Page 64 of Swan

She’d stolen my damn organ years ago.

It’d crushed me when I saw her with Lockland. The love of her life. But it’d shattered me when I heard her cries from the car after she’d lost him.

My beautiful birdy was slowly putting her soul back together after the devastating blow. She was not only stunning but strong. She probably didn’t feel it, but I could see her strength. Everyone around her did too. All we could do was support her in every way possible as she tried to find herself again.

“You’re Talon’s son.”

I stilled for a beat, then glanced over to Griz, who was watching the road. “Not somethin’ new to me, brother.”

His jaw ticked. “Your father is the closest friend and brother to me. Hell, we’re more than brothers. We’re all family.”

Where was he going with this?

“And?”

His upper lip flickered as he glanced over with a glare, then back to the road. “And if you fuckin’ hurt my daughter, no matter who your dad is, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you.”

What the fuck?

“Don’t know what you’re on about,” I tried.

How the hell did he know I was in love with his daughter?

“Boy, I ain’t stupid. I see the way you look at her. I know you’ve been watchin’ her after her sessions with the doc to make sure she gets to her car, because I’ve been there a few times too. She might not have a clue, but I saw it clearly, and you, boy, need to be goddamn sure your feelin’s are true and not some twisted little kid’s?—”

“I’m twenty-fuckin’-two,” I reminded him. Hated it when they called me boy. Christ, sometimes I even felt older than I already was.

“I fuckin’ know that. You sayin’ this isn’t some schoolboy crush? That if she’d have you, you’d claim her as your old lady?”

“Yes,” I clipped, pissed he thought I was too young to have these strong feelings for the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. In our world, we didn’t know how long our lives would be. Lockland was proof enough. Anything could happen. More so when being a part of the club.

That first moment Swan took my breath away, I knew I’d do anything to make her happy. Even if it wasn’t me she wanted.

Which was why I told Griz, “But she’s gotta find herself again through all the sorrow, and I know that’s still gonna take a long time. I won’t put any pressure on her. Hell, I won’t even confess my feelin’s. She’s in control. If her path leads to me in the end, then I’ll be damn blessed to have her as mine. If it doesn’t and she finds another, then, even if it fuckin’ kills me, I’d wish her well and leave her be.”

“Fuck you, brother,” Griz ground out.

I jerked my head around to him. “What the hell for?”

“For makin’ me think that if my daughter does choose you, she’ll be in good hands. I hate that I fuckin’ like you, Dragon. I wanted to hate you for havin’ those feelin’s for my girl, but you made me see she’ll be lucky to have you. Hope it works out for the both of you.” His grip tightened once more around the steering wheel.

I snorted. “Do you really hope that, ’cause the way you’re stranglin’ that wheel makes me think you wish it was my neck.”

He grinned coldly. “A man can still dream. You gotta remember, in my eyes, she’ll always be my little girl.”

“I know, Griz.”

He grunted again as we pulled into the compound driveway, waiting for the gates to open.

It was damn nice to know Griz gave me his blessing. But that was only if the woman of my dreams saw me as more than a friend.

My brother, Cody—Coyote was his club name—moved in with his woman, Channa, a long time ago, leaving his apartment above his Harley store free. That was until he’d offered it to me a month ago.

My twin, Ruby, had been pissed I got offered over her. Cody didn’t ask her, as he didn’t want to enable her and Dillon’s relationship.

Chuckling at the thought, I shook my head as I unlocked the door.

It was too late for that since their relationship was already heading towards marriage. Made me sick with how lovestruck Dillon was when he looked at my sister.

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