by Ethan Egorov
“I don’t understand? He took advantage of you!” he reaches Spencer before I can get to either of them. He grabs him by the shirt and punches him hard in the face. I cry out, knowing it wouldn’t be a good idea to try and separate them.
“Stop, Dad!”
Spencer stumbles and gets back up again, squaring off to my dad.
“I didn’t take advantage of her,” he grabs at his face, “I love her.” He holds his hands up but my dad is still fuming.
“Bullshit. I trusted you, I asked you to look after her and this is what you do?”
“Dad—”
“No Jeannine, stay out of this!”
The way he yells makes me afraid to say anything else.
“You are finished. If I ever see your face again, you’re a dead man.”
“No—” I whimper, wiping at my tears.
Spencer turns to me, his eyes the saddest I have ever seen. I already know that he blames himself.
“I’m sorry angel.” He moves to get back on his bike, reaching for me, I reach out for him but Tank shoves him away and grabs me.
“Get the hell out of here. Out of town if you know what’s good for you.”
I grab Dad’s hand, “no—” he quiets me again and I tremble in my own skin.
Spencer looks at me until he gets on his bike, and once again over his shoulder before he drives off. I collapse into my tears and pull away from my dad.
“They’re bad guys, Jeannine. You don’t want that.” Dad says. He shakes off his hand and I glare at him.
“No. Spencer is good, and we love each other. It’s you that’s bad.”
“Listen—” he reaches out for me again.
“No, I won’t listen. I hate you.” I shove against his chest and run back into the house, slamming my room door behind me.
I cry and cry until there is no cry left in me.
19
Jeannine
I feel like a zombie in my own body. For days, I forget how to simply exist.
It gets better, but I still feel numbed and…lost.
I wanted to have control over everything. I wanted to sit my dad down and tell him, when he wouldn’t have to find out the way he did. I’m sure seeing us kissing wasn’t easy for him but he just got so angry… I don’t know how to face him. And Spencer…
I don’t know what to do. He might have left, I’m not sure. But I love him too much to get him into any more trouble. I can’t be the reason he comes back and risks his life, however serious Dad was, I don’t know.
A whole month passes, of missing him and avoiding my dad and barely talking. Adriana comes over but even she doesn’t know what to do. A standoff with an MC pres and new member doesn’t just happen every day.
I’m completely lost.
“Jeannie, it’s me.” Dad knocks on my door and tries to talk to me, like he usually does every day.
“Go away.” I close my eyes, laying on my bed, and the visual of him knocking Spencer onto his feet comes into view. Spencer leaving with a split lip, blood streaming down his face.
“Your mom is here.”
I almost forgot she was coming. The fourth of July, she said she would come. It’s the only reason I get out of bed, go to meet her in the living room. Dad lingers and Mom gives him a hard look, I already told her what happened. Punching and all.
“Leave us be, Arnold. Is that too much to ask?” Mom shoos him away. Dad gives me a sad look, and he actually looks a bit dejected but he leaves all the same.
“Mom,” I hug her tight, tears clouding my breath.
“Oh honey, I’m glad to see you.” She pulls back, looking like sunshine in her yellow dress.
She sits me down and I talk to her about everything. She listens and offers me advice whenever she can.
“I really love him, Mom. It’s not fair.”
“I know, your dad… I’ll talk to him, but I always said this about that club. Their rules and their toxic masculinity. Sometimes it’s charming. Other times its stupid.” She smooths my hair and wipes my tears.
“I know. Are you staying here?” I look at her suitcase by the door.
“Yeah, I actually came here to make up with your dad. I hope you’re not mad at me.” She smiles sadly.
“Why would I be mad? That’s what I hoped would happen.”
“Yeah well… there are some conditions but we can talk about that later.”
I nod, “Yeah.”
“You should make up with your father too. You haven’t said you hated him since you were nine.” She laughs once.
“Oh. He told you that.” I glance at her.
“Mhm.”
I sigh, “I guess I will.” Despite being mad at him, I have missed him.
“Good. I’m going to get groceries because I know it’s a disaster here.”
She leaves and I reluctantly go find my dad, he’s in his office, stewing with a beer and staring at a wall of photos.
“Dad.” I announce myself.
He turns to me and smiles softly, “Jeannie.” He stands and I step back against the door, crossing my arms.
“I’m sorry, Jeannie. I didn’t know… I told the guys that you—I was just so pissed. But I thought about it and… I think you should come by the club tonight, it will help explain.”
I frown, “Explain?” I wipe at my eyes and shake my head at him.
“Dad, you wouldn’t listen to me. I know you were shocked to… see us, but I’m your daughter and you wouldn’t just listen to me. I was wrong to say that I hate you, I don’t. But I am afraid of you now.” I whisper.
His face falls. “Oh no Jeannie, I…I lost it. But that’s not me, I swear. Your mom, she came back to me, we can be a family again because she knows that’s not me anymore.”
