Blood & Bone - Easy (Blood Fury MC 12)

She shot a quick glance at Easy when it seemed like his whole body expanded next to her. She did not need her brother and the father of her child getting into a brawl. If that happened, Easy would lose. He was still too injured between the crash and Trip beating him for a fight to be fair.

And, damn it, they needed to get along.

She was the cause of the crack in the relationship between them. That meant she was the one who needed to repair it. “You need to stop, Trip. Please… just stop. We can’t undo what was done. We need to move forward. I need you to be my brother and not act like my father. I need you to be supportive and not judgmental. I have never once judged your actions. Not once. I never blamed you for leaving us behind with Mom when you knew she was nothing but trash, using her own children as pawns in her messed-up scheme. All because she never got past Buck’s betrayal.”

She never did. Tammy wallowed in it and let it swallow her whole.

Tessa had no problem admitting that Trip did more for her in the past two years than her mother and father had ever done for her in the last twenty-two. All because her father resented the fact Tammy trapped him and her mother resented the fact she was saddled with two more kids to achieve that.

Her parents were the perfect example of how a relationship should not be built.

“No shit,” Trip muttered. “She tried to escape that past by running to Wisconsin, by trappin’ the first man who would marry her and by poppin’ out two more kids thinkin’ startin’ a new life would scrape off the past one. It didn’t work and yeah, she used you two as pawns. I get you were upset that I left as soon as I could, but there was no way I could take you and Tucker with me. Didn’t mean I didn’t want to. That didn’t mean I never worried about you two. As soon as I got my boots settled on this farm, I encouraged you both to come here when you were ready. I never once closed the door on either of you. You were standin’ right next to me the day I told Tuck he’s welcome here if he needs a place to land once he’s done doin’ his time in the Marines. I welcomed you with open arms when you showed up. I’ve always been here to support you, Tessa. Always. Unlike our fuckin’ mother. Unlike your father. And, yeah, I’m protective of you because we are not our parents. Thank fuckin’ fuck for that. I want us to do better and be better. That way our kids and our kids’ kids will be better off in the end.”

“And I love you for that, Trip, but, if I’m being honest, right now I’m struggling to feel that love.”

Easy’s fingers tightened once more on hers and she snuck a glance at him. She wasn’t sure if he knew about everything she and Trip just said, but if he was going to be a permanent part of her life, he needed to know everything. He needed to understand where she came from and why she was the way she was.

Just like the story Easy told her about why he went to prison.

“Get I’m bein’ tough, sis. But there’s a reason for it, which I just explained. Let’s not forget Easy had a responsibility to me as his president and to this club. He shouldn’t have shirked that responsibility just ‘cause you asked him to.” When Tessa opened her mouth, Trip lifted a palm and shook his head. “Got it. It’s over. It’s done with. It’s time to move forward. I’ll agree with that. So, let’s hear it,” Trip turned to Easy and addressed him directly. “How you gonna make this right?”

How was he going to make this right? Tessa mentally groaned. Here came the pressure she had been trying to avoid.

“Cage and Jem said we can stay with them ’til we get shit sorted.”

“Sorted? You mean like claimin’ my sister at the table? Like steppin’ up and takin’ care of the mother of your future child? Respectin’ her enough that you won’t be dippin’ your dick in anyone else, includin’ the sweet butts?”

“Didn’t need that goddamn menu, Prez. Know what I need to do.”

“Do you?” Trip scraped a hand down his bearded jaw. “Look, when it becomes our time, we all have to make our choice. Startin’ with me. Was fighting Stella’s ghosts worth it when I was still fightin’ my own? That was a decision I had to make. In turn, she had to decide whether to deal with an asshole like me. One with a fuckin’ temper, too. Thank fuck she gave me that chance. What choice do you plan on makin’? You gonna be there for the baby or, hell,” Trip ripped off his cap and dragged his fingers through his hair, “for them both? And I ain’t talkin about stickin’ around for a hot minute. If you ain’t gonna be there for them long term…” He left the rest of that unsaid, slapped his hat back on his head and waited.