Page 57 of Property of Player

“We are. Dad makes sure she knows this place would fall apart without her. After her ol’ man died, and the bank foreclosed on their house, Gage moved her into the clubhouse. She’s been here ever since. Now she keeps all the club girls in line, makes sure the place gets cleaned, and cooks. She takes care of “her boys” as she calls us.

“I bet the prospects love her.”

“Yeah, some of those boys wouldn’t eat if she didn’t make sure they were fed.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s got her own space down the hall from my father’s. Even got her own little sitting room.”

“He really takes care of her, doesn’t he?”

“She’s like family. When Cooter died, the MC was there for her. Taking care of us makes her happy. She says she likes to feel needed, so it all works out.”

I study the man. He won’t say it, but I know she was there for him when he lost his own mother. “I’m glad you have her.”

His eyes connect with mine. “Wish you would have stayed in town. I could have used a good friend like you.”

“I couldn’t. It was too painful. I hated the club back then.”

“And now? You still hate us?”

I don’t want to lie to him, and when my eyes drop away, he has his answer.

“We got your brother killed. I get you hate us for that. I’m sorry, Taylor. I wish every day I could bring him back for you. I wish I could bring them all back.”

I cover his hand. “I know you aren’t to blame. He chose this life. He knew the risks.”

Something flashes in his eyes. “I know the risks, too. Maybe that’s why I hate pulling you back into this life. Maybe I should end it, but goddamn it, Taylor, I need you. I guess that makes me a selfish son-of-a-bitch, doesn’t it?”

“I’m here because I want to be. No matter how much I try to fight it, you will always be the one for me. There wasn’t a day I was gone I didn’t miss you, that I didn’t wish things could be different. But you ended us without a thought to what I wanted.”

His gaze drops to the table. “I’m sorry, Tay. I made a mistake—one I wish I’d never made. I’d take it back if I could.”

“But why, Josh? You never gave me a reason.”

The way he locks eyes with me, I know he’s weighing how much to tell me.

“Was it another girl?”

“No,” he replies sharply. “Never.”

“You rebounded so fast, you made my head spin. And you married Debbie so quickly.”

“I loved her. I did, but not the way I loved you, Tay. She was a way to get over you, and then it just got easy.”

“That’s a bullshit explanation.”

“You don’t want to know the real reason.”

“Maybe you should let me decide what I do and don’t want to fucking know,” I snap.

His gaze shifts, and he takes my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “Fine. Maybe you deserve the truth; I just hope it doesn’t cause you more pain.” He squeezes my hand. “Your brother gave me an ultimatum. I give you up or he’d never vote me in. It was you or my patch. I couldn’t have both.”

“And you chose the patch.”

“Back then, the club was everything. My father had expectations, and—”

“Don’t put this on your father. You made the decision to end us; not him.”