“Well, Elle’s older boy isn’t the murdering type. I don’t know why her new one would be more violent.”
“Because he’ll be mine.”
“Well, you’re forty, and your kid probably won’t have the balls to kill you until he’s at least twenty. Did you have big plans for life past sixty?”
Grinning at his point, I shrugged. “Getting old was never in my future. My boy can kill me and take over the club. I’ll die knowing it won’t end up back in the hands of any of Wrecker’s kin.”
Exile and I chuckled at how our former president hadn’t given up the club without a fight. He still tried to undercut my power in Baton Rouge. Staying away from town for more than a few days tempted trouble. I also worried about the Void making a move while I was away.
However, I refused to leave Little Memphis until I got my dinner with Elle and her family. I figured the hot blonde would have more trouble running from me if we were in her house.
ELLE
My parents were on the front porch with Ivy and my Chihuahua, Hobbs, when Clint and I arrived home. I parked my red SUV in the three-car garage next to my dad’s favorite motorcycle. Clint left his ride at the curb.
Sitting in the garage, I replayed my time with Zodiac today. His looks and ego always riled me up to the point where everything else became a blur. I hated how much control he had over my heart.
Walking outside to the driveway, I saw Clint hugging Ivy. He was the kind of man who treated a woman’s heart with tender care. I would be lucky to find someone like him. Of course, before Zodiac, I wasn’t interested in finding a man at all.
I stepped onto the porch and met my dad’s blue-eyed gaze. He was built more like Zodiac. They were rough men who survived their terrible childhoods and revealed their hearts to only a select few.
Did Zodiac even have a heart?He seemed cold in a way my dad wasn’t.
I thought about how Zodiac watched out for Nova and her girls when Exile traveled to Little Memphis to claim Lula. That gesture showed a heart. I had to believe he was more than a handsome badass.
“Did he cry?” Ford asked me when I remained silent. “I would have liked to see that.”
When I shook my head, Shay asked, “Did he get upset?”
“No, he was cool with it,” Clint answered when I didn’t. “He’s taking the test now. Once everything is verified in a day or two, I said he could come here for dinner.”
“Verified?” I asked, finding my voice.
“To Zodiac,” Clint said and kissed the top of my head. “We know the truth.”
Nodding, I felt overly tired. Maybe I was hormonal. Or possibly I had fallen into a mild depression.
Shay hugged me to her. I rested my head against her shoulder and closed my eyes. My mom was a soft, sometimes ditzy woman, but she was also tough as nails when she needed to be.
I wanted to be both strong and tender like my mom. But right now, I felt like a loser who got knocked up because she couldn’t hold her liquor.
“Why are you sad?” Ivy asked me. “Was Zodiac mean?”
“No, he was pervy like usual.”
“So, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do,” Ivy insisted.
Shrugging, I couldn’t put my finger on the answer. Ivy realized I wouldn’t fess up, so she simply hugged me as Shay had earlier.
Heading downstairs, I hid in the bathroom and played matching games on my phone. Orange-and-white Newton showed up to check on me, so I gave the cat cuddles. Eventually, I forced myself to face my problems by running to my mom for advice.
I found Shay alone in the kitchen. Clint’s motorcycle was gone, so I assumed he and Ivy had headed home. I didn’t know where my dad was hiding.
Studying my mom, I asked, “Did you know Ford was your dream guy when you met?”
