Chapter 5

Ace

It has been two weeks since Ailee walked into my life and walked back out. She hasn’t tried to contact me since. To be fair I haven’t reached out to her either. I’m waiting for answers from Brick. I tried to drown myself in booze and bunnies but it didn’t work. Everytime a bunny came near me all I could think about was that they were around the same age as my daughter and I couldn’t touch them. I’m just getting out of the shower when there is a knock at my door.I wrap a towel around me and answer it. I see Brick standing there with a folder in his hand. “ We need to talk,” he says. I step back and let him in. He takes a seat in the chair while I throw on a pair of boxers and jeans. When I’m done I have a seat on the bed. “ Tell me what you got.” I said to him.

Brick hands me the folder “ Let’s start with the easy part. Every document she gave you is legit. The only thing I didn’t go through was that letter. I didn’t feel like it was my place.” he said. Not that I truthfully doubted her but I had to check. “ The contract from the lawyer to put it simply, your daughter gives up all her rights to anything you have. Including money, life insurance policies, property and business. All she wants is your bone marrow provided you are a match. They are willing to pay you handsomely for it.” Brick sighs “ Ace it also says that you can go through a third party to make sure you two never have contact.Basically she is giving up all rights to being your daughter. In exchange for you helping her.” It doesn’t surprise me since Ailee treated our whole interaction like a business deal.

“ What did you find out about her?” I asked him. “ That’s where the hard part comes in. It was difficult to find anything on her. I had to use some old sources and even had to call up Mac for help.” Damn who the hell is my daughter? “ What I did find out, Ace, you need to be careful.” “ What are you talking about?” “ Ace, Ailee’s last name is O’Sullivan. As in the O’Sullivan crime family. She is their princess and next in line to run it. Her grandfather is Cormac O’Sullivan.” Brick says. Holy Fucking Shit. Mara never said anything about her background. We agreed that since it was just a fling we wouldn’t get too involved in each other's lives. Now I know I should have asked questions. Hell, I’m lucky to be alive since Cormac knows I knocked his daughter up. “ Were you able to find out anything else? “ I ask. I’m nervous about her other family but I need to know something about my daughter.

“ Not much. The family keeps her pretty hidden. She did go to college and has a masters in business and finance. And a minor in child physiology. Graduated with honors at the top of her class. I was able to find one picture of her on the net. I source that knows more about the O’Sullivan’s said that Ailee has been being groomed to take over since she turned eighteen. Ace man, they call her the Ice Queen. She is ruthless when it comes to punishment and extracting information. And if you deal with child trafficking and she gets a hold of you she has some interesting methods of dealing with you. You pray for death.” Brick says. I don’t even know what to say about that.But the thought of my daughter being the head of a crime family doesn’t sit right with me. Brick didn’t say it but I know in my gut she has killed before. “ Ace, my advice from one father to another. Provided Ailee is your daughter, if you want to know about her other than rumors and hearsay. Talk to her yourself. Invite her to lunch or something. Find out who she is as a person. Not who she may be to the mob. Hell, invite her here and let her get to know you. Not just the stories her mom told her. You aren’t the same man as you were back then. Let her see this world. Take the first step. She has gone her whole life thinking you didn’t want her. If you do, show her.”

“ That’s not bad advice. I’ll think about it. But first I need to get with Ryan’s. It is time for some blood work results. Not that I need them. She has my eyes. And I know in my gut she is mine. ” I said. Brick stands and drags me into a hug “ Congrats on the daughter, brother. I wish you luck.” I pat him on the back and thank him. As for luck. I feel like I’m going to need all I can get. Brick leaves so I can finish getting ready to go see Ryans.

I get to Ryans and the receptionist leads me right back to Ryans office instead of an exam room. I've been waiting about five of the longest minutes of my life before Ryans comes in. I’m nervous about the results of the blood test. Not that I’m Ailee’s father. Like I told Brick I know she is mine. I’m worried I may not be a match for her. If I’m not she has to be on the waiting list longer if they ever find her a match. She may not survive long enough to find a donor. And I will lose my only child. A child I haven’t gotten a chance to get to know. My best friend and brother died before he ever got to meet his daughter, Merigold. And cancer may take mine from me. It would be a dishonor to my brothers memory if I don’t take the chance I have been given. To take the chance he never got. He never got to hug his baby girl. Or to tell her how much he loved her Or meet his grandchildren. The only thing he had was a picture from the private investigator. And I know that was his one regret. I don’t want to have the same regrets.

