Page 22 of Raptor

I open my door and he follows in behind me. "I appreciate everythin' you're doin', Rush."

"Your woman means the world to you, Rap. I've seen how the brothers are with their women and yours is halfway across the world. It's got to be fuckin' hard. You've been wantin' to be with her for months and it just seemed as though everythin' kept getting piled on and you couldn't leave."

Gratitude hits me hard. Fuck, he's one hell of a brother. "Gotta say, man, words can't describe how much I'm in your debt."

He shakes his head. "I'm repayin' my own, Rap. When I was released from juvie, it was you who kept me on the straight and narrow. Unlike the other brothers, who watched me like a hawk and kept waitin' on me to fuck up, you were at my side, showin' me the ropes, keepin' me on the right path. You knew what I needed to succeed. I'll never forget what you've done for me, brother," he says thickly. "From the bottom of my heart, Rap, I owe you my life. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure if I would have been able to succeed."

I reach for him and pull him into me. He doesn't tense. Instead, he returns the hug. "Trust me, kid, if there's anyone in this world who would have been able to right the wrongs they've done and find the right path to continue on, it’s you. No one fuckin' blames you for what went down when you were a child. You had no choice, and while your actions hurt someone we all care about, they also led to Ruby being saved. Trust me, brother, you belong here."

"As annoyin' as you are," he says as he pulls back from me, "I'll miss you, old man."

I chuckle. "I would invite you to come with me but I doubt you'd leave Ruby behind."

I see something whirring behind his eyes. "I've thought about it."

Now that's something I hadn't expected. "And?"

"It's a fuckin' lot to leave behind. My sister, Cage, Seri and Esme."

It's telling that he hasn't said Digger and Octavia. While they took him in, they haven't treated him as they have done Ruby and it's obviously weighed heavily on Rush.

"It's a decision only you can make. If it's one you want to make, you'll have to be prepared for the guilt trips."

He laughs. "Yeah, no doubt."

I study him. "You want the move, don't you?"

He glances away. "Here, I'm always goin' to be the punk kid who shot Octavia. The only ones who don't treat me that way are you, Pyro, and Wrath."

Fuck, the kid's struggling. "You want me to speak with Ace?"

He shakes his head. "I've already spoken with him. He's spoken with Pyro and he's agreed. It's just a club vote now, brother."

I laugh. "Fucker. You had me thinkin' you were stayin' here."

He grins. "What do you think's goin' to happen when the women find out I'm goin'?"

"Hence the guilt trips." It won't just be Ruby, but Seri and Esme. Probably Octavia too.

"I know that if I stay here I'm not goin' to shake that tag, brother, but my hands are tied unless the club votes it."

"They will. Don't worry, they'll know that this is what you want. Havin' you in Dublin will help a fuckin' lot to grow the club."

He grins. "What do you need help with?" he asks, glancing around my room.

"Nothin'. I just need to pack my clothes. Everythin' else is just crap I don't need."

He nods. "I get it. When you have no family other than the brothers, you don't tend to have much. It was the same with Preach when he upped and left."

"The same when you do too."

He lifts his shoulders and shrugs. "We'll see."

I give it six months and he’ll be in Dublin with us. If I have my way it'll be a fucking lot sooner than that too. "It also makes sense as to why you're puttin' in all the overtime."

He chuckles. "That helps, but I want a new bike. Mine is good, but it's not me."

"Trust me, kid, I get that. You ever need help, I'm only a call away."

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