I closed my eyes. I’d assumed Jack hadn’t heard my confession that night. He hadn’t said anything about it. But it was clear Gunner had.
“Does she know who you are?” he asked.
“I’m not anybody.”
“That’s bullshit. You’re her father,” Gunner insisted.
“I signed my rights away,” I confessed.
“That doesn’t change biology.”
I huffed out a bitter laugh and leaned against the wall, my arms crossed over my chest. “You sure Haizley hasn’t said anything? She said the same fucking thing to me.”
Gunner smirked. “My old lady is fucking smart. You should listen to her. She’s very adamant about not telling me shit. It actually works in my favor because she doesn’t ask about club shit either. We have an understanding.”
That must have made things easier for both of them.
“Haizley recently found out something about her family,” Gunner said.
“She told me.”
“About her father?” He seemed surprised.
I nodded. “She was trying to make a point. She didn’t tell me who he was, only that he’d done things far worse than what I did.”
Gunner snorted. “Yeah, she does that shit to me,” he muttered. “Gives me just enough rope to fucking hang myself with.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Haizley was a master at manipulating my thought process. She didn’t do it maliciously—her goal was to teach me how to get the hell out of my own way. But I wondered if she fully understood the power she wielded.
“I’ll talk to Zero,” Gunner said, standing up and reaching for a table. “Tell him to back off.”
“Gunner—”
He held up a hand. “She’s your kid. When the truth comes out, and it always fucking does, if Kat wants to pursue something with him, that will be her choice. But the club doesn’t need any more fucking old lady drama.”
“You once told me it would take Jesus Christ himself walking this earth again to forgive me.”
He smirked, lifted the table, and walked toward the door, then paused. “Got a lot of respect for what you did for that girl, Derek. I know you’re working with my old lady to let shit go, and I know it ain’t easy.” He blew out a breath. “I know the club hasn’t made it easy. That shit stops now.” He jutted his chin at the stack of tables. “Grab a table.”
Then he walked out, leaving me alone in the shed, wondering what the hell had just happened.
By the time we finished setting up, dinner was ready. Prospects carried trays and platters to the tables set up buffet-style along the side of the room. Guests from town started arriving—Ryder’s parents, Mark and Abby. Ace’s pseudo-parents, James and Evelyn, along with their daughter Lily and her boyfriend Bryce.
I’d heard Sam talking about Lily’s boyfriend with the other old ladies. He was on the outside, just like I was. Ace didn’t like the man dating the girl he saw as a little sister, so the club didn’t like him either. That was how it went here.
Loyalty and brotherhood above all else.
A few more people from town arrived, and then... Kat walked in.
My chest seized.
She was wearing jeans and a soft sweater, her hair pulled back. Frankie was beside her, talking to Cami. Behind them came a woman I didn’t recognize—tall, red hair, with another woman trailing after her.
I hadn’t realized anyone had invited Kat and Frankie today; Sam hadn’t said a word. My eyes searched the room until they landed on my sister-in-law. I gave her a look that said I knew what she was doing, but she shrugged and shook her head.
“Kat, I’m so glad you came!” Haizley rushed toward them, her face lighting up.
Kat smiled and said something I couldn’t hear. Haizley turned and barked orders at the prospects, who followed the group outside. They returned moments later, each carrying two white boxes, one in each hand.
