Chapter Eight

I t's been a week since my father's death, and I haven't heard anything from the club. Even though we weren't close, I can't let this go. Especially with everything I've learned.

I can't walk away. He dragged me into his mess.

When I pull into the clubhouse, there are guys lingering around, looking my way. Even though I grew up here and I'm part of the same club, just a different chapter, they look at me as if I'm the enemy.

"Has church started?" I ask Loyal as he walks my way.

"You got here right on time," he tells me as I get off my bike.

"Thanks for the call."

"No problem."

Side by side, we walk into the clubhouse. When Range, my father's goon who plays security, sees me, he starts walking my way with a glare on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asks gruffly.

"I heard you guys are about to hold church, and it's my right as my father's son to sit in on the discussions."

His jaw tics, but he nods, knowing I'm right. When a president dies, his heir is allowed to make their case for that position. Historically, the son was part of the same chapter, but it's written in the bylaws with no stipulation of the son being part of that chapter.

I follow him into church, and he shuts the door behind us.

"Colt, welcome," Baldie, the treasurer, says with a friendly smile.

"Baldie." I nod.

When I was a kid, he was my favorite guy out of all my father's men. He used to keep candy in the kitchen for us kids. Hell, I bet he still does.

Tiny, the sergeant at arms, shifts with an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Tiny, do you have a problem with me being here?" I challenge as I sit in my father's spot.

I don't miss the subtle glares that are quickly hidden. No one here is my friend today. That's okay, though. I know something they don't know. I know that there is at least one person at this table who is a traitor. I just have to figure out who it is before it's too late.

"No, I'm glad you made it," he lies and clears his throat. "What could we help you with?"

"Well, I was wondering where we were with planning my father's funeral."

The men around the table share a look, but it's Axel who speaks. "I'm sure his wishes were in his will."

I clench my jaw. "Are you telling me you guys haven't begun to plan his final send-off? The president of your club for the last twenty years, the man who was a member for ten years before that?"

Baldie raises his hand. "Now, that's not what we were saying. We will do something to honor him, but we figured you would want to have a private funeral where you aren't part of this chapter. That, and with the way he died, we are in the process of finding another leader. Fend is MIA. It's a mess."

"Baldie," Tiny growls at him.

"What? He has a right to know," Baldie tells him.

"Really?" I narrow my eyes as I look around the room, making the men squirm. "Last I checked, we belong to the same club, just different chapters. Why would I not want him to have a proper outlaw send-off with the men he led and gave his everything to protect?"

"Alright, then we can start working on something. I can't promise that it will be big, but we can do something," Baldie grumbles.

"We have other pressing matters," Tiny says. "We can't appease him just because he decided to show back up. In fact, shouldn't you be heading out of town? Your three months are about up."

"I'm not going anywhere until I find out who killed my father. It's a priority for me, unlike you. Do you even care about finding out who came into your clubhouse that night and shot your president? How they made it past all the men I know were here to shoot him? Hell, I ran right in without being stopped. Or hell, maybe worry about, I don't know, where the hell your VP is."

Tiny narrows his eyes. "As you pointed out, you are not a member of our chapter, so where we are on investigating isn't any of your concern."

I clench my fists under the table. "Where the fuck were you when this place was in chaos after my father was shot? Where were any of you when he needed you most? You weren't here. I know because I am the one who took the reins and got the men sorted. I got the doctor here to tend to the men."

"Where we were or what club business we were on is none of your business. You might have the right to petition to become president based on the archaic bylaws, but it doesn't make you part of our chapter until the vote is complete. Is there anything else you have to discuss with us?" Tiny spits.

"Not at this time…" I grit out.

Tiny nods. "Then it's time for you to leave. We have some private club business to discuss. You understand."

"We will keep you informed on what we plan for your father so you can be there," Baldie tells me.

I nod as I stand. "I'd appreciate it. Gentlemen, until next time."

I make my way out of the room, curbing the urge to slam the door behind me.

Loyal pushes off the bar and walks toward me, following me outside.

"How did that go?" he asks as I get on my bike.

I look around and make sure no one is listening before asking quietly. "What do you know about the men closest to my father?"

Loyal shrugs. "Not that much. I only started prospecting about two months ago. Baldie and your dad seemed close, same with Fend. Tiny tends to keep to himself. He has been going off with some of the men lately. His own little group that he decided he likes most."

"What do you think about any of them?"

"What do you mean?"

"What does your gut say? Do any of them set off alarm bells to you?"

Loyal frowns as he thinks about it. "There're a couple of guys in the club that rub me the wrong way, but I can't quite place why. I know I don't want to be part of the group Tiny likes. They tend to do reckless things sometimes. Like jumping off an old gate bridge into the river."

I can see why the kid would be concerned. It's high enough to break your neck if you hit the water wrong. Maybe Tiny isn't the one betraying the club. Maybe he's just a cocky asshole with his eye on the president's seat.

"Send me a list of who, and I'll look into it."

He looks around with indecision on his face. He has been helping me out a lot, which would normally not be good, but no matter who takes over, I'll make sure he gets his patch.

