to ground her. Caught in that nebulous space between little headspace and adult worries, he wanted her to let go and give it all to him to carry. Arrow sensed she was teetering, and while he loved the playful moments between the two of them, this wasn’t the timefor games. He was afraid to let go of her hand. He didn't have time to chase her through the building and play hide and seek. As much as he'd love the primal thrill of hunting her down, tonight wasn't the time.
Wyatt's gaze flickered between them. Arrow understood his hesitation. “You can talk in front of Emilee. She’s mine.”
Wyatt took a deep breath, the weight of his words pressing down on him. “It’s my mom. I can’t just stand by while you dig into this. She’s still my mom, ya know?”
Arrow’s expression softened; a quiet acknowledgment of the pain etched across the young man’s face. “I get it, Wyatt. Family ties are strong. But this is about the club—we’re a family too. I understand your loyalty to your mom, but wrong is wrong, bud. I don’t blame you for your part; you’re just a kid. But she has to be held responsible for her actions.”
Wyatt's eyes filled with an intensity that Arrow hadn’t seen before. “I'm not just a kid. I understand my part in this and I'm really sorry. I mean, I won't ever do anything like that again and will work hard to earn all of your trust back. Can’t we just... let it go? Just this once?” There was a plea hidden in his voice, a desperate hope that clung to the air between them.
Arrow stepped closer, his grip on Wyatt’s shoulder firm but supportive. “Listen, Wyatt. We’re not in the business of turning a blind eye. Not when it comes to betrayal. I’ll talk to your dad some more about what he wants done, but we need to at least recoup the money that was stolen.”
Wyatt swallowed hard, his inner turmoil clear. “But it wasn’t just about the money. She said she was sick, Arrow. Really sick. I thought… I thought she was dying. She needed the money for surgery. I thought I was helping her.”
Arrow’s brow furrowed. “What kind of surgery?”
“She never said exactly, not at the time. She called it a necessity, implied it was about life or death. 'I need thisprocedure,' she kept saying, stressing the need. I would never have helped her if I didn't think it was urgent. I remember how she said it would change everything for her.”
Wyatt hesitated, and then after a second, continued. “I found out recently it wasn’t what I thought. She just wanted a mommy makeover—tummy tuck, breast lift, all that. Her husband wouldn’t pay for it, so she turned to me. She used me. I thought I was saving her life, Arrow.”
The disbelief flickered across Arrow’s face, quickly replaced by a mixture of sympathy and concern. Wyatt didn’t deserve his anger. He was just a kid doing his mother’s bidding. A kid on the precipice of adulthood, even so, only a kid. “So she had you risk everything for... that? Wyatt, you have to understand how serious this is. You could’ve gotten hurt or worse. What if someone caught you in the act? You could have been arrested, your father kicked out of The Watchmen.” He knew Irish’s ex-wife. Likely, she’d had issues in her current marriage and was looking for husband number three. It made sense she’d get a mommy makeover and have work done if she was putting herself out on the market again. He’d never met someone as blatantly narcissistic as she was. Hell, she didn’t even try to hide her selfishness. She put herself above the needs of her children. He couldn’t stand her.
“I know!” Wyatt’s voice rose, frustration spilling over. “But all I could think about was her voice, how scared she sounded. She made it sound like if she didn’t get this surgery, she’d never be whole again. I couldn’t just sit there and let that happen.”
“Wyatt, I get you wanted to protect her, but now look where it’s gotten you. She played you like a fiddle. I’ve known your dad for a really long time, you could have gone to him for help.” Arrow’s tone softened again, his voice taking on a more compassionate note. “What are you feeling now? Knowing she didn’t tell you the whole truth?”
Wyatt’s shoulders sagged, and he looked down at the ground, fighting back the emotions threatening to spill over. “I feel... betrayed. Like I was just a tool for her. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I don’t even know who she really is anymore. Does she even love me? Is she capable of love? Did she have me to trap my dad into marriage?”
“Damn, kid.” Arrow shook his head, his heart aching for Wyatt. “I can’t answer any of those questions, you’ll have to talk to her. One thing is for sure, you need to draw a boundary line in the sand and not let her cross it. You can’t let her pull you into her messes. Before you do anything, talk to your dad. He’s a good man and he can put aside whatever feelings he has for her to do what is best for you. Don’t do anything without his input.”
“What if she gets mad? What if she never wants to talk to me again?” Wyatt’s voice wavered.
“Then you tell her the truth, you’re not just a kid anymore; you’re growing up, and you deserve to be treated with respect. You can’t keep being her scapegoat,” Arrow replied, his tone firm yet encouraging.
Wyatt nodded slowly. “I just… I don’t want to lose her completely. But I can’t keep doing this. She’s lied to so many people. Hurt them. My sister is living with her, and I’m worried she’s going to turn out like my mother. I don’t want her to see this and think it’s okay.”
“Good,” Arrow said, squeezing his shoulder. “You’re taking a step in the right direction. Protect yourself first. You and your sister, you’re Irish’s kids. That makes you family too, and I’ll make sure nothing happens to either of you.”
Wyatt glanced at Emilee, who watched with wide eyes, then back at Arrow. “Alright. I’ll talk to her. But it’s going to be tough.”
“I know it will be,” Arrow replied, his voice steady. “But you’ve got to do it. Now head inside. I’ll be there shortly for the meeting.”
