Page 80 of Dozer

My dad leaned back, scratched his beard, and then started talking. “I did my twenty in the military. Deployments kept me away from you and your mom. She had to take care of you and the house. I’d be gone six months. Sometimes, she’d be lucky if I called homeonce a week. My obligation to the Corps took priority over family.”

“You didn’t have a choice,” I said. “You had to do what you were told.”

He shook his head. “They needed boots on the ground; I raised my hand. Every. Fucking. Time. I couldn’t disappoint my Marine Corps brothers. I had to be there to watch their back. Your mom waited, took care of you, never complained.”

“She bitched. You just weren’t there to hear it.”

He cracked a smile. “I came home and never asked if she’d been with anyone else.” His gaze hardened on mine. “And she never asked me.”

“Did you cheat on mom?”

“Dozer, I was out six months to a year. Shithole countries where the only people I cared about were in my unit. Then I’d come home to you and your mom. It was early on when I’d come home between deployments. I hated sitting around the house, so I spent all my time at the MC.”

I nodded because I remember when he started bringing me around with him. He’d drink and laugh with Razor, Sully, Elvis, and the rest of the guys while I ran wild with Blade and the crew.

I never really paid attention to what he did in the club.

“You know what goes on in the MC,” he said. “Faye takes me as I am, and I do the same. I don’t need you to tell me what or who she’s doing. I don’t fucking want to know. She’s my old lady.”

Not that it would change how I felt about my mom, but it was good to know my dad wasn’t crushed by her infidelity.

My dad’s eyes glinted. “You want to share pussy with Romeo, not my business. You do what you want. You’re a fucking Heller. We don’t look for trouble.”

I smiled. “Trouble finds us.”

He popped the last of his candy bar into his mouth. “I’m in here because of my choices. I don’t give your mom a choice in how I live my life.” He huffed out a breath. “Enough about your mom. Any update on the Crawlers.”

We spent the rest of the hour talking about the MC, the escalating situation with the Crawlers, and the plan to use the cartel.

“Any word from Willy on when you get out of here?”

“He says my case is strong. Wants me to consider taking a plea on the weapons charges.”

My stomach clenched. “What are they offering? How much time are you willing to do?”

“If they offer me a year, I’ll take it. I’ll probably sit less than six months.”

“Six months in this shithole?”

“Places I’ve been, this is the country club. The world is an armpit, son. It stinks.”

My dad laughed, and it was the best sound I’d heard all day. Brought fucking tears to my eyes. The buzzer sounded that visiting was over.

I stood and my dad tugged me close, locking me into a hard embrace.

“Love you,” my dad said, choking on his emotions.

“I love you, too.” I clung to him, hating that I had to walk away and leave him in this place.

“Next week?”

I nodded. “I promise.”

Chapter Ten

Pippa

“I figured you’d marry a senator or a diplomat,” I said to my sister.

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