Page 70 of The Vows We Keep

What was I thinking? My president must be wondering who the hell he has in his club.

“Never mind,” I say. “It’s fine. Go back to bed. Sorry for interrupting your night. I’ll just—”

“Come inside, Niro,” Rae says. She pats Kings on the chest. “Please, could you go make us some coffee?”

“You have got to be fucking ... ” He looks away from me and down at Rae. Whatever he sees there makes him sigh and kiss his old lady. “Fine. I’ll go make you coffee. But please go put some clothes on, because I know you didn’t have time to put shit on beneath that robe.”

Rae heads upstairs.

“You’re a fucking cockblocker,” King says as he steps out of the way to let me in.

“Sorry, Prez.”

“Two apologies in less than ten minutes. What the hell happened to you and Catalina in Missouri?”

I follow him to his kitchen. “We found her dad’s cut with two blood-soaked bullet holes through the chest. And we found it in a house that belonged to a man you and I had already killed and buried back in the Pines, so she can’t ask him what the hell happened.” I hold off on the part about the Righteous Brotherhood because I want to focus on why I’m here, and King would’ve gotten all derailed with that intel.

King grabs a filter and coffee. “Not with her dad. I meant what happened to you. Must be important to you if the first thing you want to do when you get back is wake Rae up for help.”

“I want Catalina as my old lady. I want to do better so she’ll stay.”

King prepares the coffee in the filter, then sets the machine to run. “So bring it to the table.”

I pull out a purple stool by the breakfast bar. “Y’all are going to vote no.”

King leans against the counter. “You got a crystal ball or something? How do you know that?”

“Because people never do anything nice for me. I bet some fuckers in the club will vote no, just to get payback for all the times I’ve been a dick. But here’s the thing. I can’t help it. It’s a part of who I am. Doesn’t make shit right, but it makes it harder for me to manage things. I want to be a better man for her, King. I want to love her. And I think it’ll make me a better man for the club.”

Rae joins us in the kitchen, and King wraps his hand around the back of her neck before kissing her sweetly. It makes me think of Catalina, who I left standing on the driveway.

Shit ... I left her standing on the driveway.

Like, I didn’t even see her into the house.

See? I have zero impulse control.

I grab my phone and dial her number. “Are you in the house?”

I hear her sigh. “Yes. I’m in the house.”

“Sorry I drove off. Didn’t really think about how that would make you feel.” I’m aware of King’s and Rae’s eyes on me. It makes the skin around my neck itch, and I tug my hoodie to try to give myself some air. “It’s just, I figured out something that would help me to help us, and I just did it.”

“That might have been a better explanation said while you were still on the driveway.”

“I’m spontaneous that way, cariño. Don’t be mad.”

“I know. Just ... do what you have to do.”

I pause. “I thought you’d tell me to get my ass home.” Isn’t that what old ladies do? I’m fucking confused.

“Are you secretly off fucking some club bunny?”

I jump off the stool. “No. Of course not.”

“Well then, I trust that what you felt you had to do was more important than coming inside the house, and that when you get home, you’ll explain that reason to me. Assuming I’m still awake. If not, it can wait until breakfast. I found some soup in your cupboards. I’ll save you some.”

Can’t help the smile that forms. “Thanks, Catalina.” I draw out the last two syllables.