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“Get your ass over here so I can hug you, but don’t think I’m not mad at you ’because I’m fucking pissed.”
Marissa laughed as she walked forward and reached out, pulling Janelle into her arms.
****
Caden lifted his glass in the air for the fifth, and hopefully, final toast among the club. He’d left Marissa at the party with a loud-mouthed Janelle. He wasn’t sure about his decision, but the happiness on her face was confirmation he’d done good. But God, that woman is a fucking handful.
“Now, business,” Kase said.
Caden sat at the table. A table his father once reigned king at, and now his brother. The life may not have been anything he wanted, but he could appreciate the symbolism behind it. The brotherhood. Kase slid a check over to Caden. He saw the number without reaching forward. A weight lifted from his chest, and he reached out and took it. It was his first payout since partnering up with the club. Another confirmation of a good decision.
“Thanks.”
“You earned it, man.” Kase jerked his chin and grabbed his glass, raising it over his head. “Final toast so my brother can get the hell outta here. To the newest members of the Reilly family, Riss and the baby, may he be a boy, and one day, a Ghosttown Rider.”
Caden laughed, shaking his head. He chugged the last of his drink and stood from the table. It was getting late, and while the party had been fun, he was eager to get his wife in bed. But before he did, there was something he needed to bring to the attention of the club. He dropped his glass to the table and turned to Kase and the brothers sitting around the table.
Caden had always been the type to mind his business and not get involved in others’ issues. This time it was different. So fucking different. He couldn’t, with clear conscience, not mention it to Kase and the club.
Saint frowned and leaned forward. He could obviously read the indecision on Caden’s face. Saint had always been intuitive to those around him.
“Problem?”
Caden had struggled with mentioning it. He hadn’t brought it up to Marissa because he was sure she would shoot him down in wanting to talk to Kase and the guys about it. It pulled at his heart, though. This was their town, these were their people, and Bailey fell under their protection. He’d been around the club long enough to know how they worked. He also knew how support groups worked with their trust and confidentiality.
Cade glanced up to find Kase watching him.
“Ya got something to say?”
Caden eyed the men around the table. Saint, Trax, and Rourke seemed the most intrigued by his silence.
“Fuck.” He grasped the back of his neck. “I thinking I’m breaking some kind of fucking code with telling you guys.” Caden sighed. His decision was made. “Whatever I tell you has to stay in this room.”
All the men including his brother nodded.
“Been trying to get Riss to go talk to a counselor, but she doesn’t want to. The one-on-one sharing isn’t her thing, but she mentioned wanting to check out this support group. They have a meeting once a month. It’s not specific in their support, more like a bunch of people sharing shit about their life. Ya know, you share if ya want, or you can just listen.” Caden licked his lips, feeling the guilt weigh heavily on his shoulder. He was about to out someone else’s past. “Last week, I took Riss.”
“That’s good, Cade,” Kase said.
Saint interjected, “Rissa share? Did it help?”
Caden drew in a breath and eyed Saint, then his brother, Trax, and Rourke. He may not be a member of the club, but he was certainly a part of them where it mattered most. They all cared about him, and now his wife.
Caden shook his head. “No, she’s a long way off from sharing, but it was good for her. They had a few people, some speakers, who got up and talked about things that went down in their lives. The, uh, last one though, her story,” Caden tightened his lips with a pause. “It was rough.” He scoffed. Rough didn’t even begin to explain it. “It was brutal.” He glanced up and locked eyes with his brother. “We know her.” His gaze scanned the men. “We all know her.”
Kase furrowed his brows.
“Bailey. She got up, told her story.”
“Which was?”
Caden didn’t miss the deadly tone from Saint, who was now raging underneath his always silent façade.
“It’s bad, Saint.”
Saint clenched his jaw. “How bad?”
“It was a domestic thing with her boyfriend when she was nineteen.”
