“Apparently not.” I look down at her flushed face. “You okay?”
She stands and pulls down her dress then flips her hair over her shoulder. “I feel like a hundred dollars.” She reaches up on her tiptoes to brush my lips. “I’ll see you downstairs.”
She swings open the door to Ryder lounging in the doorway. She pats his arm as she grabs her bag, then flashes me a saucy smirk. “Hurry up, you two. Cake is happening soon.”
My heart beats faster. I would die a thousand times for her. I rub my hands over my face and inhale. The smell of my Eve calms me. I drop my hands and face Ryder.
“What?”
“He’s in the conference room.” I arch a brow at him then shake my head as I walk past.
“By your cryptic message, I’m assuming this is going to make me unhappy on my son’s birthday and make us late for cake?”
He lifts up his hands like I have a gun pointed at him. “I didn’t say that. Actually it’s about time he came back and finished what needs to be done.”
“Eve is pregnant again.” He stares at me and for a little bit, that horrible slither of dread causes the hair to stand up on my arms.
“Eve’s a fighter. She’ll be fine. It’s time, brother.”
I let his words swim around my head knowing Ryder’s right. This has been a long time coming. I barely acknowledge anyone as we pass the loud game room. Bikers are playing pool and doing shots, but there are no drugs in sight. This is a family party. That means no weapons, no drugs. If they can’t follow the rules, they’re gone. I have no tolerance for any shit of any kind. My kid is not growing up like me. Eve and I are on the same page when it comes to parenting. Translation—we both do the opposite of what our parents did. I stop at the door.
“Revenge needs to happen, Prez. People need to atone,” Ryder hisses. I look at him for a second and wonder how bloody this is going to get.
“I got your back, man. We ain’t going down this time.”
I grin because Ryder is one scary motherfucker when he wants to be. I nod and jerk open the door. His back is to me. I can’t not snort at his dark suit that stinks up the room with money.
He turns and I lock eyes with his silver ones. The room is quiet, and the sun pours in casting a shadow across half the floor, almost as if it’s warning us.
Fuck it. Ryder’s right. It’s time to find whoever is responsible and make them pay.
So, I step inside and say, “Hello, David…”THE END