“Inside,” she said, her eyes looking out to the bush, and not at me.
“You know I have to do this.”
She nodded, finally casting her gaze my way. “I know, Brayden told me what was happening.”
“Brayden?”
“Oh come on, Dane, I’m not calling you by the stupid little road names you all have.”
Both Animal and I chuckled at her annoyance. I turned to him. “Are you staying back?”
He nodded. “Yes, with the prospects and Pope. The compound will be safe, as will your family.”
“Thank you, brother.”
“Just…” Mari started. “Please bring her home safely, and take care. We need you both.”
I knew I couldn’t promise her that, but I could try. I offered her a quick nod and headed into the cabin to talk to my kids. My heart was in my throat the entire walk into the cabin and toward the back where the bedrooms were.
I wasn’t prepared for them both to be sitting on the double bed, both of them looking solemn. My heart broke. It broke harder when Lani looked up and I could see she’d been crying.
“I suppose you already know.”
“Mum doesn’t talk as softly as she thinks,” Bane admitted. “Why can’t you just send someone else?”
“Mate, I can’t do that. I’m already asking all my brothers in that clubhouse to put their lives on the line for me. I have to stand beside them when they do.”
“Why?”
The tears falling down his cheeks had my chest caving in. It was such a simple question, a simple plea for me to stay back with them, to be their dad, but I couldn’t give them what they wanted.
“You will understand when you fall in love, bud. I know that’s a shit excuse, I know it doesn’t make sense. But if it were you, I’d do the same, same for your sister. She’s—”
“A part of you,” Lani finished for me. “She owns your heart.”
I nodded. “Yes. She does, and her ex is an evil guy. He’s hurting her, he’s taking Van’s mum away from him.”
“Just like this club took you from us,” Bane added. I could hear the hurt in his tone, and I knew he believed it. He believed that I chose this club over him, over them. In his eyes, I did, and it was going to take a lot for me to mend the bridge with him.
But I’d do it.
With Tavi by my side.
“I know it’s hard to hear this, and to understand, and I understand you want to hate me for it, but I genuinely thought Iwas doing the right thing by you guys. I thought if I left you be, you would be safe.”
Bane scoffed. “Maybe Tavi’s not safe because she fell in love withyou.”
The stabbing pain in my chest was only getting deeper with every venomous word he spat in my direction, but I’d take it. I’d take his hate, because I knew I deserved it. I’d made so many monumental mistakes, I couldn’t keep doing it. I couldn’t keep pushing people away because I was scared.
“Bane, I love you. I love you in a way that doesn’t make sense. There’s not enough words in the world to explain a father’s love for his child. I’d do anything to make you safe, to see you happy, but I am human. I’m going to fuck up, and I’m going to fuck up a lot. I didn’t have a great family life. My dad hated me and he told me regularly. I didn’t even know how to be a good dad and so I thought if I stepped away, you’d be safe. You’d have your mum, and she’s a pretty damn good one.”
“Don’t you get it, Bane?” Lani turned to her brother. “He’s trying. Tavi changed him, she made him believe, and now she’s in trouble. She’s always been good to us. Always. He needs to bring her back.”
Bane bowed his head, a slight sob wracking in his chest. “I know.”
I stood up and pulled Bane into my arms. He hugged me back fiercely, squishing my body against his. He was stronger than I imagined, a young man, almost.
“I’m proud of you, kid, proud of you for standing up to me, and telling me how angry you have been. We’ll work this out when I get back, okay.”
