I let out a slow breath and settle back against the couch, pulling her with me so she’s tucked under my arm, her head resting against my shoulder.
She deserves to know the details. At least some of them. She was directly involved in what went down today—hell, the whole point was to shoot at her. To send me a message written in her blood.
“Nathaniel ‘Wheels’ Rollins,” I start, my voice low from exhaustion. “He’s the president of the Road Rebels. One of our rival clubs as you’ve heard from Big Ed and Moses. We’ve had beef for a long time. It goes all the way back to when Tom was president the first time.”
She goes still against me, attentively listening.
“The Road Rebels were behind Tom’s wife’s murder. Mason and Logan’s mother,” I explain. “Of course, we got our revenge. It was an ugly war. Tore apart several families on both sides. But in the end, both Tom and Nate ended up going away to federal prison. It actually helped thaw tensions for a while. Hard to keep fighting when your leaders are locked up.”
“But he got out…”
“Yeah, last year,” I say, giving a nod. “Last year, Wheels was broken out of prison by a man named Asa Boone. They joined forces. Boone had his own vendetta against us, and Wheels was more than happy to help if it meant getting his revenge on the Steel Kings.”
I glance down at her. She’s staring up at me with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted, like she’s watching some dramatic movie unfold. I can’t resist reaching for her again, my thumb brushing across her bottom lip.
“Wheels escaped our last battle alive,” I continue. “Maybe we should’ve been more alert for his revenge. But with everything going on recently—the Peñas, Tom’s homecoming—we’ve been distracted.”
She’s quiet for a moment, processing everything I’ve told her. Then she asks the question I’ve been dreading.
“Can you handle all this? Everybody basically coming for you at once?”
I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. “I’ll find a way. Always do.”
But even as I say it, I’m not sure I believe it. The walls are closing in from every direction, and I’m running out of room to maneuver.
“Listen.” I turn to face her fully, taking both her hands in mine. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to stay here anymore. At my place, I mean. Clearly I’m a target. By being with me, it makes you an even bigger one. Today proved that.”
“No,” she says right away without any consideration.
“Solana—”
“No, Silver,” she repeats firmly. Her dark eyes blaze with the fire I’ve come to love. “We’ve already been through so much together. I’m not going to run and hide now. I want to be by your side for this. Like you’ve been by mine with the Kel situation. No matter what happens.”
I stare at her for a long moment, torn between wanting to protect her and wanting to keep her close.
In the end, her stubbornness wins out. It usually does.
“Alright,” I relent, squeezing her hand. “Alright.”
She relaxes again as I pull her back against me, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. We sit in comfortable silence for a few seconds ’til I redirect the conversation back to my never-ending concern for her wellbeing.
“How’re you feeling after what happened at the barbecue? Rachel never should’ve humiliated you like that. You didn’t deserve that.”
Solana sighs, her fingers playing with a button on my shirt. “It’s not your fault. If anything, you were the one who tried so hard to resist our feelings. I practically threw myself at you.”
I snort. “That’s not exactly how I remember it. I was more than happy to oblige—and I was having thoughts anyway. Very forbidden thoughts.”
She smiles faintly, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I should’ve suspected something was up. My journal went missing the other day after I babysat Jack. I thought maybe I’d left it in my bedroom, but...” she trails off, shaking her head. “Rachel must’ve taken it. Read all my private thoughts about you… and what happened with Kel.”
Anger heats me up from the inside.
Rachel had no right to violate Solana’s privacy. We’re no longer married, and it’s none of her god damn business who I decide to involve myself with. Even worse, it’s less of her fucking business what Solana does in her private life.
It was wrong, and it’ll be something I address head on.
But I tamp the anger down. Getting pissed won’t change what happened, and I refuse to let it ruin my time with Solana.
“We’ll show them,” she says quietly. “We’ll show all of them that what we have is real.”
