Page 55 of Redemption

“Stop moving,” he orders. “It’s pointless, anyway. Until they give you the next dose of drugs, nothing will be comfortable. All you’ll do is pull at the stitches, and from the sounds of it, you had a shit ton worked on inside of you.”

Sighing, he resigns and falls into the bed. “How do you know this?”

“I’ve been in your spot three times before. Back to the question.”

“Why would I have to choose between Ashley and my job?”

“Dating her is one thing, but being married is another. Will the men on the force trust you because of your relationship with the club? Or will they constantly question if you have a conflict of interest?”

His eyes open, and he stares at the older man. “I have a job to do. And I’ve always done my job.”

“No, you haven’t. Not always.”

“Yes, I have-”

“ATF coming for us ring a bell? We all know you worked with Lex and Lily to give them inside information. Helped form a plan when you were pulled from the inner circle of trust to still get them what they needed to get the assholes off our backs.”

Biting his lower lip, he nods. “Okay, there was that one time.”

“Have you already forgotten about Bane, Ash’s ex? You shot that motherfucker and gave him to us to take care of.”

“They don’t know about that.”

“No, but these decisions come up. I hate to say it, Tate, but that wasn’t the last time you’ll need to decide what side of the law you want to stand on.”

“I plan to tow the line. I think I’ve made decent decisions in the past. Besides, it’s not like we don’t all know the relationship you guys have with Travis and Julian. How you scratch each other’s backs.”

He laughs. “It’s different. They’re not fucking one of our daughters.”

“It’s more than that,” he snaps, his hand gripping his abdomen again. “Jesus Christ, this is worse than the last time I got shot.”

“Hit three organs. You’re gonna be sore for a while.”

“I love Ashley, and I’d do anything for her. But just so we’re on the same page, are you asking me if I’d turn a blind eye for the club because of your daughter?”

Wiping his nose, he leans back again. “Do you think you could arrest her father or brother and not feel guilty about it?”

“Whether we’re married or not, I’d feel some type of way. Same with Lex or Lily’s dads. Not guilty, but not awesome nonetheless.”

“If she asked you not to arrest us, would you do what needed to be done to make that a reality?”

His brow furrows. “Do you think she’d ask me to?”

Diesel levels him with a glare. “You know as well as I do that she’s got a soft spot for us no matter how tough she seems. Hell, the two of you wouldn’t be together right now if it weren’t for Lex because my daughter chose us. And if we don’t give our blessing, she won’t marry you. Is it really that hard to believe she’d ask you to bend the rules to keep us solid?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do. I think it would depend on the situation and what you were being arrested for.”

“If it was something you could justify, you’d help us out?”

“I’ve helped Lex. I’ve helped Psycho. What’s the difference if I add to the list for the Drifters?”

He smiles. “Ashley needs a strong man. I think you’re a strong man, but I think you’re a little naïve to think this won’t cause problems. My concern is whether or not my daughter will get hurt because of it.”

“I’d do whatever I need to make sure she’s good. She’ll never be hurt if I can help it, Diesel. But you are right about one thing: I need your blessing if I have any hope of making her my wife.”

“If my daughter says yes, we’ll give our blessing. If she asks us, we won’t lie and say we don’t have reservations, but we won’t stand in your way, either.”

Grayson’s eyes widen. “Wait, seriously?”

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