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SEVEN

“ H e’s lying.”

“Oh, yeah, he was lying big time. So, what are you gonna do about it?”

“Not much I can do. Not like I can sick Grim on him.” I glanced over at him with an aggravated look as I said, “He’s Tallie's brother.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

“We need to get into her father’s files and see if there’s anything that might help us figure this thing out.” I turned to Shep. “You think you can get access to his server?”

“Yeah, I’ll see what I can find, but I’d get a lot farther if I had his laptop.”

“I’m guessing that’s with the fucking cops.”

“More than likely but give me some time. Let me see what I can do.”

“Need a hand?”

“I get that you want a hand in this, but you know me. I work better alone.”

“Understood. Just let me know if you need anything.”

“You know I will.”

Shep gave me a pat on the shoulder, then turned and went back to his office. I stood there for a moment, and my mind instantly went back to Rooks. He lied right to our faces, and he did it knowing that his sister and mother were in danger. Rooks had never been a saint. Hell, he’d pulled some shady stuff back when we were kids, but nothing that would ever put anyone in harm’s way, especially his own family.

There had to be a hell of a good reason for him to lie about his involvement, and I had every intention of finding out what it was—even if it meant beating the hell out of him again. It wasn’t like the smug asshole didn’t have it coming.

It was a thought that was weighing on my mind as I headed back to the family room to check on Tallie and Ford. They’d been off on their own for over an hour, and I figured they were ready to get back to the house. But when I walked in, I saw that I was wrong. They were doing just fine.

Tallie was sitting on the sofa with Bridgett, one of the hang arounds, and Casey, Ghost’s ol’ lady. They were all laughing and carrying on about something or another. Ford was playing some video game with Casey’s son, Toby, and from the sounds of it, they were having a blast. I couldn’t deny that the sight of them all together got to me in a way I didn’t expect.

I leaned against the doorway, letting myself take it all in. Tallie looked happy, really happy, and she was here, in my world, in my space. She and Ford looked like they belonged here just as much as I did. I couldn’t believe it.

She and Ford had only been here a few hours, and they were already starting to settle in. For so long, I’d tried to imagine what it would’ve been like if things had gone differently. Now, I wasn’t just imagining it. I was watching it unfold right in front of me. And damn if it didn’t make me want to hold onto both of them with everything I had.

I was so caught up watching them that I didn’t notice that Ghost had walked up and was standing next to me until he leaned in and whispered, “That her?”

I didn’t have to ask what he meant. I knew. He was talking about the girl I’d spent countless nights rambling about when we were deployed. He’d heard all the stories, good and bad, and he knew that she was the one. She’d been the one even when I was too damn angry to even say her name.

"Yeah.” My chest tightened. "That’s her."

Ghost let out a low chuckle as he crossed his arms and took a good look at Tallie and Ford. It was like he was seeing a piece of my past finally make sense. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Yeah.”

“I gotta tell ya. I wasn’t so sure this day would ever come.”

“If her folks had a say, it wouldn’t have.” I shook my head. “Went so far as to tell her I was dead and buried.”

“No shit?”

“Yeah. It’s been a tough pill to swallow.”

“You two going to make a go of it, or is it too much?”

“It’s a lot, but it’d take a hell of a lot more to make me walk away from her and my son.”

“So, he is yours?”

“He is.”

“Don’t know why I even asked. Hell, he looks just like ya. Even has the same bad hair.”

“Hey, now. Don’t be hatin’ on my hair. Not everybody can pull off the whole Goldilocks thing.”

“It takes a special kind of badass for this kind of hair.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

Tallie laughed at something Bridgett said, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was so damn beautiful. Ghost chuckled as he said, “You’d think they’d known each other forever.”

“You really would.” I was still watching them as I said, “It’s good to see your girl doing so well.”

“Yeah, those first couple of months were rough.” Ghost stood with his arms crossed, and his expression was unreadable as he watched Casey. “Felt like I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, but now things seem to be settling.”

