Closing the distance between us, I pulled him up against the door, keeping it closed. “I don’t give a fuck who you want to fuck. I don’t care if you want to marry a goddamn mannakin if that floats your boat. Your Mum is a fuckhead, but you know that already. You wanting to be with another guy doesn’t stop you from being my son, and it definitely doesn’t stop me from loving you.”
His lip trembled, and I saw the way he was crumbling before my eyes. I pulled him into my arms and hugged him, the way my father never dreamed of doing to me. The way I had always dreamed of being hugged when I needed it when I’d been fighting for my life.
The fact he had been holding that in all this time and I had no idea, the very fact he didn’t feel safe enough to tell me, killed me.
“I will die for you, kid. Who you love doesn’t change that. Nothing will change that.”
He pulled from my arms, dried his eyes and nodded. “Can I ask you a favour?”
“Anything, kid.”
“Can Ro stay here for a while?” he asked me. “She’s under some crazy illusion that if you found out we weren’t together, you’d kick her out.”
“Leave Rowan with me. I want you to go with Mav, and set up in one of our safehouses for a bit. I’ll sort the shit out with Raf. Trust me, he’s not going to get away with what he’s done to you or Rowan.”
He nodded. “I have to make amends somehow.”
“You can, but right now, you need to leave it with me. I’m your Dad after all.”
His smirk had the tightness in my chest easing a little bit. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him to have to admit to me that he was gay, especially when he’d struggled so much that he’d gotten caught up with the Ironborne.
Fuck. This was a mess.
“Go get a drink, kid, and send Mav in.”
He nodded and headed out of Chapel, leaving me reeling. This was a mess, but it wouldn’t take long to track down Raf and send a message.
But the sooner I do that, the sooner Rowan will leave, and I didn’t want that either. Not now that I knew she wasn’t with Trey anymore, and hadn’t been for quite some time. Those heated looks had been just that…desire.
A match to my own.
Somehow, I knew Rowan Martell was going to be mine, it was just a matter of making sure nothing stood in my way before I could claim her.
Rowan
“We need a night out,” Frankie said, as she slung herself over the bar at the clubhouse without a care in the world. “Like I’m talking margaritas, tacos and some spicy quesadillas, baby!”
Rolling my eyes, I served the boys at the end of the bar, and moved back down to her. She’d been so hesitant for me to be here and now she was acting like she had taken up a permanent residence at the back of the bar. I knew it was because I told her what happened with Trey, and that Tee and Tori were here. Not that they were here tonight or anything.
“We actually do,” I admitted. “It’s been far too long since I had a night out and forgot about all my troubles.”
“Let’s go into Rouse Hill!”
“Girl, Raf is probably still looking for me.”
She sighed. “I know, but if we have my cousins there, I don’t think he’d start anything. I mean, he is lethal because he’s never been caught, right? We stay public, even he’s not stupid enough to think he’s untouchable there.”
It was tempting, I’d give her that. “I don’t know…I do have work tomorrow afternoon.”
“So, you have all morning to sleep it off,” she pushed. “Please? I miss my girl. I feel like I never hear your voice anymore. Don’t you love me?”
I flipped her the bird and continued to pour the boys their drinks once they came up, ignoring her pleading eyes and moans that we never hung out anymore. My bruises may have died down enough to put makeup on, but I was still hesitant. After all, I left for a reason.
“What’s going on?” Chaos asked, looking from me to Frankie and back to me. “She looks like she’s about to slide off her stool in dramatic fashion.”
“That’s definitely Frankie’s style.”
Chaos smirked. “I’ve figured that part out. What’s she whining about?”
