Comp’s Chance (Reckless Omens MC)

Chapter 8

Eight

COMP

I wake with something tickling my nose. Fuck, when did I fall asleep? I feel little hands running along my face, and I grab the wrist lightly, opening my eyes. Paisley is looking down at my face with curiosity. I turn my head away from her, but a small hand touches my cheek.

“What are you doing, wildflower?” I ask her, feeling the weight of Sunny still in my arms. She hasn’t stirred, still curled up like my little spoon, and I don’t want to wake her, but I’m kind of stuck. I didn’t mean to fucking fall asleep. My plan was for her to pass out, and then I’d sneak away, but the minute I heard her breathing even out, my eyes grew heavy, and I couldn’t keep them open. Now, here I am, stuck between the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever fucking seen and the cutest kid on the planet.

“Just looking at your face. You really shouldn’t hide it,” she says, and I’m so taken aback that the next words just slip out of my mouth.

“My face is hideous, wildflower.” She looks shocked at my words.

“I think you’re handsome. A hero, like in the Marvel movies. Mama needs a hero,” Paisley tells me, still sliding her fingers over my scars. I would jerk away from anyone else, but it truly doesn’t seem to bother Paisley. Then, her words hit me.

“Your mama’s beautiful. She deserves a prince. Not a beast,” I say, smiling softly at this sweet little girl. She truly doesn’t see the monster, only the good.

“Eh, princes are overrated. They rely too much on their looks and titles. That’s not smart. Gonna get them killed by the bad guys one day, that’s what Mama says. And I don’t think you’re a beast. Thor lost his whole eye. Ironman had his chest mangled. Bruce Banner turns into a big green hulk. They all have scars, but they are still heroes. Scars don’t make your choices in life,” she tells me, and I look at this little girl in complete wonder.

“How old are you, wildflower?” I ask her. She talks like she’s thirty.

“I’m seven, but I’ll be eight soon. Can I lay down beside Mommy?” she asks me, and I nod, moving to stand up. Instead, she walks to the other side of the bed and crawls against Sunny’s back. Sunny adjusts enough to wrap her arm around Paisley, who curls against her stomach and buries her face in her momma’s neck and shoulder. As I move away, Sunny’s other arm comes around my arm, pinning me to her so she can hold us both. I look at her face to see if she’s finally awake and how much of the conversation between Paisley and me she heard, but her eyes are shut, and she’s making a cute little snoring noise. I smile, lying back down and taking this second, this moment, to be selfish. If I only ever get this moment, this feeling of rightness, of finally having everything I always dreamed of, then I’m going to take it. A perfect moment holding my girls. The girls who will never really be mine, but I can let myself dream for just this moment.

I wake up a little while later and see Paisley getting restless. Sunny is still sleeping hard, and I know she’s probably had a draining few days. I decide to get up, maybe find Rome and Rae, and see if they want to play with Paisley. They’ve been missing out on being kids their whole lives. Rome has had to look out for his twin sister even when he’s not old enough to take care of himself. It wasn’t until Loki and Halle signed the adoption papers that Rome settled a little. His mission in life is still looking out for his sister, but he doesn’t jump at every noise anymore, at least. He isn’t on guard constantly, and he now trusts his mom and dad and our club.

I slide my hand out carefully from around Sunny. Not able to help myself, I bend down and place a soft kiss on her forehead. She turns into me more, and I stay stock-still, hoping not to wake her up. When she buries herself deeper into my bed, I finally breathe and lift off the bed.

I look back down, knowing my sheets will smell like her, that my dick won’t even go down in my sleep now. Great. Although, I can’t bring myself to be pissed. I will most likely look forward to lying in my bed each night for the foreseeable future, or until I need to change the sheets.

Paisley makes a soft snort before raising her head, her sleepy eyes taking in her surroundings. I try to hold in my chuckle at seeing her cute blonde curls sticking to her head on one side and sticking straight in the air on the other. She looks at me and smiles with half-closed eyes. I put my finger to my mouth to make sure she stays quiet. I walk to the side of the bed she’s lying on and quietly lift her into my arms. She wraps herself around me like a monkey, and I smile. This girl and her mama have quickly stolen my heart, even if I’m not ready to admit it.

“I’m hungry,” Paisley says softly, laying her head on my shoulder.

“Well, we can’t have that, my little wildflower. Let’s go get you something to eat,” I say, leaving my room and heading toward the kitchen. We pass the common area, and I see Rome and Rae sitting at one of the tables, working on schoolwork.

Halle and Loki decided to keep them homeschooled this year. After everything that happened to them and throwing them into our lifestyle, they didn’t want to overwhelm either of the kids. They have a tutor that comes three times a week, and these hellions do the rest online. Halle signed them up for public school come the new year, and they can’t wait. I think they get a little bored around here, wanting to be around other kids. I wonder if Sunny would like the schools in this area?

“Uncle Comp! Paisley!” Rae says, bouncing out of her chair and running up to us.

“Hey, little lady, how much more work do you two have left?” I ask them, but Rome’s the one who answers.

“We finished a little while ago, but Mama let us color until Paisley could play,” he says, staring at Paisley with worried eyes. She’s still got her head on my shoulder and is trying to wake up, but she keeps drifting.

“Well, I was going to fix Paisley a snack before dinner. Do you guys want something, too?” I ask them, and they both nod excitedly.

“Goldfish and a banana?” I ask, knowing that goldfish are Rome’s favorite and bananas are Rae’s. They both nod their heads, and I look down at Paisley.

“Can I have applesauce instead of a banana?” she asks softly, and I smile.

“Of course you can, wildflower,” I say, turning and heading to the kitchen.

“Can I have applesauce instead of a banana, too, Uncle Comp?” Rome asks, and I smile back at him.

“Of course you can, little man.”

These kids have my heart, all three of them. Looking back over my life for the past ten years, I realize just how little I’ve had. Yes, I had my brothers and club; they’ve been nothing short of amazing. They are truly one of the few reasons I’m still alive today. The other reason is my parents. It would break my mother’s heart if something happened to me. Then my dad would bring me back from the beyond to kick my ass for hurting my mother’s feelings. To say he’s obsessed with my mother would be an understatement. But for so long, I’ve survived only for others, to keep others happy, to not destroy them. Now, I can feel life coming back to me. Now, I’m going to live this life for myself.