His anger made me smile, which made me want to cry. Holding back my tears, I used his hand to sit him back down.
“Can you just tell me what’s going on? Please?”
With a bob of his head, Chris sat back in his seat. “I don’t have all the facts,” he started, “but there was some speculation floating around the station before your father died.”
My father?
Oh God.
I hoped he wasn’t involved in this.
“Before Dylan died, he shared with me that he had a meeting with one of his informants.”
“Yes, I know that. Who was the informant? And what happened after is what I want to know.”
“Slow down,” he urged with a smile. “I don’t know who the informant was, but it was a member of TWR. Now I can’t say for sure, but there was speculation that Dylan’s informant was going to give your father information on various crimes The Outlaws had committed, and it was an ambush. Theybothwere supposed to be killed, but only your father was hit.” Chris sat up in his seat, cupping his hands in his lap as he released a hard breath.
“I’ve tried to find out who the shooter is, but The Outlaws are solid. Even if they knew, they aren’t giving up any of their members. Fast forward, and there’s talk of TWR retaliating. Not necessarily on your father’s behalf, but because he was gunned down while with one of their members. To them, the member could have been hit too.
“They also felt a sense of guilt, I believe, because had your father not been meeting with the informant for that information, he wouldn’t have been killed. In a sense, there was loyalty there that I respect The Roses for. With that being said, they retaliated, and Mario’s father and another member of The Outlaws were killed.”
Clutching my chest, I sat up in my seat. I’d heard rumors of the violence that could happen with The Outlaws, but I didn’t know TWR was catching bodies too. Clearly, that was why Chris warned me to stay away.
“Since then, they’ve been at war again,” he said. “They were at peace for a while, but your father’s death ended that. Things have been pretty calm lately, but Wicked getting out put batteries in their backs. Last I heard, no one was making the first move, but both clubs are ready for some shit to go down.”
Nodding my understanding, I gave myself time to process what he’d said.
“That makes Hamilton’s warning make sense. I don’t trust him at all, but I believed him when he said he didn’t want any more harm to come my way. That’s why he doesn’t want me around them.”
“Does he have a reason to believe you would be?”
There was no point in lying to him, so I decided to come clean. “He saw Wicked and his mom at the restaurant earlier today. Wicked and I didn’t speak to each other, but we had a moment I guess you could say. So maybe that made him think there was something between us.”
“Is there? And please don’t lie. If I have to protect you?—”
“No,” I answered truthfully, seeing as Wicked had called things off earlier. “Wicked wants me safe. He wants nothing to do with me.”
Relief washed over Chris before he stood. “Good. I want you safe as well, which means staying away from them. Wicked is dangerous. I keep telling you that. Any man who could kill another with his bare hands is not the kind of man you need around you. Now I gave them respect for riding out for your father.
“They even did a memorial ride for him after his funeral on Wicked’s behalf. But your father didn’t want you to have anything to do with him or that lifestyle, and him saving you didn’t change that. So I will say it again. Stay away from him, Jelai. The Outlaws believe Henry and Nathan would still be alive had TWR not retaliated after your father’s death.
“While they are honoring a slight code of peace and not making the first move right now, The Outlaws are notoriously known for being rule breakers. If you get around the wrong member, it could end badly for you. I don’t want them trying to punish you because they can’t do anything to your father or Wicked. Promise me you’ll stay away.”
My mouth opened and closed. I’d never lied to Chris before, and I didn’t want to start now. Regardless of what happened between Wicked and I, I had questions about my father’s murder, and I felt like someone in his club would know the answers. For that reason alone, I had to talk to Wicked at least one more time. Still, I lied and said . . .
“I promise.”
When he smiled, it cracked my heart. “Good. I promised your father I’d look out for you. It would kill me if something happened to you or your mother.”
I stood and walked him to the door. We said our goodbyes, and I watched him walk away. A flicker of light from the left caught my attention. I looked, smiling at the sight of Wicked’s motorcycle. He cut the light off and stayed parked, and I figured that was his way of keeping me safe. Things might have been over between us romantically, but knowing he was watching out for me made me fall in love with him just a little bit more.
Three Days Later
I could barely keep my eyes open as I poured myself a cup of coffee. It was instant espresso, and I needed it to work. The last three days, I spent my nights and early mornings watching Jelai’s home. It didn’t matter if I’d called things off romantically. She was still my responsibility, and I would do whatever it took to make sure she was safe.
Pops patted my back as he shuffled into the kitchen.
“Coffee?” I offered, chuckling as he grumbled yes under his breath. After I poured him a cup, I sat at the round kitchen table with him.
