Bandit gives her a sobering look as he points at her. “Don’t go spoutin’ that to the girls. It’s club business and not somethin’ they need to know. Trust me, I wanted to go myself and end that fucker’s life, but Cash forbid me.”
“You did that for me?” I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. “Why?”
“Because I wanted him dead,” Bandit says simply. “He hurt you, and his daughter, probably countless others, and I didn’t believe it was fair to keep breathin’ the same air when he can rot in Hell instead.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” I manage. “This report is from months ago.”
Bandit palms the back of his head and I try, and fail, to not travel my gaze to his lower abs that are now showing as he lifts his arm. “I didn’t want you to be mad at me, or try to stop me.”
I frown. “Stop you?”
He sighs. “I knew this was a sensitive topic for you, and if you found out, I didn’t want you to think I’d taken your glory. I also didn’t want you to be involved. You’ve suffered enough.”
I stand, making my way over to him as tears leak from my eyes. I may have punched that bastard in the face when I left home all those years ago, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t afraid of him. I was terrorized. When I think back to the sweet, intimidated little boy I used to be when I was a kid, it makes me even sadder. I just wanted to love and be loved. I didn’t deserve what he put me through, different or not.
I pull him into a hug. “Thank you.”
“Wait, you’re not mad at me?” he sputters.
“Yes, I’m mad you didn’t tell me, and you kept it from the two of us, but what you did was selfless. You could’ve asked for money and Mateo would’ve given you it.”
“I don’t need money,” Bandit says. “I need my family.”
Lace moves toward us, wiping her tears as she joins the hug. “You really are a shithead for keeping this from us,” she says. “But I’m glad that bastard is six feet under. It’s what he deserves.”
“I had to act quickly, strike while the iron was hot,” I explain. “I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about it and what you went through. I hated him for doin’ that to you.”
I look at him and his face softens. “Thank you,Jonah.I didn’t expect that, but I’m glad he’s gone.”
“What about your mom?” Lace soothes, rubbing my back with one hand.
I shrug. “I sent her money for rehab a few years ago. Despite everything, I still thought she could be saved, but it turns out she only wanted to save herself and get high. She probably won’t even register that he’s gone.” I feel the lump in my throat, but I can’t feel sorry for her. She had so many chances to do the right thing. “I reached out to Emma while I was away, my stepsister.”
Lace’s fingers squeeze my arm. “How was she?”
I nod. “Good. She’s doing good. We might arrange to meet down the road. It’d be nice because she seems like she’s got her head on straight after years of therapy.”
“That’s sad,” Bandit says. “But out of something truly horrible, something really amazin’ is takin’ place. If you wanted to invite her for Christmas, that’d be okay.”
I nod. “That would be amazing. She has a husband now, and a new baby, so it may be more difficult. I’d love to meet them.”
“Well, you could go to them?” Lace says. “One or both of us could come with you, right, Jonah?”
Bandit nods. “Of course.”
“Why did you stay away so long?” Lace whispers. “You and Emma?”
“I guess she wanted to get away as much as I did, and truthfully, she’s ten years older than me. She didn’t know I even existed until I left home.”
“Holy shit,” Lace says. “That’s some fucked up shit right there.”
“Tell me about it.”
Finally, the pieces are starting to fall into place. My life up to this point was one big cluster fuck of getting by and being everyone’s friend. It’s not the same as having people to come home to. I love my MC family more than anything, but Lace and Bandit have both given me something that I could never even dream of; unconditional love.
“I love you,” I whisper to both of them. “I wouldn’t want this any other way.”
“Me either,” Lace whispers. “I love you, too.”