Prologue #2
When we make it inside the main room, the women are laughing about something.
The sound does something to calm my insides.
It damn near gutted me when Sadie took off and we couldn’t find her.
If I weren’t sure Hawk already punished her for her stunt, I would handle it myself.
Doesn’t mean I won’t give her ass a good chewing out though.
She needs to learn that she’s not her parent’s mistake.
She’s family, and that means something around here.
I’m headed toward Sadie to tell her as much, when I see Linzie get up, making a beeline for me. When she stops in front of me, she looks nervous, and it makes my chest ache. My woman should never be nervous to tell me anything.
She steps into my space. Her small hand comes up to rest on my chest, and it feels good to finally have her touch on my skin again.
After our last conversation, when she lost her shit about things she didn’t understand, it put a wedge between us.
I’ve been meaning to get over to her house and get shit right between us, but with the Feds and then Sadie’s disappearance, it was never the right time.
Linzie takes a deep breath, as if to steel herself before she speaks, and I’m suddenly worried I’m not going to like what she has to say. My eyes drop to her hand, then back up to meet hers. All the women go deathly quiet, and now I’m certain I’m not going to like what comes next.
“I owe you an apology for the way I went off on you the last time I was here,” Linzie says, her eyes slightly glassy.
“This is your club, your lifestyle, and I had no right to yell at you the way I did. I heard the rumors in town and had the Feds in my shop talking to customers about you all, and I was worried for my son.” She sighs, shrinking back a bit.
Is she afraid? Of me?
What the fuck?
“That being said. I’m sorry for the way I acted, and I hope we can go back to the way things were.
” Her words are the relief I needed. After everything that’s gone down with the club and then dealing with Vincenzo and that prick Kayce, I’m just happy to finally have shit back to normal.
I’m fucking exhausted, and I really need to go talk to my niece and get all this club shit settled before I dig any deeper into things with my woman.
Not wanting to let things linger any longer than they have to, I give her the quickest response possible so I can move this show along.
Because as soon as I’m done here, I plan on taking her home and fixing shit between us the right way, with her underneath me screaming my name until we both pass out.
“Yeah. That’ll be great.”
Linzie nods her head, clearly upset as she spins around and grabs her things. I’m confused, but not really sure how best to approach this at the moment, plus I have to make sure my niece knows not to fuck around like she did again.
Maybe she’s going to take her shit to my room so we can finish this conversation later.
But I know that’s not it when I watch her kiss her son on her way out the door.
Shit.
Every instinct tells me to go after her, but the club must come first. I’ve told her as much. I’ll finish up here and track her down later when we will have more time and can talk in a more private setting.
“You really fucked that up, Pres.”
“She’ll be fine. It’s none of your business anyway, asshole. You have your own woman to reprimand,” I snap, looking pointedly at Hawk, who needs to mind his own damn business. “Come here.” I crook my finger at Sadie, and she drags her feet to meet me.
I grab her, pulling her into a tight hug.
“If you ever try to leave this family again, I will hunt you down and blister your ass. I don’t give a shit how old you are.
You are my niece. My blood. You got me? We don’t walk out on each other.
We don’t try to solve our shit on our own.
We’re not just a club, Baby Girl. We’re family first. Your parents may have fucked up by walking away from you, but I—we—will never abandon you.
This is your home. Don’t you ever try to leave it behind again. Got me?” I scold.
“Yes, sir,” she says, sniffling.
When I finally pull back and see her eyes shining with tears and the smile on her face, I smile back and shout to the room, “Someone play some music! We’ve got a union to celebrate!
Sadie is officially Hawk’s ol’ lady!” The room erupts with hoots and hollering, and I lean down close to whisper to Sadie where only she can hear.
“Is that officially a King enough for you?”
The little shit smiles and says, “That’ll do for now.” I hug her one more time and then push her into Hawk’s waiting arms.
It doesn’t take long before the party hits full swing. Everyone is letting off steam. Drinks are flowing. The women are dancing. All my guys are laughing and happy. It feels right. Except for one thing.
I should go and find Linzie, talk this shit out with her. I assumed when she asked if we could get back to the way we were that she meant back to where we left off, but I’m thinking she might’ve meant something else altogether, and it’s eating at me.
I’m about ready to head out and track her down when Avery steps in front of me, wrapping her arms around my waist in a tight hug.
