Tank's Property(2)

Although he wanted to yell at her for the fact she’d kept her distance for reasons unknown, shake some sense into her that they were family and he’d kill and die for her, he just needed to get her off the street and make sure she and the baby were okay.

“This is yours?” Maybe it was a stupid question seeing as she was carrying it, but he had to make sure. He couldn’t tell it if was a boy or girl, and the dirty white blanket the baby was wrapped in looked like it had blood on it.

“Yes, she’s mine,” she said softly and looked at the baby again. She covered the small body back in the blanket, and the baby squirmed, making this little noise. “Her name is Faye.”

Faye. My niece.

Fuck, my little sister has a baby.

He was an uncle. That had him smiling, but his happiness faded at the situation, and the circumstance that brought his sister here, in the middle of the night, with a baby wrapped in dirty blankets. “Let’s get you back to my place and we’ll talk about what in the fuck is going on.” She didn’t argue, and he was glad about that. He didn’t have the patience right now to have her trying to say things were okay when they clearly weren’t.

He couldn’t take her on his Harley for obvious reasons, so he took one of the club SUVs. Once they were in the vehicle he was mindful of the fact he didn’t have a damn car seat. Lila held the baby as he took the back roads, and he made sure to drive well below the speed limit. It felt like his bones were going to tear through his skin at how tense that ten-minute ride was.

When they got to his place Lila was already out of the car before he could help her. He grabbed her duffle before she could argue, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He led them inside, still reeling over the fact his sister was here, and the fact she’d been pregnant and now had a baby.

“Sit down,” he said in a gruff voice and pointed at the kitchen table. “You need to get something to eat.” He had a lot of questions, and the more he thought about them, the angrier he became. Whoever had gotten her pregnant clearly wasn’t in the picture, and that had him seeing red.

“You’re pissed,” she stated matter-of-factly.

He didn’t say anything for several seconds, but then glanced over his shoulder at her. She was smoothing her finger over the baby’s bald head, a smile on Lila’s face.

“Please don’t be upset,” she said and lifted her gaze to him. The baby started fussing and turning her head to the side. Lila started rocking the little girl, and she quieted. “I hate that you’re upset with me.”

He exhaled loudly. “I’m not upset with you, Lila. I’m pissed at what the hell is going on, which to be honest I have no damn clue what that is.” They stared at each other for a moment, and the silence surrounded them. “You clearly can’t turn to the guy that knocked you up—”

“Brendan,” she said in a tense voice and knitted her brows.

“What? It’s the truth.” He exhaled and ran a hand over his head. “You hungry?”

Lila smiled and nodded. She relaxed against the chair.

As he started making her something to eat, he thought about how in the hell this conversation was going to get rolling. He wasn’t upset with her, but he was at the situation.

“I’m sorry I’ve been distant these last few months. I guess I was in too deep, couldn’t see clearly, and I didn’t want you to be disappointed.” She looked down and shook her head. “I didn’t want to bring my troubles into your life, but now that I have Faye I can’t pretend that I can do this all on my own, Brendan.”

The defeat in her voice broke his damn heart.

“Lila, you are my life, and it’s always been us against the world. I hate that you thought you couldn’t come to me with any problems you had.” He felt like a damn asshole. “I know I’ve been in deep with the club while I was prospecting, and I should have never made you feel like you couldn’t come to me.”

She shook her head and gave him a genuine smile. “I’m glad you found where you want to be. It looks like you’re in good with your club, and even patched in. I’m happy for you.”

He turned from the counter and set a plate with a sandwich and chips in front of her. He grabbed a glass of milk for her, and then sat down across from her.

“Can I lay her down on your bed?”

He nodded. “Of course. Down the hall and last door on the right.”

“Unless you want to hold your niece?”

He shook his head right away. “I’m all thumbs, Lila, you know that.” He shifted on the seat, feeling nervous and uncomfortable all of a sudden with the thought of holding such a small, fragile little person. “My room’s in the back, last door on the right,” he said again.