I had to admit that she had been looking better, happier, and stronger. But I knew better than most that just because someone looked okay didn’t mean they were. "How's she doing with everything?”

“She’s getting there. She's not looking over her shoulder as much, but…" He let the words hang.

"But it’s still there," I finished for him.

“Yeah.” His eyes stayed locked on her as he continued, "Dylan did a real number on her. For the most part, she’s pushing through, but I can tell when things start weighing on her. She’ll check the locks three or four times before going to bed. She sleeps light. Wakes up with a start and struggles to go back to sleep. But she’s tough. Stronger than she knows."

"Good she has you to help her through it.”

“I don’t know about that.” Ghost shook his head. “You know me. I’m not good at that staying calm bullshit. She even mentions something about what that asshole did, and it makes my blood boil, and I wanna kill him all over again.”

“Yeah, nobody’s ever gonna mistake you for Dr. Phil, but you’ve helped her in other ways.” I motioned my head over to the girls. “You’ve made her feel safe, and that’s something she hasn’t had in a long damn time.”

“Nothing I wouldn’t do for her or the kid.”

“How’s he making it with the new school and all?”

“Aw, he’s a tough one. He’s already making all these friends, and he’s been talking about joining the junior football team.” There was a hint of pride in Ghost’s voice, which was something I hadn’t heard from him before—at least, not like this. "I think we’ve got a quarterback on our hands.”

“That’d be awesome.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I gotta say, family looks good on you, bother.”

Ghost smirked. "Ah, hell. Don't go getting all sentimental on me, brother."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

We stood there a little longer, watching our women talk, and it wasn’t long before the sound of Kay’s voice drew our attention to the hallway. Neither of us was looking to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to hear her as she yelled, “It’s ridiculous! Those girls are half your age, and they’re pawing all over you like you’re some kind of god.”

“I can’t help that they have good taste.”

“Oh my God! You are as ridiculous as they are!” Kay roared. “You are truly incorrigible.”

“And what do you care? You’ve made it clear that you want no part of me or the club.”

“I’ve done no such thing!”

“Oh, but you have.” There was no missing the sound of frustration in Preacher’s voice as he snapped, “In fact, you’ve been crystal fucking clear about it, and I’m done.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I never was and never will be the man you thought I should be. I’m good with that, and it’s time you got good with it, too. Because that ship’s come and gone.”

Silence hung between them for a beat before the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway. A door creaked, then slammed shut. Ghost let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

A few seconds later, Preacher stepped into the family room. He looked like he’d just been kicked in the gut. His shoulders were slumped, and there was a defeated look in his eyes. He ran a hand down his face before he spotted us watching him.

“Damn, Prez.” Ghost raised a brow. “That was rough.”

Prez didn’t answer right away. He exhaled a heavy breath, then shook his head. “Yeah, I can’t keep doing this shit.”

I exchanged a glance with Ghost. We’d both seen Preacher handle more than his fair share of shit over the years, but this mess with Kay was different. She got to him in a way nothing else did. It was clear he was torn, so I suggested, “Maybe it’s time to tell the girls to back off?”

“It’s not about the fucking girls. It never has been.” He kept his eyes trained ahead as he added, “Not gonna matter what I do. It’s not gonna be enough for her.”

“What are you saying?”

“She’s gotta go.”

Her ex-husband had given himself up to the men he’d deceived and robbed, but we hadn’t heard anything from him since. There was still a chance that there would be further backlash, so Ghost was compelled to ask, “You sure that’s a good idea?”

“Don’t have a choice in the matter. This shit isn’t fair to either of us.” Prez shook his head. “There was a time when I loved her like no other. Hell, I would’ve done just about anything for her, but now, I just wanna wring her fucking neck.”

“You know what they say… there’s a fine line between love and hate .”

“Well, right now, it feels like a fucking ravine.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“That’s something I’ll have to discuss with Memphis.” He ran his hand over his face, then shook it off and asked, “He still covering for you at the Vault?”

