Chapter 15 #2
“I owe my loyalty to Cain. He went to prison for us and he was our VP. He’s a terrible father, but that doesn’t make him a bad friend.” PD had the decency to send Oliver a sympathetic look. “Sorry, kid, but Kings come first.”
“Right, well, just because you like him doesn’t mean I have to. He’s a giant d-bag.” Oliver spun on his heel and stalked back to his mug. He took a long sip, and from his wince, I guessed it was still hot. Steam curled from the liquid inside.
Will shot him a worried glance. “You don’t have to talk to him, Oli. You don’t have to do anything with him.”
Oliver nodded. I watched, not sure what else to do. I had experience in the bad dad category, but unlike Oliver, I never idolized my piece-of-shit father. How the fuck was I supposed to comfort him about this?
Distraction? I was good at that.
“Thanks for fixing Shakira, Kitten.” I ate up the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him. I plastered my chest to his back and kissed his cheek. “I have a gift for you and KC, too.” I nibbled the top of his ear, and he instantly melted under my attention.
“Oh.” His ears burned a bright red. “You’re, um, you’re welcome. It’s the least I could do. So, what kind of gift?”
I waggled my eyebrows. “I’ll show you on Saturday. It’s a special surprise for both of you.”
KC sidled up beside us. Having him stand near us was always a reminder of how much bigger he was than Oliver and how close he came to my height and bulk.
He wasn’t a small man, but he was soft in ways I’d never seen in a person his size.
If anyone asked me, he was too gentle for this world.
A big-ass golden retriever who only wanted love and attention.
“Should we be worried?” KC asked.
“Yes.” I slapped them both on the ass. “Okay, get in the Jeep and head out. I’m going to talk to PD, and then I’ll follow you in Shakira.”
Oliver narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but I gave him a pointed look that had him sighing and lacing his fingers with KC’s. They moved to the Jeep and slid in, and when KC had reversed the vehicle out of the driveway, I turned toward PD.
His stance was wide and his arms were crossed. He’d set his mug down on the ground. His bowler hat was back on his head and a tick had started in his jaw. “If this is about Cain and my loyalty to him, don’t. This is none of your business.”
Will shifted until he stood at PD’s side. He was quieter than I’d always imagined he’d be, but I supposed his accident had knocked his brain and body around. “Cain’s a Kings of Men MC member.”
“Who gives a shit? I’m sure you’ve dealt with Kings,” I snapped.
“The brothers who deserved it. Cain hasn’t done anything to us but be loyal.
” PD shot Will a glare when he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and Will winced, shoving them back into his dirty jeans pocket.
I finally noticed splotches of purple paint on Will’s clothes, which meant he’d helped Oliver.
I owed them, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t defend my boyfriend.
“My kitten’s a sweet man. He idolized this idea of a father. And now his heart’s broken.”
“And?” PD shot back. “Listen, I feel for Oli, I do, but that’s life.
Parents disappoint you. From what I’ve heard from Barber, you understand that.
” He cursed under his breath and scrubbed a hand along his jaw.
“I’m going to tell you something that is none of your fucking business, but you need to understand.
Cain never wanted kids. Permanent. Full stop.
When Oli’s mom found out she was pregnant, he asked her not to have the kid. ”
Will nodded in agreement as PD spoke.
“She told Cain she wanted the baby and didn’t expect him to be part of the kid’s life.
He accepted that. Hell, he even sent her money during her pregnancy to help out.
But he was under the impression Oli would never find out who his father was.
” PD’s hand cut through the air with a finality.
“Then, Oli’s mom changed her mind. After Oli was born, she tried to push Oli on Cain, even though he was clear he wasn’t father material and never wanted to be one.
She told Oli who he was. She tried to feed into this fantasy that Cain needed a good reason to be a father, as if Oli could change his mind.
She made Oli believe he would come around, but there was no chance of that ever happening. ”
“We’re not blaming Darla,” Will said. “But she was trying to go back on an agreement. She had a change of heart and he didn’t.
She made Cain out to be the bad guy. There’s a reason he never wanted to be a dad.
He’d be bad at it. He’s selfish as hell, for one.
All he wants to do is get laid and drink beer. ”
PD snorted out a half laugh. “If I ranked my brothers as to who’d be the best dads, Cain would be on the bottom. The very fucking bottom.”
“So, that’s it?” I glanced between them. “No chance of him stepping up to the face-off circle?”
Will raised his eyebrows. “Not unless you want a stick to the face. He’s a violent fucker and doesn’t play by the rules.”
