Chapter 4 Royce
FOUR
ROYCE
Three days had passed since Rodney gave his three-month ultimatum.
Each day felt like I was walking on eggshells.
Dad’s comments about handing things over didn’t sit right with me.
The way he kept looking at Ford had me staring up at my ceiling two nights in a row, my gut warning me there was something I wasn’t seeing.
That, or they weren’t telling me.
Which meant I had to find an alternative way to get answers.
My plan was set. Eggs were scrambled, toast had been buttered and coffee brewed.
Now, I just waited for my mother to come down for breakfast. She only indulged in a savory breakfast during the weekends.
Otherwise, she stuck to lighter fare, mostly because she was typically on the run, heading out to the senior center to volunteer.
I’d help her whenever I had free time, but lately that wasn’t very often.
Which reminded me I had an unread message on the Hollow social media account from a band in Wisconsin.
The band was hoping to go on tour, and trying to find local venues along their route to play at.
This always sent a thrill through me, checking the calendar and seeing if we could help make their dreams come true.
I was scrolling through the month of June for open dates when my mother entered the kitchen.
“Morning.”
“Good morning!” I slid my phone onto the counter.
Mom’s blond hair was frizzed and tangled, which had me frowning at her. “Did you try the sleepy scrunchie?”
Taryn and I were in our influencer era, mostly because Taryn was one. I tried everything that promised to make my life easier, or my skin softer. The overnight phenomena that made your blowout remain intact, was one my sister and I tried immediately.
“That thing does not work. I tried it, but I can’t get my hair to stay.” Mom slid onto the leatherback chair that sat nestled under the lip of our kitchen island.
I nudged her mug of coffee in front of her and let out a disappointed sigh. “Did you watch the video tutorial?”
Taking a generous sip, she nodded. “Three times, Royce.”
She was obviously a lost cause. I’d have to text Taryn and let her know because once again, she wasn’t in her bed when I woke up this morning and I went searching for my lip gloss that I knew she’d stolen.
“What’s with the breakfast?” Mom asked, sipping from her mug once more.
The sun cut through the large windows in our kitchen, highlighting her dark lashes and blue eyes.
Dad had replaced most of the wall with glass, except for a few spaces where he’d placed floating shelves.
Otherwise, the kitchen was all-natural light, broken up by trim and a few long curtains.
Wiping down a spot on the counter where I’d spilled coffee, I tried to keep my tone light.
“Just thought you deserved it.”
Her knowing smile had me panicking. She always seemed to know more than she should and see more than what was there.
“Tell me what’s going on, honey.”
I sagged into the seat next to her and vented about Rodney and the unfair ultimatum he’d issued me regarding my father’s club.
I watched as Mom’s golden brows dipped with worry and then raised as shock settled in.
Her lips pursed and her fingers tightened around her mug as I moved through the story and then explained what Dad had said about the shifting leadership.
Then she stared off into space.
“So?” I asked.
Her hair slid over her shoulder as she shifted toward me.
“Honey, your dad has been considering handing things over, but I’m sure he could hold off for three months.
There’d be no reason at all that he wouldn’t be able to.
We aren’t going anywhere. He just has this simmering worry that there might be something coming, and he can’t keep everyone safe. ”
With a scoff, I shook my head. “He’s being ridiculous.”
My mom’s eyes softened, and if I hadn’t been paying attention, I might not have caught her lip tremble. “He’ll always be strong, always be my Killian, but he’s also feeling old. His body aches more, he’s got a few health concerns.”
Worry caught my heart in a vise as I asked, “He’s okay though, right?”
“Yes, baby. He’s fine, I promise you.”
My mom set her mug down and gently pulled my hand into hers, as whatever revelation sparked in her mind.
“Callie texted last night about all of us going over for dinner tonight. Why don’t you come with us so you can chat with her, and we’ll try and sabotage your dad and Wes’s plans on stepping down.
Surely, they can give you three months before stirring the waters with new leadership. ”
My mind was curious about how the members would even respond to new leadership.
If it was Ford who would take over, would they like him, or would it be an issue that he was in charge?
There were a lot of original members who were part of my father’s crowd, and those men, I couldn’t picture following a young twenty-five-year-old.
