A grin slunk across Deacon’s face. “So naive, aren’t you, babe?”

“It’s Miss Evans.” I took a step back from him. “Did you have a point in bringing me in here besides giving me a hard time?”

“I brought you in here so we could talk about my daughter in private.” He then strode past me. After pulling out one of the chairs at a long table, he gestured for me to take a seat. Reluctantly, I walked over and eased down onto the plush leather. Instead of sitting beside me, he walked over to take the seat across from me. After he leaned back in his chair, he pursed his lips at me. “So talk.”

“I’m very concerned that Willow has missed almost a week of school. She’s far too bright not to be in class. I see now that she isn’t sick.” Leaning forward with my elbows on the table, I asked, “What is this about you keeping her out because it isn’t safe?”

Deacon’s expression darkened. “That’s none of your fucking business.”

“You may not think so, but I’m sure CPS might see things differently.”

“Are you threatening me, Miss Evans?” he questioned. The harshness of his tone, coupled with his slightly menacing expression, made me burrow deeper into the chair to try to escape him.

“I—I’m just stating facts, Mr. Malloy,” I replied, my voice cracking from nerves.

He shook his head. “You have a lot of fucking nerve, coming into my club and trying to run my life.”

“That’s not what I’m doing at all. I just want what is best for Willow.”

“I think as her father I know what is best for her,” he countered.

“With all due respect, you’ve only been her father for a few months.”

Deacon shot out of his chair. “Get out!”

Even though my legs shook with fear, I held my ground. “No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no,” I whispered.

Deacon’s dark eyes widened. “Would you prefer me to throw you out?”

When he started around the table, I held up my hand. “Please, just listen to me for a minute.” He froze and stared expectantly at me. “Regardless of whatever dangers there are in your world or whether you’re suitable to be a parent, I don’t think that Willow should be taken away from you. She’s been through too much trauma to be taken from those she loves. I can tell she’s happy here … that she’s loved here.”

He cocked his brows questioningly at me. “You mean that?”

“Yes, I really do.”

“Then why are you on my ass, woman?” he demanded.

A nervous laugh bubbled from my lips. “I’m sorry, but I have to look out for what is best for my students. I’m sure you think that what you’re doing is the right thing to protect Willow, but she needs to be in school. She needs the interaction with other children. She thrives when she is in school.” At Deacon’s eye roll, I pressed on. “Did you know I’m recommending her to be placed in the first grade in December?”

“Is she too much of a problem for you?” he snapped sarcastically.

“Willow is never a problem to me. If I was totally honest, she’s my favorite. I’ll be devastated to lose her.”

Deacon’s expression lightened a little. “So what, she’s really smart or something?”

“Yes. She’s a very bright and capable student. She grasps concepts quicker than my other students. I think she’ll excel at being challenged in the first grade rather than having to stay in kindergarten.”

As he weighed my words, Deacon’s hand came up to rub the hair along his chin. “I don’t know what to say. I had no idea she was so smart.” With a wry grin, he said, “I sure as hell don’t know where she gets it from.”

“I’m sure she gets a little from you and from her late mother.”

The mention of Willow’s mother sent a scowl across Deacon’s face. “Look, you’re an outsider, so I’m not going to tell you all of my business. But hear me when I say that I’m not comfortable letting Willow out of my sight right now. She needs to be here in the compound, where I know she’s safe.”

“Someone is threatening to hurt her?”

“Some people want to hurt me, and they’ll use whatever means necessary to get to me, including hurting my kid.”

I sucked in a harsh breath at the thought of anyone hurting sweet Willow. While I didn’t agree with Deacon’s world, I had to give him credit for trying, in his own misguided way, to keep his daughter safe. There had to be some solution to the problem.

As if he had read my mind, Deacon came around the table and sat beside me. “Is there some way to hire a tutor or something? You know, someone who could come here and teach Willow? Then you and the authorities could get off my back.”

Over the years, I’d had a couple of students have to go on homebound services for lengthy illnesses. I’d been more than happy to go teach them after school. Besides the occasional relationship or get-together with friends, I didn’t have much going on outside of my classroom. There was no husband to be home for, no dinner to get on the table at a certain time, and sadly, no kids to take care of. Besides my brother and aunt and uncle, I was pretty much on my own. My students were my life.

“I could do it—I could come after school to teach Willow.”

Deacon eyed me with a skeptical expression. “You’d really be okay with that?”

“Sure. I’d love to teach her.” Nibbling on my lip, I contemplated what needed to be done logistically to make that happen. “Since she isn’t sick or suffering from an injury, she wouldn’t qualify for homebound services from the county.”

Deacon’s brows creased. “What does that mean?”

“It just means my salary wouldn’t be covered. You would have to pay out-of-pocket.”

A gleam burned in his eyes. “I know I might look like a low-life biker, but I can assure you I can provide financially for whatever Willow needs.”

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and I quickly ducked my head. “I apologize if I offended you. I certainly wasn’t implying anything. I was just trying to work this all out in my head.” After drawing in a deep breath to calm my nerves, I barreled on. “I’ve done homebound services before, so I know what all it entails. It also makes sense for me to do it since I would know exactly what Willow would be doing if she were in the classroom.” Leaning forward in my chair, I jerked my head up to give him a tentative smile. “If you’re not sold on me, I could recommend someone else for the job. But I can’t imagine Willow being comfortable with just anyone.”