Chapter Fourteen
King
I knew she was remembering that night the same as I was. I’d stayed away after that; I’d tried to let her go. I still went to her at night, but I parked my bike down the street. I didn’t knock on her door; I didn’t lean on her for support.
Until the shooting at the bar.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have followed you. You don’t owe me your secrets.” She turned to go, and I swear I’d never moved as fast as I did in that moment.
“Grace, stop.” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into my arms. “This shit has to stop. I’m so fucking sorry, Grace.”
I gave Gunner a lot of shit when he was stalking Haizley.
The truth was, I was no better. If Grace ever found out just how much I was involved in her life, well, let’s just say the beatdown she gave me when I kissed her in front of the club would be a love tap compared to the ass kicking she would rein down on me.
No, those would be my secrets. And mine alone. My brothers didn’t even know the extent of my obsession with Grace.
And they never would.
Now here I was again, wanting to lean on her. Dump my shit on her, as Amber had said. Hold her in my arms. It was the only time I felt any peace. With all the shit I had done in my life, I never expected to feel anything but guilt and shame. But Grace made me feel everything.
She made me feel loved.
It wasn’t fair to her. I knew that. It wasn’t fair to me either. I didn’t really give a shit about Steele’s feelings. But there were rules that, as president of my own chapter, I couldn’t ignore.
Another chapter president’s daughter was off-limits. More so when that chapter was your Mother Chapter, and that president was yours.
As a one percenter, I spent a good deal of my adult life ignoring the rules of society. The rules of the MC were what we lived by.
We had a code.
We had honor, among ourselves anyway.
That honor didn’t keep me from loving her. It only kept me from claiming her as mine.
The reality was, Steele had no idea who she was. At least I didn’t think he did. He had been to the clubhouse numerous times and never looked twice at her.
But I knew who she was. Who her father was. I might be a criminal, but I still had morals. I might not live my life by society’s laws, but I lived by the MC’s.
“What are you sorry for?” she asked.
I didn’t know how to answer that. There were so many things I was sorry for. I was sorry I’d led her on for so long. I was sorry I was too much of a pussy to take what I wanted.
I was sorry I couldn’t let her go.
“You don’t even know why I’m so pissed, do you?”
“It’s because I won’t claim you,” I said, though I knew that wasn’t it. Ravage’s words ran through my head.
“It’s because you won’t let go, asshole,” Grace hissed.
“I can’t let you go, Grace. I know I should, but I can’t. I need you. I want you. I love you.”
“Then let him go.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Let him go, and pick me.”
“It’s not that simple, Grace. Things have to be done the right way.”
“Bullshit!” She backed away from me, and I let her go.
“Why can’t you fucking understand?” I shouted back. “I can’t walk away. Not from my brothers, not from the club. Not for you.”
She glared at me, taking a further step back. She straightened her back and looked me in the eye.
“I never asked you to walk away from the club. I asked you to walk toward me. I’ve begged you to let me walk with you.” Tears slipped down her cheek, and I wanted to reach up and wipe them away. “You’re right. This shit has to end.”
She turned away and walked out of my office and probably out of my life. I walked around my desk and punched my fist into the wall. Another hole was added to the wall. Added to my soul.
My phone rang on my desk, and I thought about ignoring it. When I saw Cash’s name, I knew if I didn’t answer, he’d just come looking for me.
“What?” I grunted as I dropped into my chair.
“He’s here.”
“Who?”
“Steele.”
I sat up quickly. “How the fuck is he here already? I just called him this morning.”
“I don’t know, but he’s not alone.”
I walked into the main room and scanned the faces looking for Grace. I caught Johnny’s eye and tipped my head, signaling him over to me.
“What do you need, Prez?”
“Find Grace and bring her to me.”
He took off down the hall, and I looked around at the women who filled the room. I needed them all out of here.
“Anyone not wearing a cut needs to go. Now.”
“King, what’s going on?” Kronos asked.
“Steele is here.”
“Already? You just fucking called him this morning.”
“Which means he was already in the area, or almost here,” I told him, as I watched the women gather up the children.
Aspen stopped by my side. “Diesel is staying with Banshee. Don’t let anyone shoot my dog, King.”
I smiled at her and said, “I promise,” though we both knew it was a promise I might not be able to keep.
All the women had gone, except for one. I knew Kytten wasn’t happy about being shooed away, but with her being pregnant, Cash would have insisted on it.
I looked over at Indie. She stood against the wall by the front door, half covered in shadows. I should have known she’d be stubborn. She nodded, letting me know she had my back. Mine and every brother under me.
The door opened, and Steele walked in with Angel and a dozen other men. All but two of them were men I knew I could count on.
Lynch and Demise.
