Always (Next Generation The Skulls 1)
“She gets you every single day. The least she can do is give me these few moments.”
“You’ll call as soon as you get home?”
“Yep.”
“Promise?” Tabby asked.
“I promise.”
She grabbed his shirt, pulling him close.
Sinking his fingers into her hair, he kissed her hard. These moments were the worst. He hated leaving her alone, but there was no way he could stay. Not yet. He’d asked his dad about moving to Fort Wills, but even though The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds worked together as a team on most cases, they were still separate clubs with their own lives.
Chaos Bleeds owned Piston County, and The Skulls had Fort Wills.
“Devil,” Tiny, Tabitha’s dad, said with a growl.
“Son,” Devil said.
Tabby pulled away with a smile. “See you soon.”
He wanted to kiss her again. Instead, he pulled away, nodded at Tiny and Lash, and gave the guys he was close friends with a wave.
Climbing into his dad’s truck, he groaned. This wasn’t the cool way to be leaving his girl. Most of the time, Devil rode with a couple of the boys when they were talking business. With him asking to come as well, the only way to appease his mom was to take the family truck. It was such a buzzkill as it reminded Simon of his parents constantly making babies. Sometimes he even lost count of the number they had.
They had just gotten out of Fort Wills when his father started to talk.
“I don’t appreciate you sneaking out. Especially while we’re in Fort Wills.”
“You knew?”
“Son, I’m old but I’m not stupid. You and Tabitha are not going to turn me into a grandpa too early.”
Simon burst out laughing.
“I’m being serious. Your mom wouldn’t like it either.”
“No, you’re not going to be a grandpa too soon. Don’t worry about it. Tabby and I don’t get a whole lot of time together. You know how it goes.”
“I have to say at your age, I don’t. I was fucking everything with a pussy, Simon.”
“I thought you were supposed to be the voice of reason with me?”
“I am. I’m not an idiot. I just want you to know what you’ve gotten yourself into. Your mom will be a little more delicate with you.”
“You think?”
“I only want what is best for you.”
“Tabby is what’s best for me.”
“And when your time comes to take a patch? I know that’s what you want unless you intend to change that.”
“No, I still want to earn my patch.”
“You planning on killing me to get my club, son?”
Simon laughed. “Not a chance. I know you’re going to be around forever. You’ll give me the club when you’re ready.”
Devil snorted. “So you’re still wanting to take a patch.”
“Yeah. It’s all I ever wanted.” For as long as he could remember, watching his father run Chaos Bleeds, seeing his men be loyal to him, creating something that was just so much more than anything else, Simon knew he wanted to be part of that in some way.
“And you’ve talked to Tabitha about this?”
“Yeah, she knows.”
There were a few seconds of silence.
“What are you not saying, Dad?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Come on. There’s got to be a reason you’ve gone all silent on me. Tell me what it is.”
He waited.
“I’ve tried not to interfere when it has come to the whole Tabitha and you thing.”
“You did try. You failed.”
“Club shit always gets in the way, but you’ve got to understand, you’re not a boy anymore. You’re on the way to becoming a fine young man.”
“Why do I feel a but coming on?”
“But she’s still a Skull. Her place is in Fort Wills and the last time I checked, she’s not planning on moving anywhere.”
“Your point?”
“One of you is going to have to make a choice. Either she moves here, or you have to take your patch with them.”
He saw his father’s hands tighten on the wheel.
“We don’t have to worry about that yet,” he said. Simon wasn’t stupid. He’d realized Tabby never confirmed they’d stay together. He didn’t know how he was going to make it work, only that he had to. He had to do something. The thought of not having her in his life, of them not being together, it just didn’t seem possible to him.
She was the only person he ever wanted, the only one he wanted to be with. He loved her more than anything.
Rubbing at his temple, he turned his attention out of the window.
“I know this is the kind of shit you don’t want to know.”
“I get it, Dad.”
“I’m looking out for you.”
“I know.”
Silence once again.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to not think about anything. Driving away from Tabby was always difficult. The time they had together was a few stolen moments like last night. Everything else had to work. When he talked to his mom about it, she always offered him a sweet smile as if she knew what kind of trouble he was having.