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Chapter 2

Ace

“ We have a member that needs a bone marrow transplant and we believe from the information provided to us that you will be a match. You will need to take a blood test to confirm of course. And we will pay for everything. You can go to the doctor of your choice. When the test confirms you are a match and donate you will receive the rest of the money.” I don’t know much about what she is saying. I do know that if DNA is involved that would mean it was a blood family member. But that isn’t possible. “ Look miss I might want to help but I think you are barking up the wrong tree. All my blood family is dead that I know off. See yourselves out.” I turn to walk away. But stop in my tracks when she says “ Mara O’sullivan.” I haven’t thought about her in years. I turned around “ What about her?” And how do they know about her?

“ You had a brief, physical relationship with her twenty eight years ago,”the girl states. “ What about it?” And how did they know? The only person who knew about Mara was Raider. And I know he didn’t tell anyone. We were young when we met. I was just getting the club started with Raider. Mara was studying here for a semester before returning to Ireland. We knew our time together would be short but we didn’t care.I was her first and I couldn’t get enough of her. I hated that I let her go but I was young and stupid. “ I did.” I admit. What was the use of lying? They already knew. “ When Mara returned to Ireland she discovered she was pregnant. With your child. The child is the one who needs your help.”

Mara was pregnant? But she never told me. I shake my head “ No, Mara would have told me. I don’t have any kids” I told her. “ Mr. Ripley from what we were told you had no desire to have children. So Mara gave birth and raised the baby herself. Respecting your wishes. And we would continue to do so if the situation wasn’t dire.” I have a child that I didn’t know about. I think back to my time with Mara. We were always careful. But I have great nieces running around the club that are the result of a broken condom. “ The baby. What was it?” I choke out. For the first time since she got here the girl smiles “ A girl.”

My jaw drops. I slide into the booth so I don't fall because my legs feel like they are about to give out. I have a daughter. I can’t even think straight. Twenty seven years I have missed. Wait. “ You said she needs bone marrow.” She nods “ Aye.” “ She is sick?” I ask a stupid question because they wouldn’t be asking for marrow if she wasn’t. “Aye.Cancer." She looks at the muscle " Callen. The file please." He reaches in the side of his jacket and I tense. I know he is armed but he just grabs a manilla envelope and hands it to her. She smiles at him and thanks him.

She opens it and lays out some paperwork. She points to a picture of me of Mara taken over twenty eight years ago. Then to a copy of a birth certificate where I'm named as the father. I look at it and see my daughter’s name is Ailee. “ This is everything you need to verify my story. There is also a sealed letter addressed to you that Mara wrote. Everything can be done through lawyers, doctors or a member of my group. There is no need for you two to have contact.” No need for contact. Is she telling me I can’t meet my daughter? Does my daughter not want to know me? I can’t be like Raider. He never got to meet Merigold. “ You said you represent her. My daughter. So you know her.” I ask. “ Aye. I do.” she says but this time something seems off. "What if I don’t want to go through lawyers?” “ What do you mean?” she asks. I look at the birth certificate again. There are no pictures in the file other than the one of Mara and me. I don’t even know what my kid looks like.

“ What if I want to meet her? Would that be possible?” I ask.She leans forward and taps her fingers on the table. She is doing it in a rhythm I know I have seen before but can’t think of where. It is familiar to me. “ Why?” she asks. “ Because she is my daughter. I missed out on years with her. I’m sure she doesn’t need a father now. She's a grown woman. But I would like to know about her life. I want to know who she is. And I would like to see Mara again. I want to talk to her.” I say. When I mention Mara all three of them lose some of the ice they are projecting. “ Mr. Ripley. Talking to Mara isn't going to be possible. She passed away twelve years ago. I’m sure if she was alive she would have come to find you herself.” she says. It sounds like she is a little choked up. My daughter lost her mother and I wasn’t there to comfort her.

“ I’m sorry.” I say. “ Mr. Ripley, if you could meet your daughter right now what would you say?” she asks. I lean back and look at her. It is an odd question. I feel like I’m being tested somehow. “ I would tell her I’m sorry I wasn't there for you. I wish your mom had reached out. I would have been there. I was young and stupid when I said I never wanted kids.I’m sorry she lost her mom. And I would like a chance to get to know her.I would ask her about her cancer.” I say " Stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma." she says with no emotion in her voice. “ I don’t know what that means. But I’m guessing it’s bad.” I say. I know I need to do research on this. She nods “ It is.” “ Do you know if Mara told my daughter about me?” She turns to look at her goons. They nod and she turns back to me before turning back to me.

“ Forgive me Mr. Ripley. I came here with the understanding that you didn’t want children so I was keeping this professional. Your question makes me want to change my tactics a bit.” She sighs and takes off her sunglasses. “ My name is Ailee Ripley -O’Sullivan. Your daughter and I need your help. I will still compensate you of course.” I stare at her now that I can see her whole face and what stands out is her eyes. They are light gray, almost silver in color. If I had any doubt at all that this woman in front of me was my daughter it just faded. My family has an odd rare trait that makes our eyes that color. She has a lot of features of her mother but her eyes are all me. “ You're my daughter.” I say, because my brain has stopped functioning. “ Aye. And yes, ma told me about you. She never said anything bad. She told me you were a good man. But you were both on different paths. And that she didn’t want to stand in the way of you achieving your dream. She felt telling you about me would interfere with that.” Ailee says.

“I understand this is a lot to take in Mr. Ripley. The last thing I want to do is disrupt your life. I think you should read the letter. Verify everything I have told you. The file has everything you need if you choose to help me. Once you confirm you are a match and make the donation the money will be given to you in whatever form you choose."

Something catches her attention, she stops talking and her whole body tenses up. Nessa, a club bunny, slides on to my lap ignoring Ailee " Hey big daddy. When you are done with the suit do you want some company?" she says running her hands down my chest to my pants. Before I can push her off or say a word to Ailee, Ailee slides out of the booth and stands. Ailee looks at me with disgust before sliding her sunglasses on and she says her voice like ice " Thank you for time Mr Ripley." She turns to the guys with her “ Our business here is done.” Something about her calling me Mr. Ripley feels wrong. And her saying it was business. This was so much more than business. I don’t want her to leave. I want to talk to her some more.

Before I can say anything Ailee and her goons are gone. I stare at the papers in front of me not really seeing it. I can't make heads or tales of it anyway. I do know in my gut I don't need to verify everything Ailee told me. If she really is my daughter and judging by her eyes I’m pretty sure she is. And she doesn’t look like someone who would go to all this trouble for a lie. And she only wants bone marrow. I’m going to get tested. I know that. And if I’m a match I’m going to help her. I just found out about her,I'll be damned if I'm going to lose her. I can’t believe it. I have a grown daughter. She may think this is just business but to me it isn’t. I missed years of her life. I'm not missing any more.

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