Page 123 of Where We Ended

I was happy for him.

So, the preacher said prayers, and certain words that didn’t register much for me, but it felt like peace. My mind threw back the image of the last time I’d been here, burying my father, when I’d seen Wes standing at the grave…how my heart had felt like it had turned inside out at the mere sight of him.

A smile snuck along my mouth as people from the club began pouring dirt, leaving roses and whiskey on my father’s casket.

I went back to the last time I watched a member do this.

My father had faked his death to bring me home, and in turn, I’d found a way back into the arms of Wes Ryan, and managed to claim a few extra months with my father before death took him from me for good. What my father did for me…for us, it went beyond just being a good dad. He gave me a second chance at life with the only boy I ever loved, and he did that by risking everything.

No one was even supposed to know he was still alive, after he’d acted all this out…but then when he’d heard about the attack from the Chaos Kings all those months ago, he’d shown up. I learned later that he’d done that because Silas told him I was inside.

He was the best dad in the whole world, and now he was gone.

Wes held my hand as we moved forward in line. Sasha was holding Ford, as tears slipped down her face. She’d asked as a favor if she could hold my son because she said Ford had become my father’s favorite thing about living, and she wanted to hold him as close to her heart while she allowed it to break.

Laura, Killian and Rachel were behind us. I hadn’t really looked up from my spot in front of the casket to see who else had attended, but as I stepped to the side, my gaze widened, and my feet faltered.

Wes caught me, helping to steady me. “River.” His whisper slid in through my heart, just like it always did. He knew why I’d nearly tripped, and why tears flooded my eyes. He knew that my heart would be pounding against my chest, as if it needed an exit point from my body.

“They all…” my sentence stopped, as emotion clogged my throat.

Wes pressed a kiss to my ear, then stroked my rib. “Yes, River. All of them. They all came to pay tribute to your dad.”

The entire cemetery was surrounded by black leather and denim.

Giles walked through a group of bikers, with Brick next to him, both of them wearing their cuts and shades. I saw a few other members doing the same. Two members from Sons of Speed, and the new president of The Death Raiders. Mayhem Riot was in route as well, all the leaders moving toward my father’s casket. The multitude of members that rode with them surrounded the service, shoulder to shoulder, rival clubs all standing in unison as they paid tribute to my father.

Silas stepped out of the line, which trailed behind Killian to embrace the new leader of The Death Raiders. I remember seeing him before, his patch read: Lance. He hugged Silas like the two were brothers, but Silas no longer wore the colors from their club. Lance’s gaze clashed with Killian’s and tension seemed to fill the sticky air.

“Ryan,” Lance finally broke his stare with Killian and tipped his head to my husband then smiled at me, “Callie.”

I waved but Killian’s glare had me hesitating.

“We’re all here to pay tribute.” Giles said, probably sensing the tension. He probably knew whatever bad blood was brewing between those two from how long he’d been with The Stone Riders.

A tall, thin man wearing the president patch for Sons of Speed stepped near our circle and gave me a soft nod. “And offer a truce…for a time, not forever.”

The leader of Mayhem Riot, Archer Green stepped closer, and cast a glare at my husband. Archer was close to Killian’s age, but probably older than his early thirties like my pseudo brother. His blond hair was longer, wild and mostly tied back with an elastic. He wore a crisp white shirt under his cut, and a long silver necklace with a cross hanging around his neck. Something passed between Wes and the president before Archer looked at me. “Sorry to hear about your dad, he was a good man. He spoke of you often.”

I tipped my chin to catch Wesley’s gaze, because I had no idea why my dad would have been talking to Archer Green, especially about me. Mayhem Riot was located in New York, which wasn’t far from Virginia, but there wouldn’t have been any reason for my dad to go there.

Wes pulled me back into his chest as Killian took over the conversation with the members and we got lost amongst everyone else there to grieve and remember my father. It wasn’t until we were the only ones left at my dad’s headstone, Ford tucked into my arm when Wes finally let out a sigh, and slipped out of his cut. He’d started doing that more when it was just us. He wanted to remind me that we were more than the club, and while I settled for him being a part of it, he was also amazing about being able to be separate from it.

“Your dad used to pay Archer to send some of his men to watch over you when you traveled to New York for tattoo expos.”

What. I lifted my head, searching his expression.

“You watched over me through those years…are you saying my dad did too?”

Wes pulled my hand into his while our son remained cradled in my arms. “Your dad was never aware of my stalking tendencies, River. He missed you, watched out for you and even had his own ways of getting updates on you that never came through me.”

My heart felt strangely full and broken all at once. Seven years I was away from my dad, and while I had my reasons, they all felt so insignificant now that he was gone.

“I never knew he kept tabs on me. I never knew you did either…I just assumed?—”

Wes kissed the palm of my hand, giving me that easy smile that reminded me of the nine year old boy who used to tell me stories of Peter Pan and Wendy in his tree house.

“You assumed you could leave our world and we’d forget you? Remember what I told you when we were fifteen? You wanted to use a fishing metaphor because you assumed that one day I’d want a fancy, trad wife with a membership at a country club and to attend bible studies on the weekends or something.”

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