“So, the complete opposite of Oliver.” I carded my fingers through my hair. “Fuck.”
“There is no world where Oli will get the dad he’s imagined. Cain is just not fit to be one.” PD shrugged, but despite the carelessness of the action, sympathetic understanding flashed across his face.
God fucking damn it. If I could bury the man six feet under, I would. Maybe I needed to focus my revenge plan on Cain instead. Destroy his life.
The thought made me smile.
“No.” Oliver’s eyes flashed in warning. “We got over this revenge bullshit. No more. Not even with deadbeat dads. He’s not worth the hassle, Ren. I don’t want this.”
“But—”
“No,” he said more forcefully, slapping his hand against my headrest. We were sitting in Shakira outside Black Out, and I’d chosen to broach the topic of retribution on the way here.
Oliver, apparently, was not having it. The dark violet neon lights from the sign over the club’s entrance gleamed on the windshield and caught in his eyes.
“All I’m saying is I have a private investigator who isn’t afraid to do some sketchy shit.” I held up my palms when Oliver leaned around the seat to slap me on the shoulder.
He pointed at me like I was a misbehaving child. “No, Ren.”
“Ren.” KC gave me a gentle, amused smile. “The revenge is over. You were the one who told me anger is exhausting. Oli decided to leave his dad behind.”
Did he? I didn’t believe it. No one could build up years and years of fantasies about hanging with their dad only for it to be destroyed, then just let it go.
I’d spent the same amount of time imagining destroying Luke’s life.
Then again, I’d blown up my plans and thrown them in the garbage, hadn’t I? All for these two sexy men.
What a disaster.
Maybe I’d been waiting for a reason to forget all the anger and pain, and they’d given me the out I hadn’t realized I was looking for.
“Fine.”
Oliver opened his mouth, but I shushed him with a finger to his lips.
“But, I feel like I need to do something.” I ignored the unimpressed eye roll I received from Oliver and the suspicion that crossed KC’s expression.
I slid one of my silver rings off my right pointer finger.
It wasn’t anything fancy, merely an angry skull embedded in the metal, but it was platinum and one of the first things I’d ever bought with my own money.
“Give me your hand,” I said to Oliver.
“What?” He blinked at me and, without arguing for once, held out his hand. I slid the ring onto his pointer finger before I turned it and laid a kiss on the palm. “You don’t need him. You have me. I’ll take care of you.”
Oliver melted right there in the seat, his body flopping against leather as affection and surprise flooded his face. “Oh.”
“I’d kiss you, but I can’t reach you.”
He surged forward and slammed his mouth against mine, humming delightfully, pleasure and happiness buzzing between us. After another short kiss, I turned to KC. “Your turn, Kansas.”
I slid another ring off. This time it came from my left middle finger and was a braided silver band that would match KC’s style perfectly. I slipped the ring on the same finger as Oliver’s.
“And for you, my sweet linebacker. Because I want you to know we’re tied together, bonded like the knots in this band. All three of us are in this together, and if that means we take on the weight of your struggles, then we do. Okay?”
Fuck, this was the corniest I’d ever been. These two cute assholes were ruining my bad boy reputation. Now I was one big fucking softie.
KC’s lashes fluttered and his smile was ten times brighter than the sun. “Okay, you romantic.”
“Ugh.” I laughed again and dragged him into a kiss, then watched as KC turned and did the same to Oliver.
I couldn’t tear my attention away from them, the sight an aphrodisiac that wove a spell through me.
Blood bolted south and my cock hardened as their kiss deepened.
“Okay, okay. No sex in the car. We’ve got an event to get to. ”
KC broke the kiss, though he looked rather reluctant.
We got out of Shakira and made our way to Black Out together, my hand clutched in KC’s while KC held Oliver’s. We passed the line of people waiting to get into the club on the first floor. A thumping beat spewed out of the open doors.
One of the bouncers in a shirt with STAFF on his chest glared at me and held up a hand like a traffic cop.
“We’re here for the event,” I called.
He nodded and pointed to a set of double doors on our left. We headed up a long set of stairs to a landing. The moment we reached the top, we were stopped by a burly guy full of ink I’d take the chance to admire if I wasn’t in such a rush to start playing.
The man wasn’t familiar. He held out his hand. “Invite?”
I fumbled, getting my phone out of my pocket, then found Luke’s text. Exhaling the breath I’d been holding, I flashed him the screen. He scowled as he scanned the QR code with his phone.