“I know you’re good for it, Tucker. I got a run I need you on. I’ll forgive half the debt if you can do it.”
Tucker gives Romeo a wary look and I don’t blame him. Whatever Romeo needs is probably risky. But it ain’t like Tucker takes care of his family. Something happens to him, he won’t be missed.
Once they work out those details, Romeo tips his head my way. Gotta give my prez credit, he knows I got all sorts of questions for Tucker. As much as Romeo pisses me off sometimes, I appreciate that he made sure I was here for this sit-down.
“How’s Karina?” Tucker asks.
Fucker’s got nerve. I’ll give him that. “Like you give a shit.”
He opens his mouth again, but I hold up a hand. “Don’t. Let’s not pretend you give a fuck about her. She’s my responsibility now. If she wants to see you, I ain’t stoppin’ her. But otherwise, leave her the fuck alone.”
His eyes widen and he swallows hard. It’s killin’ this asshole to have to sit there and take attitude from me—the guy fucking his daughter. Yeah, Tucker’s hung out at our clubhouse once or twice. He knows all the dirty shit that goes down inside these walls. Too fuckin’ bad.
“You are gonna get me her sister’s contact information though.”
“Dante, I can’t do that—”
“I ain’t asking, motherfucker. Your other daughter doesn’t know about Karina? I suggest you sit down and have a nice little father-daughter chat with her. Soon. Karina wants to meet her sister.”
Tucker twitches and looks to Romeo. He ain’t gonna find any help there. Romeo keeps his eyes on me and nods for me to go ahead.
“You have until Karina’s graduation. I don’t want anything upsetting or distracting her from finishing up—”
“How’s she doing? In school, I mean?” Tucker asks.
I drill him with a Shut the fuck up stare, but answer his question. Not because he deserves the answer, but because I’m proud of my girl. Proud of how fuckin’ smart she is. Proud of how well she’s doing in school despite this piece of shit across from me not doing his job.
“She’s near the top of her class. No thanks to you.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“Yeah, you owe him. Dante’s planning to send your daughter to college,” Romeo says with a smirk. Guess that’s still bothering him. Dick’s way too up in my business. What happens between me and my ol’ lady isn’t really his concern.
Tucker looks anything but grateful. No, the expression on his face says he’s afraid I’m gonna ask for money from his deadbeat ass.
Fuck that.
“She still want to be a doctor?” Tucker asks.
“Yeah. She’s thinking about it.”
“Her momma always told her that was a stupid idea.”
Sounds like her mom was as useless as Tucker, which is tragic but it makes me even prouder of my girl. “Karina’s got a mind of her own.”
Romeo snorts and I slowly turn my head his way.
“Please. You got that bitch wrapped so tight around your dick, it’s amazing you can walk.”
Whether he said that to fuck with me or Tucker, I’m not sure. My jaw works and something in my stare makes Romeo uncomfortable, because he sits up. “No disrespect to Karina. She’s good ol’ lady material. Knows her place. Gonna be a fine asset to the club when Dante formally claims her.”
Tucker almost chokes. Because, yeah, he knows how an ol’ lady gets claimed in our club. Romeo smirks. I ain’t real good at this whole “meet the parents” weirdness we seem to be doing. Beyond that, I’m not so stupid I don’t get how fucked up this whole situation is.
“Give me until the weekend. Let me talk to Kadence. If she’s okay with meeting Karina, I’ll help you set it up.”
“Don’t make me hunt down your other daughter on my own, Tucker.” He flinches, because yeah he was already plotting how to get out of doing this. “Let’s be clear, Karina is my only concern in this situation. I don’t give a fuck if it makes you uncomfortable to explain to your other daughter what a low life piece of shit you are. Man the fuck up for once in your life. Otherwise I’m gonna do it for you. How you think that turns out?”
The color drains from his face. “Don’t hurt her.”
