“Who’s this?” he asked, gesturing tome with a lift of his chin.
“This is Scarlet. I’m giving her aride home, but it sounded like this couldn’t wait,” Cole replied somewhatimpatiently. “Scarlet, this is my Pop, Cal Jackson,” he introduced. Somethingabout the name was familiar but I ignored it and waved shyly feeling ridiculouswearing Cole’s giant sweatshirt and undoubtedly looking like some floosy he’dbrought home the night before.
“Nice to meet you,” I said. Cal eyedme for several moments. It seemed like he was trying to place me, but then hesnapped out of it. “You, too. We won’t be but a minute,” he responded, leadingCole toward the back and leaving me standing alone in the room.
I took a deep breath trying to pushdown the strong emotions this place was bringing out in me. I wandered to thewood paneled walls and looked at the various photos framed throughout the room.Many of them boasted pictures of Cal when he was younger, and I immediatelysurmised that he was the MC President. There were a few of younger children, abeautiful boy I picked out immediately as Cole when he was around five-years-old.They were all similar to the photos I’d grown up around.
I was still browsing the walls when myeyes stopped and opened wide on a photo of Cal with a wide grin and his armdraped around none other than my father. I sucked in an audible breath andswallowed hard. It must have been taken at least ten years ago, if not longer,and my eyes filled with involuntary tears at seeing the warm smile on myfather’s face. My fingers drifted to the frame as I tried desperately to get ahandle on my emotions. Both men wore their respective club patches proudly ontheir jackets as they grinned at the camera. The “Sinners” club patch adornedon my father’s jacket was one of the most familiar images from my youth. Myfather loved that club and he raised me to love it, too. It was the only familyI’d ever known. The club believed in community and brotherhood, until all thatchanged.
“You’re Ray Malone’s girl aren’t you?”Cal’s gruff voice asked from behind me, sending me whirling around in shock. Ihadn’t even heard him come in.
I couldn’t seem to get any wordsaround the lump in my throat as Cole came up behind his father and eyed mytearful expression with surprise.
“I’d know those green eyes anywhere,”Cal continued, smiling fondly as I stood rooted to the spot unable to speak. “Imet you when you were just a little thing, I’m sure you don’t remember. Your daddywas so proud of you. Called you his Scarlet Rose,” he remembered fondly,sending the tears that filled my eyes spilling down over my cheeks. I wipedthem away as quickly as I could.
“How did you know him?” I finallymanaged.
“Our clubs supported each other fromacross state lines. Whenever we had business in California we’d stay at your dad’sclub and vice versa,” he explained.
It wasn’t uncommon for clubs to bealigned from such a distance, but it explained why Cal wasn’t immediatelyfamiliar. I’d probably met him very few times during my childhood.
“Over the years we became like family,your father and I. We were a lot alike. Both single fathers. You and Coleplayed together once or twice when you were little,” he explained, and I lookedover at Cole whose surprised expression matched mine.
“Never thought the world could bequite this small,” I muttered.
“Damn shame about your daddy, honey,”he continued. “He was a good man and that club went to shit without him,” hemuttered angrily.
The circumstances surrounding myfather’s death were still somewhat of a mystery. He lost control of his bike onhis way back from a visit with a neighboring club. He collided with an oncomingcar and died on impact. Upon closer inspection, Henry, my father’s right hand,had discovered that the brakes had been tampered with. Anyone close to thesituation knew that Jake had somehow been involved, but they couldn’t prove it.
Jacob and I had grown up together inthe club. We’d been best friends since toddlerhood, often driving my parentscrazy with our antics. When my mother died of cancer, Jake was a source ofunfailing strength for me. He seemed to know just how to get me through thoseterribly dark days. Years later we became a couple, though I never feltpassionately about him. I gave him my virginity and my love, but I was never inlove with him.
Then, Jake started to change. Hebecame brooding and removed. His attitude toward me became commanding andaggressive. He was set on having a position of power within the club, but my fatherdidn’t like his leadership style, or lack thereof. Jake used force andintimidation to get what he wanted. The men didn’t respect him or want tofollow him, which served to drive him deeper into anger.
I broke it off with him and I tried mybest to stay as far away from him as possible, until he drove me to leave altogether.Even though I had witnessed truly cruel behavior from Jake, and had been avictim of it myself, I still had trouble grappling with the fact that he couldhave taken my father’s life. And though there were times that he had made mefear for my own life, the part of me that remembered him as a dark haired, wide-eyedlittle boy still couldn’t rationalize it.
I stood staring at Cal, a man whocould tell me so many stories about my father—someone who could make himfeel alive to me through the history they shared. But I couldn’t risk theexposure of opening myself up further to him.
“I don’t know what your relationshipwith the Sinners is like now, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyonethat you saw me,” I told him, trying to keep any fear out of my tone. I wasn’tentirely successful and he didn’t miss it.
“You got trouble?” he asked, his eyessharpening like a hawk’s.
Great. I’d gone from flying under theradar to getting the attention of an MC president. “I can take care of myself,but I left home for a reason and I’d like to leave it at that,” I requestedfirmly.
“Your father and I had a code to watcheach other’s backs. I’ll always feel guilt for what happened to him, alwayswondered if I’d seen the signs that maybe I could have helped. But I sure ashell can keep my end of the bargain when it comes to you. You have the fullprotection of this club,” he said firmly, shocking me. I knew what that meantand it was no small promise or one to be taken lightly. “We’re no longeraligned with your dad’s club, like I said it went to shit without him andthere’s some fucked up mother fuckers running it now,” he added scornfully.
I couldn’t have agreed more. After myfather died, Jake and his henchman Victor had somehow clawed their way to thetop. I had always assumed that the club was so consumed by grief at my father’sdeath that they hadn’t been thinking clearly. I still didn’t understand it.
“Obviously you’ve got a reason toguard yourself close, when you feel more comfortable you can tell me exactlywhat happened,” he said firmly. “Meanwhile, anyone fucks with you they fuckwith us,” he glowered before his expression lightened. “And something tells memy boy won’t mindkeepin’ an eye on you,” he addedwith a mischievous smile that looked just like his son’s.
I blushed, unable to look at Cole.
“She’s already keeping me busy, Pop,”Cole said with a chuckle, earning a narrowed glance from me. “Let’s get yourapartment sorteddarlin’,” Cole suggested whileheading toward me.
I nodded, still feeling tongue tied.“Thank you,” I said simply to Cal, unable to say anything else.
“You got it,” he replied firmly. “I’vegot some more photos and some damn good stories when you got a mind to hearthem,” he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
“I’d like that,” I replied hoarsely,as Cole put an arm around my shoulder and started guiding me outside.
