My mouth dropped open. “How?”
“Cancer.”
I closed my eyes, sorrow passing through me. Grey Nuttall was dad’s best friend. He was like an uncle to all of us. He could be a dick, and he was one of the biggest whores in the MC, but he was family. Part of me felt guilty for not knowing he passed away, but I made a conscious decision when I left to not let memories weigh me down.
“Why did dad choose you?”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Hudson asked. “War is his son.”
“There are more experienced guys in the club who could have stepped up, other officers.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Wave,” Warren gave me a dry look.
“I don’t mean it like that,” I started, but trailed off. I totally meant it like that. To have a VP so young wasn’t unheard of, but experience meant a lot. I glanced at Hudson’s cut, but his bore only the name of the New Jersey chapter. Hudson caught me looking but said nothing.
“We need to go.”
“Not now. I’m in the middle of a shift, I’m the manager. This can wait until tomorrow.”
“We never said anything about staying overnight,” Hudson pointed out.
“Tough shit. If you want to upend my life and drag me back there, then it’s on my terms. I have a house, friends, a job. I won’t drop everything because you show up demanding I leave.”
“We need to-”
“It’s okay,” Warren cut Hudson off again, holding a hand up to placate him.
I expected an explosion or some kind of reaction, but Hudson just stared at my brother for a beat, then glared at me. That was new. Then again, Warren was his VP, he couldn’t openly argue his decisions. I bet it was killing him and that made me smile.
“Take tonight, settle things.”
“Exactly how long are you expecting me to be away?”
“It won’t be too long, hopefully. I get it okay. I know this is not what you want. I don’t want to turn your life upside down, but I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. I’m worried.”
Running a hand over my face, I looked away from them. His words were sincere. I knew my brother. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me if it wasn’t important.
“We’ll come get you in the morning.”
“Fine.” They looked at each other, then back at me, like they were expecting more of an argument. “What would be the point of fighting?”
They left a few minutes after that. Warren hugged me and I held on to him. As much as this bothered me and I really didn’t want to go, I missed my brother. He was so much bigger than I remembered, I barely reached his chin. He kissed the top of my head and they left.
I sat in my chair, staring into space, long after they were gone.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
Declan was leaning up on one elbow in bed, facing me, his expression concerned. We’d already had sex once in the shower after we got back to my place. Now we were chilling in bed.
“You disappeared on me,” he leaned over, running his nose down the side of mine, then nuzzling into my throat, nipping me with open-mouthed kisses.
I tilted my head up to give him better access, telling myself to forget about Warren and Hudson until tomorrow.
How would I tell Declan where I’m going? He doesn’t know about my family or my past. Only that I came here for college and never left.We didn’t talk about family. Declan was vague about his, although one night when he was drunk, he’d let slip his dad used to beat both him and his mom, and he’d moved out when he was sixteen to live with friends. His mom hadn’t cared enough to find out where he was. As awful as it made me feel, knowing Declan didn’t like to talk about his family made it easier not to talk about mine.
He pulled me into him and kissed me, his tongue rolling gently against mine. We’d been dating for a year now, the first committed relationship I had been in, and I was about to lie to him, leave with no idea when I’d be back. He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand.