“Yeah. The last I talked to him, he was basically living over there.”

“I bet Antonia is loving that.”

“Hopefully, it won’t be for much longer.”

“About that… what’s the latest with your girl?”

“Her brother is a lying asshole, but I got no way to prove it or make him come clean.”

“There’s always a way.”

“I got Shep working on it. Maybe he can come up with something, but I have a feeling that the only way we’re gonna get any real answers is to get her father’s laptop and that’s in his office.”

“Which is gonna be tough with all the yellow tape and security hovering over the place.”

“Exactly.”

I hadn’t even realized that Tallie had walked up until she said, “Maybe I could help.”

“We got it covered.”

“I’m sure you do, but I could help,” Tallie pushed. “I could ask Detective Joyner if he could let me in the office.”

“Doubt he’d go for that.”

“I could tell him that I need some important papers from the safe or something?”

“Hmm.” Preacher shrugged. “That could work.”

“But she’s gonna need a good excuse.”

“I could say that I need Ford’s birth certificate so I can register him for school. If he lets me in, I could try to get access to his computer and whatever else you think we might need.”

Ghost gave me one of his looks. “It’s worth a shot.”

“Not if it means putting her in danger. I’m not…”

“I’ll be fine,” Tallie argued. “I’m sure Detective Joyner will be there with me.”

“The same detective who couldn’t keep Volkov’s men from following you.”

“Yeah, you have a point there.” She thought for a moment, then suggested, “Then, you come with me.”

Preacher shook his head. “Detective would never go for that, and even if he did, he’d be suspicious as hell.”

“Don’t need cops thinking we had anything to do with this mess,” Ghost added.

“Okay, then you guys can wait outside or something. I don’t know, but me going to the office makes the most sense.” Tallie remained calm and rational as she told us, “I mean, it’s not like you guys can just bust up in there, at least not easily. It’s a three-story office building with security guards and cameras, and Dad’s office is blocked off with yellow tape.”

“She’s got a point.”

“I don’t know.”

“Just let me talk to Detective Joyner and see if he will even consider it, because there’s a really good chance that he won’t.”

“Okay, fine. But it’s just to the office. Nothing more.”

“Whatever you say.” Tallie seemed proud of herself when she asked, “When do you want me to go talk to him?”

“First thing tomorrow.” I glanced over at Prez and Ghost as I said, “That’ll give us some time to prepare.”

“Okay. Sounds good to me.” Tallie gave me a smile. “I’m gonna head back over to the girls. Just let me know when you get ready to go.”

“Give me five.”

“Take all the time you need.”

Once she was out of earshot, I turned my attention back to Ghost and Prez. “If we do this, we do it right. We need to take every precaution.”

“Shouldn’t be much to cover her to the station and over to the office.” Prez turned to Ghost as he said, “You and Goose get with Rusty and Skid. Work out a plan to keep eyes on her at all times.”

“So, we just doing the office or is she going to try going over to the house, too?"

"Just the office. If she doesn’t find anything there, then we’ll make plans to check out the house ourselves.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll get with Shep,” Ghost offered. “I’m sure he’ll have some input to all this.”

“I’m sure he will. Thanks, brother.”

“Get with us in the morning, and we’ll piece together a plan.”

“Sounds good.”

By the time I got Tallie and Ford back to my place, it was already pushing dinnertime. Ford had been talking nonstop about Toby and the games they’d played, but as soon as we walked in the door, I could see it—he was starting to slow down. I figured he was getting hungry, so I started for the kitchen. "You like hot dogs?"

“Yeah.” His eyes lit up. "As long as you’ve got some ketchup.”

“Got plenty.”

“Awesome.”

Tallie leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching as I got everything together. “Need a hand?”

"I’ve got it." I tossed the hot dogs in the pan before starting on the macaroni. It wasn’t anything fancy, but Ford didn’t seem to mind. He ate every bite like he hadn’t eaten in days. Hell, he even gave me a couple of nods and a thumbs-up. I considered it a grand success.

