Page 91 of Starting Over

The room fell silent, and everyone waited to see what he would throw next.

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

“Ask Tyran.”

Sal snapped his head in my direction. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“You heard me. Tyran was the reason Darcy left.”

Swinging around on his stool to face the room, Sal looked over everybody. “Duncan, where’s Ty?”

Looking around himself, he said, “He stepped out a few minutes ago.”

“Find that son of a bitch!”

Brothers moved throughout the clubhouse and outside, but Tyran was nowhere to be found.

“What did he do?” Sal asked from behind me.

“According to Darcy, he told her that you were just playing with her. That Eamon had someone picked out for you, and she could continue to be your mistress, but she would never be your wife. When that didn’t work, he threatened her.”

“What did he do?”

“She wouldn’t say. But I had my suspicions. Just like I know you had your suspicions about your dad and our mom.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I heard you talking one time to Darcy about it. Mom never said, but I had my suspicions too, after what Darcy told us.”

“He’s gone, boss,” Mac said, walking back inside.

“Jesus Christ.” Sal slammed his fist on the bar.

Watching Maureen across the room talking to Beck, my heart pulled in my chest. Maybe she could be the mom my daughter never got. With all the secrets out, she could stay.

“You and Maura, huh?”

“She’s not marrying you.”

“I never wanted to marry her. I just wanted to protect her. She’s Duncan’s family.”

“Do you know who killed Duane?”

Sighing like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, he confessed, “I think it might have been Ty, given everything that came out today and him disappearing.”

He took a sip of his whiskey.

“I’ve got a fucking kid. And he’s a grown man. How do I forgive her for this? I still haven’t forgiven her for leaving.”

“She loved you. It broke her heart to lose you. But she was willing to sacrifice her own relationship with her son, so that yours could have the life he wanted. Not the one the family would have forced him into. She wanted better for him.”

“And he still became a fucking criminal.” Sal grinned.

“Like father, like son.”

The church doors opened, and King walked out. Looking around the room, his eyes landed on Gunner. “Let’s go.”

Gunner got up from his seat and moved to the door.

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