“Even better.”
With my world no longer ending, at least for the moment, I opened the wine while Cricket ordered our dinner, then we settled in for a night of bestie bonding.
Rooster
“ITOLD YOU to go easy, brother,” Flea said, as we stood outside with a couple of beers. For the moment, we were alone, but I knew that wouldn’t last long.
“I had planned to.”
“Then what the fuck happened?” he demanded.
“I saw her.”
Flea shook his head with a sigh. “You hurt my sister when you left, Kam, but you staying away destroyed her. Me keeping you updated on her wasn’t so you could come back and fuck with her life.”
“Yeah brother, I know.”
“Then what the fuck’s goin’ on?”
“Not givin’ you that until I talk to her. She gets it first.”
“I can appreciate that,” Flea conceded. “Just need to know you’re not gonna hurt her again.”
“Never intended on hurting her the first time, Billy.” I faced him. “I’ve loved your sister since the first day of freshman year and that has never changed. She’s everything to me. Shit’s gone down that I’ll talk to her about, and if she can bring herself to forgive me for runnin’ out on her, then we can maybe make a plan on movin’ forward. Until then, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
“Your funeral, brother.”
“Say nice things in my eulogy.”
“I’ll consider it.”
“How’s your mom?” I asked.
“Starts chemo next week.” Flea shook his head. “Appreciate you bein’ here, man.”
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else, brother.”
“Flea, honey?” Grace peeked her head out the slider door.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Some of the older kids want to ‘beat your butt’ at pinball.”
“Oh, I see how it is.” He chuckled. “Come on, Rooster. Let’s show these young’uns how it’s done.”
I grinned. “Lead the way, brother.”
We headed inside and down to the basement tofind the teens waiting to annihilate Flea, although, they had another thing coming.
* * *
Saturday morning, I awoke with a plan. I wasn’t entirely sure it was a good plan, but it was the only one I had at the moment, so I was gonna wing it.
I texted Hatch letting him know I’d be gone for a few hours, then headed out. No colors, no bike, just a borrowed sedan from one of the club’s fleet he’d offered up the day before.
I felt suffocated the second I climbed inside.
I forced a few deep breaths and then started the engine, heading out of the compound gates and toward my destination. I wasn’t exactly sure how any of this would go, but it was my next step to absolution, and the only person I knew who could give me some sound advice on how to proceed with Katie.
