Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
I take another sip of my beer and kind of grin at my brother. There’s not much I can say.
“I’m happy for you, T. Damn happy.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Thea gave me shit tonight and I mean, I know I deserved it. I wish I could go back…”
“There’s n-n-no going back. B-besides, I d-don’t think I’d change anything.”
“You can’t expect me to believe that, T,” he says with a bitter laugh, snuffing out his smoke.
“I’m serious. If it hadn’t happened like it did, I m-might n-n-not have met Lyla. Her and our little girl are m-m-my world.” I shrug. “B-bullshit I went through was worth it. I’d g-g-go through it all again if it means I keep my woman.”
“You’re sounding as sappy as Pops.”
I laugh, but I don’t deny it either.
“The club ain’t the same without you. Will you be coming home soon?”
I rub the side of my neck. I haven’t talked to Dad about this yet, but Lyla doesn’t want to leave Virginia. I’m not sure I want to either. I’m carving a life there and I’m doing it the hard way. It feels damn good.
“N-n-not sure I’m coming back, D-Dom.”
He stares at me, but I don’t look away. I have nothing to hide.
“You’d give up everything for this girl? I mean, I get it T. You love her, but shit, man. If she loves you, she should be willing to come here. Your life is here.”
“My life is with Lyla,” I counter, never being surer of anything in my life. “I’m n-n-needed there—”
“You’re needed here! T, it’s you and me. We are supposed to work to prove ourselves and take the reins. That’s always been the plan.”
“Th-th-that’s your plan. You d-d-don’t need me. You never have.”
“Damn it, T. She shouldn’t expect you to give up your life here.”
“She doesn’t. This is all me. I’m happy there, D-dom. The tr-tr-truth is, I d-d-don’t want to come back.”
“T, we’re your family…”
“And I won’t be that f-f-far away.”
“Dad won’t like it,” he cautions.
“I think he alr-r-r-ready knows, but I plan on t-t-talking to him soon.”
“Mom won’t be happy.”
I smile. “She’ll visit a lot.”
“Yeah,” he sighs. “I’ve fucked up so bad.”
“I d-d-d-did too. I sh-sh-should have talked to you.”
“I should have come clean. Instead, it feels like I’m losing my brother.”
“Right here, Dom. I’m n-n-not going anywhere.”
“Except Virginia,” he cracks.
“Yeah,” I laugh. “Except Virginia.”
“I think Gabby was at the hospital tonight,” he says cautiously. I hate hearing her name, but it’s not with anger now. I just don’t want her to touch my life anymore. I don’t want her to get close enough to hurt Lyla—that’s what is important.
“The hospital? I d-d-d-didn’t see her.”
“Neither did I,” he admits. “But I was talking to Thea and there was one of those phone charging station things knocked over out in the hall from us and when I got there to check on the noise, the hall was empty. I could have sworn I saw her running around the corner, though.”
“You d-d-didn’t chase after her?”
“My days of chasing Gabby are long gone. I’m done there, T.”
“If she’s what you w-want, I d-d-d-don’t care.”
“I do. I don’t want to tie my dick to a woman who has no loyalty and I’m not even going to get started on her fucking lies.”
“D-d-dom…”
“The truth is, little brother, I don’t like who the fuck I am when I’m with her. I should have manned-up and talked to you. I dreaded it and she fed on that. She helped convince me to let her deal with it. I shouldn’t have listened, and it was a bitch move, but I caved because it was easier. I wouldn’t have to deal with it. Never thought of myself as a weak-ass punk until all of this mess.”
“We’re good,” I tell him again, hoping he gets it. He nods, but I’m not sure he does.
“You sure are. Who knows, maybe there’s a woman like Lyla out there somewhere for me.”
I grin. “Only one Lyla. She’s all m-mine. But maybe you have a g-g-good woman closer than you know.”
“Huh?”
“Thea.”
“What? No fucking way. All she does is bust my balls. Besides, she’s Breaker’s little sister. I can’t let my dick roam in that direction. Breaker would probably chop it off. Hell, if he didn’t, Bull might.”
“N-n-never took you for someone afraid to—”
“I’m not afraid. Or I wouldn’t be, if there was a reason to make a move, but there’s not. Dude, this is Thea we’re talking about.”
I stand up, taking the last drink of my beer. “You could do a f-f-fuck of a lot worse. Hell, you have.”
“I don’t need a woman. I have the club and I need to concentrate on it.”
“D-don’t listen. All I know is I have a n-naked woman waiting in my b-b-bed and I’m done s-s-sitting out here with you.”
He laughs. “See you tomorrow, T.” I give him a wave and head back into the house.