“What’s going on with you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“C’mon, Lady,” he whispers. “Don’t do that,” he adds, taking a step closer to me. “I’ve been calling you off the hook.”
Glancing over his shoulder, I look towards the dining room.
“Can we do this later? I don’t want someone to walk in—”
“Why not?”
My eyes snap back to his.
“What?”
“Go in there and tell them the truth, Lady. Tell them it’s you and me.”
“Al—”
“The doctor call you?”
“No,” I whisper, looking away.
“Go, tell them,” he demands softly.
“Please, listen to me,” I say hoarsely. “I can’t do this with you, Al. It’s not fair to you.”
“You don’t get it, do you? I don’t give a shit what those test results say,” he whispers harshly. “I want you, Maria. All your beauty and all your class. Your sarcasm and your regrets. In sickness and in health, I want you.”
There’s this old saying, maybe you’ve heard it—when a man wants a woman, he will literally come and get her. He will do everything he can and exhaust every possible opportunity until she’s his. I never believed in that kind of stuff until now. Staring into Wolf’s eyes, I know he’s not lying, that, he truly doesn’t care if I’m sick or not but, I do.
“You say that now,” I tell him, swallowing the lump in my throat. “You don’t know what’s going to happen or how you’re going to feel when it does and neither do I. We had a good time and yeah, if things were different, I would’ve loved to see where this could go.”
“So, that’s it?”
“We just forget this thing between us exists?”
“For now.”
“Oh, so when you get a clean bill of health, you’ll return all my calls?” he sneers, taking a step backward.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I know that you’re a good man and for whatever reason, you’ve decided to wake up and find what makes you happy. That’s a beautiful thing, Al. You deserve to be happy. You deserve a woman who can fill the parts of you that are empty.”
“Is everything okay in there?” Anthony growls from the other room.
“Yeah, false alarm,” I call over Al’s shoulder. Diverting my gaze back to his, I lift my hand to his cheek. “I’m sorry our timing was bad.”
His hand grips my wrist as he closes the distance between us and leans his forehead against mine.
“Learned a long time ago, if life throws you a curve, you lean into it. Lean into the curve, Maria. I got you,” he says huskily. Closing my eyes, my body involuntarily does as it’s told, and leans into him. His arms snake around my waist and he drags me closer to him. “I got you,” he repeats.
“Grandma!!” Victoria calls, jolting me away from Al’s strong embrace. My little granddaughter comes into the kitchen, skidding to a halt. “Uncle Riggs is leaving, and daddy needs the grated cheese.”
“Okay, sweetie,” I say, stepping around Al. Opening the refrigerator, I grab the container of Locatelli-Romano and look at Al.
“I’m going to leave,” he says finally. “You know where to find me,” he adds, shoving his hands into his pockets. As he moves to brush past me, he comes to a stop and leans forward placing his lips on my forehead.
“I’m not going anywhere, Lady.”
Yet.
Chapter Twenty-two
Reaching my bike, I throw my leg over the seat and slide my helmet from the handlebars. Fitting it to my head, I lift my eyes and spot Riggs advancing towards me. I’m not in the mood to deal with him and any club shit he might feel the need to discuss. Not after Maria pushed me away…again.
“Wolf!” he shouts as I rev the engine. “A word!”
“Not now,” I growl over the thunder of my pipes.
“Fuck that,” he bellows, coming up next to my bike. “You got something you want to tell me?”
“Your kid is cute,” I mutter.
“Nice try,” he says, crossing his arms. “You’re banging Maria, aren’t you?”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I glare at the fucking idiot. The minute Anthony mentioned he spotted the Charger outside Maria’s house, I knew Riggs had connected the dots. It’s partially the reason I followed Maria into the kitchen. Aside from getting the woman to give me a shot, I thought I could convince her to tell her kids. Little did I know, I was shooting too high on all counts.
“Ah, shit,” he moans, threading his fingers through his hair. “You are!”
