Relent (Sydney Storm MC 1)

He pulled a teaspoon from the drawer and as he shovelled coffee into a mug, he pointed it at us and asked, “You two back together?”

Before coming here, I’d asked Kick to let me do most of the talking, and he kept quiet now and let me answer. “Yeah, we are.”

A scowl crossed his face. “You sure that’s for the best, Evie?”

His words angered me, and my body tensed, ready for a showdown if necessary. “I don’t think it’s any of your business. Not after all these years where you couldn’t care less about me.”

Kick’s hold of me tightened and I heard his muttered, “Fuck.” He didn’t say anything else, though, and that impressed me. The Kick of three years ago would have been straight into an argument and fight if necessary.

Dad continued to make his coffee, remaining silent for a moment. Eventually, he stopped what he was doing, and asked, “Do you know what Kick’s involved in these days?”

The look on his face told me he didn’t think I did. “If you’re referring to Storm, yes I know he’s part of the club.”

Dad’s gaze flicked to Kick and the look he gave him was pure hostility. Then he looked back at me and said, “No, I mean the fact he bails me out of situations that involve thugs and criminals you don’t ever want to be tied up with. I don’t want you involved in that kind of stuff, Evie.”

My blood boiled and I stepped forward. Kick loosened his hold on me but refused to let me go completely. “If you didn’t want me involved in that shit, Dad, you should have stayed away from them. I do know what he’s done for you and I also know that because of you, he could be in trouble now. That shit’s on you, not him,” I snapped, my eyes blazing the anger I couldn’t control even if I tried.

He was taken aback, obviously not expecting me to fire up like that, but memories of too many years of being let down by this man rushed at me now.

Kick finally waded into the conversation. “Evie and I are together now, Peter, whether anyone else likes it or not. And as far as her knowing what I’m involved in for you, I haven’t told her the half of it, but I’m more than happy to if you’d like me to.” I couldn’t see his face but I could feel the fury in his voice and the hard set of his stance against my back.

Dad stared at him in silence for a few moments before turning his stare to me. “I’m sorry for dragging you into it.” The room swirled with his regret. “I’m a weak man and I’ve let you down.”

“Oh my god, Dad, yes, you’re a weak man, but if you want to change your life, the only person who can do that is you!” Frustration at his excuses cut through me. He’d been full of excuses as long as I’d been old enough to understand what one was. “Stop making your pathetic excuses and man up. Yes, Mum cheated on you and your life went to shit after that. And yes, you lost a child . . . we all did, but we’ve all found a way to cope with that and live our lives . . . it’s time you did, too. Find the good in your life and put the bad behind you.”

Kick, who had little patience, got straight to the point of our visit. “Gambarro’s wiped your debt, but so help me if you fuckin’ get yourself into anymore debt, Peter...That was the last time I’m stepping in for you.” His hand pressed hard against my waist and I knew in my soul that if Dad ever found himself in debt again, Kick would bail him out. Because he loved me, he would do anything for my family, or me, regardless of the words he’d just spoken.

“Thank you,” Dad said, struggling to meet Kick’s eyes.

“Did you see that counsellor I found for you?” I asked.

He hesitated and I knew if he said yes, he’d be lying. “Not yet,” he admitted softly, now avoiding my eyes.

Kick’s frustration sounded in the long breath he pushed out. “Jesus,” he muttered.

I pushed him. “When will you be seeing him?”

Cagey eyes darted back and forth between Kick and me before finally settling on me. “I’ll call him soon.”

My handbag had slipped down my arm, and I pushed it back up before saying, “Okay, you do that,” I snapped, way past angry at his failure to help himself, “and don’t call me until you have seen him. If you can’t be bothered to sort yourself out, I can’t be bothered to help you anymore.”

Before he could say anything, I turned and stalked out of his house. Heartbreak, anger and disappointment sat heavy in my gut, and I swallowed the lump in my throat and fought back the tears threatening to fall. It killed me to give up on him, but I couldn’t keep going the way we had been for most of my life. My father needed tough love now. I thought he’d hit roc

k bottom, but, obviously, he hadn’t. I shuddered to think what that would look like when it finally happened because he’d looked pretty bad the last time I’d seen him.

Kick followed me out and when we reached his bike, he pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. “You okay, baby?”

I pulled back a little so I could look in his eyes. Those beautiful eyes that blared his love for me. It had been there all along but I’d been too blind to see it. I smiled. “Yeah, because I have you.”

He planted a kiss on my lips and then said, “You’ve always had me, you just didn’t know it.”

My tummy fluttered and my heart expanded with happiness.

Even with all the sadness, grief, hurt and anger hanging over me, Kick helped take some of it away.

He gave me hope life could be good again.

Chapter Twelve