Chapter 9
Nine
DARCIE
The years had not been kind to Hank the Tank. The man I’d always seen as larger than life was a mimicry of his former self. His massive frame had dwindled down to a diminutive man who could no longer be referred to as a tank. Gone was his thick hair and long beard, replaced with weathered skin and a buzz cut. His tattoos appeared faded like they didn’t belong on his body. His clothes sagged and were more for decoration than actually providing any purpose.
And while all of that was disturbing on its own, the most shocking change was his eyes. The once sparkling and full of mischief orbs were now dull and sad. The features might’ve been right, but I didn’t know this man. Not anymore.
“Daddy?” I blinked, sure I was imagining things.
“Hey, Rosebud. You sure have blossomed.” He gave a wry smile, but I knew something was wrong when it didn’t reach as high on both sides of his face.
Breaking my frozen state, I rushed into the room and stood before my dad, assessing him. My hands hovered, but I was too scared to touch him. “What happened?”
“Life caught up with me, Peanut.”
I narrowed my eyes. He might be accustomed to giving vague answers and hidden lies and getting away with it, but not with me.
“Cut the shit, Old Man. Just because I haven’t been here doesn’t mean I can’t smell a lie a mile away. Out with the truth.”
I heard someone snort in the room, but I didn’t risk taking my eyes off my dad to see who. If I had to guess, it was Grayson.
My dad sighed and dropped his shoulders. “You didn’t only get your looks from your mama. You’ve always been a smart one, Darcie.”
I crossed my arms, waiting him out. I could feel the eyes of every man in the room on me, and I soaked in the knowledge that I was in charge.
“I’m so proud of you, Peanut. You’ve become every bit the leader I knew you could be.” He exhaled deeply, his left hand shaking as he reached for me. I took it, the little girl in me needing the comfort only her dad could bring. “Let’s sit.”
I nodded, guiding him over to the chair. Brooks squeezed my shoulder as I passed, giving me some comfort. The others were spread out across the two beds and dresser. Once we sat, Brooks handed out the food, and the men dug in while I waited for my father to start speaking.
“My ties with the Diamonds imploded after that night. I expected it, so I worked to keep them at arm’s length and out of our territory. It worked for a while, but Agonizer didn’t get to where he was without scheming. He collaborated with the Rebels and caught me off guard, overpowering us. Once he had his foot in the door, Agonizer took over and destroyed everything we’d created. It happened so quickly that he had to have been planning it for a while.
“He moved in, took ownership of our club, and added his men to our ranks. Brewer took over the Pit Stop, changing it to what it is now. It’s more than a bar, it’s the heartbeat of his sex trade and drug operation. It’s how he controls his men. Between desire, addiction, and fear, no one steps out of line. Once he had everyone occupied, he used our network to advance his trade, poisoning our reputation in the process. The Mavericks tried to fight back, but in the end, you had two choices—patch up or find yourself at the bottom of a shallow grave.”
My heart sank, and I fought to keep the guilt from overpowering me. If I hadn’t run…
Except that was bullshit. Regardless of my choices, Agonizer would’ve done this. Only I’d still be broken without the men I’d come to love.
“It’s not your fault, Peanut. I got in too deep, and my arrogance cost me everything.”
I reached over and squeezed his hand, fighting back the tears. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I know, I just?—”
“No.” He shook his head, his face hardening. “Knowing you got away has been the only thing that kept me fighting. So don’t ever apologize for that.”
I sucked in a breath, my lip trembling as I let it out. Once I’d collected myself, I squeezed his hand for him to continue.
“Agonizer’s pressure got to me after a while. I was at a low place, and I’m not proud of what I did or how weak I became. Seeing everything I’d worked for ruined… It made me hopeless that it would ever change. So, one night… I sampled the drugs he offered until it became daily. That’s when everything got flipped on its head. A batch was laced with something, and it caused a stroke.”
I gasped, my hand covering my mouth. My eyes traced over his face, noting the slackness on the left side. The earlier weirdness of his smile made sense now.
“Are you okay?”
He gave me another crooked smile, and I knew he wasn’t. My heart sank.
“The stroke was minor, but it did affect some of my cognitive abilities and physical functions. I have moments when I blank out, and words get lost. My left side is still much weaker than my right, but I have most of my coordination back.”
“What else aren’t you telling me?”
He huffed, lifting his hand and scrubbing it over his head. “So smart, my girl. While I was in the hospital, they discovered a tumor in my colon, and it was cancerous. I had it removed, followed by chemotherapy, and so far, the scans show that it’s gone.”
Tears ran down my face, and I held myself back from jumping into his arms. This wasn’t what I’d expected at all. I’d been prepared to be mad at my dad. To ream him out for allowing the Agonizer to take control.
But this… I hadn’t been expecting it and didn’t know how to process it.
It wasn’t fair. Could you even be mad at a man with cancer?
“So far?” I asked, my brain getting stuck on those two words.
