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“Don’t shake your fucking head at me until you hear me out.”

Folding my arms over my chest, I waited. There was nothing he could say that would make me change my mind.

“I want you to go nomad.”

That got my fucking attention. Steele didn’t allow his members to go nomad. You were either in or you were out. There was no other option.

“Steele—”

“You let me worry about Steele.” He rubbed his hand over his face. King was worn out. I hated the position I had put him in by walking away, but the truth was, I had no choice. I loved my brothers, but Melissa had to come first.

“We’ve got a war coming, brother. We need all hands on deck.”

“This isn’t our war. It’s got nothing to do with us.”

“That’s fucking bullshit and you know it.”

Cash was right. It was bullshit. This war involved people we knew. People we loved. Not everyone would survive. But if I wasn’t involved, Melissa would be safe. And if Sypher and Pippen didn’t survive, Dani would still have Melissa. And she would need me by her side.

“I’m sorry, King. I can’t.”

“Talk to Mellie—”

“No. She wants nothing to do with the club. I won’t compromise on that.”

“You think Sypher and Pippen are planning to walk away? ‘Cause I can guaran-fucking-tee neither of those two have any plans to leave their clubs. Which means Dani is part of the club. If Mellie wants to be in that little girl’s life, she’ll have to deal with the fucking MC. They’re both part of an outlaw club. We aren’t. If she’s willing to compromise for Danika, and not for you, then maybe you need to re-evaluate if she’s invested in this as much as you are.”

Standing from my seat, I glared at the two men I looked up to the most. I opened my mouth to tell them both to fuck off when Cash stopped me.

“Don’t say something you can’t come back from, brother. Talk to Mellie. Relationships are about communication and compromise. We’re willing to compromise so you can keep your old lady. But is she willing to compromise so you can keep your family?”

My eyes moved from Cash to settle on King. I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. I wanted to point out that he was a bastard for trying to keep me from having what he himself could have if he just reached out and took it.

Standing there, my heart beat frantically with anger and resentment. My breath was controlled, but heavy with annoyance.

My brain warred with my heart. Logically, I knew what they were saying was true. Being a nomad would give me the freedom to go wherever Melissa wanted to go. While still keeping me connected to the club. It would secure my spot in the club. Leaving it open for me to return.

But at what cost?

If I made the suggestion, would I see compromise on her face, or would I see betrayal? Would she see it as us working together, or would she see just one more person who put the club before her again?

They didn’t get it. She had no control over Danika’s life. She didn’t get to choose whether or not the little girl she’d come to love like her own was part of the club or not. She had no choice but to compromise on that if she wanted Dani in her life.

It wasn’t the same with us. Danika was her daughter. Danny and Dante had done that, not Melissa. A mother would never be expected to give up her child. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t given birth to her.

It was different for me. Would she walk away from me if I stayed with the club? Yea, she would. Did I hold that against her? Not a fucking bit. Not after what she had endured.

I wouldn’t ask the woman I loved to give anything up for me. I would give up my life for her, though. I would walk away from everything I ever knew just for five minutes with her in my arms.

“I love you both. You’re my brothers and you always will be. But I won’t ask her to sacrifice her life for mine.”

“Ghost—”

I held my hand up, cutting him off. I needed to get this out. Cash was right. I didn’t want to say anything I couldn’t come back from, so I had to choose my words carefully.

“One day, I hope you both get to experience what I have with Melissa.” I focused on Cash first. “If Rachel wasn’t the woman you would be willing to give it all up for, then I hope one day that woman walks into your life. Because, brother, the way Melissa makes me feel is something everyone should experience.”

Turning to King, I hesitated. This could sink me. I was taking a chance saying what I was about to say.