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Once we've finished eating, Skye blurts out, "We've picked a baby name.”
“You have?”
Skye nods. “So Tank has this family tradition where all the boys' names start with a ‘T’…” she trails off.
I nudge her and nod. “Carry on, love.”
“I wanted to name him after you and honour Tank's tradition, so we picked Tray.”
“Seriously?” Ray gives an actual smile, like old Ray would have almost, and a single tear rolls down her cheek, which she swats away.
“I couldn't think of anything better than honouring the two people I love most in this world who, without you, I wouldn't be here.”
“Kiddo, that's beautiful. I'm honoured.”
“Would he be someone you would come back for? Would you come back for him?”
“Skye, you think I wouldn’t come back for you? You think you wouldn't be reason enough for me to come back?”
She shakes her head, and it breaks my heart a little that she thinks Ray doesn't love her enough to stay just for her.
“Skye, I need you to listen, okay? No matter how shit things would be between the club and Steel, you alone are enough for me to stay, and then there's this knucklehead.” She nods over to me.
I smile at her. Fuck. I really do love her.
“I’m telling you this so you understand, not to make you feel guilty. I need you to know if I had a choice, I would be with you. Fuck the rest of them, and especially fuck Steel. You are more than enough. The reason I'm not with you is to protect you. All your lives were threatened, and I know he will gladly kill you all to spite me, so I'm laying low till I can take him out. I’m staying away, and I’m keeping the promise that I made to you. I will always protect you, or I will die trying. I'm doing this so… Tray can have a future with both parents in a place that's safe.”
“Ray, just tell us what's going on. I can help.”
“Tank, I love you, and I know you think that, but he will kill you if he knows I'm in contact. He won't hesitate, and I'm not strong enough at the minute. I'm still healing. I need to lay low for now. I need you to keep her safe, to keep them safe. That's the one thing you can do for me. I will trust you with that.”
“Ray, who is coming for us?”
“Don't you worry about that. I'm gonna make sure he doesn't get anywhere near any of you. I just need to get fit and well, then give him what he wants. For now, I need to go inside his organisation and destroy him. I can't have anyone escape, and I don't know enough about his organisation yet to destroy it.”
“Ray, if we know who's coming, we will know who to look for, who to be wary of.”
“Tank, he’s worn so many faces over the years that you would never see him coming. I never saw him coming. For that, I am truly sorry, but I'm the only one who can get close, the only one he will let in and the only one he will trust. You just need to give me time, okay?”
“Why you, Ray?” I shake my head. “What does he want with you?”
“He wants me to join him, and he wants to take out The Armoury.”
“Fuck, Ray, you can't. It's a fucking suicide mission going up against The Armoury, you know damn well it is.”
“Which is why I probably won't be coming back. I’ve already said too much. I just need you to be careful, stay together and don’t let anyone you don’t know anywhere fucking near the club, okay? Till I’m either back or dead! And if I'm dead, Tank, promise me you will run. Leave the club and never look back.”
“Ray, don’t say shit like that. We can take him down together.”
“Tank, if he gets wind that I haven’t cut myself off from all of you, he will raze the club to the ground. He’s fucking powerful and cautious. For now, I have to go undercover and really be what he wants. I need to make a deal with the devil. If I make it out alive, I will come back for you, okay?'' She reaches across the table and takes both our hands. “Both of you and Tray, if I don't, I've left you everything, the money, the shares in the businesses, it's all yours. You're the nearest thing I have to a kid, Skye. I couldn't love you any more if you were mine.”
It's weird they have this mother-daughter relationship, yet Ray is younger than Skye, Ray and Steel are the only parental figures Skye’s ever known.
“I will give it all up to keep you. I don't want the money, Ray. You left me more than enough when you set the fires. I just need you.”
I keep quiet. I feel I'm missing information here, but this is something between them, so I hold her hand tighter and just listen.
“David has my will, accounts, everything. Just please take care of each other and trust no one!” She stands from the table. “I've stayed too long already. If I don't see you again in this life, I will wait for you all in the next. I love you, Brother. Take care of them. Skye, I’m so proud of the person you're becoming. You're gonna be the best mum ever, and I just hope I get to see it. But if I don’t, I need you to know I love you, and I'm sorry I failed you.”
