“You honestly think they’ll just walk away from her?” he asks incredulously, looking down at his baby, knowing it would be impossible for him to do the same to his own child.
“She nearly killed herself the last time she got tangled up with us. Part of me can’t blame them for that. It’s like standing back and watching someone you love play Russian roulette with their lives because there is always a risk involved with dating a biker. The other part of me thinks they’d use it as a convenient excuse to just move on with their lives and leave her behind.”
He blinks at me, frowning.
“You know how many times they’ve visited since she’s been in this hospital? Or even called? I mean, I get they don’t know about the grenade. She told them she was in a car accident. But still…not once have they called or come by. Hell, I don’t even know if they have the address.”
“Jesus, that’s fucked-up.”
“She’s just taking it in stride, pretending that it doesn’t matter. But it does, and we both know it.”
I stop talking when my phone rings. I pull it out when I see it’s Delphi and hold my finger up to Midas to give me a sec.
“Hey chestnut, how’s your day going?”
She coughs to clear her throat. Her voice when she speaks sounds tortured. “I need you to come home now, Kruger.”
“Baby? What’s wrong?”
“Greer is here. She’s come to take Theo back to his mom.”
“What the fuck? No, she can’t?—”
“She can and she is. Diane went to rehab for a month. A judge has decided that she deserves another chance.”
“What about what the fuck Theo deserves?” I roar.
“She’s his mom, Kruger,” she whispers, tears clear in her voice, making me feel like a prick.
“We can still love him. He can still be family. But for now, at least, he has to go home to his mom.”
“I can fix this, Delphi. I’ll make her dis?—”
“No. That’s not the way, Kruger. Not this time. Just come back. Come say goodbye before it’s too late.”
“I’m on my way.”
I hang up and grab my hair before cursing.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“Theo’s mom did a stint in rehab. Apparently, she’s a model fucking citizen now, and Theo is her prize. The judge has ordered him to return home to her.”
“Fucking hell, you can’t be serious.”
“Fuck, I wish it were a joke. Guess this is the rug being pulled out. She was right to be worried, after all.”
“Huh?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve gotta go. Let Legs know what’s going on. She’s gonna need her.”
“You’ve got it, Kruger. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry, man.”
“Yeah, you and me both.”
Chapter Thirty-One
DELPHI
