I was so fucking proud of her.
“Oh, Grace, I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you,” Grace whispered. “Let’s talk about something else. Where is Chasm?” she asked. “I offered to kick him in the balls for King. I can do the same for you.”
Morgan barked out a laugh. “I already did that. And broke his nose.”
I smiled widely at my sister. “He fucking deserved it,” I said, and Morgan smiled back at me. Only the smile didn’t quite meet her eyes, and I knew why. She loved the son of a bitch.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He left the clubhouse yesterday after he found out about Dad.”
The way she said it hit me in the chest. Dad. Notmydad. Just Dad. As if he belonged to both of us.
I pulled out my phone and called him. I stood up and moved across the room while I waited for him to answer. When he didn’t pick up, I left a voicemail.
“Pick up the fucking phone when I call you, asshole.” I lowered my voice, hoping Morgan wouldn’t hear me. “If you left town after I told you to stay put, I will fucking kill you, after I beat your goddamn ass. Meet me at the clubhouse in an hour.”
“You know why he came back, don’t you?”
Her voice was close and quiet, filled with fear, or maybe pain. When I turned around, I guessed both. “I do. And I will tell you when we get to the clubhouse.”
“Why do we have to go to the clubhouse?”
“Because I need to speak to King. Call the old man and have him meet us there.”
The ride up the mountain was quiet. I glanced at my sister in the rearview mirror, and she was staring out the window. Grace looked over her shoulder, checking on Morgan, then looked at me with concern.
This wasn’t the Morgan I first met.
This was the Morgan I remembered after she had lost her husband and son. I’d hoped Romeo had been wrong. When he came home after New Year’s, he told me she was putting up a good show, but he’d seen her when no one was around.
She was quiet, subdued.
It could easily be construed as contemplative if you didn’t know her history. If you didn’t know her.
We pulled up in front of the Sons of Hell clubhouse. Mimic, Indie, and Romeo were meeting us here. I opened Morgan’s door before moving around to Grace’s.
“Morgan!” Romeo yelled. “Girl, you get more beautiful every time I see you.”
My sister smiled wide as she hurried over and smacked Romeo upside his head.
“What the fuck was that for?” Romeo cried out, rubbing the back of his head.
“For telling King. And when I see Gator, he’ll get the same thing. If Devlyn hasn’t killed him yet.”
“Had to, babe,” Romeo said, not at all looking sorry.
“I know,” Morgan said with a sigh. “I guess all my secrets are out.”
I looked up at the porch and saw a young girl watching the interaction. Her eyes were on Romeo, and I groaned.
“Is that Fiona?” Grace asked.
“I hope to hell not.”
“He said she was young.”
