Page 33 of Heart of a Hero

Dawson smiled at her. “But you love me anyway, and you know it.”

She nodded. “I do. Just remember how much your dad loves you too when he rips into you later.”

“As for how you know I helped start the Swift Angels…”

His mom just smirked at him. I had a feeling there was a story there. Which meant she’d actually known all this before we’d arrived, and had merely acted like this was a big surprise. Something told me being around her would keep things interesting.

* * *

Dawson

I watched as Mom and Nora got to know one another better, a sense of relief washing over me. If anyone could make her feel welcome here, it was my mother. But as I turned to face my father, the tension in his jaw and the hardness in his eyes told me our conversation wouldn’t be quite so easy.

“Let’s take a walk,” Dad said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I followed him across the yard, moving away from the house and toward the back of the compound. It wasn’t lost on me this was where they used to take people they wanted to make disappear. When we were well out of earshot of pretty much any human in the area, he turned to face me, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

“What the hell are you thinking, son?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Bringing an outsider here to the club? You know better than that. And what the fuck are you wearing?”

I stood my ground, meeting his gaze head-on. “Nora’s not just an outsider, Dad. She’s my future. And I need you to trust me on this. As for the other…”

Dad shook his head, frustration etched into the lines of his weathered face. “Trust? You’re asking a lot, boy. You walked away from the club, from your family. I know you stopped by now and again, but it’s not the same. And now you expect us to welcome you back with open arms? While wearing colors for another club, no less. That alone took some balls. If your grandfather saw you wearing that, he’d probably pound your ass into the ground.”

I clenched my fists, fighting back the anger that threatened to boil over. “I’m not asking for a free pass. Yes, I wore my club colors because I didn’t know how else to tell you. You think I haven’t known how you’d react? Howeveryonewould react? It’s why I kept this part of my life a secret, along with a few other things. But Nora and Taylor… they’re non-negotiable.”

Dad’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer, his presence looming over me. “Non-negotiable? You’ve got some nerve, Dawson. The club has rules, traditions. You can’t just waltz back in and expect everything to change for your little family.”

I stood tall, refusing to be intimidated. “I’m not asking anyone to change, Dad. I’m just asking for a chance. A chance to show you that I can be a good son, a good brother, and a good father. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m here now, ready to make things right. It was wrong of me to hide the fact I’d become a firefighter, or that I’d helped create a new club. I admit I was wrong. But can you try to see it from my point of view? My dad was the fucking VP of the Dixie Reapers. How the hell was I supposed to tell you I helped form a club for first responders?”

Dad’s jaw went tight, and he just glared at me. Yeah, I’d known he would be pissed. Honestly, right now, I’d rather he yell at me. His silence was always far worse, especially since I had no idea what thoughts were rattling around in his head.

I threw my hands up in the air and turned away, wondering what the hell it would take to get through to him. Then again, I’d known he would be like this. It was the main reason I hadn’t said a damn thing. I’d known the moment I confessed what I’d been up to there was a good chance he’d tell me to never come back. Even if I didn’t agree with how the Reapers did things, they were still my family.

I turned back to face him, thinking he was a little too quiet. Dad’s gaze bore into mine, searching for any hint of weakness or doubt. I met his stare unflinchingly, pouring every ounce of determination and sincerity into my words. “I love Nora and Taylor, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe and happy. Same for the baby. Even if it means facing the judgment of the club, of you.”

My dad rocked back on his heels. “Baby? Seriously?”

I wasn’t sure if he wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose like he often did with my sisters, or if he wanted to take a swing at me. Like I’d ever fucking tell him the baby wasn’t biologically mine. If I had things my way, that kid would know me as their dad.

For a long moment, the silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken emotions and years of built-up tension. Finally, Dad’s shoulders slumped, and he let out a heavy sigh. “You always were a stubborn one, just like your mother.”

A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest. “So, you’ll give us a chance?”

Dad’s expression remained guarded, but I caught the faintest hint of softening in his eyes. “Like I’d hold any of this against Nora and the kids. But as for you and the Swift Angels… One chance, Dawson. That’s all you get. You prove to me, to the club, that you’re serious about your new little family, and that your club won’t be a hindrance for the Dixie Reapers. If you can do that, our gates will remain open to you. I’ll convince the others somehow.”

I nodded, relief and gratitude washing over me. “Thank you, Dad.”

As we walked back toward the house, I marveled at how much my dad was willing to bend for his kids, no matter what shit we dumped on his door. Well, except my sisters. They’d royally fucked up a while back and nearly run off our Aunt Meredith and Uncle Lynx. Even my parents telling them to leave and not come back hadn’t made a big enough impression on them. No, they were so stubborn they’d been sent to Casper VanHorne for an attitude adjustment. Both the Devil’s Fury, the club their men belonged to, and the Dixie Reapers had figured if the retired assassin couldn’t straighten them out, then they were a lost cause. Thankfully, it had worked, but they still didn’t come home that often.

When we walked into the house, the sound of Mom’s laughter drew my attention away from my own thoughts, and I turned to see her and Nora engaged in an animated conversation. As I approached, snippets of their words floated through the air, mingling with the distant rumble of motorcycles and the faint scent of leather and whiskey.

“… and then he just took off, stark naked, running through the compound!” Mom’s eyes sparkled with mirth as she recounted what I could only imagine was a wild tale from her past.

“Shit, Ridley. Of all the stories to tell her,” my dad grumbled. “Don’t leave out the part where you, Darian, and Isabella stood outside the clubhouse to watch.”

Definitely not something I needed to know. But it wasn’t a big secret my mom liked watching the younger club members work out. She and Darian went once a week, sometimes with popcorn in hand. It was something of a joke around the compound now, but I knew it irritated the shit out of my dad.

Nora’s delicate hand flew to her mouth, stifling a giggle. “No way! What happened next?”

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