Don’t think about him.Not now, when I need to find out the truth about my dad.
I already know the truth.
Yeah. I do. I just need Mom to confirm it, and then I can get on with getting over mybad-boy phase.
“It’s about Dad.” The words rush out of me before I can change my mind. She frowns, as though she doesn’t understand what I mean.
“Dad? What about him?” Then her face clears. “Oh, you’re worried what he’d think about you dating a biker? Well, honey, I guess—”
“No, I’m not worried about that.” My voice is sharp, and I know it’s because of the guilt churning through me. Of course, Dad would hate that I’m dating Gage, but I’m not about to tell Momthat. “I want to know exactly what happened with how he died.”
She stares at me in obvious shock. “You know what happened.”
I take a deep breath. “Did Axle Reynolds really kill him?”
“Why are we even talking about this? It’s in the past. I don’t want to go over it all again.” She turns away and starts fussing with the coffee machine while her words echo in my head.
Why didn’t she just say yes? My stomach churns with nerves but I can’t back down now.
“Or did Dad kill Reynolds?”
She freezes, and it’s like a giant hand squeezes my heart. It doesn’t matter what she says now. Finally, I’m close to the truth. And it’s killing me.
Slowly she turns around. Her face is white, and it’s like she’s aged ten years in seconds. “Amy, what’s this all about?” Her voice is barely above a whisper but there’s a thread of fear there as if…she knows.
There’s no point in keeping any more secrets. It’s over, anyway. “I was seeing Gage Reynolds. Axle’s son.”
Her lips move but nothing comes out. Then she lets out a ragged breath. “When you said you were seeing a biker, it never crossed my mind you’d take up with a Bastard. And him, of all people. I thought you’d be safe from that life. Moving away, changing your name…Jesus.”
“Moving away?” There’s a hard, ugly note in my voice as everything I’ve ever believed crumbles around me. “We moved right into the Bastards territory. Did you even know that?”
“I got you all away from the Wolves, but I couldn’t move away from all my family. You know how much we need each other. But I never thought Reynolds’s son would come after you. God, I’m sosorry.”
“Of course he didn’t come after me. He didn’t even know who I was until today.”
She comes toward me, arms outstretched for a hug, and I back up so fast I hit the wall. Her hands clench before she folds her arms, and I can see the tears glittering in her eyes. For the first time, they don’t move me.
“You know your dad would’ve done anything for Shane Abbott.”
Of course, I do. Shane had been the Wolves president, and he always had time for me and my sisters. He was like an uncle, even if I never did think of Rex as a cousin. My stomach heaves. I don’t want to think about Rex. Ever.
“There’d been talk of an alliance with the Bastards, but Shane hated them. I don’t know all the details—it went back generations. But it wasn’t just that. He was getting crazier by the year, and there were rumors of getting rid of him, yet your dad wouldn’t hear a word said against him.”
“So what happened?”
“Your dad was only supposed to be inside for eighteen months, if that. He could’ve just done his time, and he would’ve been a hero for taking the heat off his brothers. But no. He had to listen to Shane goddamn Abbott and take out Axle Reynolds.” Mom swings around and slams a couple of cups on the counter. “So of course the Bastards don’t take that lying down. Your dad was dead by morning.” She makes coffee, then grips the edge of the counter as though she’s about to vomit. “The Wolves turned on Shane. I couldn’t risk them turning on us as well. I didn’t wait for a summons or a visit. I grabbed you girls and came back home.”
“Right.” It comes out as a croak. So, Gage was right about my dad. He still could’ve listened to me, though. Heard my side. Not jumped to conclusions and accused me of—
I slam down the thoughts. What’s the point?
“Why’d you lie to us? All these years…” My voice trails away, and I suddenly feel so tired. Defeated. It doesn’t matter why she lied. It’s not going to change anything.
She straightens and turns to face me. “You girls idolized your dad. I couldn’t tell you he’d been a stupid idiot and ruined everything for us, could I? All because he’d do anything Shane Abbott told him to. He knew things were changing at the club, but he still believed Abbott could turn everything around.” She heaves a sigh. “The Wolves might not have turned their backs on us the way I told you, but we couldn’t have stayed. Not after what your dad did.”
We stand there in silence for a while, facing each other, but there’s nothing left to say. For ten years, I’ve believed my dad died a hero, protecting his club, and that the Wolves had rewarded his family by closing ranks against us.
He was their enforcer, and for all I know he might’ve killed other people for his club in the past. Just because I’d never believed it doesn’t mean it’s not true. And now I have to live with the fact he didn’t just kill anyone in cold blood. He killed Gage’s dad.
