Page 30 of Rox

“Rox, baby, maybe we should go,” I tell her as I try to pull her back.

“No. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Dad, but this is how I’m feeling. I’m feeling as if what I want for my life doesn’t matter to any of you. Especially you. And Angel, I truly can’t believe you. You’re my best friend, but you don’t get to decide what I do with my life either.

“If you want to voice your concerns, give me advice when I ask for it, and be there for me when things go wrong, that’s great. I want you there. You don’t get to be there to decide how I live. Not anymore. You lost that right the day I turned eighteen.”

The room goes quiet, and for once, I don’t know what to do. If this were another brother or someone going against the club, I would take care of it. I can’t, and won’t, do that to Rox. I would never do to her what I do to those who cross us.

Growing up the way I did, you learn to turn off your emotions and disassociate from everything. It’s only become easier to do the longer I’ve been stealing identities and working with the club. But when it comes to Rox, my heart is on my sleeve. Hell, half the time, it isn’t even with me but in her hand. My solution for problems can’t be fixed the way it normally would. What I can do, though, is support her. This may cause another rift between them and absolutely between them and me, but she’smy lady. I pull her harder and wrap my arms around her. She sinks back into me, and instant relief comes over me.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Dizz grumbles.

“Enough, Mike.”

We all turn around, and sure as shit, there’s the Queen of this club, Meg. She makes her way up to her husband, and when I look at him, all I see is defeat.

Dizz is the President of this club. We all hold him with a high level of respect. But all of us, including him, know the real one who runs this place. It’s his spitfire wife. She commands attention and respect when she’s in the room, and if she’s involved, what she says goes. Given this situation is because of her kid, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that she’s here.

“Meg.”

“Don’t. I’m tired of this way of thinking. It was the same in Wyman, and it’s continued here. I’m over it. I get it; it’s the lifestyle, but she’s a person, Mike. She deserves to make the choices when it comes to her life. Your club members are the only ones you have a say over.”

“Then Mimic—”

She holds up her hand to stop him. “Don’t even try it. If you sit there and try and say, “Then Mimic should have asked,” or “Mimic should’ve left her alone,” or even think, “Then I forbid Mimic,” I will divorce you. This isn’t about your club. This is about your daughter’s heart. If you sat back for even a moment, you would see how in love with each other they are. You would have seen it years ago.”

Meg looks back at us and smiles before turning back to her husband. “You don’t rule this part of life, Mike.”

“You wear the patch.”

“I wear the patch because I want others to know I’m yours and that you’re mine. I have never thought I was an actual piece of property and relinquished my control to you. I assume it’d bethe same for Roxie and Mimic. It’s a patch to wear because it’s full of honor and love, that’s it.

“Think back to home, Mike. Do you honestly think someone like Elvira would allow the shit you’re trying to pull? Or Bri? No one has ever been able to contain Ashlynn. Hell, AJ is Butcher’s daughter, and he couldn’t even stop it. Butcher. Think about that.

“I understand your concern when it comes to your kids. It’s one of the reasons why I love you so much. You’ve been that way from the moment you met Roxie and me, and it’s never changed. But you really do need to step back and take a look at the bigger picture. Your daughter is grown. She’s found her person. It’s time to accept it or lose her.”

Dizz sighs, “What about the age difference, Meg?”

“What about it, Prez?” I ask. It’s about time I said something. And sure, I can see where his concern is coming from, but I met her as an adult. I’ve never known her as a child.

“You’re old as fuck, Mimic.”

“Thirteen years isn’t that much, honey,” Meg says with a smile on her face.

I hear Rox giggle, and it takes everything I have not to smack her ass for it. It’s fine. I’ll just do it later. “I’m really not, Prez. And as Rox and your wife have pointed out, she isn’t a child.”

“Daddy,” Rox cuts in, “If you truly can’t see how happy I am, then I’m gonna make this easier on all of us and leave.”

“How does leaving make this easier?”

“It probably doesn’t,” she shrugs, “but what do you want me to do? You’re not listening. You’re choosing to be mad at this. This room is full of men you trust. If you should trust any man with my heart, it should be one of them. And it is. Mimic holds it tight and keeps it safe. Would you rather I just fuck my way through town?”

“Don’t you fucking dare!” every man in the room yells. Well, at least we can all agree to that. Meg smiles, and I can only assume Rox is, too.

“Roxanne…”

The room gets so quiet, you can hear a pin drop. I’m not sure how this is going to go. Not that I was sure before, either.

“This is intense.”

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