Page 66 of April 5

"Kat. Listen to me." He held onto her hands when she pulled away. "He was convicted of the crime. I never asked him to cover for me, but he did, and I can't change that."

"You let him take the fall?" she whispered.

Her words stabbed him in the chest. As president, he took responsibility for each member. But he wasn't president back then. He was reeling, knowing someone had killed his dad. He had no one to blame but himself.

"The last thing Ruger said to me when they slapped handcuffs on him, he asked me to protect you. I gave him my word, but over the years..." He swallowed the guilt. "You know that my role as guardian and protector crossed the line."

She pushed away from him and slid off the motorcycle. He stayed on the Harley, letting her go.

Katrina climbed up the dune, struggling to gain footing and get away from him. She ran toward the ocean—the same ocean that hid his secrets. Where more than a few men have perished or been swept out to sea.

A few minutes after she dropped out of sight, he climbed the dune and stood at the top to protect her from a distance.

He'd held that secret for twenty years. There should be relief.

But all he felt was vulnerable and heartbroken that he wasn't the man Katrina thought him to be.

Chapter Thirty Two

RUSH PICKED UP A BEER bottle from the end of the counter. Katrina slid down a bottle to Dio. She'd kept herself busy throughout the day, staying away from her dad, who had closed himself in his room, and away from the parts shop where Jagger spent most of the day.

She looked at the clock. Jagger would come storming in, expecting her to be available to him, and she needed time. Time to understand what went down all those years ago that shaped everyone's life.

"That's it, boys." Katrina brushed her hands off. "You're on your own tonight."

"You're not staying?" Dio raised his drink to his lips.

"What would make you think I'd want to hang around with bikers?" She laughed. "Even I need a break."

She wouldn't allow them to see how much she hurt or how much chaos was going on in their president's life. Mama Sue taught her well.

A girlish scream pierced the room.

"Dio!" Skye, Maverick's daughter, ran through the room and collided with Dio, hiding behind him. "Don't let him find me."

"Who?" Dio widened his stance to hide the girl.

"Brett," Skye mumbled.

Dio shared a wink of amusement with Katrina and said, "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Skye." Dio growled.

The young girl crouched down behind him. "Nothing bad."

"Better confess, they're heading this way," he said.

"I didn't mean to hit him with a water balloon." Skye plastered herself on the back of Dio's legs. "I was aiming for my dad." The young girl giggled. "He walked right in front of my dad, and I got him in the face."

Katrina looked across the room and found Brett. She covered her mouth, unable to keep her amusement in check. The biker's hair hung wet around his shoulders, and his t-shirt was soaked.

She leaned over and put her hand out. Skye gave her a high five. There was nothing better than playing with bikers. It was how she was raised. Skye was blessed to be surrounded by family.

"Hop on, sweetheart." Dio squatted. "I'll protect you."

Skye jumped onto his back. Dio skirted the room, keeping Brett from seeing the girl clinging to him like a monkey. As Katrina witnessed the shenanigans, she couldn't help smiling at how Dio catered to the child.

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