Page 45 of Stone
He huffs, “I know, I messed up. He gave me an ear full and mentioned I should give him space, something about not wanting to kill his friend and get on the brothers’ bad side,” and I hum because yeah, that sounds about right before he asks, “So what can I do for you, little Rose, and why do you have my daughter's phone?”
Selena’s tears fall, and I give her a sad smile before I admit, “Your daughter is here with me, and I was calling to see if you’ll come pick her up and see if you can help her leave town for a little while.”
“Why?!” he demands tensely, and Selena’s mouth parts, clearly shocked at her father’s reaction, and I admit, “Because she needs time away from the club and away from Elsie, who is in her head. She uh, look, you can’t have a go at her, she feels bad as it is.”
I grip Selena’s hand with support as Butch demands, “What did she do?!”
I clear my throat and admit, “She showed up banging on my door with a knife to threaten me to leave her brother, but again, you cannot and you will not have a go at her. You will treat her like she is fragile and see that she has been manipulated by a woman you wanted to be kept around. Oh and while you’re at it, explain to your son why you wanted her to stay around before you lose him.”
He’s quiet after I finish my rant, while Selena looks at me wide-eyed, but I shrug. Someone had to tell the man he was messing up left, right, and center.
“I can see why my son loves you,” he finally says, and I snort, but he continues, “No, he does. He has fought for your relationship for months, and I’m proud to have you as my daughter-in-law.”
“I’m not telling my dad to forgive you,” I instantly state, and he laughs before he sighs and asks, “Is Selena okay?”
“She is just shaken up a little. I have some of my sister's sweats here that she’ll fit into because her clothes aren’t really travel appropriate,” I give her a wince and she smiles sadly, “But I think you should help her leave now, before Elsie can get into her head again.”
“I’ll be half an hour, and get ready for my wife, she’s been begging to meet you,” he replies before hanging up, and I huff.
Selena giggles, “You’re about to be grilled,” and I nod. Yep, I am, and we both know it isn’t going to be about my intentions with her son, but more like whether or not I’m going to leave him.
“Okay,” I say and I lean us back, “we have roughly half an hour until your dad gets here, and to get you dressed, why don’t you tell me all about Cage’s childhood and how he really got his road name Stone because he told me it was because he is hard as a stone, but I’m sensing a fib.”
Selena laughs before she begins to explain all about him hitting a nun when he was nine, and I smile throughout all of his childhood memories, my heart melting at some of them. I try to envision our life if we stayed together, envisioning any kids we may have turning out like him.
Can I do it? Can I forgive and forget and move on?
Or were we always doomed from the beginning?
Chapter 21
Stone
I chuckle at the state of some of the Untamed brothers as they roll in, their bikes no longer the colors they originally were, each a different shade of bright pink, purple, and glitter as well as their helmets.
Clearly, they pissed some of their women off, and somehow, I doubt it’s because they were coming today, being used to club business.
“Not one word,” Dagger, their VP, states as he climbs off his now bright pink bike, and I laugh and ask, “What the fuck did you do?”
He winces and admits, “I got caught smoking after I promised to quit, while this idiot,” he points at Ink, “was my accomplice, and look out, and this isn’t all either, they also sent five malestrippers to the club, cocks hanging out, glitter, lube, fucking everything.”
I try to hold in my laughter, then nod to Flame, who's on the phone like he’s arguing, as he points to his now glittery bike, the Flame no longer there, meaning his old lady and artistic wife, Star, had something to do with it, and I ask, “What about him?”
Ink winces and admits, “Forgot their anniversary.”
Ouch… I wince, but Dagger instantly interjects and says, “Their son is going through separation anxiety, they’re both tired. I’m just shocked Star remembered.”
“She only did because she set a reminder in her phone,” Ink laughs, and I laugh with him.
The poor fucker didn’t have a chance.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing, I heard Annalise talking on the phone yesterday to some woman named Rose,” Ink says, and I freeze, my eyes widening.
Shit.
“Fuck brother, please don’t tell me you allowed your wife to get in touch with Axel’s woman?!” Tank snaps with a little fear, and I swallow hard, suddenly regretting allowing her to call Annalise.
“I was married, didn’t tell her, got divorced, and married her behind her back, and did I mention I omitted to being a brother?” I say to Tank, and he groans, dropping his head as Smokey and Ink laugh while Flame storms over, cursing, “Fucking beautiful, annoying woman.”
