Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 132332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
“Shit, Rock.” I run my hands through my hair, unprepared for this discussion. What’s a good excuse to give him today?
He stands and goes over to the coffee maker, measuring out enough for a full pot and adding water. “Grinder seems to think we could be brothers instead of father and son.” He tosses out the idea like it’s a softball instead of a fucking grenade.
Shock rolls down my spine. He shared our connection with Grinder? Without asking me?
“You told him?” I can’t examine the second part of what he said yet.
“He’ll keep it a secret.” He cocks his head. “You realize, at this point, more people know than don’t, right? The longer we hide this from Heidi, the more hurt it will cause when we finally tell her.” He levels another stern stare at me. “And she’ll find out eventually. One way or another. Every secret has an expiration date, and this one is perilously close.”
I fucking hate that he’s right, even if I won’t admit it. “Well, I’m not the one going around telling everyone, now, am I?”
“Wrath figured it out on his own.”
I cross my middle and index fingers together in front of my face. “You two are freakishly close.”
He shrugs. “He cares in his own way.”
“What about Z?” Because if Wrath knows, then Rock probably told Z too.
Rock turns and leans against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest—completely unapologetic. “He almost figured it out on his own. I told him because I was trying to help him reconcile his feelings about Lilly keeping Chance from him.”
“Yeah, I figured,” I grumble. Z’s known all this time and hasn’t said a word. I can’t decide if I appreciate him trying to respect my privacy or if I want to kick his ass. No wonder he didn’t choke me to death when I was acting like an ass to Lilly. The fucker knew exactly what was setting me off.
“Brothers, huh? Our family tree gets more snarled every time we shake another branch.” I cock my head. “What made Grinder suggest that?”
“Some things he remembered about my father.” He shakes his head, a hint of disgust clouding his expression. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think that’s the case. I respect Grinder, but he’s not a fucking scientist. He might’ve been trying to make me feel better about the situation.”
“How would knowing you and your dad nailed the same woman be helpful?”
He groans. “Can we cut the shit and get serious for a moment?”
“I am serious. Did he like walk in on them or something? Why’d he go there?”
Rock ignores my obvious attempts to steer the conversation somewhere—anywhere—else. “Marcel, what’s holding you up now? Let’s figure out the barrier so we can remove it.”
“You need to stop reading Hope’s self-help books.”
He drills me with a not-fucking-around stare.
“Okay, fine. Heidi’s pregnant. I don’t want to be responsible for something happening to the baby if I upset her.” Given how Hope ended up in the hospital after delivering the news to us, Rock should understand where I’m coming from.
He lets out a long, slow, irritated breath. “There will always be an excuse.”
Oh, fuck no. “Did you forget what happened to Hope when she told us?”
His jaw flexes, like he’s thinking of choking me. “It’s not the same.”
“The hell it’s not.”
Rock closes his eyes for a second, probably counting backward from ten. “All right. We’ve waited this long. But this can’t go on forever.”
Suspicious of how fast he’s letting this go, I stare at him. “That’s it?”
“What do you want from me, Marcel? I’m doing the best I can here. You know damn well when this gets out, the fact that we’ve held onto it so long will hurt people.” He squeezes his hands into fists. “I feel like an accessory to a crime, and I don’t like it.”
“Well, I didn’t ask for this either.”
Some days, I wish we’d never found out.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Teller
Since Grinder already knows that Rock’s my father—or related to me in some way—I catch up with him at the next clubhouse bonfire.
“You seem to be more comfortable hanging around here now,” I point out.
“New parole officer isn’t up in my business as much.” He glances across the clearing at the girls, his gaze landing and staying on Serena. “Damn happy we got Grillo out of the picture.”
“Yeah.” Grinder’s release from prison hasn’t been as smooth as we’d all hoped it would be. His first parole officer was a bigger criminal than the criminals he supervised.
He glances at me. “What’s weighing you down tonight?”
I lift an eyebrow. “Nothing.” Liar. Just talk to him. I used to go to Grinder for advice all the time when I was a kid. Why does it feel awkward now? “Remember when you and Lucky taught me how to drive stick?” I ask.
The corners of his mouth curl slightly. “You wanted to restore the club’s old beater truck, but your skinny little ass didn’t even know how to work a clutch.”