“Why?” I ask him.
“Just… come to the club tonight. Please.” He begs.
I trail off in thought and give it a minute. He is still my dad, even though Spencer is gone and I don’t know if I can see him again. I later agree to come to the club, for whatever it is, hoping I don’t break down from the memory of Spencer when I do.
20
Spencer
I came home in a blind rush. My face was half smashed in but all I could think about was Jeannine and how she was doing. I feel like it was my fault, if I had just waited… but I thought Tank would still be gone for hours, I had no idea he would come back and find us. He did, and now shit has really hit the fan.
When Roland found me, he was absolutely pissed. I had to tell him what happened, as a member of the club too. We all just got back from a two-day sting, and I helped them stop another club from trying to get in on our turf. Tank called me a watch dog or some shit—Sparrow, so I had a club name. And then it was fucked up all in the same night. My face hurt for days until it healed up, and I barely left the house. Roland didn’t kick me out or anything, as my brother, but he was pissed.
He spent a month or so trying to talk to Tank until it all just stopped, and I’m not sure why. We don’t talk much, so I don’t ask. All I think about it my Jeannine. I miss her so fucking much. I know if I talk to her I will just make it hurt more, if we can’t see each other. So I refrain, just like in the beginning. I wonder what would have happened if we never got involved with each other, but she made me a better man. I’ll always be glad that I fell in love with her.
“You need to come to the club tonight.” Roland walks in my room without knocking, I don’t have it in me to argue anymore.
“For what?” I look up at him, putting my crossword puzzle down.
“Just… you have to come.” He looks worried and I don’t know why.
“What is it bro?” I stand up.
He firms his face and looks less grim, half smiling.
“It’s Tank, he uh—he stepped down.”
“What?”
“He’s leaving the club to make up with his wife. So that means I’m the new pres. He’s telling the club tonight, that’s why I want you to come.”
I
don’t know whether to be more invested in the fact that Jeannine’s parents are back together but I still hate Tank for what he did to us.
“But I thought I wasn’t in the club anymore.”
“Tank never told anyone.”
“He—”
“He never told anyone. He wasn’t… whatever Jeannine said must have got to him.”
“I told him I loved her that night but he didn’t seem like he was listening.” I laugh once.
Roland chuckles and steps inside. “Well, as far as the club knows you’ve been keeping watch on the other club.”
“What’s tonight then?”
He gives me a look.
“It had to be Jeannine, huh?” he laughs.
I grin at the thought of her. “Yeah, it had to be you don’t get it man. You’ve never been in love.”
“I guess not. Just come to the club.”
I end up agreeing, finding myself in the lot a few hours later. The sun is setting and it is already committed to memory. I haven’t been back in a long time and it feels like home. Which sucks because for a minute there I thought I lost it. I want is—
“Spencer?”
I hear her voice and think I am hallucinating before I turn and see my Jeannine. She is smiling, looking gorgeous as ever in her jeans and blouse, a cute frilly purple thing. I smile and walk over to her, hugging her immediately.
“I’m so sorry angel, I missed you so much.” I inhale her scent, hold her body close.
“I missed you too. But my dad is right behind me so you should watch your hands.” She giggles, pulling back.
I grin, holding her waist instead. I still kiss her though, because it has been too damn long.
“I was summoned here. I have no idea what’s going on.” I tell her.
“Me neither.” She shrugs, pulling back from me. She looks over at a woman in the parking lot by her car, a few moments later Tank gets out of the car. I realize why she looked familiar, it’s her mom.
“Am I about to get another shiner?” I hold her hand.
“I hope not.” She holds herself close to me.
I look at Tank when he gets close enough, and he nods me aside from Jeannine. I look back at her and smile to reassure her.
“Tank I’m sorry. For going behind your back. But that’s all I’m sorry for. I love your daughter, and I won’t ever hurt her. I swear it.”
His eyes darken but his expression softens.
“I believe you. I’m not sorry about knocking you off your feet because you still deserved it.”
I manage a laugh and he smiles halfway.
“Why didn’t you tell everyone? I was hiding out for a month.”
“Because of what you did. That other club, they’ve been after us for years. I trusted you to find out what was happening and you did. That’s why you’re still in the club, that kind of thing is hard to come by.”
I nod once.
“But you’re not in the club anymore.” I finish.
He nods once, looking over at Jeannine and her mom.
“No, I’m not. I have a family and—man to man, I’m in love too. Gotta make sacrifices. Your brother, he’ll take care of it though.”
I half smile, “He sure will.”
“And just so we are very clear,” He starts walking back to them and I follow, “You better not hurt my daughter.”
“Dad—” Jeannine whines. I take her hand and chuckle, even though I’m still a bit scared inside.
I look in her eyes and smile, “I’ll never hurt her.”
