The Biker's Fate Chapter 114

Ace

I left Cassidy an hour later and walked home. I arrived to find my mother in the kitchen, surprised to see she was still awake. "What are you doing up?" I asked, kissing her cheek.

"Waiting for you," she said.

"Why?"

"Because you're making a mistake and I don't want to watch it happen again."

I braced myself. "And what mistake would that be?"

"You taking up with Cassidy Dennis again."

I frowned as I sat at the island. "Mom, you need to quit with all of this."

"I'm just trying to understand what this new obsession with you is." She crossed her arms and faced me, leaning against the sink. "We never see you... you haven't been home in almost a decade, haven't even been to the beach house in more than two years, and now you're suddenly here?"

"I'm here, Mom, I thought you'd be happy about it."

"I am happy about it, honey. What I'm concerned about is you disappearing again. We've seen you twice in the last year and that's because we came to Portland. Before that, it was once in two years."

"I'm not gonna disappear, Mom."

"Forgive me if I don't believe you." She frowned. "She took you away from me and then Aidan followed because he does whatever you do, including "protecting" the crazy Cassidy Dennis. I can't help but think it'll happen again."

"First of all, she's not crazy, and if you say that again, I'm out of here for good. Second, she didn't take me away from anyone, Mom—"

"She got pregnant with another man's baby, Carter, what would you call it?"

"Be very careful how you proceed, Mom," I warned. "Cassidy was young, and she made a mistake, but I could have easily made the same one and you know it. Regardless of her getting pregnant, though, she's not the reason I left. I left because of my career."

"You left because she broke you."

"Damn it, Mom, I did not!" I snapped.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Jaxon asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Nothing, Jax," Mom said.

Jaxon sat next to me at the island. "Where's Dad?"

"Asleep."

"Is that why you're yellin' at Carter?" Jaxon pressed.

"I'm not yelling at anyone."

"Kinda sounds like you're yellin' at Carter."

She jabbed a finger between us. "You two better not gang up on me or we're going to have a problem."

"Mom," I said with a sigh. "No one's gangin' up on you, but you need to hear me on somethin' because I'm not gonna keep goin' around and around on this subject. Cassidy's gonna be part of this family one day... if I had my way, it'd be tomorrow, but she's making me wait and I think it might have something to do with you and your opinion of her. So, you need to fix it. If you don't want to fix it, that's your choice, but you want me in your life, you will love my girl and mean it, because if you don't, I'm gone."

My mother gasped and threw her hands in the air. "See?"

"See what, Mom?" I challenged.

"She's taking you away from me again."

"Fuck me, woman, I can't talk to you right now."

"Don't you dare talk to me that way," she warned.

I took a deep breath. "Mom, I love you. I will always love you, but you're not hearing what I'm telling you. I am the reason Cassidy did what she did. This whole fucked up situation is on me and I will do anything to fix it because I love her. I have always loved her. She's it for me and you know it. Whether you choose to believe my reasons for leaving and staying away or not, those reasons have nothing to do with Cassidy, and more to do with me workin' shit out. I'm going to marry her and I'm going to adopt her little boy because in my heart he's mine and he always will be. You either get on board with this and make them both feel loved or we're done." I crossed my arms. "By the way, what happened to the letters I asked you to forward to her?"

"You can't be serious."

"You didn't send them, did you?"

She had the good sense to lower her head.

"And did you send her some email saying I'd met someone and it was serious?"

"I―" She cut herself off, and I knew immediately she'd done it.

"Where are the letters?" I demanded.

"I threw them away."

"Fuck me," I growled. "I'm going for a walk."

I walked out of the house and stamped down my anger. Cassidy was right, and I hated that she was right, more because the thought of her feeling unloved was beyond me. Shit!

I pulled out my cell phone and sent a quick text before heading Cassidy's way.