“Did you tell him to marry me too?” I snap.
“No, sweetheart,” he replies, coming to my side. “You have to look at this from my point of view as your father. Fury ran before I could get to him and he’s managed to evade me all these years.” I recall my father leaving that night and not coming back for several days. “The only reason I knew he was on his way to Georgia is because his ol’ lady ratted on his ass. Em, he was obsessed with you and she couldn’t take it anymore.” I did find it rather odd that Fury didn’t kill us if he was avenging the death of his VP.
Looking into my father’s eyes, I see the sincerity of his words and let go of my anger. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve done anything to protect my child. It doesn’t make what he did right. Not the lies, but his intent is what moves my heart.
“I just wish you would’ve told me about Silas. Had I known he was in an MC, I would’ve protected my heart and not fallen for him or maybe asked you to hire private security. Anything that would’ve saved me the heartache I’m feeling right now,” I murmur, swiping at the tears on my face.
“Please forgive me. I promise to never lie to you again, Em,” he pleads, sniffling from his own tears. Without words, I open my arms, needing to feel my father’s embrace. It’s easy to forgive him when I think about what he must’ve felt when I came home that night from the club. He holds onto me as if I were his lifeline, but in this moment, he’s mine. I’m going to need him to help me sort my life out once I’m released from the hospital.
“You know he’s not going to give up on you, right?” His voice was low, gentle, but it didn’t stop the knot from forming in my chest. Releasing me from his arms, I look away, focusing on the empty cup on my bedside table. “I know.” I relent, knowing he’s right.
“He’s been sitting in that waiting room for days,” my dad continues, walking back over to the window, staring out at the rain. “He blames himself for what happened, Em and he’s devastated about the baby.” I swallow hard, the familiar sting of tears pressing at the back of my eyes. “Good. He should blame himself.” The words come out, but I’m not sure I mean them.
He lets out a slow breath, brow furrowing as he rubs the back of his neck. “Maybe. But you have to hear him out Em. You have to at least give him the chance to explain.”
“What’s there to explain, dad?” I ask, shaking my head in defiance, throat clogged from my unshed tears. “Fury came after me because of what EJ did, mom is dead because of a stupid rivalry. My entire purpose of leaving South Dakota was to escape that life. Silas chose to bring me back into it by keeping the truth from me and now…” my words trail off, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach. The pain of this loss is too raw and I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Dad’s face softens as he comes to my side, reaching out, and resting his hand gently over mine.
“I know and I can’t imagine what you’re going through. But Maverick is hurting too and he never meant for any of this to happen. As a matter of fact, he was going to tell you everything when he got home, but all of this shit happened before he could,” he says, trying to explain Silas’s plight. “He would lay down his life to protect you and keep you safe.”
I blink hard, the tears I’ve been holding back finally spilling over. “But he didn’t, dad. Fury still got to me, still took me and caused all of this,” I counter.
“That’s not the whole story, Em,” he says quietly, his voice steady. “He moved hell and high water to get to you, we both did.”
Closing my eyes, I let the weight of his words settle in. Despite the sincerity, I still feel the anger, the betrayal, the hurt, but underneath it all, there’s a flicker of something else… doubt. Was I being fair? Was I shutting him out before giving him a chance to explain?
“I’m not sure I can face him,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
Squeezing my hand, dad offered me a small understanding smile.
“You don’t have to forgive him today. You don’t even have to figure it all out right now. But at the very least, talk to him. Let him tell you his side, and then decide what you want to do. You owe yourself that.”
Taking a shaky breath, I feel the pull of everything I’d been trying to avoid. The grief, the anger, and maybe even the love I have for Silas that lingered somewhere deep down. I don’t know if I can forgive him, but maybe my father is right. Maybe I owe it to myself to hear him out and see if there’s a path to forgiveness.
“I’ll think about it,” I say finally, though my heart still feels heavy.
Giving a small nod, he kisses the back of my hand before letting it go.
“That’s all I’m asking, sweetheart,” he remarks, walking toward the door. “You get some rest, now.”
“Thanks, dad. I will.”
As he left the room, the silence returns, but this time it feels different. It was less suffocating, hope bristling in the air, shedding some light where I only saw darkness. I wasn’t sure I was ready to see Silas, but for the first time, I wasn’t so sure if I could keep avoiding him.
EIGHTEEN
LONE WOLF
The low thrumof bass pulses through Peaches, dim lighting casting shadows across the room as the crowd enjoys the evening, lost in a haze of booze, and gorgeous women. Leaning against the bar, I try to blend in while keeping an eye on the room. It was my night to head up the security and for some reason I’m feeling a little tense. Although we’re not supposed to get close to the girls, I can’t help myself when it comes to Bianca. We’ve grown especially close over the last few months and I feel driven to protect her. She’s the reason I’ve been on Mav’s shit list and I don’t mind one bit.
She’d been getting some unwanted attention from her ex and he’s been sniffing around lately, causing trouble here at the club. The problem is, her ex is a member of the Road Reapers, a notorious motorcycle club known for terrorizing people and leaving bodies everywhere. He physically abused Bianca and on more than one occasion she’s showed up here battered and bruised. I did my best not to get involved, but her deep green eyes begged me to help her and intervene somehow. There were times when I would walk her to her car and he would be waiting,wanting to talk to her, but his version of talking was always abusive, trying to get her to submit to him.
Maverick warned me to keep my distance, reminding me that the Royal Bastards would handle everything, but, I’m already too caught up in the need to protect her. One night, she seemed especially on edge, too scared to even leave the club. I couldn’t stand to see her like that, so I took her home early, calling Nightmare to cover for me. That’s when I made my biggest mistake or maybe the best one. The pull between us was too strong and I gave in, kissing her with a passion I hadn’t felt in months. It sparked something fierce, something we both needed to explore, no matter the consequences. When my fingers tangled in her fiery red hair, I knew one thing for sure… I wasn’t letting her go.
The crowd erupts in cheers as Bianca makes her way to the stage, seducing the patrons with the sway of her luscious hips. She’s tonight’s featured dancer and never disappoints. The spotlight hits her as she moves across the platform, her thick red hair cascading in flaming waves down her back, catching the light like molten lava. Every movement flows with precision and control as she hooks one leg around the silver pole at center stage, her back arching with seamless grace. Bianca is a living, breathing work of art, stunning the crowd into silence asEarned It by The Weeknd,plays in the background.
Bianca’s hair swings with each twist and turn as the crowd watches, mesmerized by the way her body moves in rhythm with the soft, pulsing music. But it was that hair, wild and untamed that seems to steal the show, drawing every eye in the room. I especially love fisting it, while I fuck her from behind. The way she slams her hips back while I thrust forward is every man’s fucking dream.
I was halfway through my beer when a commotion at the front of the club caught my attention. The music stops aseveryone turns their attention to the door. Body stiffening, I set my beer down slowly, thinking of how I should handle this. They hadn’t noticed me yet, but I know they aren’t here for the drinks. The dancers glance at each other as the air shifts, filling with tension. Bianca freezes, her eyes darting toward me for a split second. She didn’t want to make a scene, but I could see the panic in her eyes as our bouncer is thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious.