What the fuck’s wrong with this guy? “I ain’t gonna hurt anyone, you prick. They both deserve to know the truth and to have a relationship if they want it.”
“Can we dial back the Dr. Phil bullshit?” Romeo asks. “Tucker, get my shit delivered on time with no complications. That’s your first priority. Then you need to handle your family business. Don’t forget, I got a straight line to the Savage Dragon’s prez. Ain’t gonna take me a minute to track Kadence down and hand over the information to Dante.”
Tucker stares at his hands in defeat. “Fine. Kadence is…a little wild though. If Karina’s really serious about her studies, Kadence might not be the best influence.”
“That’s my problem, motherfucker. Not yours. Just do what you’re told,” I growl at him.
After Tucker leaves, Romeo settles back in his chair. “Damn, brother. You almost brought tears to my eyes. Why you give a fuck about Karina meeting her half-sister? Sounds as if she’ll be a bad influence on your girl.”
He’s fucking with me, so I don’t give his question any consideration. “We done here, prez?” I ask as I stand.
Sadie’s at the bar in the main room and Romeo heads straight for her. I follow so I can talk to her for a second.
“You see Cricket outside, Sadie-girl?”
She nods, even though Romeo’s got his hand down the front of her shirt, pawing at her tits like he hasn’t been laid in weeks. She gives me an odd look as if she, I don’t know what, expects me to join in?
Fuck that. I can honestly say I’ve got zero interest.
She turns to face Romeo, and they both ignore me.
“You want me to run and get Cricket?” Melody asks from behind the bar. She’s a newer girl, and I’ve barely ever spoken to her.
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
Couple minutes later, Romeo and Sadie have moved their session to a couch in the corner and Cricket’s at my back.
“You wanted to talk to me, Dante?”
I turn and give the kid a serious assessment. Unlike some of our prospects, he doesn’t flinch when I stare him down. Even when I don’t speak right away he stands tall, waiting for instruction.
“Sit.”
Surprised, his gaze darts to Melody and then back to me before he slides onto the stool next to me.
“Heard you were looking after my girl yesterday?”
A flash of relief crosses his face, before he goes stone cold again. “Oh, yeah. Ain’t nothin’.”
“Did I ask you to look after her?”
Now he’s confused, but I’m curious to see how he’ll respond. “Not really, sir. But uh, the guy I hit called her a whore, and I don’t care to hear anyone disrespect a girl like that. You know, unless she’s into that sort of thing.” He flashes a dirty smile at me and winks at Melody.
Cocky little fucker.
But I like his answer.
“Good. You share any classes with Karina?”
“Just one—Accounting. She’s in a lot of advanced classes.”
Sounds like my girl. “How’re you doing in that class?”
“Uh, it’s the only one I’m doing well in besides gym and Auto Tech.”
“Define ‘doing well.’”
“I dunno. B average right now.”
“You gonna make it to graduation?”
“I think so. Having a little trouble with English Lit. Lots of boring shit we gotta read and analyze.”
“All right. Karina will tutor you if you think you need it.”
He seems surprised. “Okay.”
“I don’t think I need to explain what will happen if you lay one finger on her, do I?”
“No, Dante. I wouldn’t…I mean, not that she isn’t…uh, never. No, sir.”
I clench my jaw so I d
on’t end up laughing. “Good. Get back to work outside.”
He slides off the stool and lopes out of the clubhouse.
“That’s sweet, Dante,” Melody says. Forgot she’d been listening in. She bats her pretty amber eyes at me, but I ignore the invitation she’s obviously extending.
“Fuck, you are whipped,” Romeo says, slapping my back. A glance over my shoulder shows me Sadie’s long gone.
“Thought you were saving yourself for Karina’s friend?” I ask, because I can be an asshole, too.
He laughs and shakes his head. “Thought she was off-limits?”
“As if anything’s off-limits to you.” Here’s where I should probably inform him of Athena’s virgin status. But I feel like that’s a tidbit of information he should learn all on his own. Preferably after he fucks her and she’s clinging to him like seaweed.
