Chapter 21

Rocky

Sitting around the table at the main hub, waiting for Diesel and a few other brothers before church, my thoughts were squarely on the now prickly woman asleep in one of the rooms down the hall. She'd avoided me for the rest of the day after Cross left, and my coward ass left her alone instead of talking to her, like I knew I should have. I'd figured there'd be an opportunity the next day. But that very next day, she'd packed up all her shit and disappeared off to the clubhouse with Gio, and I hadn't seen her since. I knew she slept a lot and had been sick a lot, so again, I let her be, figuring she needed time. I guessed the stress had finally gotten to her, my shitty treatment of her probably hadn't helped either. But she wasn't making a show at all. She was deliberately avoiding me, and I was starting to fear I'd never fucking see her again.

And it was my own fucking fault.

"All right, guys, let's get started." Diesel walked in and took his seat at the head of the table. I sat to his right and Maverick sat to his left. Diesel looked around, mentally taking note of those in attendance while Hawk documented the minutes of the meeting. "New news?"

Rebel spoke first, as he usually did when it came to MC money matters. "Rocky's scheme has, so far, proven lucrative. We've contacted half of the douchebags on the list so far, and have nearly a quarter million added to the coffers. As of yet there are no signs of retaliation, and we're still rolling out our little threats and receiving more cash as we speak. He sat back and flashed a satisfied smile as he folded his tattooed arms. "I think we should move forward with the next name Slate has vetted."

Diesel nodded, his expression blank but relaxed. "Sounds good." He turned to me with a smile. "Good job, Rocky."

"Yeah, thanks. It's the least that fucker Carter could do for us in death, considering everything else."

Diesel's expression darkened as he, no doubt, was thinking about the fact that Carter's son had kidnapped his woman. "Too fucking right, brother."

Maverick cleared his throat and sat forward. "We have a guest and she's safe," he began, wiggling his eyebrows in my direction. "Doesn't talk much and mostly stays to herself, but whatever trouble is on her tail hasn't made it to us. Yet."

That news filled me with relief. She might be pissed off at me, but I cared about Peyton, and I'd die before I let any harm come to her. "Good news."

Rebel laughed and then pitched his voice low to mimic mine. "Good news." He rolled his eyes. "We all know she's yours whether you've publicly claimed her or not."

I sucked in a shocked breath but hid it behind a glare. "I don't know what you're talking about." These men were my brothers in arms, my family, but I couldn't risk them joking like that in front of Nolo, who had turned up at the clubhouse just before our meeting and was now chilling at the bar with a blonde bunny. I hadn't had a chance to speak with him yet. Nobody had mentioned Peyton's name in front of him, and I hoped that the matter would just drop, permanently, before someone said something unfortunate.

"Yeah, sure," Maverick shot back, a hint of sympathy in his tone. "Let's go with that. For now." That was his way of telling me this conversation wasn't over, just paused for a later date.

Any brother who had any new news or settled problems put it on the record, making sure the rest of us knew what we needed to know for the next week. I listened, but my thoughts were still on Peyton. I needed to talk to her, to clear the air, and the minute the meeting was over, I made a beeline to go in search of her.

"Hey, Dad," Nolo called out to me from his spot at the bar where Simone, another club bunny, draped herself across his chest. "Over here."

I gritted my teeth and flashed a smile I didn't feel. I was always happy to see my son, but his timing today was fucking inconvenient. "Nolo. What brings you by?" Though I was sure I could guess.

He smiled and politely separated himself from Simone's clinging touch. "I stopped by the house and found it empty. Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine. Peyton was going a little stir crazy, so I brought her here for a change of scenery."

He had that determined look in his eyes, nodding as he looked around the clubhouse. "I need to talk to her."

"That's not a good idea."

Nolo's expression darkened, and I was a little taken aback. "I wasn't asking for your permission."

He was leveling me with a look I wasn't familiar with, half challenging and half…I didn't know what. I blinked as I stared back, and the question passed through me whether he knew something was going on between me and Peyton, or not. I really didn't know.

I sighed, rubbing my hand over my chin, and stepped back. "Do what you gotta do."

I nodded to Tess for a beer as my son took off. I hated this fucking feeling, as if my own damn kid was competition when he wasn't, which only made me feel like an asshole because I knew he had no chance with Peyton.

"You need to tell him." My brother's voice sounded beside me.

I hadn't heard him approach, and I sent Gio a glare. "Shut the fuck up. Forever."

"I don't need to shut up," he said, unfazed as he took the stool beside me. "You need to open your dumb mouth and talk to your son."

I took a long pull of my beer. "And what is it that I need to tell him, Gio?"

"That you're in love with Peyton, fuck face." I scowled and looked away, as Gio continued to talk. "He'll be hurt no matter what, but if he knows how you feel, he'll forgive you." The eventually in that statement went unspoken.

"Shut the fuck up." I shook my head as I took another long pull of the icy beer. "Forever."

"Rocky…"

"I'm not in love with anyone—"

"Yes, you are."

"—and even if I was," I continued, talking over my stupid brother, "whatever we had is over."

"That's why she's here?"

I nodded. "She doesn't want to see me. She doesn't want a single thing to do with me, and I can't blame her."

"You ended it," he said, a shocked expression on my brother's usually playful face.

I glared at him. "I didn't end shit."

"She did? Why?"

I shrugged, not wanting to talk about it anymore. "Because of Nolo." I guess, in a roundabout way, that was the reason.

"Are you fucking sureabout that?" Gio asked incredulously.

"Sure about what?" Nolo said, suddenly appearing at my side, and I wondered briefly if I was going deaf, because I didn't hear him approaching, either.

"Nothing," I said gruffly. "Everything all right?"

"No," Nolo said as he sat on my other side. "Peyton said she wasn't in the mood to talk and told me to go away."

His expression darkened when neither of us responded. "Tell me what's going on. You both know, but no one will tell me anything."

"Because it's not for you to worry about," Gio said. "If she wanted you to know, she would tell you."

"Bullshit," Nolo growled.

"Did it ever occur to you that she's not telling you because she doesn't want you to do some dumb shit that will get you, or her, hurt?"

"I wouldn't."

Gio shook his head. "You're out of your depth, kid. I love you, but you don't know fuck about what she's dealing with right now, and even if you did, you couldn't help her."

Nolo's shoulders stiffened, and he sent me a quick, angry glance. "Not like Dad can, huh?"

I pressed my lips together, feeling a cold dread in my stomach. But I did nothing but glare at my beer.

"Come on," Gio finally said, after a long, tense moment. "Let's grab some grub. Rocky is paying."

But Nolo just grabbed his things and stood abruptly. "No, I think I'll head back home." He sent me another quick, heated look that I was too cowardly to return, and left.

And I couldn't help but feel like I was failing everyone.