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Taz’s voice was rough with emotion as he answered me. “Lola Grace. We all call her Lolly.”
“Oh.” Tears pricked my eyes and I blinked rapidly to clear them. He’d named his daughter after me and our mum. A tribute to his lost family.
Chapter 5
TAZ
The way Jacie was battling tears after learning Lolly’s full name left me rubbing my chest to ease the ache. She’d grown into a spitting image of our mother. The long, curly pale red hair, the blue eyes, the freckles over her cheeks—everything about her was like having Mum back in the room. It was a lot to process, especially when I wasn’t sure how long I’d have her around.
As much as I didn’t want to interrupt the moment she was having watching Lolly sleep, I had to know. “What are your plans now that your job is done?”
When she shifted her gaze back to me with a wince, I mentally prepared myself for her to say she needed to head off today.
“Well, since chasing down Gordon wasn’t technically my job, I’m sure I’ll be in trouble when I do go back. He shouldn’t have warranted even being on the AFP’s radar, really. At least not before he left the country. Which we wouldn’t have known about if I wasn’t using police resources without permission to monitor him. Not to mention I need to somehow explain how he’s now dead without getting you in trouble.”
I stiffened when Mac came over, moving from where he’d been at the bar over to us.
“There is no body, Jacie. Not sure how much you know about MCs, but we take care of our own. That includes cleaning up any messes. The house and body have been dealt with. So, as far as the AFP is concerned, Gordon Milani is missing. You could go home and report that he never turned up and once you explained the situation to your brother, he assured you he could handle him if he does ever show up.”
Scout came in through the front door as Mac had been speaking. He headed over to the bar and grabbed a drink before coming to join us just as Mac finished.
“You know, if you wanted to stay here, get to know your brother and his family, you’re welcome to. We could actually use someone with your skills.”
She frowned at the club president. “While I might have bent some rules a little in this situation, I have no intention of switching sides and making a habit of it.”
I bit my cheek to not grin at her sass.
Scout smiled and took a swig of his drink before he responded, “The Charon MC is above board, mostly. Our newest business is called Athena Security and we could genuinely use your skills. If you were interested, I’m sure we could sort out a work visa to get you here all legally and shit.”
Jacie—damn, but it was taking time to wrap my head around not calling her Gracie—sat motionless, staring blankly at Scout like he’d made his offer in French or something.
Flick chuckled and bumped her shoulder into Jacie’s. “Not sure where you’ve been staying, but if you do decide to move here, you could live with us until you find your own place. We have plenty of room, and having another adult around to chase Lolly is always a plus.”
Flick looked to me with a raised eyebrow, and I took the hint.
“Yeah, we’d love you to come stay with us. For however long you want. And Scout’s not blowing smoke up your arse, that job offer is genuine too.”
Realizing I was barely making sense, I stopped talking and finished off my whiskey while I waited for Jacie to say something.
“Well, I think deciding to move from Australia to the US shouldn’t be a knee-jerk decision made in the heat of a moment. But I’m sure I can at least call in some leave to spend a couple weeks here, considering the circumstances. And I’m staying at the motel in town, which is nothing special, so I won’t complain about leaving it to stay with my big bro.”
I frowned. “What about your job? If you’re gonna get in trouble, won’t they want to haul your arse over the coals sooner rather than later?”
A blush pinkened her cheeks. “Since my dad is my boss, I’m sure I can convince him to hold off on the grilling I’m due until I go home. He knows our history.”
I shook my head. “Un-fucking-believable. I need another drink.”
She had me thinking she might be going to Federal fucking prison or some shit when really, she was just going to get a lecture from her adopted dad. To the sound of Flick chuckling, I walked over to get a refill. While I waited for the prospect to pour it, Mac came over and leaned against the bar beside me.
“The only reason we didn’t tell you was because we didn’t have confirmation he was actually in town.”
I turned to glare at one of my oldest friends. “Cut the fucking bullshit, Mac. You didn’t tell me because you all thought I was going to go off grid to go on a rampage till I found the bastard. Tell me, mate, when was the last time I lost my cool?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You threw that mug in Keys’ office earlier.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean. The last time I went all Tasmanian devil… when was it?”
With hands on his hips, he looked up to the ceiling as he thought.
