Page 70 of Charger

“What about the Feds?” I ask, but I already know the answer. We know some guys on the force that keep us in the loop. We have this agreement with them. We keep the peace, keep the town safe; we help each other out. They stay out of our way for the most part and in exchange, we help them too. This situation? It might be better if taken into our own hands.

“We’ll keep tabs with them, but this is our war now.” The rumble in Chain’s voice has the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up. “Tomorrow, it’s time we pay them a long overdue visit. And I want a guy on our women, asap. That includes Angel.”

I need to make sure someone is with Jules and Chloe at all times, whenever I can’t be. I had a guy tailing her before, but that wasn’t all the time. It needs to be all the time.

I get up to leave but Chain stops me. “Tomorrow, don’t forget.” He thinks I’ll forget? Not likely.

“Oh, I’ll be ready.”

I head upstairs, shower, and take off for Jules’s place.

When I get there, I head straight to the back, up the stairs and knock. The door opens with her gorgeousness staring straight at me, while she wears a smile that could turn me into the biggest pussy.

Her smile fades as soon as she sees my battered face. “What happened to you?” She reaches up, touching my battle wound. Her soft skin makes the pain go away instantly, as if she’s my healer. Who was I kidding? She is my healer.

“The pit.” I take her hand gently before kissing her knuckles, and we share a small moment.

“Daddy!” Chloe comes running at me and I immediately scoop her up in my arms.

“What’s up, kid?”

“What happened to your face?”

“Uh, daddy ran into a door.”

“You’re silly. Oh!” She wiggles, trying to get out of my hold, so I put her down. “I know how to fix your booboo.” She runs off and Jules’s parents step forward. I didn’t even notice they were here. Her mom smiles warmly, but her dad gives me a glare. He looks the same, except his dark Italian hair is more silver at the ends, and the lines around his eyes are more defined. Seeing her dad hurts in a way. He was more of a father to me than my own. I definitely missed them both.

He takes a step, the air tense and heavy. You could hear a pin drop. I reach out, offering a handshake. “Mr. Taccarelli.”

He glances down and his eyes burrow in. Maybe a handshake wasn’t the best idea. He probably hates my guts for what I did to his daughter. He takes another step in and wraps a warm hug around me, just like Jules’s mother had.

He claps me on the back. “Son.” He does another clap. “Good to see you, boy.” I catch Mrs. T’s eyes and she smiles. It takes me a second, but I return the hug. I don’t deserve their kindness, but I’ll gladly take it. He breaks us apart, holding onto both my shoulders. “You look like you put on some muscle. You look good. Except for that.” He points to the small swelling of my cheek, followed by the leftover cut.

“Yeah, about that…”

“Here, daddy! Chloe holds a band-aid up to me, so I kneel down to take a look. It’s a pink unicorn band-aid and, I’ll be completely honest, it makes my heart melt. If she wants me to wear a pink unicorn band-aid, I’ll fucking wear a pink unicorn band-aid.

“You know what? I think this is exactly what I need. Think the unicorn will heal it?” She bobs her head up and down. “Then how about you stick it on me.” I point to the cut on my cheek. “Right here.” She peels the wrapping away and plants the adhesive to my face with a giggle.

“It’s perfect! You’ll be healed in no time.” She runs off to the dolls on the floor.

Here I am, with a pink unicorn band-aid, and I couldn’t be fucking happier.

“It looks good on you, Zach.” Jules lets out a laugh.

“Son, let’s step outside. There’re some things I’d like to talk to you about.”

The talk. The talk that I can’t get out of, even if I tried, which is fine. I get it. So, without argument or comment, I follow Mr. T outside. I mean, shit, if I was him, I’d like to know who the hell I was too, six years later.

We walk in silence for a few minutes; the only sounds are my boots and chains hitting the pavement. He stops, his hands in his pockets and sadness in his eyes. “Losing a child, a son, isn’t easy. Every day is a constant battle. But we move on because we have to. Because we owe it to ourselves, and to Chloe, to be the best. We need to be. But I will tell you… watching Chloe grow up all these years without a father was another stab to the heart.” I swallow; never have I been so close to crying in years. But I fight it back. There’s no way I’m going to show weakness when her father is nothing but fucking strong right now. “Now, I will say this. We weren’t one hundred percent in the right on this either. Could we have tried to contact you better? Sure, but I guess… I guess it needed to happen as fate intended. You two needed to find your way back to each other not by force, but by fate. And I think, for some years now, I was a believer in that.”

“Look, sir, I never…”

He raises a hand. “I’m not finished.” I nod in acknowledgment. “We want you to know that we didn’t only lose one son that night; we lost two.” Fuck. I didn’t realize what I had put everyone through. I guess, in my own mind, I didn’t think anyone would really miss me. I was wrong. Dead fucking wrong. “So, with all that said…” He clears his throat. “I don’t know what you and Jules have going on, if there is anything going on, but I expect you to be the best damn father I know you can and will be. And as for that…” He points to my leather cut. “From what Jules tells us, sounds like your club isn’t the bad guys. We watched Jules get hurt with that other club. Don’t be dragging her into the same bullshit and putting them in danger.”

“No sir, you have my word on that.”

“Good.” He sighs. “Let’s get back in there before her mother thinks I buried you out here.” We laugh and it’s every bit sincere. He starts to walk ahead of me.

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