Page 165 of Love Thy Brother
“To the shops, maybe. I’m still retired from a life of crime, so no funny business.”
“That works.” Cam let me go and exchanged a glance with Saint. “Right? We can make that work?”
Saint glanced up from peering at the baby. “We can make anything work.”
Love flowed between them, healing my stressed big brother from the inside out.
He hugged Rubi, then returned to his side of the room. “There’s no easy way to say this, but I’m gonna lay it out. The last few years have fucked me. Like, in ways I can’t explain. And maybe I don’t have to, I know we’ve all felt it.”
A low murmur went around the table.
I reached for Rubi’s hand.
Mateo moved closer to his daughter.
“I’ll spare you the blood and guts,” Cam went on. “But I need some help, so I’m stepping away for a while. Taking some time off. And when I get back, we’re gonna be a different club to what we are now. For real, this time.”
Contemplative quiet greeted his news, every brain in the room spinning, calculating what the Rebel Kings looked like without Cam at the helm. If it could even function without their fearless leader.
Ourfearless leader. A notion that solidified the longer I sat at this stupid table with Rubi so solid and strong at my back.
I could do this. Be part of it. And it wasn’t for him, it was for me.
“All right.” Cam waited for everyone to give him their attention again. “It’s not going to be as simple as me going on holiday and Nash holding the fort while I’m gone. I’ll be around. I’ll be reachable. I just ain’t gonna be here every day, answering the fucking phone every ten minutes, twenty-four seven. And if something crazy happens, I have to trust my men to deal with it.”
Rubi snorted and fell into the seat beside me. “Sounds like a you problem, dude.”
“It is. That’s why I’m gonna need your help with some stuff in the next few weeks, if you can spare the time.”
“As long as it doesn’t get me nicked at the beginning of my beautiful new life.”
“It’s legit.”
“Then I’m there, brother. Whatever you need.”
Cam nodded his thanks, blowing out a shaky breath, fingers twitching for cigarettes he wouldn’t smoke while there was a baby in the room. “We’ve been on this road a while and it don’t get any easier, but every day we keep at it is a day closer to that dream of going to work without someone trying to kill us.”
“Amen.” Nash knocked a fist on the table.
Cam allowed himself a brief grin before he sobered again. “Some days we’ll still have to fight—for each other, for ourselves. But I’m hoping one day we’ll be better at walking away and letting shit go.”
My brother was a profound dude when I took the time to listen.
The conversation moved on to other things. Cam brought Locke and Folk in to promote them to senior ranks. As close as a brother got to the council without taking a seat at the table.
I had it on good authority that it was a surprise for both men, but Alexei holding a baby seemed to shock them more.
Fair.
I watched Locke deftly take Hope in his arms. No hesitation or fear, he stood as tall as Rubi. As strong. It was easy to see why he’d turned my sister’s head.
And Nash’s, if Rubi’s low chuckle was anything to go by. “Lordy lord, someone’s got a daddy kink.”
Nash scowled. “Shut the fuck up.”
Rubi laughed some more, miming a zip over his lips while bemusement creased Locke’s rugged face.
He didn’t ask what the joke was.
