Page 10 of Keg's Revelation

The timbre of my dad’s voice reached my ears along with Raven’s, but I couldn’t make out what they said. When I reached where my brothers stood, they parted, and as I passed by, each one reached out and squeezed my shoulder.

As I reached the clubhouse entrance, I looked back and saw Raven pulling out and the others getting on their bikes. I didn’t bother to wait on them. I swung the door open and entered, then headed into the main room. I passed brothers with no acknowledgment, my focus set on the bar. A drink was needed, the alcohol would go a long way when I had to rehash what had gone down. No way would my dad let that shit show go unexplained.

“A little early for the hard stuff, brother,” Pinch said as he sat on the barstool beside me.

I gave him the side-eye before I picked up the glass of whiskey I poured and downed it. Picking up the bottle that I left on the bar, I refilled my glass.

“Not sharing what’s crawled up your ass? Had to happen between the time I left you outside with the doc and when you walked in here.”

“You could be a cop with those detective skills,” I sneered.

“You’re such an asshole, Keg.”

“Yet, you’re sitting here trying to fuck with me.”

I heard my dad’s voice as he and the others entered the clubhouse. Tipping the glass in my hand back, I swallowed the last of the liquid before slamming the glass down on the bar. Both Pinch and I stood when Wild Bill walked in, followed by Moose, Crank, and Tram.

Wild Bill lifted his arm and checked his watch, then looked back up and straight at me. “Keg, my office.”

The others stayed in the main room as I pushed away from the bar and followed my dad. Once inside his office, he sat behind his desk as I took one of the seats in front of it.

“You know what makes you a good enforcer?”

“I don’t have a problem smacking heads together.”

“I’ll give you that. But the main reason is your ability to stay calm in situations until you’ve assessed everything going on before you let your temper take over. You’ve got a nasty temper when it surfaces, son.” Wild Bill raised his hand to stop me before I could speak. “I get the reason behind your explosion but, son, not only was that unusual for you to snap before getting answers, you’ve never treated a woman like what I witnessed.”

“Never had a woman keep my son away from me for twelve fucking years before.” I no longer could stay quiet. “I stood outside talking with Raven with my son standing beside me and didn’t know it. Hell, I had a conversation with the kid before I even knew she was at the clubhouse and his mother. And I still wouldn’t know if I hadn’t overheard the kid mention his age. How can you sit there so damn calm about this? He’s not only my son, he’s your grandson!” I bent my head, then ran my hand across my neck to try to ease the tension I felt building once again.

“Because screaming and yelling won’t change the fact. That’s why. The past is done, Reed, it’s how you handle going forward that’s going to count. And exploding over what is done may make you feel better, but it doesn’t change dick.”

“Twelve, Dad! Twelve years I can’t get back.”

“No, you can’t. I know you’re hurt and angry. You’ve got every right to be, Reed. You’ll get no argument from me there. But it isn’t just about you. After you walked away, I spoke with Raven and made sure she was good to drive. The boy didn’t say a word the whole time she talked with me. The expression on his face was blank. I’m not sure the boy knew either, or if he did know before, he didn’t know it was you.”

“Raven admitted to you the boyismine? Because she never came right out and answered me. She only said she was sorry. Sorry for keeping my son a secret. Who the fuck does that and then thinks sorry makes it all better? It’s like putting a band-aid on an open chest wound.” I looked at my dad and saw sympathy in his eyes, which made my pain three times worse.

“Yes. She admitted you are his dad. She also knows she screwed up. Knows you’re angry and has accepted that you won’t ever forgive her. She doesn’t want you to hold what she did against Ry, though, because she’s hurt him too.”

“So you think the kid didn’t have a clue that her husband isn’t his real dad? At least until I blurted out I was. Fuck, I even made the little girl cry.” I pinched my nose at the point between my eyes and took several deep breaths. “When I heard Ry and it registered with me that he had to be mine, a red haze covered my eyes, and I just acted.” I paused while everything that had happened settled in me. And as always, my dad stayed quiet, waiting, giving me the time to come to terms with it all. “Shit, Dad, I’ve got a kid.”

He grinned. “Yeah, you do. Aren’t you glad you bought a house? Be a lot easier to get the kid to spend time with you if he has his own space.”

I lifted a brow and shook my head. Why I thought I could keep anything from the man. “Should I even bother asking how you found out?”

My dad’s grin widened, then a couple raps on the door had him yelling, “Open!” When he looked at me again, he said, “You’re my son. I know everything that goes on with you?”

Before I could reply the door opened. “Not everything, Prez,” Moose said as he, Pinch, Crank, and Tram walked in.

“What the hell are you talking about, Moose?” my dad asked as the guys grabbed chairs and sat down.

“Well, evidently, a little over twelve years ago, give or take a few months, you didn’t know Keg knocked up his teenage girlfriend.”

I glared at Moose, but Pinch’s response, “Christ, Moose, you’re an asshole,” had me shaking my head again while the other brothers chuckled.

“Hey, a little while ago, you called me an asshole,” I said, then chuckled when Pinch’s eyes narrowed.

“Well, you both are. But I think Moose edges you out as the biggest.”

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