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“Who else is going to feed the five thousand.” Bonnie laughs.
I go to head back upstairs when I notice Rayna’s hand fisting the leg of my sweats. She’s glued to the cartoons on the television, and I sit beside her. I know how much she’s missed me, and I hate that it’s affected her more than I hoped it would. She only lets go when Mom sets down a bowl of cereal and her plate of grapefruit.
I keep glancing at the stairs, waiting for Holly to come down but she’s a no-show, and it sets me on edge.
“How’s Holly been while I was away?” I ask Mom.
“For a while she spent most of the time out at the cabin, but Harper and Nina got her out more and more. She’s really opened up.”
Kissing the top of Rayna’s head, I tell her, “Daddy will be back in a minute.”
I climb the stairs two at a time and push through the door. Sitting at the dresser, Holly’s dressed and brushing out her hair. I close the door and lean against it.
“Why were you crying?” I ask, determined to get an answer this time.
“Don’t you have club business to catch up on now you’re home?”
“I do but not before I find out why you were crying.”
Her shoulders lift slightly, and it annoys the shit out of me.
“I was caught off guard, that’s all. I’m fine now.”
If I had a dollar for every time she’s told me she was fine, I’d be a millionaire. I grab my smokes from the nightstand and knowing I won’t get any more out of her, I head for the door.
“What are we now, Leo?” she asks, and I freeze.
Now I’m back to reality, my chest tightens, and I wish I had just stayed downstairs.
“You know what we are. We have our deal.”
The words taste foul on my tongue but there’s no taking them back. Throwing open the door, I jog down the stairs and say a quick goodbye to Rayna before heading outside. I light up as soon as I’m out of the house and force myself not to look up at her window.
JJ walks out of the bar, holding his son and I catch up to him as he heads around to the back of the club.
“Fatherhood looks good on you,” I say, making sure to blow my smoke away from the kid.
“Everything looks good on me,” he retorts, coming to a stop. “Here, meet your nephew properly.”
I drop my cigarette and grind it out under my boot. I expect the kid to cry when Jay passes him over. He doesn’t know me, but he latches onto me and tugs on my beard.
“He’s gotten so big.”
JJ grins and strokes the kid’s cheek. “Good. I want him big and strong.”
“Where’s Harper?”
“She’s out back somewhere with your dad. I need to give him back and then I think it’s time you call a meet. Luca’s looking to leave soon.”
“You read my mind.”
I pass Gunner back to his dad. JJ splits for the back of the clubhouse, and I head for the bar. I take a quick look at the house before stepping inside.
“Back room. Five minutes.”
Collecting a bottle of water from the fridge behind the bar, I’m the first to enter the back room and take my seat.
It feels good to be back at the head of the table and I drain half the water in two gulps.