After dinner, we all settled on the couch, and I flipped through the channels until we landed on some animated movie I’d never seen before. Ford curled up between two pillows, and it wasn’t long before the weight of the day caught up to him. He let out a little sigh, and then, the kid was out like a light.

Tallie looked over at him with a soft smile. “He looks so peaceful when he’s sleeping.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I was too enamored by the sight of my son sleeping so soundly. I got up and walked over to him, just watching him for a moment. Then, being careful not to wake him, I scooped him up into my arms. His head rolled to my chest as I carried him down the hall to his room. I eased him down onto the mattress, and once he was settled, I pulled the covers up to his chin.

He didn’t move.

He just let out a breath and continued snoozing. I just stood there, watching him for a moment longer. My chest tightened at the thought of how much time I’d missed with him. I didn’t want to miss another second. He was mine, and it was time he knew it.

When I got back to the living room, Tallie was sitting on the edge of the sofa with her knees drawn up to her chest. I could tell by the way she was looking at me that she knew what was coming. Hell, she didn’t even blink an eye when I told her, “It’s time to tell him the truth.”

"I know. You’re right. He deserves to know, and I want him to know. I just don’t know how to tell him.”

“We’ll tell him together.” I sat down beside her and took her hand in mine. "We don’t have to make it complicated. The simpler, the better.”

“He’s a lucky kid.” Tallie gave my hand a squeeze. “He’s got an amazing father.”

“You’re the amazing one.”

Still holding her hand, I stood and gave her a gentle tug, urging her to her feet. Once she was up, I leaned down and lifted her into my arms. I carried her up to my bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. A flash of desire crossed her face as I eased down on top of her, hovering above her for a moment before I crashed my mouth against hers.

Her kiss was warm and soft, and each swirl of her tongue made the blood rush straight to my cock. There’d never been anyone on this planet who could get to me the way she did, and that hadn’t changed. Not even a little. Fuck. Just feeling her body against mine nearly sent me over the edge.

My need took over, and my hands suddenly became rough and impatient. I lowered my mouth to her neck and whispered, “You’re so fucking incredible,” I ran my lips leisurely from the curve of her jaw down to her shoulder, “every goddamn inch of you.”

“God, I’ve missed your foul mouth,” she rasped as she pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it to the floor. As she unfastened her bra, she whispered, “I’ve missed all of you.”

“Right back at ya, sweetheart.”

I continued trailing kisses past her collarbone, and her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me towards her when my mouth reached her breast. Heavy breaths and low moans filled the room as I flicked my tongue against her nipple. Her head fell back, and goosebumps prickled across her skin as my fingers worked their way across her abdomen, through the waistband of her jeans, and further down between her legs.

A small whimper escaped her throat as my fingers grazed across her center, circling her, teasing her. Unable to contain herself, she rocked her hips forward, begging for my touch. Fuck. I could barely contain myself . Seeing her so wound up made my cock grow thick with need. I eased my fingers deep inside her, and I’d just begun to stroke her when she moaned, “Oh God, Holt… Please.”

The moment I brushed my thumb against her clit, I felt her begin to tremble. Knowing she was close, I increased the pressure as I grazed my fingers over her g-spot. She moaned loudly, and she tightened around my fingers. Her head dropped forward as her entire body tensed with her release.She called out my name, and I was done. I couldn’t wait a moment longer to have her; I withdrew my fingers and moved my hands to the waistband of her jeans.

Once I had them unfastened, I gave them a tug, removing them in a blink and tossing them to the floor. Equally as eager, Tallie reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head then started to work on my jeans. In a matter of seconds, we were both completely undressed, and we spent the next two hours tangled in each other’s arms.

The next morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed. I wanted to stay there with Tallie, safe and warm in my arms, but she was up and in the shower before I had a chance to stop her. Like me, she was eager to put this mess with her father behind us, but I had a gnawing feeling that things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.

I should’ve listened to that voice in my head, and it was a mistake I would soon come to regret.