Page 26 of Beautiful Unity

Love,

Darcie

Nine

DARCIE

The years had not been kind to Hank the Tank. The man I’d always seen as larger than life was a mimicry of his former self. His massive frame had dwindled down to a diminutive man who could no longer be referred to as a tank. Gone was his thick hair and long beard, replaced with weathered skin and a buzz cut. His tattoos appeared faded like they didn’t belong on his body. His clothes sagged and were more for decoration than actually providing any purpose.

And while all of that was disturbing on its own, the most shocking change was his eyes. The once sparkling and full of mischief orbs were now dull and sad. The features might’ve been right, but I didn’t know this man. Not anymore.

“Daddy?” I blinked, sure I was imagining things.

“Hey, Rosebud. You sure have blossomed.” He gave a wry smile, but I knew something was wrong when it didn’t reach as high on both sides of his face.

Breaking my frozen state, I rushed into the room and stood before my dad, assessing him. My hands hovered, but I was too scared to touch him. “What happened?”

“Life caught up with me, Peanut.”

I narrowed my eyes. He might be accustomed to giving vague answers and hidden lies and getting away with it, but not with me.

“Cut the shit, Old Man. Just because I haven’t been here doesn’t mean I can’t smell a lie a mile away. Out with the truth.”

I heard someone snort in the room, but I didn’t risk taking my eyes off my dad to see who. If I had to guess, it was Grayson.

My dad sighed and dropped his shoulders. “You didn’t only get your looks from your mama. You’ve always been a smart one, Darcie.”

I crossed my arms, waiting him out. I could feel the eyes of every man in the room on me, and I soaked in the knowledge that I was in charge.

“I’m so proud of you, Peanut. You’ve become every bit the leader I knew you could be.” He exhaled deeply, his left hand shaking as he reached for me. I took it, the little girl in me needing the comfort only her dad could bring. “Let’s sit.”

I nodded, guiding him over to the chair. Brooks squeezed my shoulder as I passed, giving me some comfort. The others were spread out across the two beds and dresser. Once we sat, Brooks handed out the food, and the men dug in while I waited for my father to start speaking.

“My ties with the Diamonds imploded after that night. I expected it, so I worked to keep them at arm’s length and out of our territory. It worked for a while, but Agonizer didn’t get to where he was without scheming. He collaborated with the Rebels and caught me off guard, overpowering us. Once he had his foot in the door, Agonizer took over and destroyed everything we’d created. It happened so quickly that he had to have been planning it for a while.

“He moved in, took ownership of our club, and added his men to our ranks. Brewer took over the Pit Stop, changing it to what it is now. It’s more than a bar, it’s the heartbeat of his sex trade and drug operation. It’s how he controls his men. Between desire, addiction, and fear, no one steps out of line. Once he had everyone occupied, he used our network to advance his trade, poisoning our reputation in the process. The Mavericks tried to fight back, but in the end, you had two choices—patch up or find yourself at the bottom of a shallow grave.”

My heart sank, and I fought to keep the guilt from overpowering me. If I hadn’t run…

Except that was bullshit. Regardless of my choices, Agonizer would’ve done this. Only I’d still be broken without the men I’d come to love.

“It’s not your fault, Peanut. I got in too deep, and my arrogance cost me everything.”

I reached over and squeezed his hand, fighting back the tears. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

“I know, I just?—”

“No.” He shook his head, his face hardening. “Knowing you got away has been the only thing that kept me fighting. So don’t ever apologize for that.”

I sucked in a breath, my lip trembling as I let it out. Once I’d collected myself, I squeezed his hand for him to continue.

“Agonizer’s pressure got to me after a while. I was at a low place, and I’m not proud of what I did or how weak I became. Seeing everything I’d worked for ruined… It made me hopeless that it would ever change. So, one night… I sampled the drugs he offered until it became daily. That’s when everything got flipped on its head. A batch was laced with something, and it caused a stroke.”

I gasped, my hand covering my mouth. My eyes traced over his face, noting the slackness on the left side. The earlier weirdness of his smile made sense now.

“Are you okay?”

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