Page 72 of Sunshine & Sinful

“No. I don’t,” he finally replies. “I wanna be with Kali. But you’ve already marked your territory. Didn’t even take ya a day to propose, did it?”

I rub the knot in the center of my chest, the sore spot reserved for my kid and what he’s lost. But I don’t let him see because it changes nothing. “I’ve been thinkin’ about proposing for years. Wasn’t gonna waste another day not lettin’ her know how I feel.” The truth might sting, but Dark deserves to know. His ending up with Kali happened on a whim. Just as her coming into our lives just… happened. He flirted, and she clung to the first man to give her any attention. As much as he loves her, it’s always been for selfish reasons. I saw it then, just as I see it now. A trophy. A woman with a beautifully dark soul to love him. To be there for him without considering what he brings to the table. One day, I hope he finds the woman who takes his breath away, the one he’ll do anything for because he can’t imagine a day not worshipping the ground she walks on.

Dark grumbles something unintelligible, and we get back to cleaning up this place to sell so we can put the Todd-Anthony incident behind us. Kali’s workin’ at the shop today with Till, and I’m eager to get back home for dinner, where we’ll eat, cuddle, and watch another movie together. You might find that boring. I’m sure some people do. I find the small things in life the most fulfilling. Spending time with my woman, even staring at a wall or watching her sleep, is my day's best part. I’m ready to see her. To touch her. To kiss her. To worship at that woman’s feet for the rest of my days.

Wanting her to know I’m thinkin’ about her, I stab the knife into the wall and pull out my phone.

Me: Thinking about us, a movie, and my tongue on your pussy. Hope work is going well. Love you. I can’t wait to see you tonight.

Send.

EIGHTEEN

Squirting lighter fluid into the firepit, Dark dumps everything we collected at Anthony’s to burn. I hand him the stick lighter from the cabin and let him do the honors. Within seconds, the pile goes up in flames as we stand back and enjoy a beer, watching his existence burn.

“This isn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped,” Dark comments, gesturing to the black smoke rising in the middle of the woods with the neck of his beer bottle.

I shrug and slug another mouthful of bitter piss, not the quality stuff from Kali’s place. “But it’s finished.”

Dark offers the neck of his bottle, and we clink in solidarity to a job well done. The rest of Anthony’s place will be packed up by the club's moving company for situations like this. They’re worth their weight in gold.

Refusing to waste the last moments with my son before he rides off to wherever to do whatever, I wrap my arm around his shoulder and pull him into my side. I kiss the asshole’s temple. “I love you.” I squeeze his shoulder twice, on top of his cut, and before I break away, Darksurprises me when he wraps his arm around my back and nudges me with his hip. “Yeah. Love ya, too, Pops.”

“I’ll take good care of our girls,” I vow, speaking about more than just Kali but Lily and Abby, too.

“I know.”

“You do whatever you gotta do. Then come back here when you’re done.” I jerk my chin toward our Sacred Sinner cabin nestled in the woods near town. This is where I store my plastic and other cleaning products I need for my jobs. Many of our brothers use this small, one-bedroom shitbox to lay their heads or lie low when they’re in the area. It’s surrounded by trees, and it’s not easy to find unless you know where to look. Even then, the dirt path is treacherous in the dark. It’s a secret spot. Not even Kali knows about it.

“Don’t worry about me,” Dark comments around a swig of beer.

“Fuck off. You’re my son. I’m always gonna worry about you.” I shove my kid away in jest, and he flashes me a youthful smile, the first I’ve seen in days.

“Yeah. Well, maybe you should be more worried about your grandsons. ‘Cause Fog’s datin’ Lace,” he teases, smiling even broader.

I snicker. “Don’t fuckin’ remind me.”

“And Tarek’s got three girlfriends.”

“Not surprising. Like father like son,” I tease.

“Oh. Fuck you.” Dark barks a laugh, shoves me in the shoulder, and sends me stumbling sideways in the rocks, chuckling at how true it is. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Though, I can’t say I’ve ever dated three women at once. Maybe Dark gets that from his mother.She could never stick to one man or woman. She was always searching for the next best thing. I was too boring for her. Too even-keeled. Too stable. A total snorefest for wild, untamed women. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m not too dull for Kali.

Dark and I wait out the fire, watching it turn to ash. We drink, we chat, and we don’t leave until the sun sets. Walking our bikes through the woods with only our headlights to lead the way, we stop at the entrance to the road. Side-by-side, we share a smile—a small one. I reach over and clap him on the shoulder, and he does the same in return.

This is it.

Goodbye.

I can feel it down to my bones.

Not forever.

But for a while.

Dark needs to make peace with his choices. His past. His life. He needs to let Kali go. He needs to fix himself. It’s been a long time coming.

We don’t say a word when we rev our engines together, sharing a moment as the stars twinkle above.

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