It was at that point that I knew, even with all the shit I’d been through in my life, Optimus was going to be the one to break me.

The office door swung open and I quickly turned away, brushing at the wetness on my cheeks and trying to hide my face.

“Dad! This place is awesome! Did you know you had a playground? Do you play on the playground? You should come play on it with me.” The little voice talked so fast I wondered where she found the time to breathe.

I didn’t even have to look at Optimus to know that he had the most stunning smile on his face. It’s like his mood could change the whole feel of a room, that’s just how powerful his energy was.

“Maybe soon, Harlyn. Daddy’s just talking to Chelsea.”

After a few minutes of silence, I felt a tug on my shirt and turned to find the most beautiful little girl standing at my side. Auburn colored hair framed her heart-shaped face that shone brightly up at me like I was her favorite cartoon character. “Are you, Chelsea?”

I couldn’t help but smile as Harlyn’s baby blues glittered. I shot a questioning glance at Optimus. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he nodded, giving me permission to speak with his daughter.

I dropped myself to the floor on my knees and sat back, placing my hands on my lap. “I am. What’s your name?”

A grinned flashed across her face, her smile stunning even with a tooth missing. “My name is Harlyn! That’s my dad, did you know that?” She pointed over her shoulder, but her eyes stayed fixed on me.

I gasped and covered my mouth. “No, I didn’t! That’s kind of cool.”

She nodded enthusiastically and moved a little closer to me and whispered, “He’s the president.”

“What does that mean?” I whispered back.

“It means he gets to boss people around and they have to do what he says.” She rolled her eyes and I held in a laugh. “But not me. Because I’m his daughter. Mommy says I have him wrapped around my little finger, but he’s quite big.”

“He is, isn’t he,” I agreed.

“Will you come and play with us on the playground?”

I smiled at the young girl. “I wish I could, but I’m just saying goodbye. I’m going away to visit a friend for a few days. Maybe we can play when I get back?” I avoided looking up at Op, knowing I would get my escape now.

Harlyn held up her hand. It was in a fist all except for her pinkie finger. “Do you pinkie promise?” I tilted my head at the little girl curiously. “Daddy says you can’t break a pinkie promise. When he visits me he always pinkie promises me that he will come back and he always does.” Harlyn turned her head and grinned up at her dad. She looked at him like he was her hero—I couldn’t blame her, at one point I’d felt the same way.

“I pinkie promise,” I murmured, hooking my little finger around hers.

We smiled at each other for a minute before she jumped up and launched herself into her father’s arms. He caught her with complete ease. “To the playground!”

I pushed myself off the floor as they walked to the door.

“Three days. That’s all you get.” Our eyes met and I could see the warning that was laced in his stare. “You pinkie promised.”

With that, he was gone. His deep voice and the echo of a five-year-old’s giggles moving down the hallway until I could no longer hear them.

So I ran.

“Still making the club whores cry I see.” Sugar leaned against the pole of the swings as I pushed Harlyn gently. I glanced over my shoulder to see Chelsea packing her bag into her car. I turned away before I got the urge to run over and ask her to stay.

It was better this way. If we were being watched then hopefully they would think she was unimportant—letting her leave without someone to watch her.

What she and everyone else didn’t know was that there was someone watching her. Kit had already sent one of his boys, Lift, to tail her all the way to Troy. The kid was good and I knew she’d be safe.

“They know what they’re getting into when they come here.”

“That’s not a ‘kicked puppy’ look. That look is more like a puppy that you took home, played with, named, fed and then threw off a bridge a week later.” I glared at her, but she just stared me down. Sugar was sweet and soft and caring, but the girl was strong.

“It’s complicated,” I muttered as I pushed softly against Harlyn’s back.

I could see her frowning at me through the corner of my eye. She was studying me. “Oh, Optimus. Not again.”

I stopped the swing as Harlyn jumped off and ran toward the jungle gym. I followed after her hoping to avoid Sugar, but she shadowed me the whole way.

“Don’t do it.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The reason you bought us here. There’s something big going down isn’t there?” She pulled at the sleeves of her sweatshirt, tugging them over her hands.

“You know I can’t talk to you about it. But yeah, it’s pretty damn big.” I could see the wheels in her head moving as she put together piece by piece just what was happening.

I felt her hand on my arm. “Don’t push her away.”

My body stiffened. “I’m doing what I have to do to protect my family.”

“And how did that work out for you last time, Op?” The strike was low and she knew it.

I growled and turned on her. “You and Harlyn are still alive aren’t you?”

She scoffed and met my gaze head on. “Yeah, congratulations! Because of what you did our relationship fell to pieces and you see your daughter once a year. Good work.”

“You never wanted to be a part of the club anyway,” I accused, jabbing my finger at her. “You’re the one who wanted out, refusing to come home.”

She looked hurt for a moment before shaking it off. “You pushed us out and you pushed us so far away, it hurt. And after everything that happened with your dad, I was young, pregnant and scared,” she sighed, “there was no coming back after that.”

“I did what I had to do to protect you and my daughter,” I muttered, watching as my beautiful girl scaled the climbing frame like a pro.

“No,” she whispered. “You made a mistake that hurt all three of us.”

I couldn’t look at her. Sending her away with my child had been one of the hardest decisions I’d ever had to make. She was right. I knew it wouldn’t have worked between me and Sugar, but I could have done more to fight for them, I could have kept them safe and been more involved in Harlyn’s life.

I’d made a mistake.

“And now you’re about to make it all over again,” Sugar said as she stared up at our little girl. “Except this time, she won’t have a reason to keep you in her life.”

“Daddy, catch me!” I moved under the jungle gym just as Harlyn threw herself off the top and into my arms. The girl had no fear. She had absolute trust in me. She knew I would catch her.

“Come on. Let’s go get some lunch,” I told her as I brushed her wavy hair back from her eyes.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, baby girl.”

“Are we going to get a puppy?”

This child doesn’t miss a thing. I needed to remember that.

I spent the day with Harlyn until around 3:00 p.m. when she crashed out on the sofa in my room while we were watching a movie.

Harlyn was smart.

I knew I’d have to watch what I said and did around her because she picked up on everything, even the moods of the people around her.

There was a sharp banging on my bedroom door. I shuffled Har so she was now laying down across the sofa instead of propped up against me, and quickly moved to answer before they started banging again and woke her up.

Ham stood there, his foot tapping. “Prez, we need you outside now.”