Page 78 of Has-Been
Rocket threw his hands up, letting out a huff of frustration.
“Does someone want to tell me what the fuck I’m supposed to have done? I know I left the grounds when I shouldn’t have, but someone needed me, and I couldn’t let her down.”
Reacher held up a hand as Stitch started cursing again.
“Shut it. Rocket, the shit hit the fan here last night, so we need to know exactly where you were, and who you were with.”
Rocket looked at me again, taking in the lack of a club cut, and looking more confused than I’d ever seen him.
“Something happened to you, man? You know me. I’m not that kinda guy. Look, I’m not proud of this, but uh… my uh… she’s not really my girl, exactly, but we’ve been seeing each other. You know… fucking around and stuff. She called me last night, freaking out because she’d done one of those home tests, and you know… pregnant. I dunno. Obviously it’s not what we planned, but I went to be with her. She was… she does not want a fucking kid. Neither of us do. Jesus.” He ran a hand through his hair, and I caught what the other two probably didn’t. His hand shook. This was hitting him hard.
“Who, Rocket? We need to verify this with her.”
He lurched out of his chair then, nearly knocking the damn thing over with his abrupt movement.
“What the fuck for? This isn’t club business, okay? That’s the reason why I can’t fucking be with her, by the way. She doesn’t want to be an old lady. She wants a normal life. A non MC fucking life. Jesus. I think I could fucking love her, but it’s not gonna work out, because I can’t not be who I am, right?”
I felt for him, I really fucking did, but this wasn’t helping us find Elise. He’d dropped heavily into his seat as he finished talking, seemingly exhausted by the truth of his situation.
“It’s not him, guys. We need to keep looking.”
Rocket watched me stand up, reaching out to catch my arm.
“Brother, talk to me, someone hurt you?”
I shrugged him off. “The main thing is that someone took Elise, and they almost killed Torch. That’s what I care about right now.”
He was up again, his fists clenched at his sides. Thank fuck it wasn’t him, thank fuck I could still trust this one fucking brother right now. He looked as furious about this as we were, and that was how every damn brother should feel right now.
“They did what? What the fuck! Is Torch gonna make it? What can I do to help?”
Reacher dialled a number on speaker and I heard Ice pick up.
“Yeah, Pres. I was just about to ring you. It’s not Dodger.”
Fuck!
“How do we know that?”
He cursed quietly. “He was here the whole time. Tommy went into the basement because he’s been keeping beers cold down there. We clearly didn’t check the place well enough. He was down there, out cold. Kinda hidden behind the beer crates.”
“Is he gonna make it?”
Ice muttered something, and I heard someone reply under their breath.
“Doc’s with him. So that just leaves Rocket, and fuck, I didn’t want it to be him. I kinda like that asshole.”
“Charming. Back at you, fuckhead.”
“Is that… he’s with you?”
“Yeah, it’s not him either.”
So we were back to square one, akafucked.
Forty-Nine
Hecameback.Ikept praying that he wouldn’t. Kept praying that he’d forget all about me, as if such a thing was possible. Kept hoping they’d figure it out and keep him from returning to me, but nope… the door opened and there he was.
