Page 88 of Traitor

The redness moved up into her neck. “Mike,” she bit out. “You cannot handcuff people to get what you want. Jesus, fuck, what is on my stomach?”

I picked up the velvet box. “It’s your engagement ring. You’ll get that in a minute. But first, I wan—”

“You can’t do this shit, Mike! You can’t put a ring on my finger and make it all go away! What happened last night was just a one-time thing!”

I ran a hand across my face. “Well, you’re not getting the ring with that attitude. Look, I know you think that I had something to do with what happened to Monica—Jesus, I feel like I’ve started almost every sentence over the last year and a half with that line—but I swear to you that I didn’t. Someone is setting me and the club up.”

Lauren rattled the cuffs in frustration. “You keep saying that, but the evidence points to you and your father. What am I supposed to believe?”

“Me!” I roared. “For god’s sake, I want you to believe me. The club had just declared war on the Sons of Death MC and one of Grey’s prospects was murdered. This kid couldn’t have been over the age of eighteen. We knew they were targeting prospects and family members.

“I fucked up—I got that text and I thought it was from Grey. I fell right into a trap and the whole time I thought I was keeping her safe. Do you understand what it’s like to live with that guilt? The worst part is that I’ve questioned Grey on damn near everything—that night was the first time I just followed orders.”

I sank down on the edge of the bed in defeat. This had been a mistake—all of it. The ring. Taking her back to my room. She’d never see me as anything other than the man who killed her mom.

She watched me quietly, no longer struggling against the cuffs. I was going to have to let her go—both physically and emotionally.

I sniffed and ran the back of my hand across my eyes. “I shouldn’t have brought you back here, I see that now. It’s just that being with you over the last two years has been nothing short of a shit show—”

She sucked in a breath. “But,”

“Just let me finish. But, they’ve been the best two years of my entire life. Someday, you’re going to meet someone who makes you happy like I never could. And you’ll deserve every bit of it. We couldn’t get it right in this lifetime, but in the next one? Darlin’, you’re all mine.”

I didn’t look at her face as I said it. It would’ve only made things worse. Instead, I kept my focus on the floral wallpaper before standing up to retrieve the keys from my pocket.

“Mike?”

I glanced down to see tears streaking her gorgeous freckled face.

“Yeah?”

She bit her lip. “Who is Grey?”

I poured my soul out and that was where she stopped listening?

I exhaled. “The President of Silent Phoenix MC. C’mon, Red. You know who he is.”

She frowned and her eyebrows moved together. “But, I thought your dad ran it. That’s the impression that I got anyway.”

Thinking about my father being in a room alone with her made me sick to my stomach all over again. “Michael Sullivan, Sr.? Jesus. He can barely manage himself, much less an entire club.”

Instead of seeming relieved, Lauren looked even more confused. “His name is Michael Sullivan, Sr.? Why does he go by Jamie?”

Now, it was my turn to be confused as fuck. “Jamie is Grey,” I said slowly, hoping she’d figure it out and move on to another part of my speech—one that actually concerned us.

She nodded. “Your father. Grey is your father.”

“No…Grey is the club Pres. Comedian is my father.”

Lauren sighed. “The giant with blond hair and blue eyes is—”

“Grey,” I finished helpfully.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she exclaimed, “Oh my god. You don’t know. Mike, Grey is your father.”

God, how many times had I wished for that exact thing?

“No, Red. As much as I wish that had been the case, my old man is Michael Sullivan, Sr. The grumpiest motherfucker around.”

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