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His own mother’s words, echoing in his mind.
Colt digested that, his eyes bleak. “Yeah. So you be the one who scares the shit out of Aubrey’s prom date, okay? Go to Florida whenever you can. Take her to Animal Kingdom. All right?”
“You’re just going to walk away from her? Your own daughter?”
Colt’s expression hardened, the Fallen Angels president coming to the top. But not just that; the man who knew what choices he’d made, and where that put him. Tiger’s gut twisted at the inarguable truth in his brother’s eyes.
"The best way to keep her safe is to sever all ties,” Colt said. “I’ll send you money to give to Rose and Bill. Far as the club goes, you're not part of it. I haven’t reinforced it the way Ishould. That stops now. If my enemies think I don’t give a shit about you, could care less if you live or die, they leave you alone. And anyone connected to you.” Colt’s gaze went to the truck, touching on Skye, then came back to him.
“Colt…”
“No. You know it, same as I do. You were always good enough to be President. Better than me. Dad knew it. It was why it stuck in his craw so bad that you walked away.” Colt had moved back a few feet. To his men, his body language would appear indifferent, on guard, in control, but his eyes said something different. “I love you, big brother. You take care of Aubrey, okay?”
Before Tiger could say anything else, he walked away, back to the waiting bikers, a saunter, a leader sure of himself. Tiger watched him go, fighting that same feeling he’d carried for so long. And would keep carrying, probably long after he was told his brother was dead. Or sentenced to life in prison.
On the path he was walking, it wasn’t an if. It was a when.
Tiger had told him to be the best dad he could be for Aubrey. With the life he lived, Colt had decided that meant walking away.
Agreeing with him didn’t make it any easier to watch.
Especially when Tiger didn’t see the president of the Fallen Angels walking away, but the younger brother he’d fished and gotten into trouble with. Who he’d held carefully in his arms when he was born. Tiger remembered his mother’s touch on his face, her protective hand on his arms, helping his younger self cradle the precious burden.
“This is your little brother. I’ll need your help looking after him.”
He couldn’t look after Colt anymore. Or their mother. But he’d sure as hell look after Aubrey.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Skye rode with him to Florida. They drove through the rest of the night, and arrived early afternoon. Rose and Bill opened the front door as soon as they pulled into their driveway. Bill, a sturdy seventy-something with military-short gray hair and a rugged face, carried his granddaughter into the house, to the bedroom that had been hers for some time. Skye and Rose went with them while Tiger stood on the back porch, looking at the boat dock and marsh behind their place. He was so fucking tired. But he still had more to do.
When he came back inside, he sat on the couch, tipping his head back on the head rest. He was dozing when Skye touched his shoulder. Bill and she had returned. “Rose is sitting with her,” Bill said grimly. “Aubrey said she couldn’t wear a nightgown during the day, but Rose told her today was special. She fell asleep while Rose was getting it on her.”
“She slept off and on in the truck, but it’s not the same as being in her own bed. This is home to her.”
At Bill’s wary look of surprise, Tiger brought him up to date on everything. He told him Colt’s decision, and that Tiger would coordinate getting the guardianship papers finalized with Colt, be the go-between.
Rose came down during the last part of the explanation, so he rehashed some of it for her and answered both of their questions. When he at last rose to leave, telling them they needed to go, Skye at his side, Rose hugged him, hard. Bill shook his hand. “I wish you would stay for a day or two at least,” Rose said. “It’s a long drive.”
“Skye needs to get back to work, and I have the garage waiting. We’ll trade off driving. It’ll be fine. I’ll try to come down at least once a month, and Aubrey can call or text me anytime.” Tiger paused. “We’ll need to help her understand why her dad’s not going to be reaching out to her. He’ll give me money for her. I know you don’t need it, but let him do it. It’ll be important to him.”
Bill’s expression hardened. “Our daughter made her own decisions. We’ve tried to accept that. I know he’s your brother, but…”
Tiger shook his head. “He loved Nicole, even if he was shitty at it. He made the right decision tonight, Bill. Her daughter, your grandchild, is safe. That’s all that matters, going forward. He’s paid the cost for the life he’s living.”
The words shoved glass shards into his chest, but Tiger got the rest out. “He’s my little brother. Still is and will always be. The club has a way of swallowing your best intentions to do anything other than the club. It’s why I got out of it.”
Bill gripped his shoulder. “Thank God you did. You come back soon, son.” He glanced at Skye. “You’re welcome to come with him. Anytime. Tiger has always had a strong compass. If it led him to you, then you’re good for him.”
“Sure you don’t want to stop at a hotel tonight?” she typed. Skye had volunteered to take the first shift on the driving, because Tiger looked…she wasn’t sure. But he’d taken the wheel, saying he wanted to stop somewhere on the way.
He shook his head and didn’t say much else, not until he reached that somewhere. It was a state park, with hiking trails and a scenic marsh overlook. Egrets fished in the tall grasses, with their careful long-legged strides, and a shrimp trawler was sailing up the distant waterway.
There was something about daytime when a person had been up over twenty-four hours, facing crises that were now in the rearview mirror. The exhaustion and relief made the sunlight softer, the edges of everything fuzzy.
He put the truck into park. Stared through the windshield, but she didn’t think he was looking at the view. Glancing down abruptly, he retrieved the McDonald’s bag and an empty gummy bear candy mini-pack, one of the snacks they’d gotten for Aubrey. He got out, tossed all of it in the trash can. Then he started walking.
She slid out of the truck. Because he was obviously seeking space, she didn’t chase him, but she kept him within sight. He took a path that led to the overlook, a wooden walkway over the marsh. Several steps across the bridge, he stopped and turned, waiting on her so he could offer her a hand. “Boards are a little slippery,” he said.
