“How do you know that Wave, you weren’t around, you never saw the way we were before his first accident.Accident, what a fucking joke.”
I wasn’t going to lie, that stung and I sucked my lower lip in and looked at my feet for a moment. But this wasn’t about me and my feelings.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that,” Warren came back and sat down, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “You left for a reason, and I get that. Hated it, but I get it now. I just mean you weren’t around to see the way he changed after. On the outside, he portrays a character he thinks people need to see. He tries to be the guy he was before, but I can see through it. I know him better than I know myself, Wave. Something is wrong inside and this, it’s like he’s shut down. He’s playing that same part to keep everyone happy but with me, he knows I’ll see through it.”
“Maybe once he’s out of the hospital it will be different.”
“Doubt it.”
“You can’t give up on him.”
“Why?” he shook his head. “He’s giving up on me.”
“Because he doesn’t mean it. I may not have been around, and I have no idea what it was like for him but I see the way he looks at you. I saw…too much but we won’t talk about that.”
That didn’t even get a laugh. “Yeah well, I can’t hang around waiting for him to snap out of it and decide he wants to see me.”
“What does that mean?” I asked in alarm.
“I have a job to do. I’m VP of the Devil’s Chaos and I’m down here like some lovesick asshole, when my club needs me. We have a guy back there who can help us figure out what is going on, I should be there questioning him. Omen is in the Shed for me to take care of. And,” he paused, his brow creasing. “I need to find out who killed our real mom.”
“That isn’t on you,” I shook my head. “Dad said there was no evidence. What do you think you’ll be able to find that he didn’t?”
“I don’t care,” Warren looked at me. “I’ll find out who it was. Danica may have been the one behind it, but she never pulled the trigger. I’m going to find the person who did. Not to mention her fucked up daughter, she has it coming to her. And Reinhart. That slimy fucker is trying to get out of everything we’re throwing at him and I won’t let that happen. I promised I’d get you what you wanted. Him behind bars. I’m going back, doing what I should have been doing all along.”
“Putting the club before Connor?”
“It’s what I need to do,” he got up again. “I’m wasting time here.”
I rose too and stepped in front of him, looking up into his eyes. There was defeat there, resignation and devastation but his expression was fierce. “Wait and come with us tomorrow.”
“I’ve already got the keys to Goldie’s bike, he’ll ride back with the girls later.”
“Warren, you can’t just run away.”
“It’s not running away if I’m going back there to fix this!” he yelled. “To fix all of it. It needs to end, all of it and I’m going to be there alongside my President and the rest of my brothers and make sure that happens.”
Changing his mind was impossible. “Okay, I won’t stop you.”
“Like you ever could,” he commented dryly.
“But for the record you have it wrong. He’s in pain, he almost died. His head is messed up and I don’t just mean from the injuries. He needs to figure things out. He’ll come around.”
“Forgive me if I find that hard to believe right now. Your shadow is watching,” he nodded behind us, I didn’t need to turn around to know what he meant. At least Hudson was keeping his distance.
“Don’t try to brush me off, Warren. If this is what you need to do, then go do it. But don’t be reckless and don’t shut me out. It hurt me too, you know. Being away from you. I did what I thought was right, what I needed but you have no idea how lonely I was. It was painful, like my heart had been left behind. And not just over Hudson. You’re my blood, Warren. Being back here with you now, it just brings it all home how dead I was inside when I was away from you.”
I took his hand and squeezed it, trying really hard not to let my emotions get the better of me.
“Go be the VP, but don’t be like dad. I can’t be left in the dark.”
He stared down at me. “Never.” My brother pulled me into him and held me tightly, he kissed the top of my head as he pulled back, then nodded in Hudson’s direction. “The asshole isn’t going to let you out of his sight. He’ll ask what this was about.”
“I won’t tell him if you don’t want me to.”
“Don’t start out by lying to him, Wave. Take it from someone who has lived half his life as a lie. Besides, it saves me doing it and pissing him off. Last thing I need right now is a fight.”
“He’d understand.”