“Go back in the house, Riggs,” I order, throwing up my kickstand with the toe of my boot.
“For fuck’s sake, she’s my mother-in-law!”
Throttling my engine, I stare at him over the rim of my sunglasses.
“Who’s the fucking tiger, now?”
Stunned to silence, his jaw drops, and I take the opportunity to back out of the driveway. As I peel away from the house, he recovers and starts to shout something I can’t make out. Leaving him and the rest of the Bianci family in my dust, I speed away. I don’t know why I can’t shake this woman or why, now, at forty-nine, I’m ready to work for a woman. Yeah, Maria is a different kind of woman and more than a schlep like me deserves but it’s more than that. It’s how I feel when I’m with her. It doesn’t matter if it’s just the two of us and I’m sitting across from her in a little Italian restaurant or if we’re in her dining room, surrounded by her family, the woman makes me feel like I’m something when I’m nothing. It’s indescribable, and it makes me want to be better.
A better man.
A better father.
A better person in general.
I want to be the man she deserves. The guy who will wipe her tears when she cries and be her strength when hers falters. I know she don’t need me, that she can do it all by herself but, I want to be the guy who makes her realize she doesn’t have to. I just don’t know how the fuck to get through to her. Part of me thinks I need to back off until she hears from the doctor. No one likes to play the waiting game, especially when their health is in limbo and as long as she remains in the dark, she’s going to keep getting lost in her head and her convictions.
As soon as we know the results, I’ll get back in the saddle. In sickness and in health, I’ll prove she can lean on me. I’ll show her this thing between us is more than two ships passing in the night. It’s the kind of shit some people wait their whole life to find and when they do, they hold on tight.
Turning into the parking lot of the hospital, I decide to tone it down. Instead of calling six times a day, I’ll call once to check on her. I’ll let her lead.
Killing the engine, I remove my helmet and hang it from the handlebars before making my way towards the hospital. On my way to Maria’s, I got a call from Pipe and he informed me that our friend Alvarez had paid Nico a visit. As promised, he cut my son loose and told him because of his connections to the Satan’s Knights, it was best he ended his association with the Devil’s Cross. According to Pipe, who was standing outside the room, Nico threw a fit. Alvarez didn’t waver and when he left, he took Nico’s cut with him.
Now, as I near his room, I can’t help but feel like I’m walking into the lion’s den. At his age, I was already on my second-wife. If my old man would’ve got in my business, I wouldn’t have liked it either. In fact, I would’ve raised hell and severed ties.
Pushing open the door to his room, I step inside and find him sitting up, spooning a pudding cup.
Like father, like son.
“Those were my favorite when I was stuck in this joint,” I comment, walking deeper into the room.
Lifting his eyes to me, he places the empty pudding cup on the tray and licks the spoon.
“Where’s your mother?”
“There’s a sale at Nordstrom’s,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders. “I gave her my AmEx and told her to have a ball.”
“That was n
ice of you,” I say, taking a seat next to the bed.
“Not really,” he replies. “I’m over the limit,” he adds, dropping the spoon. “I had to get her out of here after she told the nurse she would sponge bathe me.”
Swiping a hand over my face, my lips quirk and I swear I see a flash of a smile.
“The doctor says you’re almost ready to bust out of here.”
“Thank God,” he mumbles. “Kelly came by earlier. She told me what happened with Yankovich,” he says, crossing his arms. “I’m glad he’s out of the picture but, I really wanted a shot at the fuck.”
Yeah, he’s definitely mine.
“You’ll also be happy to know the president of my club paid me a visit yesterday and the son of a bitch took back my cut.”
Leaning forward, I place my elbows on my knees and stare at him.
“He found out I was your son and decided I wasn’t a good fit for the club. Apparently, the Satan’s Knights still have a reputation and he didn’t want to compromise the Devil’s Cross.”