Hey, I’ve never pretended to be anything other than a prick.
“Sadie’s been lonely since you gave her the brush-off,” he informs me while he finishes buckling his belt.
“Please, Sadie hasn’t been lonely one day since she set foot in this clubhouse.”
“No, but fuck she gives good head.”
I shrug because now all I can picture is Karina’s mouth wrapped around my cock.
“I’m so sorry about yesterday,” Athena says as soon as she sees me at school.
I don’t answer right away. Not because I’m still mad. I’m just not sure what to say.
“Please, please, please don’t be mad at me.”
“I’m not.”
“Good. You know I just worry about you, right?”
We decide to eat lunch outside today in a corner of the stone patio seniors are allowed to use.
“Why so quiet today?” I ask after she finishes her sandwich.
Her face pulls into a miserable frown. Very unlike Athena. “My parents found out I didn’t apply anywhere and they’re livid.”
“You didn’t apply anywhere? Not even in California?”
“No. I want to give this acting thing a serious chance, not do half school, half acting.”
“Athena, you have to—”
“No,” she says, cutting me off. “I swear I have a plan. I’m going to give it two years. If I haven’t made it by then, I’ll go to college.”
“Athena—”
“Come on, Karina. College can wait two years.”
“Okay. But what are you going to live on? There’s no way your parents will support you if you’re not in school.”
Her mouth twists into a sour expression. “No. But I’ve been saving for years.”
Again, I feel crappy that I didn’t know this about my best friend.
“Aren’t you scared to go live in a new place all by yourself?”
She gives me a curious look. “No. I’m excited to see new things. I won’t be alone. I’ve been chatting online with another girl. We’re going to get an apartment together.”
“Are you nuts? It’s probably some creepy old dude.”
Her eye-roll tells me how serious she’s taking my concern. “I’ll be fine.”
My phone buzzes and I get a flutter of excitement thinking it might be Dante. Every now and then he sends me sweet texts letting me know I’m on his mind.
It’s not Dante though.
“What is it?” Athena asks, as I scroll through the e-mail. “Oh, that volunteer job at the hospital wants me to come in for an interview tomorrow.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Volunteer? Why do they need to interview you? Shouldn’t they just be grateful anyone wants to work for free?”
That’s how Athena’s mind works. “They probably want to make sure I’m not some freak. Shit, I don’t have any interview-y type clothes.”
“You can borrow something from my closet. Or we can go to the mall after school.”
I glance at her slim hips and decide nothing in her closet is going to fit over my fat ass. We’re not twelve anymore and I’ve filled out a lot more than Athena has. “I don’t think I can fit into your stuff anymore.”
She glances down at her chest. “Way to remind me I have the figure of an eight-year-old boy.”
We giggle together, much like we did when we were twelve. While she’s slender—willowy, some talent agent might tell her soon—there’s nothing boyish about her.
After school, we head to the mall. It feels familiar and I’m glad we’re on better terms today. Athena’s helpful with this stuff and we quickly pick out a modest dress and sweater-cardigan. “You can’t wear, like a suit or something. It has to be age-appropriate,” she cautions me.
“Got it. Thanks. Maybe you should try out for one of those ‘learn how to dress yourself’ reality shows when you’re in Hollywood.”
She snicker-snorts at my sarcasm.
We part in the parking lot with a hug. “Call me later?” she asks.
Dante’s bike’s waiting in the driveway. I love all this extra time he’s been spending here lately. It’s nice not to come home to an empty house all the time.
“Hey, baby girl. Where you been?” he asks when I walk in the door.
“Shopping.” He raises an eyebrow and I hold up the bags. “The hospital scheduled me for an interview and education session tomorrow and I didn’t have anything interview worthy.”
“That’s great.” His mouth turns up in a genuine smile and my heart races at his encouraging voice.
