Page 160 of Relentles
She folded her arms, her eyes filling with tears. “Does it matter, Joe?”
“What the fuck—? Are you out of your fucking mind, woman? Of course, it matters.”
If Logan had laid his filthy fingers on Dinah, Joe would gut him, and finally vindicate Tess and Pattie. Finally, redeem himself for allowing him to live so many years ago.
“No, he hasn’t hurt me,” she said hoarsely. “And, even if he had, it can’t compare to how muchyouhurt me time and again.”
Her words struck him like a blow. “Dinah—”
“I don’t want to hear it, Joe! I haven’t seen you in a month. I can’t deal with the instability of your life. You’d been coming here every week for two months, then suddenly it stopsagain.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I…fuck, Dinah. I don’t know what to say, babe. I had a run to Los Angeles about four months ago to see to some business with Sharper.”
He’d volunteered because Dinah had just rejected another marriage proposal from him.
Things had been going so good between them again, so he’d quietly chartered a Seattle chapter with the intention of moving him, Christopher, K-P, and Joey with him. He’d talked to Patricia, who’d agreed to encourage Christopher to go with him. Of course he’d had to fuck her, because when didn’t she want payment of some type from him.
He'd felt so fucking guilty for betraying Dinah. Yet, Patricia wouldn’t accept money, clothes, another house, a better car,nothingexcept dick. Joe couldn’t see leaving Christopher to move to Seattle a second time. The first time the kid had been fourteen and still living at home with his mother and sisters. Now, at almost twenty-one, he was at the club full-time. If Big Joe relocated and headed another chapter, Christopher would be a sitting duck for Logan and Rack, so, yeah, he’d fucked Patricia, then prayed for penance and forgiveness.
Dinah didn’t deserve such disrespect. Since Meggie was three, he and her mother had been on again/off again. He rarely stayed at the house overnight because she never believed a word he told her and usually went into crying hysterics over the least little thing.
The one thing she loved was teaching. Her face lit up when she talked about her lessons and her students and her days in the classroom.
“You went to Los Angeles four months ago. What does that have to do with you not coming here for the past month?” she asked suspiciously.
Fuck, he’d forgotten he was telling the story. He nodded. “I don’t know,” he said morosely. “I had loose ends to tie up with Sharper, then I went to New Orleans with K-P. My head felt so much clearer.” Much clearer than it had in a while. Certainly more so than the times he spent with Dinah. He’d go to sleep, then awaken out of sorts and agitated.
“How is that black woman?”
The question snapped him out of his thoughts. “Her name is Roxanne, and you fucking well know it.”
“Whatever,” she said on a sniff. “She’s loud and uncouth. I don’t want her around my daughter.”
“Are you sure that’s the only reason?”
“What are you implying?” she gasped. “I have little black kids in my class. I…every year I volunteer for a shoe drive.” She touched her hand to her heart. “Oh, to see their little faces light up. Knowing they have a pair of shoes for the year!”
Joe squinted at her. “A pair of shoes for a year?”
She nodded.
“And this lets you off the hook how for whatever you thought I was implying?”
“It’s in a black neighborhood! I bring my little blonde girl—”
“Shut the fuck up. I’m not listening to the bullshit I know you’re about to fucking spout. Roxanne is a gorgeous woman with a wonderful soul. It might’ve helped you greatly if you’d befriended her, Dinah.”
Sniffing, she rolled her eyes. “I suppose you fucked her, too?”
“I wanted to,” he admitted with a shrug. “I didn’t fucking know how serious K-P was about her. Motherfucker probably fell in love with her the night he met her. I quickly found out.” Roxy had cursed him the fuck outandpunched the fuck out ofhim. From that day to this one, she offered him quarters at the kennel.
He hadn’t meant to insult her. He’d been so regretful he’d told K-P and allowed him to beat his fucking ass.
“Did you hit on that woman before or after you seduced me?”
“I hit onRoxannebefore we first made love, Dinah.”
Appeased, she relaxed her stance and rocked on her feet. “Wh-what happened to the last engagement ring you bought for me?”