Two men who were as fucked up as Steele and Stone. And you had to be fucked up to kill parents like Titan and Kimberly.
I caught Jingles’ eye and directed him to Banshee. I couldn’t let my brother go off like a rocket. Not until we had answers.
“I’m surprised to see you here, Steele.”
“You called and said my daughter was here.” He shrugged. “Where the fuck is she?”
“I called you this morning. It’s an almost fourteen-hour ride.”
“I was already on my way here. Have some shit to work out.”
“With the Death Dogs?” I asked, wondering if he would be truthful.
“As a matter of fact, yes.” He looked around the room. “Looks like you fared well.” His eyes landed on Kronos, and something passed over his face. Something that looked a bit like fear.
“We lost Hash. And two club girls. Tank and a prospect are both in the hospital, and most of my men are wounded. You want to share what the fuck you need to work out with the club that declared war on us?”
He ignored my question as he looked over at the Gods of Mayhem brothers standing in the corner. “Kronos, I’m surprised to see you here.”
“I’m sure you are,” was all the older man replied.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grace and Johnny appear. Steele again ignored her, his concentration on Kronos.
Finally, he turned to me. “Where the fuck is my daughter?”
“I’m right here,” Grace said, stepping forward, Johnny right behind her. Big Ben and Ace closed ranks to protect Grace. Zero and Stocks covered the door.
Steele eyed Grace. He started laughing. “She isn’t my fucking daughter.”
“What?” Grace whispered.
“I’m not your fucking father, Grace.”
Grace gasped, and I walked up and got in Steele’s face. “You know who she fucking is?”
“Of course I do. She looks just like her whore mother.”
I didn’t realize I had even moved. My arm pulled back, and I slammed it into Steele’s mouth, knocking him on the fucking ground. I turned to Angel. “You get the votes?”
“I did.”
“What the fuck?” Demise shouted, rushing over to help Steele to his feet. Lynch moved toward me, and Mimic stood in front of him. He sneered at Mimic, “Move your ass, kid, before I fucking move it for you.”
“I’d be careful who you threaten, Lynch,” Cash said. “That’s my old lady’s brother, and I don’t take kindly to someone threatening him. And neither does his old lady.” Cash smiled as Indie tapped Lynch on the shoulder. When he turned and looked at her, he scoffed.
I had to admit, Indie didn’t look like much, but I’d seen what she could do. Her arm shot out like a bullet and jabbed Lynch in the throat. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air.
“What the fuck are you doing, King?” Steele shouted.
“I remember you,” Grace said, getting mine and Steele’s attention. “I have a picture of you and my mother when she was pregnant. And I remember you coming to the house.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t fuck your mother until after she was pregnant. You’re looking for the Yankee.”
“What Yankee?” I growled, getting in his face again.
“Prez?” Banshee’s voice was deep; I thought I’d heard him growl until I remembered Aspen had left Diesel here.
“You’ll get your turn, Banshee, don’t worry.”
“His turn for what?”
“To beat the shit out of you. I might even let him fucking kill you.”
Steele stood up to his full height, thinking he could intimidate me. He was no longer the man I respected. The man I admired. I knew exactly who he was now.
“We took a vote.” I reached up and ripped the president patch off his chest and handed it to Angel. “You’re interim president until a vote is taken.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
I leaned in and whispered, “I know what you fucking did.” I let my voice get louder. “I know you set Chasm up to go into that warehouse alone. I may not have proof, but I’m willing to bet he fucking does.”
“Chasm died because he didn’t follow orders.”
I stepped back, my hand on my chest. “You didn’t hear? Chasm didn’t die, asshole.”
“What?” Steele’s face paled. He looked over at Demise.
“You fucked up. If you’re gonna kill someone, make sure they’re dead, cocksucker.”
“I had nothing to do with that explosion,” Steele argued.
“Bullshit. Like you had nothing to do with your parents’ death?”
Now Demise was pale as he looked between me and Steele. Steele’s mask was back in place. “A rival club killed my parents, and you fucking know it.”
“Maybe next time, don’t brag about it in your office after Sypher set up your fucking security.” I looked over at Apollo. With Nav not here, Apollo had offered to step in for him. He pushed a button on a tablet, and the voices of Steele and his brother Stone rang out in the room.
I watched the faces of my brothers from Arkansas change as they heard their president and vice president confess to killing their parents. Titan was a well-loved president, and he was still mourned to this day.
Angel stepped up and chest bumped Steele. “What the fuck did you do, motherfucker? You killed your own damn father?” Angel’s hands fisted at his side, and I knew he was ready to blow.
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Angel, but this is Banshee’s kill.”
Angel looked at me. “Why?”
I glared at Steele. “Ask your former president who his wife was and what the fuck happened to her.”