Page 69 of Heart of Stone

Great. An intervention.

"The club needed me," I growl.

"Bullshit." Axel drops into a chair. "I was fine. Could have waited it out or found another way out. You just didn't want to choose."

"Choose what?"

"Between the club and them." Ginger's voice is sharp. "Because if you chose them, it meant admitting you care. That they matter. That you might actually need someone."

"I don't need?—"

"A family?" Tank cuts in. "People who love you? Yeah, you do. We all do."

"Those kids adored you," Ginger adds. "And that woman? She was falling for you. Hard."

"Was," I echo. The past tense hurts more than I want to admit.

"You know what I saw in that hospital?" Ginger's voice softens. "I saw a woman terrified for her kid. And instead of being able to lean on the man she trusted, she had to handle it alone. And noone can tell me that's the first time she's ever had to do anything alone."

"I didn't know?—"

"You knew." Tank’s tone is blunt. "You saw those calls coming in. You chose to ignore them."

"The club?—"

"Stop hiding behind the club." Axel’s usually gentle voice has an edge. "The club's family. Family means having each other's backs. All of us."

"Including those kids," Tank adds. "Who, by the way, are probably going to end up family anyway once Duck adopts Andi officially."

That pulls me up short. "What?"

"You didn't notice?" Ginger laughs. "Duck's been playing proud papa for months. Why do you think he gave her the restoration department? Man's looking for an heir, and his own kids aren't interested."

"Shit."

"Yeah, shit." She kicks my boot. "So congratulations. You just screwed up with the future queen of the garage."

"I fucked up," I whisper.

"Yeah, you did." Axel's voice is gruff. "Question is, what are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing to do. She made her choice."

"Because you made yours first." Ginger slides off the stool. "You know what's sad? She wasn't asking you to choose between her and the club. She just wanted to know she mattered too."

"She does matter."

"Then fucking show her," Tank growls. "Because right now? All you're showing is that you're a coward."

"I'm not?—"

"Prove it." Ginger heads for the door. "But first, sober up and have a shower. Those kids deserve better than a drunk biker trying to win back their mom."

She leaves me with that truth bomb, Tank following after shooting me a disappointed look.

Axel slides onto the seat beside me. "What's the plan?"

"I don't know," I admit. "I never signed up for this. Never thought I'd have someone like her."