Page 6 of Shine: Sins of the Father
“What’s bothering you, brother?”
I peer to my right to find my president, Daytona, and shake my head.
“Tell me,” he adds, and I know I might as well. Daytona’s a persistent motherfucker when he wants to be.
“You sure you want to hear this?”
“Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
Well, if I know one thing about the man, it's that’s a true fucking statement. “All right, then.” I toss back my drink. “Things in my life were supposed to be more settled by the time I reached this age. I know thirty-three isn’t old, but it’s not young, either. I’m not a kid anymore. I feel like time is flying by, and there’s so much I’ve missed. So many milestones I haven’t reached.”
“Like what?” he asks, motioning the prospect over. “Give me a glass.”
The prospect sets one on the bar, and Daytona takes the bottle in front of me and fills it.
“There were supposed to be kids, a house, a fucking family. But when Becca walked out last month, she took any hope of that with her. Not that I blame her. This life isn’t for everyone.”
“True. There are few women who can deal with the demands an MC makes on a relationship. Some say the best ones who deal with it are the women born to it. One’s who’ve grown up in the club, but that’s a rare find, especially as isolated as our chapter is.”
I huff a wry laugh. “It’s not like I meet a bunch of club princesses, and if I did, I’d no doubt be warned off them.”
He grins. “Most likely.”
“Prez, you got lucky with Charlotte, and Trick got lucky with Anna. Even Lobo found a good woman in Hope. But…”
“But what?” he prods.
“You know what really killed me? It was when Reckless left our chapter to transfer to San Jose and be with Harley Jean. He and I were tight.” I hold up my crossed fingers.
Daytona nods. “You two came up in the club together, didn’t you?”
“Yep. He was my closest brother.” I stare at my drink, knowing I won’t find the answers in the bottom of a bottle. “Maybe I’m being a fool, wishing for things that just don’t seem to be in the cards.” My phone dings with a text, and I pull it out. “Shit.”
“What is it?” Prez asks.
“My mother wants to know if Becca and I are coming for dinner on Sunday. I haven’t told her the news. I’ve put her off every week since Becca split. I know I have to tell her the truth. Ma liked Becca, and this is going to be hard.”
“Bet she wants grandkids, huh?”
“Yeah. And I don’t blame her. Since my father passed, she’s been alone, and she’s not getting any younger. She had me and my sister late in life.”
“How is your sister doing?” he asks.
I know why he’s asking. The club knows what happened to her five years ago. “She’s never been the same, Prez. That attack changed her. It’s like all the life went out of her. She used to be so vibrant, you know? So full of joy. Now she barely leaves the house. I don’t know if she’ll ever marry and have kids. And you know what? She would have been the best goddamn mother. That motherfucker stole that from her.”
“I’m sorry the law got a hold of him before we did. We’d have taken care of him for you. You know that, right?”
I nod, a lump in my throat.
“We’d have cut his junk off and buried him with it stuffed in his fucking mouth. Rapists are the bottom feeders of this world.”
I appreciate his words, and I know without a doubt they are the unconditional truth. But taking care of that motherfucker is my job.
“Someday, that fucker is going to be released, and I’ll be right there waiting, Daytona.”
He meets my eyes, and I know he reads the absolute determination in them. His slow nod says it all. I’ve got the club’s backing in anything I need to do.
“You’ve got a lot on your plate right now, Shine. How about you take off for a few days and get away from it all? Clear your head of all that shit.”