Hank gave me that crooked smile that broke my heart more than it healed. “Colon cancer is aggressive and can come back. My doctors are hopeful, and my prognosis is good, so I’m focusing on that.”
The world tilted, and my heart fell to the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t lose my dad. Not like this. I wiped my tears and lifted my chin.
“I’m surprised Stanley allowed you to even receive medical care.”
Hank’s face fell, and I braced myself. Just what else had my dad sacrificed to this man?
“There was a cost.” His eyes flicked over, and I allowed myself to follow them. When I landed on Maddox, fury erupted inside, and I jumped up. The chair flew back, and I balled my fists at my side.
“No.”
“It’s not what you think. It’s not good, but it’s not Mad Dog.”
“Spit it out.” My words came out in a hiss. I was sick of this game.
“Agonizer discovered MCD and bargained for my compliance in trade for care. He ran his best men through it and had me sign off on them working with the feds. Not only has he made a mockery of it, but he’s infiltrated the FBI. He’s become unreachable.” He took a deep breath, his face hardening as he looked at me. “You need to leave. I’m glad I got to see you one last time, Peanut. To have the chance to see the woman you’ve become, but you can’t stay here, Rosebud. If you want to survive, the five of you will turn around and forget you know this place.”
I watched Tiny and Mack deflate, the hope we’d given them escaping at my father’s decree. Steel filled my veins, and I stared down at the man I used to believe hung the moon. With my hands on my hips, I struck my power pose and glared at my father.
“First of all, fuck no. You don’t make my choices for me. That last time I let you decide my fate, I was raped.” My father jerked back, my words striking him. I would’ve felt guilty if it wasn’t true. He’d had his chance; and from my standpoint, he’d failed at every turn. It wasn’t easy to accept that, but it was the truth. He’d had good intentions, but he’d let himself get too deep and not ask for help when he could’ve used it. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes.
“Second, I didn’t come here alone. I brought my club, and we’re not leaving until we’ve reclaimed the Mavericks and put Stanley Driscoll where he belongs—behind bars.”
Hank scoffed, shaking his head and infuriating me further. “You’re just a little girl, Rosebud. Agonizer’s gonna chew you up and spit you out. He’ll make you pay for running away just to prove a point. No one escapes him . That’s the truth. If you can’t grasp that, then everything I sacrificed was for nothing,” he spat. Spittle dribbled down his chin, and his eyes were manic.
It hurt to hear the doubt in his voice. To see the defeat in his eyes. To know my father believed so little in me.
“That’s enough,” Bubba shouted, breaking me from the stare-off I’d entered into with my dad. I glanced up, waving him off. All the men in the room had stood, their stances hard and pissed off on my behalf. It replenished my strength and sparked my courage.
My father had lost so much that he’d lost himself in the end. The little girl who loved her father appreciated his request. He was trying to protect me the only way he could.
But I wasn’t a little girl anymore.
I crossed my arms and smiled sweetly. “Waylon, what did I tell you when you tried to call me a little girl?”
He harrumphed, and I could practically feel his smile from here. “Not to call you that.”
“That’s right.” I tapped my lip. “I believe I told you I was sick of men treating me like I was fragile. Nothing in my life has been easy, and I’ve fought for every scrap of strength to earn my title.” I leaned down, pressing my hands into the table, and smiled wide, showing my teeth. My father gulped, and a tiny shiver raced up my spine at his show of fear.
“Waylon, what did I tell you was my proper name?”
“ My fucking Queen. ”
“Damn straight.” I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt, but I couldn’t tame it if I wanted. “So here’s the deal, Hank . We’re not here to surrender. We’re here to conquer. If you can’t get on board, I have no qualms about locking your ass up until it’s over so you don’t get in my way.” I scanned him up and down. “I don’t want to fight you, but I will if it means keeping the men I love safe.”
“Men?” my dad asked, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the guys.
“Like I said, I’m no little girl. Dad, meet the Royals, and my boyfriends.” I could feel them standing at my back, giving me their love and support, and showing my dad we were a united front.
It wasn’t how I’d planned to announce I was in a polyamorous relationship, but it also wasn’t the worst. Considering he didn’t keel over at the news, I’d take it as a win.
After a quiet moment, he cleared his throat and rubbed his head. He nodded once to himself, settling something internally. I’d seen him do it a million times as a kid, so watching him now brought back a flood of memories, but I held strong. I wouldn’t wilt in the face of nostalgia.
“All right, Rose—Queen. I know when I’ve been beaten. If I can’t talk you out of this fight, then let me give you the last ace up my sleeve.” He eyed the guys, some of his steel returning. “And afterward, I’ll decide if you’re worthy of my daughter.”
While I could appreciate his use of after and not if, I couldn’t let him dictate my future.
“Nope. You don’t get to decide. We’ve chosen each other.”
He smiled, and I knew I’d stepped right into his trap. “Then it should be no problem for them to pass MCD. That is if they’re as great of men as you claim.”
I laughed. “Easy.” We held one another’s stares, smiling and unwilling to admit defeat.
The problem was, I wasn’t sure I won this round in the end.