“The program’s only two days a week, but at least I’ll learn some stuff.”
“Sounds good. You get registered for the class, yet?”
Since my parents never bothered with my school stuff, it’s weird to have to answer to someone about these things. But also nice. “Not yet. I want to have my schedule straightened out and talk to my adviser again.”
“Good.” He motions me to come sit next to him and I set my bags down before approaching. “I spoke to Cricket today. He’s officially keeping an eye on you.”
I chuckle at the image of Dante terrorizing poor Cricket into watching over me at school.
“He’s having some trouble in English, so if you can help him out, I’d appreciate it.”
“Sure. Do you know who he has?”
“No fuckin’ clue.”
“That’s okay. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
Dante nods, but a sterner expression moves over his face. “I warned him what would happen if he made a move on you.”
I can’t help the snort that comes out of me. “I’m sure you did.”
“I spoke to your father today,” he says without easing me into the conversation.
“Oh. Did he ask about me?” I hate how pathetic and needy I sound.
Dante doesn’t make me feel bad about it though. His face softens and he pulls me closer. “Yeah. He did. Told him how smart you are and how well you’re doing in school.” He bites his lip as if he’s holding back the less savory parts of their talk.
“And?”
“I told him he’s gonna get me your sister’s number so you two can meet.”
“You did? Oh my God. Thank you. When?”
He holds up a hand. “After graduation.” When I open my mouth to protest he shakes his head.
“Listen, I know you’re excited to have a sister and you’re dying to meet her. But, I want you to consider the possibility that she won’t feel the same way.”
The thought had occurred to me once or twice, but I kept pushing it away. Now I need to take a minute to picture our family “reunion” a different way.
Dante nods as if he reads my thoughts.
“Did my father say she’s upset?”
“He said a lot of stupid, useless things. But no. It’s just human nature. It’s gonna be a big shock for her, too, don’t forget.”
That’s true.
“So that’s why I don’t want you to think about it until after you’re done with school, okay? I don’t want you getting your feelings hurt and it messing up your grades or anything.”
I can’t swallow over
the lump in my throat. Instead I fling my arms around him and bury my face against his chest. His big, strong arms squeeze me back. “You’re not mad?” he asks.
“No. Thank you for looking out for me.”
“Always, baby girl.”
Chapter Ten
The next week somehow goes by fast and seems to drag at the same time. The school handed out five “official” invitations to each graduating senior to pass out to friends and family.
“God, these are hideous.” Athena wrinkles her nose at the garish red and green cards that match our school colors. “They look like Rudolph took a shit on them or something.”
I choke and sputter with laughter. “You’re disgusting.”
“Nothing like waiting until the last minute to invite someone.”
“I guess they figure everyone important should already know about it? Who cares. I just want to get the fuck out of here.”
“Me too.”
It’s finals week, so classes are sporadic. Dante’s been on a run and I suspect it has more to do with wanting me to study than club business. Luck or Cricket have been coming by the house to check on me. Last night I stayed over at Athena’s much to her mother’s distress.
I’m not ashamed to say I made dinner especially awkward when I let it slip I’d been accepted into State’s pre-med program. Oh, and then I casually mentioned my summer job and my volunteer position at the hospital. It’s not that I wanted to make Athena look bad, but I’m tired of her parents’ judgmental attitude toward me. They still act as if I’m not good enough to hang around their daughter. I’d always ignored it before, but since I’m feeling a little more confident these days, it feels good to brag a little.
Thankfully Athena’s not mad at me. She thought her mother’s uptight congratulations was as amusing as I did.
I’m treated to the surprise of Dante’s bike in the driveway when I arrive home. He opens the front door and I fly into his arms.
“Fuck, I missed you, baby girl,” he says as he lifts me off the ground.
“I missed you, too,” I say between kisses.
There are not a whole lot of words after that. There is a lot of naked, bent over the living room couch sex though.
Entwined (Iron Bulls MC #3) Page 6