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"You know," I finally say.
Cash snorts. "You've known me for how fucking long? Of course I fucking know about her, jackass. I've just been waiting for you to nut up and tell me."
"It's not like that," I say. "I'm not trying to hide her. I plan to marry this girl. But she's been through hell. I'm trying to introduce her to everyone slowly." I expel a breath. "And I didn't want to stress you the fuck out when you have twins on the way."
He laughs abruptly. "Motherfucker, I have twins on the way. I'm already stressed the fuck out." He sobers. "But I get it. Ain't saying I like you keeping shit from me, but I get it. This last year has been fucked, but we're making it, brother. We'll make it through this shit and whatever comes next too. We always do."
"Yeah," I sigh. "You think Cowboy or Hands will be a problem?"
"Nah," he says. "Cowboy won't hold her responsible for her fucking dumbass brother, and Hands is worried about Samara and Scout, but the Vipers have nothing to do with them. I just don't want anyone to say something in the heat of the moment and hurt her feelings. Emotions are running high right now. When she meets everyone, it shouldn't be in the midst of this bullshit, you feel me?"
"Yeah, I feel you," I say, drumming my fingers on the island. I'm not keen on introducing her to everyone in the midst of this new issue either. Seeing them worried will only make her feel worse, and that's the last thing I want. None of this is her fault. It's on her fucking brother and his MC. This is their doing, not hers. "I'll be there."
"See you, brother."
I disconnect and then call Autumn, who is supposed to be meeting with a lawyer about Jimmy Gatlin. I offered to go with her, but she refused to let me. Apparently, she's a big girl now and doesn't need her brother bullying people into doing things her way. Whatever the fuck that means.
"Hey. I'm running late," she says, out of breath when she answers on the second ring. "The meeting with this lawyer ran over. I'll be leaving soon."
"I need you to come straight home." I exit the kitchen, headed toward my office at the back of the house. Catriona loves curling up on the sofa in there to read while I work at my desk at night. Neither of us ever gets much done. We spend the whole damn time stealing glances at each other. Eventually, she puts her work aside and crawls into my lap, or I put my laptop aside and crawl onto the couch with her. I've fucked her raw in my office. "Something came up and I need to head out for a while. Catriona will be here alone."
"Oh." I hear the frown in Autumn's voice. "Is everything okay?"
"Not sure," I admit, not lying to her. I don't want to frighten her, but this involves her too. She's my sister. That means she has a target on her back too. "The Hell's Vipers are threatening to come after our people again. I need you to take this serious, Autumn. They're dangerous."
"I know," she whispers. "I'll be careful, Andreas."
"Can you wait with Catriona until I get home?"
"You aren't going to do anything stupid, are you?"
"No, of course not. I'm just going to the clubhouse to help make sure everyone has security in place and our families are all protected," I explain, stepping into the hallway. The light is on at the end of the hall, letting me know I was right. Catriona is in my office. It's her favorite room in the house.
Autumn expels a relieved breath. "Okay. I'll tell this crazy man that I need to leave," she says. "He's driving me insane anyway. Why didn't you tell me Jason had a brother? And why is he so…ugh?"
"You're meeting with Zane?" I ask, arching a brow. Zane Montoya just moved to town not long ago. I don't know him well, but he's a good guy. I can see him driving Autumn crazy though. He's calm, controlled. She's a little like a hurricane.
"Aha! So you do know him!" she cries. "You could have warned me about him."
"You… Just hurry up," I say, refusing to have this argument. I already know I won't win. It's impossible to win this argument. We've been having a variation of it since she was old enough to talk, and it always ends with her verbally kicking my ass. If anyone should have been a lawyer, she should have.
"Be careful, Andreas."
"I will. Come straight home." I disconnect and then slip my phone into my pocket before ducking into my office.
"Did you know Romano International used to have an entire pirate crew on the payroll?" she asks, lifting her head to look at me over the back of the couch. "When the company first started in the 1800s, your great great great great great great great great great" –she takes a dramatic breath— "great great great great great great grandfather hired a band of pirates to defend his ships as they were carrying cargo from Italy to the West Indies."
"That's way too many greats, little one," I say, smiling at her.
"Close enough," she mumbles. "My point is: your grandpa was so cool."
"The Italian government didn't agree," I chuckle. "He was heavily fined for conspiring with pirates and nearly lost the company."
"Well, that's lame."
I shake my head, strolling toward her. Once I reach her, I kneel in front of the couch, taking the book from her hands and setting it aside with her place saved so she can pick it back up later. "I have to leave for a little while," I murmur, linking our fingers together and bringing them to my lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. "I need to go to the clubhouse."
"Oh. Um, is everything okay?"