Epilogue: Jeannine
My dad got up in front of his whole club and told them he was stepping down. I was shocked as everyone else, but he really meant it. They all cheered when he went over to kiss my mom but I just gagged a bit.
Spencer was with me though, and even though I was a bit apprehensive about things he just won me over. I know it would have been hard to talk, when we thought all hope was lost. But now we can be together, and it’s… perfect.
My dad and I made up, which is nice. Because we all live in the same house now and I feel like I am ten years old again, with two happy parents. Dad doesn’t hold it over mom’s head, that he left the club. They still talk about it, I know it will take some adjusting. They seem to be doing fine. Spencer even comes over for dinner sometimes, and Dad stops looking at him with daggers. They actually have things in common. I spend the amazing summer I planned with him, falling in love every day, over and over, until I have to leave.
We knew it would be hard but I didn’t have much choice. I wasn’t going to switch colleges to be closer to home, and it was a little too soon for him to follow me there. Plus it’s only a few hours away, I see him once or twice a month and soak up as much of him as I can.
I love college, it’s fun learning something new and starting a new phase in life. Mom definitely cried when I left and dad probably waited until I was gone, but all the same.
I’m happy today because it’s the day I can see Spencer. He rides in on his bike, making a public show for all of the student union to see and I happily run up to him with everyone watching.
“Hello angel,” he murmurs against my lips, then kisses me with all the love in the world he has for me.
“I missed you.” I hug him tightly, jumping down to take him in.
It’s the winter now, so he has a sweater on under his cut. I smooth his hair back and cup his face.
“I missed you too. You have a lot of homework?” he asks.
It’s the weekend before the break and we planned on riding back together.
“Not particularly.” I giggle.
“Good.” he kisses me again, and we go back to my dorm room. I don’t have a roommate but the small living space was still hard to get used to, especially when Spencer comes over.
He strips my clothes off as soon as we walk in the door, and I do the same to him.
We don’t waste any time, getting naked and reacquainted with each other. I miss him more every time and every time it just seems to get better. We go at it for what seems like hours, before we lay down together.
“So I was thinking…” Spencer starts.
“Hm?”
“That we get hitched.” He laughs and I know he is joking.
“What are you really talking about Spencer?” I grin.
He looks at me with bright eyes and smiles. “You should move in with me. Back home, I mean. I just got a place, with a sex swing—”
I swat him and cut him off.
“You want me to move in with you?”
He chuckles, holding me tighter around my breasts, they’re still his favorite thing. “Yeah, I want you to move in with me. And just to be clear I’d also like to marry you one day and have kids and spend the rest of my life with you but we can get to that later.” He laughs, rolling us over so he is between my legs again.
“Spencer, you’re insane—” I giggle.
“For you.”
I sigh, knowing I’ll have to convince my dad first but he’s learned to back off in that department.
“Okay. I’ll move in with you. But you have to do all the packing and unpacking. I need to rest from school.” I laugh and kiss him, glad that I made him so happy.
I think that’s all we can do, make each other happy every day. And if I get to do that for the rest of my life then I am not complaining at all.
Join the Tribe
Do you love sexy and steamy MC romance?
* * *
If so, join my reader group and check out exclusive sneak peeks to my next books along with giveaways.
* * *
Click Here to Join My Reader FB Group
Cardinal: Outlaw MC II
Synopsis
Just when I thought I’d never see her again, she walks right into my bar…
I’m the new pres of the MC, the Outlaws are counting on me to hold things together.
To keep a drug war for happening and tearing the club apart.
I’m prepared to do j
ust that until I get arrested, a DUI slapped on me by a cop that hates the MC.
And then I see her. Paige Travers.
The beautiful red head who is now my lawyer, and becomes the only thing I care about.
Nothing has ever been more important than the club—until her.
1
Rafe
I walk into the club room to hear the clink of glasses and smash of the pool table, guys all around hollering about god knows what. I still half smile because I haven’t been back in a little while, and where all this noise would be annoying, I actually don’t mind it.
“Rafe, you’re like a stranger around here.” Logan shouts from the bar. He’s been in the club for a long time, a loud guy with good instincts and a pension for numbers, he helped us hide most of our illegal shit with the bar here and the shop.
“Pretty much. What’s been going on?” Someone gets up from their seat at the bar and I sit down. They must know who I am. People run off respect around here and I have gotten used to it.
I joined the club when I was much younger, just out of high school and had nowhere else to go. I was slumming it in town, laying low and working odd jobs when Tank found me. I owe a lot to him, so it’s kind of surreal that he is gone now. He retired to get back with his wife, play the family man again. Maybe I am just too young to understand why but he seemed happy about it and was okay with having me take his place as pres. Which is a ton of pressure that I am just starting to feel, being back at the club. The last thing we did together was go to a rival club, get them to stop trying to come over on our turf and figure out why they want to get in on drug running in the first place. it took me a couple trips though, the last was for a few days, but now I’m back.