I couldn’t imagine that happening, but we were always on the lookout for any changes. Connor had always been the joker, the light-heartedone of the group, more in touch with his feelings than me or War. He wasn’t ashamed of that. He made everyone laugh, and even though that was still the way he acted, often it seemed forced, like he was acting the role of himself in a play.
We tried our best to keep things normal, even when he was in a black mood. He was our best friend, and we wouldn’t let anything happen to him. It was bad enough the Kingsmen had got to him.
It was one of the first incidents that alerted us the Kingsmen were sniffing around. They’d chased him down when he was coming back from the bar we owned in town.
Connor could hold his own. He was scrappy, but he was one of the smaller guys in the club, probably why they targeted him. They knocked him off his bike, beat him with bats, and he’d taken too many blows to his head, his helmet completely caved in causing a bleed on his brain.
The doctors put him in an induced coma, and it was three weeks before he woke up. But he wasn’t the same. It was really hard to wrap my head around and it devastated me when we learned the extent of the damage.
We were still trying to track down which of those assholes were responsible. It would happen, and when it did, there wouldn’t just be bats involved. And the fuckers wouldn’t be spending any time in hospital after it either.
I practically inhaled my food. I had had nothing since the rest stop on the way back from North Carolina, and that was just a reheated hot dog after I’d left War and Waverley to chat. The booze hadn’t helped, nor the memories on repeat in my head.
Or dealing with fucking Tanya. I could kill War for allowing her to stay and kicking out Gia. He’d just laughed when I complained about it, calling me a whiny little bitch. I had the headache from hell, but I didn’t mention that to Connor. He suffered with them constantly and never complained.
There was a slight tremor in his hand as he drank from his soda can, but neither of us mentioned it. I’d picked him up from his doctor’s appointment. He was coming back to the compound for the night. He usually wanted to be around the guys after an appointment. It wasn’t good for him to drink with his medication, but we didn’t want to stifle him, so let him drinkin moderation.
He would have kicked up a shit storm if that hadn’t come directly from King. Casper and the other guys weren’t to serve him more than beer and only a couple of those at the most. It was the weed we had to worry about. He was smoking up a lot.
Usually he slept in the room Waverley was in at the compound. We needed to look at that.
The sound of pipes filled the air and Connor glanced up, needlessly saying, “War’s here.”
The three of us often had dinner here. When War came in, people noticed. I rolled my eyes as he strode to the booth and heads turned, woman drooled and tried to hide it. A few others clutched their purses because he was obviously going to snatch them. Fuck’s sake.
He shoved Connor over and sat down next to him.
“You’re late,” Connor said.
“Had a thing with King,” he said, looking around for a server. “Then I met with Cass.”
The young server hurried over and took his order. I gave Connor a look, telling him to keep his mouth shut. He grinned at me around a mouthful of food, but complied while War ordered.
“You gonna fill us in?” I asked.
War glanced off for a second, gathering his thoughts. It clearly had to do with the Kingsmen, and neither of us was sure how much to say in front of Connor.
Neither Connor nor I were officers in the club and some things King didn’t tell everyone. I waited, but Connor nudged War.
“He told us a bit about why Waverley needs to be here.”
“It’s about the Kingsmen?” Connor asked and War winced. “Come on, I’m not stupid. The bat to the head didn’t kill all the brain cells.”
War ran his tongue along his bottom lip before leaning his elbows against the table.
“So, our mom was the daughter of the old Kingsmen president. She ran when they tried to sell her as a sex worker.”
“What the fuck?” I breathed out, talk about not holding back.
War nodded, then told us what King told him and Waverley. I was surprised, as War seemed to be, when he told us how King practically promised death to anyone who tried to come near his kids. That hewanted to take them out for getting in our business sounded like King but not the declaration about his kids.
I was certain he loved War, and I knew letting Waverley go meant he loved her enough to give his daughter what she wanted. But he wasn’t the kind to show it.
“So, how is she?” Connor asked. “She knows about me? When can I see her?”
He sounded like an eager child spewing questions at War, but the hopeful look on his face was genuine. Connor had always been close to her. When they started getting all gossipy and sharing their feelings, War and I usually high-tailed it and left them to it.
He took his turn kicking my ass when they found out what I did the night Waverley left. I never told them the real reason I did it. Waverley hurt me first. I acted based on whatshehad done. Admittedly, I went about it the wrong way, but I was drunk and heartbroken, and I lashed out in the only way I knew how.