“Count me in.”
Me: Where are you?
I slid my phone back onto the bathroom counter as I wrapped my hair around the curling wand.
Taryn hadn’t been home in days, which wasn’t like her.
Most of the time, I could keep tabs on her, but she was twenty-two years old.
It wasn’t like she was a child, but she typically told me where she was going.
I’d already checked her socials, and she hadn’t posted anything in over twenty-four hours, which was also odd for her.
Taryn: My friend’s place.
I was going to kick her ass, I thought as I rolled my eyes.
Me: Which friend, Taryn. Stop being annoying.
Taryn: But it’s my favorite thing to do. I’m with Mya, she’s leaving her deadbeat boyfriend and wanted some backup while she moves out.
Mya was a hot fucking mess to put it mildly. Ironically, it wasn’t even that she exclusively dated men in biker clubs, but she had a pretty bad drug problem. I didn’t love that my sister was there with her or said deadbeat boyfriend. Because chances were said boyfriend was in a motorcycle club.
Me: Isn’t Mya in Richland?
I was going to be late at this point if I didn’t get a few curls in my hair and swipes of mascara in.
I wasn’t typically late to events if I could help it, but I’d taken the entire day to schedule out the whole summer line up for the Hollow.
I hated that even if Rodney didn’t give me the promotion, I still wouldn’t walk away. I loved it too much.
Taryn: Yeah…
Connor’s dad had a cousin who led a motorcycle club in Richland, we grew up knowing him as a pseudo uncle to all of us kids.
He was the one who saved Connor’s parents back when they were shot at during that Christmas we were attacked.
Gripping my cell, I typed out a quick reply before sliding my phone into my back pocket.
Me: Can you please give Uncle Giles a heads-up that you’re there, that way if there’s any issues, he’ll be aware of it? Also, I opened your new mascara. Next time don’t leave it on the counter.
I didn’t check to see what she said in reply because my parents were leaving any second and if I wanted a ride, I had to get my ass downstairs.
At least that’s what Dad had called up to me five minutes ago.
Slapping my hand against the light switch, I made my way downstairs. Dad was checking his phone while the car outside warmed up and Mom slid into her coat.
“We almost left you.”
I walked up and pressed a kiss to my dad’s cheek. “You would never.”
Cold, brisk air expanded over my face and down to my exposed neck as I walked outside. I had on a small leather jacket, but it didn’t cover any exposed skin from the cut of my shirt. Sliding into the back seat of my father’s truck, I relished the warmth coming from the air vents.
Wes and Callie Ryan’s home was roughly fifteen minutes from where we lived, positioned up along the hills of Rose Ridge.
The location allowed them a breathtaking view of the valley.
Which was part of why I loved visiting so often while growing up.
The Ryans had significantly more money than I was used to.
While my grandmother was wealthy, and my parents seemed to make ends meet just fine, we didn’t have a luxurious home or luxury cars.
The Ryans had both, and more to spare.
This was mostly attributed to Wes Ryan’s television show that he’d had for, in my humble opinion, way too many seasons.
Once he finally stopped filming, he began producing and funding other media ventures, which resulted in making him an ungodly amount of money.
This was all gossip, of course, via the youngest member of the Ryan family: Ellie.
“When was the last time you came up, Royce?” Mom asked from the front, interrupting my thoughts.
I hadn’t even recognized we’d already reached the Ryans’ driveway.
I watched as their solar lights lit up the asphalt to their rather large, four-car garage bay.
Off to the side was the house, massive and gorgeous like I always remembered.
I loved coming out here as a kid, especially at Christmas when their entire house would glow from the inside out.
“It’s been a while,” I replied nervously.
The reality was I hadn’t been back since I was a teenager.
I was fifteen, it was a Christmas Eve party, where our families had all gathered.
I would never forget that event because it was the first time I gained the upper hand with the eldest Ryan child.
He’d held a card out for me to take, and I’d snubbed him.
The look on his face made something in my chest shrink, but I remember burrowing into Connor’s side, pushing the feeling away.
Mom continued talking. “Well, Callie was excited when I mentioned you’d be coming with us.”