"It won't come back on you, I promise. I will make sure they know what you did for the club when this is all done."

He nods slowly. "Yeah, okay."

"Talk soon," I say as I turn on my bike.

Loyal steps away, and I take off. On the ride home, my brain quiets for the first time in days. My worry of the unknown and the need for justice all fade into the background as the wind hits me in the face.

With my bike vibrating under me and the sun beating down on my skin, I find a level of peace that I haven't experienced since that bloody night.

All too soon, I pull up to Kaitlyn's house, and Fang meets me outside.

"How did it go?" he asks as soon as I shut off my bike.

Quickly, I fill him in, and the longer I talk, the angrier he gets.

He shakes his head. "That's not right. Who doesn't plan on doing something for their president? And to shut you out like that? What the fuck?"

"Them, I guess, and I don't know what to make of all of it."

I run a hand over my face. I don't know what to think of that entire meeting. I know that every chapter does shit differently, but nothing about that meeting felt right.

"Well, you know I'm here to help. Just tell me what you need."

"Thank you."

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?" he asks, changing the subject.

"Not much, no."

"You should go inside, cuddle that baby, and get some rest. You're no good to any of us if you're running on fumes."

Reluctantly, I nod. "You're right."

He smirks. "I usually am. Now go in there. I'll hold down the fort while you get some shut-eye."

"Thanks, man. For everything," I say, slapping his shoulder as I get off my bike.

"You're welcome."

The doorbell rings, and I drop the towel onto the counter.

"Are you ready for this?" Colt asks.

"I am." I head to the door but pause. "And Colt, please be nice."

Colt scoffs. "I'm always nice."

I roll my eyes but keep my mouth shut as I make my way to the front door.

"Hi, come on in!" I say when I open the door.

"Hey, sweetheart." Dad leans down, kissing my cheek.

"Hi, Daddy," I say as he kisses my cheek. I look over at my mother and smile. "Hi, Mom."

"Thank you for having us." She says the words, but I can tell she's not happy.

She's made it very clear where she stands on the Colt issue. I just no longer care. If she can't accept him, then I'm done trying.

"Of course," I say as I shut the door behind them. "And you guys remember Colt?"

Dad and Colt shoot me a look that says, "Are you serious?" but I ignore them.

"Whatever you've made smells wonderful." My mom compliments me, ignoring him completely.

"Thanks. I can't take all the credit, Colt helped make dinner."

"Really?" my mother says skeptically.

"Really. Dinner's done, so why don't you guys sit and Colt and I will grab the food."

My parents go to my dining room table, and Colt and I grab the food.

It takes us a few minutes to get the table set up with drinks for everyone.

"Dig in," I say as I set the last dish down.

In silence, we put food on our plates and dig in. To say the tension in the room is stifling would be an understatement.

"How is my grandson?" my mother asks, looking around for him.

"Kolby is great. He's taking a nap right now."

My mom makes a tsking noise and shakes her head.

"Liza…" Dad warns.

"What? I didn't say anything," she mumbles.

"But you wanted to. I told you to stop questioning her parenting," he tells her. "She is Kolby's mother, and she makes the decisions for him. You cannot control everything."

"Well, the last time we spoke, she told me that he wasn't sleeping through the night yet. It's no wonder he's not if they are letting him sleep this late. I'm allowed to tell her when she is doing something wrong. Why would I let her make mistakes when I know the answers?"

"You realize he's a newborn, right, and they sleep between fourteen and seventeen hours a day?" Colt says, making her shut up.

She turns, glaring at him. I can tell she really wants to tell him about himself, but she's smart enough to keep her mouth shut this time.

Once again, we all fall silent, unsure of what to say.

I look at Colt and then my father. Both of them knew going into this dinner how important tonight was to me. I figured they would both be trying a little harder than they are.

"Are you two okay?" I blurt out.

Dad clears his throat. "What do you mean, sweetheart?"

"I don't think I've ever heard either of you be this quiet."

Dad winces. "Sorry, I came here straight from the club, and business is still on my mind." He looks over at Colt. "I'm sorry to hear about your father. We might have had our differences, but he was a good man."

"Thank you." Colt nods. Under the table, he places his hand on my knee and looks at me. "And I apologize, I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"I think that's understandable, all things considered. I know how hard it is to bury a brother, I can't imagine having to bury a loved one under the circumstances," Dad tells him.

Colt's jaw clenches. "Thank you."

"Let me know when the funeral is. We would be honored to come pay our respects to him."

Colt swallows hard, but nods.

Silence descends again. It's driving me nuts.

"I was thinking about taking Kolby to a mommy and me class," I say suddenly.

"What is that?" my mother asks with a disgusted look on her face.

"It's a group thing. You go and the teacher talks about things you can do with the baby to help promote healthy development. You get to meet other parents too and create friendships. I thought it would be a good idea."

"Oh, so you can take a stranger's advice, but not your own mother's?" she hisses.

"Liza," my father booms out, causing the whole table to freeze.

