Page 30 of Rooster

“Yeah, we’ve talked a couple of times.” I was treading on new waters and wasn’t sure how much I should and shouldn’t say. “He was the one who helped me when the car broke down.”

“Oh, okay.”

I could only imagine how hard this must’ve been for him. He had been the man of the house for over a year, and the thought of someone new coming into the fold had to be a little daunting. I tried to reassure him by saying, “He’s really nice, honey. I think you will really like him.”

He didn’t respond, which made me nervous, so I added, “He works construction and has a great sense of humor. He’s really tall and reminds me a little of your grandfather.”

Again, no response.

“I’d really like you and Samantha to meet him... I was thinking we could meet up at Dano’s for some pizza and...”

“Meet who?” Samantha asked from the doorway.

“Mom’s new boyfriend.” Nathan let out a breath. “She wants us to go have pizza with him.”

“You have a boyfriend?” Samantha gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, first, he’s not exactly my boyfriend. He’s just someone I’m seeing.”

“Since when?”

“Not long.”

Sam put her hand on her hip as she sassed, “How long is not long?”

I knew then it was going to be a long night, and a long night it was.

But in the end, they both agreed to meet Ronin and promised to have an open mind. I just hoped they could keep that promise, because my future with Ronin depended on it.

Rooster

“Preacher and Grim are here.” Torch motioned his head towards the door. “And they brought Preacher’s son.”

“Oh, really? Wow. They’re a long way from Little Rock. Something going on?”

“Yeah, the kid’s girlfriend got done over by some rival gang.”

“Ah hell, that’s rough.”

“Yeah, sounded like they did a real number on her.” Torch winced as he added, “Beckett’s the one who found her, and he’s having a hard time of it. Preacher’s hoping that a couple of months here might help get his mind off things.”

I followed him into the bar, and Prez and several of the other brothers were sitting at one of the back tables with our brothers from the Little Rock chapter. Preacher, the president of the club, looked just as menacing as the last time I’d seen him. He was several years older now with deep lines etching his face, but his eyes were still sharp and unyielding as they peered around the room.

Grim, his towering enforcer, sat next to him, and his imposing figure seemed to accentuate his president's fearsome aura. Together, they exuded pure dominance and control. They were a force to be reckoned with, no question about it, but the kid next to them looked anything but fierce or intimidating.

Beckett resembled his father but in appearance alone. They shared the same dark hair, eyes, and tattoos, but this kid wore his anguish like a second skin. His eyes smoldered with a mix of hurt and anger, and he looked like he could break down at any minute. Losing his girlfriend had clearly done a real number on him, and I had no idea how bringing him here was supposed to help anything.

Knowing how protective Preacher was over his son, I asked, “So, what are they gonna do about the girl?”

“Nothing. He hadn’t actually claimed the girl. At least, not in any way that really counted. Hell, I’m pretty sure she was only sixteen or something, and they just aren’t willing to go to war with a gang twice their size over a hookup.”

“Can’t really blame them for that.”

Torch and I had just sat down at the counter when Beckett slammed his fist down on the table and roared, “That’s bullshit, and you know it!”

“That’s enough, Beckett!” Preacher growled.

“It will never be enough.” Beckett stood, and his chair fell behind him. “Not until every last one of them is dead and fucking buried.”

---