Page 50 of Devil's Queen

It was the only way to keep our club afloat, protect Remy, and preserve her father’s legacy. Rene Landry wasn’t the same leader as he was at the end, but he built this club from the ground up. We had history, and I can’t let it crumble into dust floating away in the Gulf winds. When they started targeting Rem, I had no choice but to sacrifice all my dreams to protect her from the shadows.

I sit here for hours, trying to make sense of it all and why Rem would hide my son from me. The hours tick by as the night’s darkness slips away as the sun rises, filling our meeting room with light. I barely notice the sounds of the club girls waking up or the smell of breakfast being cooked in the kitchen next door until I hear footsteps walking toward me. I peer up and spy Tex entering the room.

“All by yourself, Prez?” Tex asks as he saunters into our meeting room carrying two steaming coffee cups. He settles into his chair and slides one over to me. The signature hints of burned sugar waft over me. I draw the cup to my lips and take a sip.

“Thanks,” I mutter, taking another sip of the coffee before putting it down in front of me.

“You okay? You look like shit.”

I let out a humorless chuckle, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Gee, Tex, that’s just the kind of thing I was hoping to hear today,” I reply, sarcasm lacing my words. “Just a lot on my mind.”

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Tex leans back in his chair, his piercing gaze assessing me with genuine concern. “You know, Prez, taking the reins ain’t an easy gig.”

“No shit.”

“What I’m trying to say is that you need to put your trust in your officers to help you. Delegation and all that shit.”

“Trust,” I repeat, letting the word linger. It isn’t an easy concept for me. Growing up with a father who constantly let me down made me skeptical and cautious. Watching Wolff’s obsession with Rene’s family had only made it worse. But now, as fate would have it, trust is no longer a luxury I can afford to doubt. Not when Rem has been keeping her own secret from me.

“I know it’s hard,” Tex continues, his voice softening. “But you gotta remember, we chose you to lead us for a reason. If something’s bothering you, you can tell me. It’s sort of my job to take care of shit for you.”

I take a deep breath, contemplating whether or not to spill my guts to Tex. He’s been with the club longer than I have, and he’s seen things that would make most men run for cover. Maybe it’s time I let someone else carry a piece of the burden.

“I have a son,” I start, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tex leans forward, his intense gaze fixed on me. “No, you have a daughter.”

“I have a daughter and a son. I just found out about him last night.”

“Remington?

“How’d you know?”

“I always know. Call it my superpower. I drink, fuck, and know things.” Tex leans back farther in his chair, drawing his arms across his chest. “Not to mention you’ve put that woman on an unreachable pedestal. You’ve never gotten over her.”

“I’m not sure I will ever.”

“She’s the one who got away. You’d have put a patch on her the second you thought Rene wouldn’t kill you for it.”

“I would have married her.”

“Dude, you had a death wish if you thought that Rene would have ever permitted you to marry his daughter. Like seriously.” He chuckles. “Is it heavy carrying around the balls of steel?”

“Maybe I did, but I would have done it given the chance.”

“Is that what this is about? A second chance? She hid your son from you.”

I take a moment to contemplate Tex’s words, tracing the rim of my coffee cup with my finger. The truth is, Rem isn’t just the one who got away, she’s the love of my life. I went through hell with Wolff’s presidency to make sure they didn’t try to take her out. I stayed to protect her, and I lost so much fucking time with her. Time I can’t get back. As pissed as I am about her hiding Beaux’s existence from me, I’m still in fucking love with her.

“You still love her, don’t you?

“Am I that obvious?”

“You’re not exactly subtle, Prez. Not to mention thatif anyone else were paying closer attention, they’d have picked up on it like I did.”

“How long have you known?”

“When I saw your bike outside Muriel’s the other night. Only took me about two seconds to put two and two together about why you’d be there. It’s not like you have a girl here. Not since…” he trails off before he mentions her name. “Even with your brief run with Birdie’s cunt of a mother, I knew. You were chasing a high that you’ve only found with Remington. Drowning yourself in easy pussy only dulls the pain for so long.”

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