“It’s fine,” I replied. I didn’t want him to leave, but I knew how these things worked. I couldn’t remember the number of times we’d woken up in the morning, only to find that our dad had left sometime in the middle of the night. It sucked, mostly for my mom, but it was the life we’d lived. The life I was choosing for myself now. I chose him.
“My love,” I murmured, tracing my finger over his bottom lip.
“All tangled up,” he whispered back, his lips curving up at the edges.
“Go,” I ordered, giving him one last kiss.
“I’ll be back soon as I can.”
“I’ll be here.”
I listened as he went downstairs and out the front door. As soon as I heard his bike start up outside, I called my mom.
* * *
Kara and I were eating cereal the next morning when Mack barreled into the house like a tornado. He slammed the door, tossed his keys against the wall, and cursed as he ripped off his cut and threw it on the couch.
“I’ll see what’s up,” I told Kara quietly, putting my hand on her arm as she started to rise.
“Hey,” I said, walking toward him. “Everything okay?”
“Kara awake?” he asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Eating breakfast,” I said as he caught sight of his daughter and gave her a head nod.
“Then we’ll talk later.”
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as he went around me into the kitchen.
The rest of breakfast was uneventful as Mack and Kara teased each other and chatted, but I could still feel the tension just under the surface. He was hiding it well, but Mack was more pissed than I’d ever seen him before. He was practically vibrating. As soon as Kara went upstairs to her bedroom, Mack let out a frustrated sigh.
“What’s going on?” I asked quietly.
“President from Sacramento is comin’ to get him,” Mack replied in disgust.
“What?” My jaw dropped open.
“Decision’s been made,” Mack said, throwing up his hands in defeat.
“And then what happens?” I asked cautiously.
“They decide what happens next,” he replied. “Your dad’s pissed, but he’s tight with the president down there, so he didn’t say much.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “My mom lived down there when Will was born.”
“They won’t let him keep his patch, at least,” Mack said, standing up. “Your pop would never stand for that.”
I nodded as he walked around the table. While a part of me was relieved that I wouldn’t have to see Copper at club events ever again, a small voice inside of me wondered if I’d overreacted and just ruined a man’s life.
“What’s that look on your face?” Mack asked, coming to a stop next to my chair.
“Nothing.”
“It’s something,” he argued. “You still worried?”
“No, it’s not that,” I said, shaking my head. “I just…I’m wondering if maybe we overreacted?”
“Say what?” he barked, his head jerking back in surprise. “Overreacted?”
“His whole life is over,” I replied, getting to my feet. “We just ruined his life.”
Mack stared at me. “Rose, he ruined his own life. He knew the moment he went after you that he was done.”
“Brothers have done a lot worse shit—” I tried to argue.
“No,” he cut me off. “You go after another brother’s old lady and you’re done. You go after a brother’s kid, you’re done. You can’t be trusted.”
“I’ve seen more than one brother smack his old lady around,” I snapped back.
“You’re not his old lady,” Mack roared. He immediately snapped his mouth shut and glanced toward the bedrooms, but Kara didn’t come out. When he spoke again, his voice was level. “You’re my old lady,” he said more calmly. “And just so you know, if an old lady came to the club and asked for help—she’d get it. We’d put a stop to that shit, quick.”
“But you’ll just sit around and watch it if no one asks for your express invitation,” I shot back.
“When’s the last time you saw a brother knockin’ his old lady around?” Mack asked. “Huh? Been years.”
“Right,” I said derisively.
“We don’t accept bullies into the club,” Mack replied. “If a man gets his rocks off goin’ after people weaker than he is, he ain’t gonna be no help to us.”
“This just feels like a lot,” I replied with a frustrated sigh.
“Baby, don’t,” Mack said, cupping my cheek in his hand. “Don’t downplay it because the man is facin’ consequences of his own makin’, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Dad?” Kara called from her bedroom doorway. “Is it safe to come out?”
“No,” he replied jokingly. “Better stay in there all day.”
“Not happening,” Kara sang as she skipped down the hallway toward us. “Can I go over to Rebel’s today? Her mom said it was okay.”
“I’m not drivin’ anywhere until I get some sleep,” Mack replied.
Kara turned and gave me her best smile.
“She ain’t your chauffer,” Mack said, reaching out to poke Kara in the side. “You wanna go, you’re gonna have to wait a couple hours so I can get some shut-eye.”