Page 104 of The Devil's Scars

“You think I need to?”

“I do. I think that even if you and the guys do everything right, there will always be things that come up, people that try to drag you back, old scores that maybe aren’t totally settled. You’re President of The Road Devils, Wolf, so you need to be the one to keep your damn head and keep your boys under control and in line. Personal feelings aside.”

Wolf was silent for a minute, and Zoe watched him think. She knew what he was going to say before he said it, and though it wasn’t what she’d hoped, it was 100%, pure Wolf. It was the only thing that he’d say, and she loved him for it, even as she worried.

“I can’t promise you that, baby girl.” He looked regretful, but he never lied to her. “I’m sorry. I am. I won’t let loose on the fly, I swear, but I can’t promise calm when people are dyin’ or hurt or dead. I won’t. If a one-percenter group or former rivals or ex-partners or whoever are pissy about somethin’ from years ago and plottin’ shit, I’ll talk them down as best I can. I promise, I will. But if people decide they’re my club’s enemies and they attack us, if they draw our blood… no mercy, no negotiatin’, no time-wastin’. We hit ‘em back. Harder. I know that the boys are the same as they always were, under all the rule-followin’, and I’ll call those dark sides out, and I won’t feel bad about that. But I swear – I’ll only do it when there is no other choice. That’s the best I can do, Zee.”

“I have a daughter, Wolf. I can’t have her in a war zone.”

“Listen, Zee… listen and think. I took the club out of all that shady shit a year ago, right? In that time, we’ve had zero problems. Not one. A bit of b.s. from Dawson recently, tryin’ to pressure us about somethin’, but me and Scars said no. He was a bit pissed at us, but he dropped it, and the last I heard, he’s found another way to get what he wanted. See, baby girl? We’ve been left alone. I’d even say that we’ve been shunned. The other MC’s have either accepted the change, or think that we’re pussies and they don’t want to bother with us pack of losers. Jensen’s people have already forgotten us, and are workin’ with others. If you think about it, the only bad thing that’s happened has been fuckin’ Gil Purdie, and he had nothin’ to do with the club’s past.”

“Ummmm.” Zoe blinked. “Well… that’s true.”

“Damn right it is, Zee. We’re doin’ good. Gil Purdie hurt us, hurt us bad, but not because of anythin’ from our past activities. And before you start feelin’ guilty again, let me make this clear to you: if it was a choice between you bein’ here and havin’ to rebuild a new tattoo parlor from scratch, or havin’ my parlor intact and you back in Fargo strugglin’ day-to-day, it’s no contest, baby girl. I choose you and Keira here with me, every single damn time. No regrets.”

“None?” she asked, her eyes tearing up again at his gruff gentleness. “Not even when you think about all the time and money lost in building a new Blue Dragon?”

“You kiddin’ me?” Wolf scoffed. “I see this as the perfect chance to expand that place. Add another few hundred feet to the outfit. Two offices. More work stations. Bigger storage space.” He paused, risked a tiny joke. “With no goddamn back door leadin’ outside.”

Zoe giggled, then shook her head. “But – Scars. He’s… he’s not good. They don’t know when he’ll wake up…”

“Hell, Zee, I know. Scars.” Wolf struggled to stay calm and positive for her. “The man is strong, and he has lots to come back for. He’s got you and Keira, he’s got Sam and his niece, he’s got us guys. The man is loved, and he knows that. No matter where he’s floatin’ around right now, he still knows that. I’m totally sure that he does. A man doesn’t forget bein’ loved like that, not ever, no matter where or how far he goes.”

“The burns, though.” Zoe’s throat tightened as she remembered what she’d seen when the nurse had cleaned Scars’ head and back and legs an hour before. “They’re so bad…”

“I know that when he comes back to us, he won’t be the same, OK?” Wolf said. “He’s gonna need a whole bunch of skin grafts and physical therapy and counseling. I get it. I do. And he won’t have to ask for anythin’, not even once. He’s a hero, and he’s family. He gets whatever he needs, even before he knows he needs it.”

“You promise?”

“I swear it on my life,” Wolf said. “When Scars wakes up, he’s my priority. He’s everyone’s priority.”

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