Chapter 12

TWELVE

Adam

I'd walked until I couldn't anymore. Late into the night, from one end of Las Vegas Boulevard to the other, watching the sights, the lights, and the people. And I hadn't come up with any answers. The last thing I wanted to do was make Maria choose between me and her children, but that's what it felt like. Mario was bound and determined to think the worst of me, and at some point, a smart man knew when to admit defeat.

Except I fucking loved her.

I'd given in to the pressure of my club way too easily once upon a time, and now I was faced with a similar situation. I could stick to my guns and risk hurting Maria in the long run, or I could make the bigger sacrifice and let her go. I'd still have Vaughn and Juliet in my life, but the question now was whether or not Maria was better off without me.

There was no way to know for sure, so the only option I had was to let her go.

How could I compete with her family? I was still a veritable stranger, and with my checkered past, it was probably na?ve to think I could make them trust me. Or like me. Or want me to be with their mother.

I headed back to our room and, before I could change my mind, called the airline to see if there was an earlier flight I could take. I hated to abandon Maria, but Mario and Juliet were here, so she'd be okay. It would be easier if I gave her some space and time to think. Maybe she'd come to the same conclusions I had.

Luckily, I was able to get on a flight early the next morning and landed in Lauderdale late in the afternoon. I'd left my truck at the airport, so I headed to Vaughn's house since I had a key. I didn't know what I was going to do in general, but short-term, I had a day or so to hide from everyone before Juliet got home. I'd text Vaughn to let him know where I was, even though I was sure he'd see me on his security camera, and then I had no fucking idea.

Without Maria, my life was pretty meaningless.

Not only did I love her, I lived with her, worked for her, and we spent most of our free time together. We sat together at Knights games, did the shopping together, and even had specific TV shows that we only watched when we were together. Our lives had become so intertwined it was hard to know where she stopped and I started.

At some point, I must have dozed off because I woke on the couch with a crick in my neck and my phone buzzing on the coffee table.

Vaughn.

Shit.

I had to face the music eventually, so there was no time like the present.

"Hey, son."

"Jesus fucking Christ, what are you doing?" he demanded. "Do you know how worried everyone has been?"

"You knew I was fine," I countered. "I needed some time to think is all."

"And what have you decided? Because this is a pretty shitty way to start a marriage."

"I can't make her choose," I said simply.

"Choose? Choose what?"

"Between me and her kids."

"You can be a dumbass sometimes, you know that? Do you really think that strong, independent, fierce-as-fuck woman you married is going to sit back and let her adult children dictate who and what she does in her personal life?"

"She lives for her kids."

"Not anymore. She loves and enjoys them, but they have their own lives now. Why shouldn't she?"

"I don't know." I sighed. "It's complicated."

"No, it's not. This is just what you do. You did it with Mom and me, and I'm telling you now, I'm not letting you do it again."

"Do what?"

"Sacrifice yourself under the guise of protecting the people you love."

"There was no guise in what I did for you and your mother!" I snapped. "The club could have used you to manipulate me at any time if they'd known about you. They could have hurt you. They would have."

"Right, but there were more options than just walking away from us. We needed you more than we needed your money, Dad."

"I did what I thought was best."

"I'll give you that, but you have a lifetime of experience now. Make better choices. Besides, I thought you were a badass biker who wasn't afraid of anything?"

I snorted. "Eh, that's on the outside. The inside is different."

"And on the inside, do you love her?"

"I do. Which is why I'm trying to do what's best for her , instead of for myself."

"Just stop it. You're not some fucking martyr. You're a man with wants and needs, just like everyone else. You get to have something you want, Dad. I want you to have things you didn't get to have last time." His voice was filled with sincerity and emotion, two things he and I didn't show each other very often. "You need this, Dad. And so does she. Neither of you want to spend the rest of your life alone."

"What about Mario?"

"Juliet says they hashed things out."

"Then why hasn't she said anything?"

"Maybe she wants you to fight for her the way she fought for you, even if you didn't stick around long enough to see it."

Fuck .

I'd really screwed everything up.

"When is she coming home?" I asked finally.

"Today, around two. You should be at the house when she gets there." He paused. "Anyway, I'll be home tomorrow, so I guess I'll see you then."

"Thanks, son. I mean it."

"I love you, Dad."

He had no idea how much I loved hearing those words from him. Because he didn't say them often.

"I love you too."

I disconnected and stared up at the ceiling.

I needed to make a couple of phone calls and stop somewhere to pick up flowers. A lot of flowers. They probably wouldn't make up for being a dumbass, but it would be a start.

I hadn't fought for Demi but I sure as fuck was going to fight for Maria.