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“The counselor?” Dane grins. “He had a soft spot for her. I half expected him to chase after her a while back. Did you ring her?”
“No. Dirt did.”
“She’s a good match for him.”
“Like me, she hates the lifestyle, so maybe not.”
Dane frowns. “Tobias is like Dirt. It’s what he knows, and Tobias is very good at what he does. Just like Dirt.”
I scoff. “It’s easy for you. Isn’t it, Dane? You send the men in your MC out to do your dirty work while you stay behind, all safe and sound. What about their families? Don’t you think they worry about their sons, husbands, or fathers?”
Dane takes a deep breath, his chest expanding as he inhales, then slowly releases the air through slightly parted lips. “The MC you knew isn’t the MC we have today.”
“Right, so my son got shot for jaywalking?” The sarcasm drips from my words like venom.
He meets my gaze, his eyes steady and unflinching. “Lore, I told you we had nothing to do with that.”
“Right, so you’re telling me you’re all choir boys now? No more drugs, no more gun running, no more whores?”
“That’s right, except for the whores, but it’s not what you think.”
“What?”
“It hasn’t been easy changing the way things have always been done. I’ve been trying to show my men there’s another path… one that doesn’t involve violence, bloodshed, and fighting for territory,” he pauses. “The women are there by choice. They have the opportunity to earn decent money, but they aren’t the whores you remember. No one is strung out or pressured to do anything.”
“Wait, you pulled the MC out of guns and drugs?” I say in disbelief.
“Not all chapters, but I’m working on it. It’s too easy for my men to get hooked, and then it makes it simple for the law to flip them. I’ve visited enough of my brothers in jail that I don’t want to do it anymore.”
Studying his face, I search for any hint of deception, any sign he is lying to me. But all I see is sincerity or at least a convincing reproduction of it. My mind races, torn between wanting to believe him and fearing this is just a lie.
“How long have you been working toward this?”
“Since the day I became president. It’s been hard. Some of the other chapters only have drugs, guns, and whores… it’s easy money. Convincing them to invest in garages, strip clubs, tattoo parlors, and real estate sounds a lot like selling out to them. But things are changing, and Tobias is part of the change.”
“You expect me to believe you?”
The corner of his mouth lifts into a wry smile. “I wouldn’t expect you to, Lore. Talk to Dirt… he’ll tell you everything.”
Astounded at his confession, I cross my arms over my chest and scrutinize him. The man before me was not the reckless, cold-hearted leader I had known all those years ago. This Dane is different and seems determined to pull his MC out of the dark ages.
“I’m going up to visit with Tobias.”
Shaking my head, I say, “His father is up there visiting. Give them some time alone.”
“Is it cool if I sit with you?”
“It’s a free country.”
“Do you think you’ll make a go of it with Dirt?”
My brows come together, and I give him a small smile. “Even with all the changes you say you’ve made, Dirt would stand beside you if you needed him to. I need a man to stand next to me, and he can’t do that.”
Dane considers my words for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “Maybe Dirt could leave the MC.” His gaze is distant. “If it came down to it, and he had to choose between the club and you, maybe he’d walk away.”
I raise an eyebrow at his words.
Dane leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I’ve seen men make choices they never thought they would. Love has a way of shifting priorities.”
