Page 41 of Parrish

Chapter Sixteen

Jack Parrish

The sound of Reina’s cries ring in my ears as I step onto the stoop and close the front door behind me. My hand lingers on the doorknob and for a fleeting minute I contemplate grabbing her and Danny and going on the lam. Fuck surrendering. Fuck the club. Fuck everything. We can move to Mexico and change our fucking names, start all over.

You wouldn’t make it to the border, Parrish.

As much of a cunt that voice inside my head is, she’s also fucking right.

Pulling my aviators off the top of my head, I fix them onto the bridge of my nose and cover my bloodshot eyes from the world. Patting my pockets, I bite out a curse when I pull out my phone. I thought I had left all my personal items on the dresser.

“You ready, Jack?” Wolf says, climbing the few steps to meet me.

Meeting his gaze, I lift my phone and release a sigh.

“I thought I left everything in the house,” I tell him, glancing down at the smart phone and the picture of my wife and kids that acts as the wallpaper. For years the fellas were on my case about getting one of these fancy fucking phones. I didn’t see the point. The flip phone worked just fine. I didn’t need horns and whistles or a beautiful photo on the screen to remind me of everything I was losing, I just need to make a fucking phone call.

“Alright, we got time for you to go back inside,” Wolf says, shoving his hands in his pockets. The thought of going back in that house and seeing the destruction I caused when I walked out the door is too much to handle.

“I can’t go back in there,” I say adamantly. “When we get to the D.A.’s office and I hand you over the keys to my Harley, I’ll give you the phone too.”

He nods.

“Whatever you want to do,” he replies. “You’re calling the shots here.”

His eyes drift past my shoulder and I watch him crook his finger, beckoning his son. Bits and pieces of last night’s episode flash before my eyes as Nico comes to stand beside us.

“What’s up, Pop?” Nico says, his gaze moving between his father and me.

“What do you want him to do, Jack?” Wolf questions. “You want him to take Reina and Danny to the school?”

That was the original plan but if I know Reina, she’s going to raise hell the minute Nico tells her it’s time to go. She’ll turn all the anger she’s harboring for me onto the poor kid and he already had a rough night dealing with my shit.

I turn my attention to Nico and through the mask of polarized lens’ I take in the dark circles under his eyes.

“She’s already made it clear she wants to take him to school herself. Play it by ear. Use your better judgement. If she’s a mess, take the keys out of her hands. If she calms down, let her do her thing but follow her. She’s good at hiding her scars.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Jack,” Nico says, slapping his hand against my shoulder. “I’ll be on her like white on rice.” As the words leave his mouth, he cringes and offers me a sheepish grin. “You know what I mean. I’ll tail her.”

“I told you once, twice—hell, I lost count how many times, but I’ll say it again…” Wolf says, diverting my attention away from his son. Once I meet his gaze, he levels me with a look. “We got your family. Ain’t nothing going to happen on my watch.”

I know his words are meant to be comforting but they don’t lessen the guilt I feel over knowing I should be the one taking care of them.

“Appreciate it,” I say hoarsely.

“We’re ready to roll out whenever you are,” he says, tipping his chin to the brigade of Harley’s parked in front of my house. “Linc will follow with the trailer and transport your bike back afterwards.”

“I’m as ready as I’m going to be, so let’s get a move on,” I tell him. “I have to make a stop though.”

“If this is about Rocco—”

“Rocco?” I question, lowering my sunglasses. “What about him?”

“He’s back,” Wolf reveals. “I thought you knew.”

The last I heard, the gangster was shot in front of Lincoln Center and off the grid. His underboss, Joaquin was running the show, and I paid him a visit before I decided to take the deal with the D.A., letting him know my plans. That was a few days ago, and he made no mention of Rocco returning to the streets so to hear Victor’s nephew is back in action comes as a surprise.

“He came by Kate’s last night with Joaquin. They knew all about the deal and the exchange of power within the club,” he continues. “We discussed keeping the alliance between the club and his organization in place.”

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