Ileft the fucking gates open.
I got too comfortable, and I should’ve told Olivia everything. I shouldn’t have kept any of the pieces of my past life from her, andthisis why. Had I told her how dangerous my family is, she could’ve been prepared for something like this. It takes everything in my body not to snap my uncle’s fucking neck for coming here, and the only reason I don’t is because of the woman just inches away from him. I would never want to scare her, and I’d die before I’d do something that could take me away from her and the baby.
Pete moves a step away with my threat, and I move robotically, reaching down to cradle Olivia’s hand in mine. She looks like a perfect little snow angel in her white winter coat, fur-lined hood pulled up over her copper hair.
“You’re safe. Go inside. Take Duke with you. I’ll be in in a moment,” I tell her, kissing the top of her head. I can feel her shaking and I fucking hate myself for getting her involved in this life.
“He came to my shop the day of my shower,” she whispersso he can’t hear.
Red. That’s all I see as I look into the blue eyes I love. “It’s okay. You’re safe, baby. I promise. Go inside.”
She nods but her eyes are full of questions as Duke leads her into the house. The moment she’s safely behind the heavy wooden door, I’m gripping my uncle by his shirt collar and pinning him up against the shop wall. I pull back and knock his head against the exposed brick. He grunts in pain.
“The fuck you’ll come here and scare the woman I love. Go to her store, when she’s unprotected? I should fucking gut you where you stand. She’s almost ready to give birth, you piece of shite.” I seethe as I hold him so tight his collar almost chokes off his air supply. His face reddens and the version of myself I’ve fought for three years comes coursing back through me.
“You didn’t answer me,” he bites out, fighting to speak. “And then your number was cut off. Idon’twant a fight, son. Christ. I’m here because Ihaveto be!”
My head reels and I grip him tighter. The need to fucking hurt him burns inside me, blending with my need to be the man Olivia loves.
“If I wanted to hurt her, I would’ve slit her throat the moment I walked through the door.”
A rage I’ve never felt before races through me as I hit him in the jaw, hard, but it’s not enough. So I rear back and go again.
“And it would’ve been the last fucking thing you ever did,” I remind him.
“Let me fucking go, son,” he bites out, spitting blood from my punch. “I’ve spent fucking weeks here dwelling on how to talk to you and months searching for you before that. You’re a tough nut to crack.”
The rage pulsing through me forces me to let go of his collar. I can’t be both men; Ihaveto choose who I am. I look my uncle up and down, then nod my head toward the table in myshop.
“Aye, then say what you need to and get the fuck out,” I order.
“You aren’t going to ask for my gun?”
I smirk at him as I sit, leaning back in one of the workshop’s chairs. “You’d be dead before you drew your gun. Now tell me exactly why you’re here and who else knows where I am.”
Pete takes a deep breath and straightens out his collar before taking a seat opposite me.
He nods to the black handheld safe he set down. “I know you have trust issues, boy, but fuck, I loved your mother. I wouldn’t come here to fucking hurt you.”
“Try to hurt me,” I correct. “You’dtry.”
“Potato,potahto.” He smiles at me, then winces from his split lip. “I’m here because your father asked me to be, which is what I’ve been trying to tell you since the summer.”
“Stop being fucking cryptic, old man, and tell me what the fuck you mean.” I’m goddamn exhausted and I just want him out of here so I can explain all this to Olivia.
“Your father wanted to see you before he died. He wanted you back in the fold. It was all he talked about. I didn’t come the day I arrived because I had to make sure I wasn’t walking into a trap. You really are unprotected here.”
“Which is exactlywhyI didn’t answer you, I want nothing to do with this life.” I affirm, folding my hands over the table.
“Your father knew it left … a dark spot in you. When you went to prison.”
I cock my head. “A dark spot? No … that’s where you’ve got it wrong. It made me see the truth. It took me years to get out.”
“And you wouldn’t have if you didn’t have my support.”Pete pulls a pack of now slightly squished cigarettes from his pocket and pulls one out with his teeth, lighting it with a silver Zippolighter. I wait as he takes a deep inhale.
“As he became sicker, all he talked about was you leading the Saints into the future. He said you were born for it.” He blows out the rest of his smoke. “And he left you everything, son.”
The fuck?My stomach drops. When I told my father I wanted out, he told me I wasdeadto him. He said I wouldn’t see a cent.
