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I nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking.” No one outside the MC knew Leo was my kid. “He’s behind everything. I fucking know it.”
He was even the reason I was losing Ellie. She hadn’t been to the clubhouse all week. She worked late into the evening and slept in the office or on the living room sofa most nights. She’d been pulling away ever since I told her what happened to her mom and sister, as if she blamed me. But she hadn’t left yet, which had to mean something.
I fucked hoped it meant she was just sad or angry.
“I agree,” Slate offered. “I need to do some more digging, but I’ll keep an eye on his phone and his movements.”
“Let me know when you find something. I need to go have a chat with my woman.”
That’s if she still was my woman, the way things had been between us I wasn’t so sure. I left the clubhouse and called Gio, who assured me Ellie and Leo hadn’t left the house all day. Being thankful for small mercies and the fact it was another day that she continued to stay with me, I got on my motorcycle and headed home.
***
Ellie wasn’t as frosty over dinner, which gave me hope that she was just struggling with accepting what had happened to her family. She was still quiet, wearing a soft smile while Leo chatted enthusiastically about his entire day, most of it centered around Chopper and his flatulence. Again.
“How was your day, sweetness?”
Heat bloomed on her cheeks, which was something. I still had an effect on her. Good. She smiled prettily. “Good. Productive.”
“How many books do you write in a year?”
Surprised flashed in her eyes and a smile lit up her face. “Three usually, but this year has been different than any other.”
“In a good way?”
She nodded.
I smiled. “I can’t wait to read it.”
“Maybe I’ll sign a copy for you,” she offered with a teasing smile that almost felt as if nothing had changed between us. Almost.
We put Leo to bed together, both of us taking a turn reading him a bedtime story until he passed out and entered that sleep that only young kids can achieve, totally oblivious to the world.
“Where does he get all that energy?”
She laughed as she eased off the bed and tucked him in. “If I knew that, I’d be the richest woman on the planet.” She placed a kiss to his forehead and smiled lovingly down at our son.
I leaned in too, catching her lavender scent just as she pulled back. “Goodnight, son.”
I followed Ellie downstairs, watching the swing of her hips with every step. I noticed she’d put on a little weight recently and her ass was spectacular. Though by the way she’d been picking at her food over dinner, I guessed she was maybe trying to lose a pound or two—not that she needed to, she looked perfect—but I knew enough about women not to say anything.
“I’ll handle cleanup,” she offered without turning to me. “Since you took care of dinner.”
“You’ve been tired lately.” If she thought I hadn’t noticed, she was wrong.
“Late nights.” The lie fell easily from her lips, but I let it go for now because we had something else to discuss.
“Are you familiar with Robert Carter?”
She frowned. “That businessman determined to own every building in Nevada?”
“Yep.”
She shrugged. “That’s all I know about him.”
“He owns Carter Development, which owns Steel City Enterprises, the real estate company Stacy worked for. It took a bit of digging for Slate to make the connection.”
“What?”
