For the Love of Dixie (Kings of Chaos 3)

I walk over and open the door, allowing Echo to step in.

He’s practically edible in his ass hugging jeans, black boots, T-shirt, and cut.

The smell of leather and cologne wakes butterflies in my belly. Knowing the truth made a crack in the wall I’d put up between us. How could I continue to hate him when he’d done this for me? It’s got me all tangled up inside. I need to sort my thoughts and emotions. Between keeping up on Pop, check-ups, and getting things moved from my old place, I haven’t carved out the time.

“Shit. I can see I’m going to need a drink for this one,” Pops says as I close the

door. “Breaking those rules, girl. I need a scotch straight up.”

“Me too, and only one,” I say.

He grunts.

I know it drives him nuts, my mothering, but once I drill it into his head, he’ll be able to do it on his own. I pull down the small tumblers and pour two fingers in for us both. “Echo?”

“I’m good,” he says.

I can hear the nervousness in his voice. The sadist part of me likes it. Regardless of the reason, this man had shattered my heart, and dealt a blow to my self-esteem. It’d taken years to get over it. I put the cap on the bottle and put it back in the cabinet. Walking over to the table, I set a glass in front of Pops. “Sit,” I say to Echo, gesturing to the seat across from Pops.

He sinks into the chair and clears his throat.

Pops takes a sip of his whiskey.

I follow suit, preferring to lean against the counter and watch how this will play out. “I never said anything, but Echo and I had a thing for a couple of years in high school.”

“I knew it was with someone, but could never get a clue on who though. I figured if you were that careful about things, you were being safe like I taught you,” Pops says.

My face grows hot, and I shoot the whiskey to dispel the embarrassment. No one wants to talk casually to their father about their sex life.

“I’m guessing shit didn’t pan out. Not unusual in teen romance. Why you bringing this to me now?” Pop asks.

“It was more than a teen romance, Hoss. We were planning on getting hitched before she went away to school.”

His eyes bulge. “What?” he roars.

I flinch.

“Start talking now,” Pop orders.

“I was young and in love. I never thought I’d find another who could make me feel as cherished, and safe, and he understood our world. He was the best of everything. We had a deal. We’d get hitched, and I’d go off to college and get my degree,” I say.

“So what the hell happened?” Pops growls.

“I didn’t show up. Shit came up, I couldn’t get the word out to her and …” He shakes his head, trialing off.

“You stood my little girl up at the altar at eighteen? I should put a got-damn bullet in your brain, right the fuck now. Jesus shit! I knew she hit rock bottom in college. I thought it was growing pains, being out of the nest for the first time. ”

“We never got that far, Pops. Tell him the whole thing, Echo. He needs to hear it.”

“Fuck. My dad found out—”

“Bet he didn’t take too kindly to that,” Pops interjects. His knuckles are white from gripping the tumbler, and his eyes are dark with anger.

“No, he didn’t.”

“What’d he do, boy?”

“Threatened to keep me from getting my patch, and in so many words, threatened her. I needed to get that top rocker to protect her.”