Chapter 35 #2
“I know this is hard to accept,” I continued.
“That it’s…crazy. I felt the same way at first. But when the time came to decide whether to walk away from Bolo, or stay, I just…
couldn’t go. At first, I told myself it was for my baby.
So he would have the chance to have both his parents in his life.
And that’s true, but really it was for myself.
” I shrugged. “I want all of this.” I motioned at them.
“All of what?” Dad grumbled, but he was starting to calm down.
“Love. Marriage. Happiness with my best friend and husband. A beautiful family that will continue to grow through the years. This is my shot,” I said, speaking directly to Dad now. I was practically begging him to understand. “I’m never finding another Bolo. He’s one of a kind.”
Dad opened his mouth, but shut it again when I kept going.
“He’s a good man, Dad. Protective. Strong. Brave. All the damn adjectives! Is he so different from you?”
“I’ve never killed anyone,” Dad snapped.
“But would you?” I countered.
Silence slammed through the room at my question. There was no sound as my sisters all held their breaths, waiting for his answer.
Dad’s eyes narrowed on me, but he didn’t answer, so I pressed. “If someone broke into this hospital right now and threatened to murder us. Would you kill them to protect us?”
“Of course I would,” he bit out, angry that there was any doubt.
“And if you’d gone into a burning building to save people and someone in there had been about to kill another person, would you have stopped them? Even if it meant ending their life?”
“Of course,” he echoed, the heat dying out of his gaze. “But it’s a different story when they bring that shit into their lives through their own actions. Your mother, your sisters, they’re all perpetually in danger now, and they didn’t get to choose this like you did.”
“True. But the danger is already out there, and it’s so much more than even the cops know about, and it’s getting worse. The city isn’t safe anymore, Dad. Every time these bikers act, they’re rescuing people. Saving lives.”
That stopped him short.
“One of the old ladies? She and her mom and sister were on the run for years. Under DEA protection. And because of a leak they were nearly killed, over and over again. All because she accidentally witnessed a man killing her own father. So he tried to silence her.”
Dad’s jaw flexed as he gritted his teeth.
“They saved a bunch of homeless kids a couple months back. This same organization was using blackmail, extortion, drugs, and money to control them. No one would help them. And if they got out of line? They killed them. Kids, Dad. Should the club have turned their backs on them?”
“That’s…” Dad broke off.
“It’s not so easy once you know the details, huh?
” I pressed. “One of the boys’ sister tried to go to the police.
They couldn’t find anything. I don’t really know if they were paid off, didn’t care, or just couldn’t make any headway into the case, but they stopped looking for her brother.
So she went out to look for him herself. ”
“Jesus,” Dad muttered.
“Exactly,” I said with a sigh. “I’m sure any one of the guys could tell me countless stories of the people they’ve helped.
They don’t hurt good people. They consider this city and these people who live here as theirs.
We’re theirs to protect because they live here, too.
It’s their community. The place their families call home.
And in order to keep everyone safe they do their best to take out everything from low level criminals to these organizations. ”
“It still puts their own families at risk,” Mom said, worry shining there in her eyes.
“How much danger would we be in if they didn’t take out these groups?” I demanded.
“Life is short.”
We all looked over at Sophie and everyone grimaced because we knew she was thinking about her fiancé.
“Eric is the perfect example,” she said, sadness washing over her features.
“We could all die, from a hundred different possibilities, tomorrow. Life isn’t guaranteed.
Dev told me about all of this a while ago.
” She continued on, ignoring Dad’s scowl.
“And I encouraged her to give Bolo a chance. I may not have understood the actual danger then, but now, knowing the full extent of it, I support her even more. Love is worth the risk. She’s getting the life we all want, Dad.
” Sophie gave a watery laugh. “Okay, maybe not the bikers and the threats-”
“Speak for yourself,” Audrey mumbled just loud enough for us to hear.
Shay bit her lips to keep from laughing, but it didn’t work. A giggle still slipped out.
“You all think this is funny?” Dad said in an exasperated and slightly incredulous tone.
“We just see her point, Dad,” Vivian told him. “Dev’s right. What other choice did she have?”
“Walking away from Bolo doesn’t even necessarily keep her safe either,” Shay pointed out. “If they found out that she had Bolo’s baby? They’d still come after her.”
“And she would’ve given up the offer of the club’s protection,” Mom added, understanding ringing in her voice.
We all stared at her. Dad shook his head. “You’re all in favor of this?” But we could see that he was slowly coming around.
“Bolo ran into that house to save me, Dad,” I told him. “And he saved Sophie, too. He didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re the mother of his child. Of course he saved you. And Sophie’s your sister,” he said, cutting me off before I could say anything else. “He wasn’t going to leave her there.” And there it is. I could see in Dad’s eyes that he knew Bolo was a man of honor.
“He would’ve gone in even if he didn’t know who lived in that house,” I told him in a calm tone. “He reminds me so much of you. His morals, values, his courage, they all align with yours. You gave me the blueprint of the kind of man I should fall in love with. You can’t blame me for following it.”
He looked around at all our determined faces. Even our mother was accepting of my choice once she heard what I’d had to say. He sighed. “It’s just like you girls to use my morals against me.”
That was when I knew that he’d accept Bolo, and the club, as a part of my life.
I wasn’t sure how long it would take, but he’d eventually admit it and he’d treat Bolo as though he were a son.
And I hoped that one day he could rest easy, knowing that Bolo would tear the city apart with his bare hands to keep me and our baby safe.
It was a certainty that I had already come to know.