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I’m about to go nuclear on Alex’s ass. “Stop calling him that.”
“Oh no, sis. He’s earned it. Why does your son’s father even know people like that?”
Inside, my heart’s racing, stomach churning. The same question batters my mind.
My instinct to protect Z wins out over my fear of my brother’s opinion. “Uh, I think the better question is, why does Dad owe mobsters money?”
“I notice you didn’t deny it was true.”
“I have no idea.”
He huffs and places his hands on his hips. Normally, I’d brace myself for a big brother speech, except I’m not in the mood so I cut him off before he even starts.
“Dad’s business isn’t my business. Remember, Alex? I’m lacking a penis, so I’m not good enough to run the business. So, if he got himself in trouble, that’s not my problem.”
“It is your problem if your biker boyfriend’s the one who bought the debt.”
I have no sensible comeback. “I don’t know anything about that.”
“Great. What other secrets is he hiding from you?”
I clamp my lips shut. While I defended Z to my brother, inside I’m furious and feeling foolish.
Why couldn’t Z tell me the truth? I wouldn’t have been angry. I’ve never asked for details about his club. Don’t plan to, either. It doesn’t take a genius to guess they’re into shady activities.
When it comes to me, my family, though, that I want to know about so that I don’t get blindsided like this.
He lied to me.
Forty-Two
Lilly
I’ve been stewing all afternoon.
As if he sensed the hurricane brewing up north, Z called around dinner time to tell me he was running late and to talk to Chance.
“Will Daddy read me a story?” Chance asks a few hours later.
I’ve kept him up later than I should have so he could see Z, even if it was for just a few sleepy minutes.
“I’m not sure, kiddo. I know he wants to see you and he was trying to get here on time. If not, you’ll see him tomorrow.”
Unless I kill him when he gets here.
Chance succumbs to sleep a few minutes later, leaving me even more annoyed.
Now I need to add ‘disappointing our son’ to the list of things I’m not thrilled with tonight.
The rumble of his bike coming down the driveway pulls me off the couch. I open the door and watch him park a fair amount away from the house. Something I know he did in an effort not to wake Chance.
It’s simple and sweet. The block of anger sitting in my chest melts a little.
His boots crunch over the gravel and I wait on the porch for him. My greedy gaze takes in every sexy inch. I’ve missed him so damn much.
“Sorry I’m so late,” Z says.
He looks exhausted and part of me wants to wait and have this conversation tomorrow. Except, Chance will be up and want to spend as much time as possible with Z.
“Damn, you look good.” He curls his hand over my hip and drags me closer. Leaning down, he brushes a soft kiss against my lips.
For a moment, I lean into him, inhaling the sharp spring air and leather scent of him. “Missed you,” I whisper.
“Missed you too, pretty girl.” He nudges me toward the house. “Come shower with me.”
No way.
If we do that, we’ll never talk tonight. I dig in my heels when he tries to push me inside the front door.
“No, we need to talk about something first.”
“What’s wrong?” He frowns. “Is Chance okay? I tried so hard to make it up here before he went to bed—”
“It’s not that.” I take a step back and stare up him. “I had lunch with my brother this afternoon.”
“That’s good. How is he?” When I don’t answer right away, he studies me more closely. He spreads his hands in front of him. “Why do you seem mad at me about it?”
“You tell me, Z. Is there anything you forgot to share with me recently?”
Z
There are lots of things I want to tell her.
I missed her. I love her. I want her and Chance to move down near me as soon as possible, so I don’t have a three-hour drive every time I want to read my son a bedtime story.
But somehow, I sense she’s not in the mood for any of that.
“Like what?” I ask carefully.
“What exactly are you doing downstate for the club?”
“I told you. Running the club for the president who’s in the hospital.”
“Running it how? What kinds of things are you doing for him?”
I narrow my eyes at her. I thought Lilly was smarter than this. “You know I can’t talk about club business with you.”
“I think when it involves me, you should.”
My body stills and I smooth my face into an expressionless mask. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t lie to me, Z.”
“What am I supposedly lying about?”
“Dammit, Z. Are you really going to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about? Or are you lying to me about more than one thing?”
Now she’s just pissing me off. “Do you really think you’re in a position to lecture me about lying?” I ask with deadly calm.
Hurt and shock widen her eyes and she steps back. “Are you planning to throw that in my face forever?”
“Are you planning to grill me and accuse me of I don’t even know what every time I come home?”
“Come home from what?” she asks a couple octaves higher than her last question.
“What do you think I’m down there doing? Fucking around? I haven’t even—”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
I must be fucking tired because it finally occurs to me what might have happened. Jesus Christ, she gave me the first clue when she said she saw her brother today.
Somehow, she knows about my visit with her father. And I’m guessing whatever version of the story she heard doesn’t paint a nice picture of me.
“Your father told you we had a chat?”
“No, my brother did.”
Lilly’s father is a bigger coward than I thought.
“What’d he do, cry to Alex that I paid off his debt so the big, bad mobster didn’t break his kneecaps?” What an ungrateful dick. I should’ve let DeLova handle him.
She winces at the kneecaps part and then shakes her head. “You paid it?”
“Tell me what Alex said and I’ll tell you what the truth actually is. Since it doesn’t sound like he got the whole picture.”
“Dad owed some not-so-nice people money and you came to collect it. Is that what your MC does?”
“Not usually. Your prick father’s damn lucky I’m the one who saw his name and took the job, or it would’ve been a much different outcome for him. Especially since he didn’t have the money.”
A flash of understanding lights up her eyes. “You really paid off a debt for him? Why?”
“Why do you think?”
“I don’t know, since he was such an asshole to you.”
I run my fingers through my hair, trying to come up with an answer that makes sense. “He’s your father. Chance’s grandfather. These guys don’t play, Lilly. I didn’t want to see him get hurt, knowing I could prevent it.”
The reality of her father’s situation sets in and she wraps her arms around her middle. “Oh my God. What has he gotten himself into?”
“I didn’t ask for his whole story, Lilly. I told him I’d take care of the debt and to sort his shit out.”
“And?”
“And nothing. I’ve been too busy to check up on him. He won’t be taking any more loans out from anyone I know, though.”
“Z, doesn’t that…I don’t know, cause problems for you?”
A minute ago, she thought I betrayed her and now she’s worried about me?
“Isn’t it some sort of conflict of interest?”
She’s serious. I c
an’t help laughing so hard, she ends up smacking my arm. “I’m serious.”
“Conflict of interest? That’s a citizen concept. The debt’s been paid. That’s all anyone cares about.”
“Is it gambling? His mistress? What’s he involved with?”
“That, I don’t know. He said business hasn’t been good and he’s got a lot of expenses as he and your mother get older.”
“Damn.” She clenches her jaw and looks away. “I’ve been wondering how the store is still afloat. When I was a kid, people came from all over to get the one of a kind pieces he had. It was the place all the people went to when they wanted to decorate their summer lake houses, you know? Now, it seems like an old relic. I offered to help him figure out how to transition to something else. But he’s never wanted my ideas or help.”
“That’s his problem. Not yours. I won’t bail him out again. I think he understood it was a one-time thing.”
“I’ll pay you back.”
“No, you won’t.”
She bites her lip. “How much are we talking about?”
“None of your business.”