Ryans sits down at his desk, opens a file and looks at me “ Ace I know you are anxious to get these results so I’ll get to the point. First congratulations, you're a father.” he says. Then he continues “ Secondly, you are a bone marrow match. That means you can donate.” I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. I can save my daughter. This is the best news I have gotten since I found out I had a kid. “ Before you donate there are some things you will need to do.” Ryans adds. “ Like what?” I ask. “ You won’t be able to have any alcohol for at least a week before the procedure. You will have to fast for twenty four hours. You won’t be able to ride for at least a week after. You will need someone to drive you home after you donate.” Ryans said. He told me everything I need to know about what to expect if I donate. No, when I donate.

When he is done explaining it doesn’t sound so bad on my end. I’ll be asleep the whole time. They are basically going to drill a few holes in my hips from the back. Takes about two hours. I wake up, get some pain relievers and go home. “ Do you have any questions?” Ryans asked. “ Yea, my daughter's part. Will it be easy like mine?” I asked. Ryans shakes his head. “ Ace, this may be hard for you to hear as a parent. The transplant itself is the easy part. It is done like a blood transfusion.” That doesn’t sound so bad. But I know he hasn’t gotten to the hard part. Ryans leans back in his chair. “ Ace before they can give her your marrow they have to give her high doses of radiation to kill off her existing morrow. That could take several times. They will keep her in a clean room so there is no risk of her getting exposed to anything. Anyone that goes into that room has to be sanitized and dressed so they have no germs on them. The radiation itself could kill her.”

“ So you're telling me that everything that is designed to get rid of the cancer can kill her as well. Just like with Raider.” I said. “ I’m sorry Ace. I wish I had better news to tell you. There is a difference between your daughter and Raider. One is age. Your daughter is much younger and has a fighting chance and she is in better health before she got sick. I read over the reports her doctors sent over. She has a fighting chance. Hell, she beat it once already and has been in remission for years. She is strong and healthy. I have never met this woman and I believe the odds are in her favor.” Ryans said. I watched Raider fight cancer and it was hard. Watching my daughter go through it is going to kill me. I barely know her but I love her already. She is my baby girl. My blood. Wait what did Ryans say? “ What do you mean Ailee had cancer before?” I asked.

“ You don’t know? Did you read any of the papers she gave you? Ace, she had cancer when she was a teen. She battled it for a year before it went into remission. She has been cancer free until this time. She was in good health before this happened.” Ryans said. Ailee has had cancer before. And I didn’t know because Mara didn’t contact me because I said I didn't want kids. I could have lost her before I ever knew her. I would have never known. I want to be angry at Mara. But I can't because she is dead. I want to be mad at myself for being so stupid to say the things I said. But there is no point. I have one chance and I’m not going to pass it up. I don’t have any other kids and no hope of having more. Not that having more could replace Ailee. I’m going to give her my marrow and anything else she needs to beat this fucking cancer. I’m not missing any more of her life. And I’m starting with inviting her to the clubhouse. It is time for her to see my world and let her meet her other family. Maybe I can get her to open up to me.

I decided our weekly church is where I would fill everyone in on what was going on. Get everything out in the open in one shot.At least some of it. That is where I'm sitting now waiting for club business to wrap up. I have been in gun fights, brawls and I have even killed. But this. This makes me nervous. What if they don’t accept Ailee? What if she doesn’t accept us? Or even more important, what if she doesn accept me?

" Any new business?" our prez and a man I consider my nephew Viper asks. " Yea prez. It is personal. I don't want it to leave this room until I'm ready." I say. All eyes turn to me. I wait for them to nod in agreement. I know they are confused. I never spoke of anything personal except with Viper and that was mainly about his father Raider who had been my best friend and co-founder of the club.