When she pulls back, I can tell she’s been drinking by the pink tint of her cheeks and the glassy look in her eyes. Not to mention how much she’s swaying in my arms. If I weren’t holding onto her, I’m not sure she would be upright at all.
“Hey Babygirl. You feeling okay?” I ask, smiling. My daughter is a lightweight when it comes to alcohol.
“I am, but I’m not so sure you are,” she says, slurring the last two words.
“How about we have a seat and then you can tell me what you’re talking about, yeah?” With my arm wrapped firmly around her, I walk us over to the couch and sit her down beside me. “Now, what’s this you were saying about me not being okay?”
“It’s just that you’re fucking everything up.
I mean, you are really sucking ass.” She hiccups, then waves her hand in the air.
“I mean, it’s okay if you eat ass. I mean, eww.
But wait—no, no, Avery,” she corrects herself.
“We listen, and we don’t judge. Actually, Daddy, that’s total bullshit we tell people.
We do judge. Just not where people can hear us talking about them.
So, if eating ass is your thing, it’s fine.
I won’t judge you out loud. I’ll wait and tell Sadie about it so she can laugh about you with me later. ”
“What the hell are you going on about?” I ask, not sure what she’s saying.
If she even knows what she’s saying. “I’m not sure you girls should be hanging around the clubhouse as much as you are.
The guys shouldn’t be talking about their sexual preferences and shit, putting ideas like that in your head,” I grumble.
“Or the visuals,” I say under my breath.
“Oh, I didn’t learn about that in the clubhouse, Daddy. It was in one of the books Sadie loaned me. But either way, I didn’t mean you suck ass literally. Although …”
I cover her mouth with my hand to stop her from rambling on again. “If I did, you wouldn’t care and would judge me behind my back. I got it. So, if we could get off the subject of ass-eating, could you maybe explain to me what it is you think I’m fucking up?”
“Oh, yeah.” She sits up. “You fucked up with Linzie, and now I think you need to fix it.”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business, baby.” I smirk, leaning back, watching as her brows crease and indignation shines in her eyes.
“You hurt her, Daddy. She wanted to work things out, but you sent her away with the idea that you don’t want her anymore. She plans on cutting ties after my wedding.”
I lean forward on my knees, fully vested now. “How do you know all of that? She left right after I talked to her. I didn’t see her talking to any of you on her way out.”
“She texted Violet, saying she can’t come to breakfast tomorrow and thinks it best she stays away from the clubhouse until the week of the wedding to give you two some space to get over the way things were.”
“The fuck is she talking about? She asked if we could go back to the way things were before, and I agreed.” Of course, I thought she meant going back to the way we were before all this shit with the Feds.
“Daddy.” Avery sighs as if I’m an idiot. “When she said that to you, she was waiting for a hug or some kind of acknowledgement that she was forgiven, and everything was okay between you. Don’t you know anything about women? You were married, for God’s sake.”
“Maggie and I didn’t have these kinds of situations come up between us. She understood what it meant for something to be club business. She knew her place and trusted me to do what was best for both of us. Linzie isn’t used to our way of life. It’s complicated.”
“Well, I suggest you uncomplicate it before she finds herself another plus one for my wedding.”
“Over my dead body.” I grumble, and Avery laughs, patting my knee. “I thought she meant going back to the way things were, when I was sleeping in her bed before all this shit, but apparently, she meant back before we agreed to see what this was between us.”
“You just have to talk to her, Daddy.” Avery stands, swaying. I’m up to grab her, but Jake has her from the back, holding her waist.
“Come on, Angel. Time to go to bed,” he coaxes, smiling down at her. She’s blushing and smiling.
“And what are your plans once we get to bed?” she asks.
Jake clears his throat and whispers something in her ear that has her spinning around, looking horrified when she sees me standing there.
I raise one brow and give her a stern look that makes her yelp.
Jake and I laugh as she buries her beet-red face in his chest.
“Have a good night, Pres. And, uh, she’s right.
You should go talk to Linzie.” They scurry off toward Jake’s room down the hall, and I’m left standing here feeling like an ass and unsure what my next play should be.
I know one thing for certain. If Linzie thinks this thing is over between us, she’s got another thing coming.
As soon as I get my hands on her sexy body, she’ll be coming too.