Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 74122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“Fuck,” Dawg muttered with his brows pinned together.
“I like it,” Kiki said, chuckling.
“I do, too,” Emma agreed with a smile.
“Fuck,” Dawg muttered again.
“Anyway, Emma, I need you to sign some papers and I’ll get the petition for divorce filed, and the rest of the paperwork. Then I’ll let you know how soon we can talk to the judge for the PFA.”
“PFA?”
“The restraining order. It’ll be for you and for Lily, too. It shouldn’t be a problem to at least get a temporary one. Permanent?” She shrugged. “The man abducted your daughter and left the country without your permission. Parent or not, that’s unacceptable. The judge should see it the same way. Plus, once he’s back in the States, he should be charged, so that will help the judge decide on the permanent one. Then once Lily turns eighteen, it’ll be up to her whether to see her father or not. Just a warning, he could file for supervised visitation.” Kiki lifted a hand before Emma could protest. “Doesn’t mean he’ll get it.”
Dawg reached over and grabbed her hand from her lap, squeezing it. “Ain’t gettin’ it. Guaranteed.”
“Well,” Kiki continued, “Here’s the thing you two have to consider... Dawg not only manages a strip club, but lives above it, and you’re working there, too, right?”
Emma nodded, “But it’s just temporary.”
“Which part?” Kiki asked.
“All of it. Well, not the part where Daw... Dawg’s the manager.”
Dawg cut in. “Yeah, it’s all temporary. Gonna talk to Z.”
Kiki’s eyebrows rose. “About what?”
“Movin’ an’ findin’ something else to do other than the club.”
“Like a new business?” Kiki asked, clearly surprised. She wasn’t the only one. This was the first that Emma was hearing this.
Dawg shrugged. “Not sure yet. Gonna talk to Z.”
None of this made sense. Why would Dawg give up a business he’d managed successfully for years for her? Was he thinking this was more than a temporary situation?
Her plan had always been to find a new apartment as soon as Lily was returned to her custody. And to find another job doing what she was meant to do, loved to do, what her degree was in, which was teaching.
He had no reason to cause a total upheaval in his life for her.
She appreciated everything he was doing for her and she certainly appreciated the time they spent together being intimate, but if he was thinking long-term...
Was he thinking long term?
Her gaze slid to the left to where he was sitting so close to her. Then it dropped to their clasped hands.
Oh Lord, he was thinking long-term!
He was a tattooed biker who managed a strip club.
She had a daughter to raise...
Her heart began to beat furiously.
He was certainly not the ideal father figure for Lily.
What kind of judge was going to give her full custody of her daughter if they were living with a man like Dawg? He could be the kindest, gentlest man in the world and he would still be judged by what was seen on the outside. The beard, the tattoos, the cut, the biker boots and worn jeans, the clunky silver rings on his fingers of a skull and more...
It was what he represented, not who he actually was inside.
Her husband’s family had money and lots of it. His parents, Lily’s grandparents, could fight her for custody claiming that she was an unfit mother, a bad influence. That Emma made bad choices... like even temporarily living with and working for Dawg.
The one person who has helped her the most, just might have hindered her. And not because he meant to. Clearly the man had nothing but the best intentions.
“Dawg,” she whispered, scared that accepting his help had been a huge mistake. A colossal mistake.
He must not have heard her because he went on to say, “Got somethin’ else to run past you, Keeks.”
“What?” Kiki removed her glasses and placed them on the desk blotter.
“Ain’t just thinkin’ ‘bout movin’ for Lily. Thinkin’ about my parental rights for my own daughter. Fightin’ for visitation.”
Kiki’s mouth dropped open, and she sat back in her thick leather desk chair. “You have a daughter?”
Emma didn’t blame the woman for her reaction. Hers probably looked similar since she had no idea that Dawg was going to bring that up today. Or ever. She had no idea that he was even thinking of getting to know his daughter. Not after the conversation they’d had.
“Yeah.”
“Dawg,” Kiki breathed, then groaned. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve started working on this a long time ago.”
“Doin’ criminal defense.” The hesitation before his answer was a telling sign to Emma. He hadn’t considered it until now. Or this last week. When he originally told her about his daughter, he thought it was better for her for him not to be involved in her life.
Crap. And her thoughts about raising Lily with him were the exact same as his were about raising his own daughter. He didn’t think he was good enough.