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“They’re fine. Safe, happy and I ain’t about to admit it to him, but Nyx is a good kid. He’ll take care of them.”
“That’s exactly what they are, Jimmer, kids,” Joanne says, knocking back a large mouthful of her drink before Shelly even has chance to place it on the table.
“That may be so, but they seem to have it together. Better than we ever did,” I remind her of the mistakes we made.
“I did what I thought was right at the time, Vincent had money, he gave us security. He was legitimate.” She looks around the bar that was once the Dirty Souls Clubhouse like it would never have been enough.
“I thought he’d give us the life we needed,” she adds.
“When did he start beating on ya?” I ask, fisting my hand at the thought.
“Soon as Ella was born, I never hid from him who she belonged to. I thought it might protect us in case you ever came for her.”
I laugh again.
“If I’d have known what that sick bastard was about,I’d have come for you both, and there would have been nothing that cunt could have been capable of doing that would have stopped me.”
“Why did you bring me here, Jimmer?” she cuts me to the point.
“I just wanted you to know that our girl’s safe. That you are welcome in the compound to meet your grandson anytime you want, and that if you ever need club protection you got it. You always fuckin’ had it, which is why I’m so mad at you for not coming to me.”
“Ella must hate me,” Joanne’s hand shakes as she lifts the glass up to her lips again.
“She just doesn’t understand, especially now she’s got Dylan. She’s a good Mom, she’d protect that boy with her own life.”
“I tried to protect her,” Joanne tries to convince me.
“All you had to do was leave,” I shrug.
“For what, Jimmer? A shot at being your old lady?” Her voice is tinged with bitterness and it lightsup a new rage inside me.
“Would that have been so bad? At least I’d have respected you.” I manage to catch her hand as it comes at my face.
“Let’s not forget who I am, Joanne,” I warn her, gripping hard at her wrist and releasing her when she slowly starts to back down.
“Ella and Dylan are gonna spend the rest of their life surrounded by people who care about them, she’s got friends and a family, and they’ll be happy.”
“Can you tell her I’m sorry?” Joanne asks.
“You should tell her that yourself.”
“I can’t face her,” she admits shamefully.
“Just make the call if you change your mind.” I stand up and move to walk away, but freeze in my tracks when her hand curls softly around mine.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “Do a better job taking care of her than I did.” The tears in her eyes prick like a thorn in my heart.
“You just worry about taking care of yourself,” I tell her, walking away before I give her any more of me. Troj stands up from the bar, nodding a goodbye to Shelly and follows me out into the ice-cold evening.
He doesn’t ask me any questions as I saddle my bike, and then he follows me in the short ride back to the club.
It’s late, but there’s still one more person I have to see before I can wind down.
“Where’s your brother?” I ask Nyx when I find him in the main bar. It still feels strange, how Brax could have kept the fact they were brothers from him for so long.
And Brax has more secrets, I’m fucking sure of it. I just can’t worry about that right now.
I have a job that needs taking care of, a favor for a friend that I never expected to be called in, and Brax is perfect for the job.