“I know you don’t want to hear this—”
“Then don’t say it,” he interrupts. “You’re not going to change my mind, pop. I was born to ride and if the Devil’s Cross won’t give me a place in their club, I will find one that will.”
“Nico, I don’t want you following in my footsteps,” I tell him on a sigh. “It’s not a glamorous life. It’s hard on your mind, body, and soul. You’re young now but the years go by quick and before you know it, you’re my age, grasping at straws, trying to fill all the gaps riding has left behind. It’s a lonely fucking world without a promising future. Is that what you want for yourself?”
“I want the choice,” he replies. “I want to make my own decisions and suffer my own consequences. If it turns out to be a mistake, then I got no one to blame but myself. At least I’ll be able to say I lived for me and without regret.”
“You still might find you have regrets, son.”
“I can deal with that,” he replies. “But I don’t think either of us can deal with me resenting you for holding me back.”
He’s got a point.
“Enzo told me about the bowling fiasco,” he adds. “I’m kind of sorry I missed family day at the circus.”
Chuckling slightly, I shake my head as he smirks.
“Those little shits love to poke fun at their old man,” I say, crossing my arms as I cock my head and study him. His smile falters, and he holds my gaze for a moment.
“Let me be my own man, Dad,” he says.
Digesting his request, I blow out a ragged breath and for a moment I let my mind wander back to when he was a baby. I was fucking terrified of becoming a father. The thought of being responsible for another life was unsettling until the moment I held him in my arms. In that instant, everything I thought I was meant to do in this life seemed insignificant. I wasn’t born to ride, I was born to be his father, and he was born to teach me life isn’t measured in years but rather in moments.
This is one of those moments.
The moment when a father realizes his son is all grown up and the job of raising him has come to an end.
“If this is what you truly want, I will talk to Jack,” I say hoarsely.
“Really?”
Nodding, I sit up and lean back against the chair. His mother is going to kill me but having Nico prospect for my club is the way to go. Looks like I’m going to need to convince Jack to give me back my patch sooner than planned.
“Really,” I confirm, pushing myself off the chair. “Now, get some rest.”
“You’re leaving?”
“I just agreed to have you prospect for my club,” I tell him, walking for the door. “Your mother is going to have both our asses. Yours when she finds out you played her with a shopping spree and mine when she finds out I gave you my blessing to become a hoodlum. I’m going home to down a bottle of Jack Daniels.”
“Shit,” he cringes.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “We’re fucked,” I say, pulling open the door.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” he calls, causing me to look over my shoulder. “Enzo also mentioned you and Maria Bianci have been doing the nasty.”
“For fuck’s sake—”
“I’m not here to bust your chops,” he interrupts. “I’m just going to remind you what you told me.”
“Oh, yeah, what’s that?” I question, knowing I’m probably going to regret it.
“No glove, no love,” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Fucking kid.
A ball buster just like his old man.
Shaking my head, I give him the same response he gave me when the roles were reversed—I flip him the finger and walk out the door. As I make my way towards the elevator, I reach into my back pocket for my phone and call Jack. It’s time to take back my patch and welcome my boy into the fold.
Some of us find our heart in a woman.
Others find our purpose in our kids.
Chapter Twenty-three
Turning into my driveway, I pull behind the Charger, kill the lights and cut the engine. Jack didn’t answer my call and after I left the hospital, I swung by the garage but the only person there was Linc. Apparently, I had just missed everyone convening over the latest crisis to hit our doorstep. Catching me up to speed, he informed me that after the Yankovich mess, Bas took off on a family emergency. He returned today with his late brother’s wife and son who need protection from the club. Since taking the Brooklyn patch, Bas has been staying in a shady apartment in a bad part of town—not your ideal setting for a woman or child. Pipe being on his mission of positivity offered his house to them and the club was busy helping them get settled.
