Page 27 of Cash
“Well,” Ms.Winters said after a moment of uncomfortable silence, “I’ll let you continue your reunion.Dr.Brennan mentioned she’d be discussing the test results with you shortly.”She nodded at me.“We’ll be in touch about the next steps, Ms.Jans.I’ll need to schedule a visit to this Haven place.”
“New Beginnings,” I corrected.“Only the residents call it Haven.Because itisa haven.For all of us.And everyone there has been wonderful to both me and Lily.”
Ms.Winters shrugged then grumbled under her breath.“How safe this so-called shelter is will be for a judge to determine.”
She walked away.I watched her go, the knot in my stomach tightening with every step.When she disappeared around the corner, I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“She’s been gunning for me since day one,” I whispered, making sure Lily couldn’t hear.“And now…”
“Now I’ve made it worse,” Ash finished, sinking back into his chair.“I’m sorry, Eliza.I thought showing up, being here for Lily, would help.”
I wanted to confirm his fears, to blame him for complicating an already precarious situation.But the truth was, Ms.Winters would have found out about him eventually.Better to have it happen now, with both of us present, than as a surprise revelation in court.
“It’s not your fault,” I admitted reluctantly.“For whatever reason, she’s got it in for me.”
Lily looked up from Mr.Flopsy, her gaze moving between us.“Is that lady coming back?I don’t like her.She looks at me funny.”
Ash and I exchanged a look over Lily’s head, momentary allies in the face of a common threat.In his eyes, I saw the same fierce protectiveness I felt, the same fear.Whatever had happened between us, whatever mistakes we’d both made, we would do anything to protect Lily.
“We’ll figure this out,” Ash said quietly, his words meant only for me.“Together, if you’ll let me.”
I didn’t answer immediately.Trust was harder to rebuild than to break, and the years of silence and neglect, even when he was in our life, had left deep scars.But as Lily reached out to touch one of Ash’s tattoos with curious fingers, her small face lighting up when he made a silly expression for her, I knew I would never love Asher, but I wanted Lily to know him.Despite the fact he was a follower who had knowingly gone in the wrong direction to please a friend of his, Ash was a good person.Just not the person I wanted to be my mate.
“One day at a time,” I said finally, meeting his gaze.“For Lily.”
He nodded, understanding the limitations I was setting, accepting them without argument.“For Lily.”
Chapter Ten
Eliza
The security monitor beside Haven’s front door showed Ash standing at the gate, his Kiss of Death MC cut visible beneath his leather jacket.My stomach knotted as I watched him shift his weight from one foot to another, waiting for someone to buzz him in.A week had passed since our unexpected reunion at the hospital, and though I knew this moment would come eventually, I felt completely unprepared.I watched with a small amount of anxiety as Hannah moved toward the intercom, her expression carefully neutral.
“Ash is Lily’s father,” I said quietly, the words feeling strange after so long.“Asher Hudson.”
Hannah paused, her finger hovering over the intercom button.“Knuckles brought him in when he got out of Terre Haute,” she confirmed, not asking a question.
I nodded, my throat suddenly tight.“I’m sure he’s here to see Lily.”
Hannah studied the monitor for a moment longer before turning to me.“Do you want him here, Eliza?”
The simple question carried weight I wasn’t ready to bear.Did I want Ash here?The man who had left us to face years of struggle alone without him.The man whose absence had left a void in Lily’s life no amount of my love could fill.The man who now wore the same MC cut as Cash and all the other men who had unexpectedly become our protectors.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, crossing my arms over my chest.“But he’s her father.He’s never been bad to either of us other than getting sent to prison when he could have chosen to stay home.He has rights.”
Hannah’s eyes softened.“Not in Haven.No one has rights here except the women and children we protect.If you don’t want him inside these walls, he doesn’t come inside.I told you the same with Cash and it stands the same with Ash.”She blinked several times before a smile broke out.“Cash and Ash.”
Despite myself, a small giggle escaped.“Yeah.Cash and Ash.”
The promise in her voice combined with the small humor loosened the tension in my chest, but only momentarily.I glanced at the monitor again.Ash looked different from the man I remembered before prison.Harder.More watchful.But beneath, I could still see glimpses of the person who had genuinely loved our daughter, even if he had never truly loved me.
I pulled Hannah a few steps away from the desk, lowering my voice.“He’s a good person.And Lily’s father.But I’m not ready to have him here, in our space.”The words tumbled out in a nervous rush.“And I know he’s wearing a Kiss of Death cut now.Does that change things?Will the club expect you to side with him because he’s one of them?”
The fear simmering beneath the surface finally found its voice.Ash might be new to Kiss of Death, but he shared their bond.What if their loyalty to him outweighed their promises to me?
Hannah’s expression grew fierce.“Listen to me carefully, Eliza.The men respect our boundaries.This place belongs to the women.Period.If you say he doesn’t enter, then he doesn’t enter.Not even Knuckles would override your decision.”
Her certainty was reassuring, but I still hesitated.“Lily asked about him yesterday.She remembers the chocolate chip pancakes with faces he used to make for her when he was around.”
