“They’re driven by money, not morals,” I said. “To a sickening degree.”
“I thought your dad—”
“Is CEO, yes, but the board can overrule him. And I don’t think he believes it to be the deal I know it is.”
“Fuck…”
He bit his lip.
“I just…I just can’t trust myself, Tara, to protect you if things ever get ugly.”
I’d held off as long as I could. But now we were repeating things, and I had to get Brock back thinking straight.
“You say they jumped you, right? If you don’t mind me asking, how many of them were there?”
“Five.”
“You really think you could win a fight five on one?” I said. “Three on one at the gas station nearly—”
“But I let it happen.”
“No, Brock,” I said.
I knew I was venturing into dangerous psychological territory, refuting his claims. But I felt it had to be said. And, yes, I had selfish reasons.
“You fought like hell not to let it happen, but it did,” I said. “You could have just run. You could have sat there and been silent. But you fought, right? You really fought?”
Brock nodded.
“I was in the hospital too.”
“Exactly. So, Brock—”
“Tara, please,” he said, his voice full of sorrow. “I have to focus on protecting this town. OK? In the long run, I think it’ll make it safe for you. And then, when the Bandits are gone… maybe we can try again.”
That wasn’t good enough. That was…
“What about Steele?”
“I don’t worry about him,” he said. “We’re distant, but we have a truce to help the group. If we get back together, he’s past the stage of being jealous and explosive.”
“Just jealous and implosive?”
I got Brock to crack a smile. That was a win for how the circumstances were.
“Look, Tara, I like you. I do.”
“And I like you, Brock.”
A lot, actually. This isn’t just a second attempt at a first date. I’ve known you for years. You’ve had intimate conversations with me for as long.
“Just… for now, let me focus on growing the group into a real MC, OK?”
It was, I realized, the best I could do. And I also recognized that Brock really had to nurture his belief in himself that he could pull through for a woman.
But I would not leave without something.
“Just promise me this,” I said. “If I call you and ask you to come to me, you’ll come, no matter what?”