Realizing I wasn’t going to get to talk to Parrish, I left Linc to whatever it was he was doing and stopped off at the deli for a sandwich. Now, me and the twelve inch sub have a date in front of the television. Here’s to hoping the t-shirt wearing, cab screaming fool isn’t the only thing on television.
Taking the hero out of my saddlebag, I shove it under my arm and start up the walkway. My boots come to a halt as I lift my head and lock eyes with Maria.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, using the banister to lift herself from the stoop. Raising her other hand, she produces her phone. “The doctor called,” she says before sliding the phone back into her pocket.
Instantly, I close the distance between us and climb the two steps. My hand reaches for hers on the banister and the hero falls to the floor.
“What happened?” I ask, my voice hoarse.
“I missed the call,” she says, glancing at our joined hands. “She left a message, but I couldn’t bring myself to listen to it. Even after everyone left my house, and I was alone, I couldn’t do it.” Her chin lifts and her gaze bores into mine. “I didn’t want to be alone and the first person I thought of was you.”
“I’m right here, Lady,” I say. “We’ll go inside, I’ll pour you a glass of—shit,” I hiss. “I don’t have wine,” I explain, squeezing her hand. “I have whiskey though. I’ll pour us both a shot and you’ll play back the message.”
She doesn’t reply right away. Instead, she lifts her hand to my face and touches my beard.
“I’m terrified,” she admits, meeting my gaze. “And I can’t figure out why. In all my years, I’ve never needed another person to hold my hand and suddenly I need you,” she cries, brushing away her tears. “I don’t know how to act or feel, I just know that I can’t make this call without you next to me and that scares me. No, it terrifies me.”
“Lady,” I rasp. Pulling her against my chest, my hands travel up her back and my fingers glide through her hair. “That’s not something to be afraid of, that’s something to embrace,” I say.
Pulling her hair, she angles her head back and our eyes meet.
“If it turns out that I’m sick, that’s not fair to you,” she whispers.
“If you’re sick, I still get you and that’s more than fair. That’s fucking everything,”
I reply, touching my nose to hers. “Got in line too late to be any of your firsts but, Lady, you and me we’re gonna share all our lasts.”
Her eyes close as she wraps her arms around my neck.
“It’s not that crazy is it?”
“No, sweetheart. It’s not crazy when it feels right,” I tell her. My hand travels down her back and I press her closer to me. “Want your mouth, Lady.”
“Take it,” she whispers, opening her eyes. Rounding her body, my hand moves to her neck, cupping the back of it, I give it a squeeze before covering her mouth with mine. She opens for me and my tongue takes a greedy swipe of heaven. Her arms tighten around my neck as I lower mine and lift her into my arms. Winding her legs around my waist, she tugs on my hair and kisses me back with a fever I’ve never experienced before.
I climb the last of the steps and lean her against the front door as I dig into my pocket for my keys. Ripping my mouth away from hers, I curse as one hand cups her ass and the other fumbles with the lock.
“Wait,” she says, looking over my shoulder. “I brought you eggplant parmigiana and some more spaghetti.”
“Fuck the eggplant,” I growl.
“But you hardly ate.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m going to eat, Lady,” I tell her kicking open the door. Hiking her higher, I carry her into my dimly lit house and slam her back against the closed door.
“You know what else I realized?” she questions, dipping her head to nip at my lips.
“You like the beard,” I mutter between kisses.
“That, she agrees, licking my lips. “And I like it dirty,” she whispers.
“Good, ‘cause I like dirtying you up, Lady,” I reply, finding her neck. Sucking the delicate flesh into my mouth, I spin her around and kick off my boots. Not willing to trek up the stairs to the bedroom, I carry her into the living room and set her down on the couch before climbing over her.
In an instant she’s all over me, ripping my shirt over my head and undoing my zipper. I don’t know if she’s desperate to forget or desperate for me and I don’t give a shit. If she needs me to ease her troubles, I’ll do it. If she needs me between her legs, reminding her she’s alive, I’ll do that too. Whatever she needs, I’ll be.
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