I watch as my mother lowers her gaze. My father never treats my mother poorly, but a few times over the years, I have heard him use this voice with her. He's had to use it with me, too. It's the one that tells us that he has had enough, and if we continue, he will punish us.

For me, it was a time-out, but I don't know what my mother's punishment is.

My father takes a deep breath, looking at Colt. "That's a pretty nice ride you got out there. What is it? An Indian Scout?"

"Yes, sir. The 2024 Limited Edition Indian Scout."

"Nice. How fast does it go?"

I smile as the two start to talk bikes. The rest of the dinner goes by much easier with the men finally putting in the effort. I can still tell there is tension between them, but they are doing their best.

For me.

It means everything to me. I want the two men in my life to like each other. If not like, at least tolerate one another. It's the only way I can make this work with Colt. My father is a prominent figure in my life. I never plan to change that. Colt needs to be accepting of that as much as my father needs to accept that whether Colt and I date, Colt will always be in my life because of Kolby.

As dinner winds down, I start to clean up.

"Sit and relax. Let me get this," Colt says, standing to grab the plates from the table. My mother doesn't even acknowledge him as he takes her plate. My father thanks him, though.

I consider it progress.

"We should get going. Come on, Liza."

"I didn't even get to see Kolby," she mutters.

"And you'll be lucky if you see him again this week with your attitude. Now stand up, tell your daughter you love her, and go wait by the fucking bike," my father bites at her.

I glance elsewhere, trying not to make it obvious that I can hear their hushed tones.

Finally, my mother stands, walking over to me, and gives me an awkward hug. "I love you, daughter."

Then she turns and walks away without another word.

My father stands, walking over to me and pulling me in for a warm hug. "I'm sorry about her. I will talk to her."

I nod. "Don't be too hard on her. I know what that voice used to mean to me."

He chuckles. "Mind your business, little girl," he jokes. "Walk me to the door."

I do as he asks, waiting as he steps outside before turning around. I can see my mother pouting as she stands next to my father's bike.

"He isn't as bad as I thought. I remember him as the punk kid he once was, but it seems he's done some growing up," my father finally admits.

I smile. "Really?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. All I'm saying is that you could've picked a worse man to be your baby daddy. I still don't want you moving to Vegas with him, though. You stay here where you belong." He taps his finger on my nose.

I shake my head. "We haven't talked about it. When we do, you'll be the first to know."

"Alright. Fair enough. Love you, Katie bug."

"I love you too, Dad."

I wait until he is at his bike before I call out to him.

"Bye." I wave as I close the door.

Blowing out a breath, I flip the lock and walk back to the living room. Colt is in the middle of the room, waiting for me.

"That wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it wasn't what I was expecting," I quip.

Colt runs a hand over his face. "I'm sorry."

I sit down on the couch and pat my lap. "Come here." He frowns, making me roll my eyes. "Put your head in my lap."

He lays down across the couch and does as I ask. I begin to run my nails over his scalp, making him groan.

"That feels amazing."

"I'm glad, now tell me what's going on."

Colt's jaw clenches, and he squeezes his eyes shut. "I don't want to pull you into this, Kaitlyn."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I already am. Now talk to me. You need to get whatever's bothering you out."

He takes a deep breath. "He was murdered."

"I know. Do you have any leads on who it could be?"

He looks at me with pain-filled eyes. "I think it was an inside job," he says, making me freeze.

Inside job.

It can't be. That would be the ultimate betrayal.

"You're pulling my hair."

I shake my head and start running my hands through his hair again. "What makes you think it was an inside job?"

"You know I can't give you the details, but I just do. Some things have come to light, and I just don't know what to make of them. Especially with how people are acting."

"Are we safe?"

"Babe," he says, waiting until I look at him before he continues. "I would never put you two in danger."

I nod. "I know, but it's a legitimate question."

And I do. I know that he would never willingly bring danger to our door.

"If you can't bounce ideas off of me or talk to me about it, maybe talk to the guys from your chapter," I tell him.

He shakes his head. "I don't want to pull them into it any more than I have to."

"All those times on the phone when you would beg me to move to Vegas and be with you, you told me how much of a family unit you were. How everyone always had everyone else's back. That I would love it because it was a lot more of a family feel than my father's club. If that is the case, then why wouldn't you call them now? Wouldn't they want to be here for you?"

He hesitates before letting out a sigh. "You're right, and that is still true. I guess it's more of the fact that I don't have anything that they can do at this point. Trigger is working on some things for me, but the other guys being down here would only bring questions. Until I'm sure I need them, I want them to be hidden."

I guess that makes sense. "Just think about it, okay?" I tell him.

"Okay."

I take a deep breath. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

He grabs my free hand and brings it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "Honestly? You're already doing it, and thank you. I know you didn't sign up for all of this."

"Of course, and for the record, you didn't sign up for this either."

He chuckles without humor. "That ain't no lie."

We fall silent, both lost in our own heads.

And all I can think about is that I hope that Colt doesn't get lost in his need for revenge.