Page 32 of Savage Protector

“Hawk, man. The club had noth—”

“Bullshit!” He exploded, his effort to remain calm obliterated. “That night was brought on by a lifetime of struggle and suffering at the hands of our brotherhood. Just because my father held the gun at the end doesn’t mean we all don’t shoulder some of the blame.”

“That’s not true.” A dark, gravelly voice came from the shadows a moment before the man himself emerged into the light.

Houston’s head pounded at the sight of his quasi step-father. He’d never been sure what to call him. He wasn’t about to touch any other labels that would describe the triangle relationship between him and his parents. The fucked up scenario in which none of them could be a man and move on from and that eventually ripped them all apart.

“JD.” It had been a long damn time and while the man had more grey in his hair and his beard than the last time he’d seen him, not much else had changed.

“Houston. Good to see you, son.”

His mind bristled at being called son. He’d officially disowned his biological father, but never fully resolved anything with JD. Before he could decide what to say next, the door behind him creaked open and he turned to find Izzy sticking her head out.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

He took in her messy bed head, the red welts along her neck and collar bones and the razor burn across her cheeks and chin from his days old stubble. Under normal circumstances he would have been excited to see his marks on her. But in this case, he wanted to hide her away from the club. Never let them see her.

He stepped closer to the door, making sure she was blocked by his body.

“Is this why you didn’t make the meet?” Axel asked. “Pussy? That’s fucking bullshit.”

“Axel, that’s enough,” JD interjected.

The anger inside him went white-hot with rage as the burning need to protect Izzy grabbed him by the balls. “You’re goddamn right that’s enough. Watch your fucking mouth, asshole.” He threw the words over his shoulder, putting every ounce of venom he harbored into each one. “Izzy, go back inside and stay there. Everything is fine.” For a second the fire in her flared in the depths of her dark eyes and he braced for her retort, but at the last minute she banked it, simply nodding and closing the door. She might have used a little more force than necessary, but it could have been worse.

“Feisty little bitch. Hot too. But that’s no fucking excuse to stand up your brothers and your President.”

His fists clenched at his side as he turned back to his unwelcome visitors. “Say another word and we’re going to have serious issues. The kind where I shove my fist down your throat and ruin your pretty face.”

Axel lunged forward and he steeled himself for the fight. Adrenalin spiked and his body locked tight. However, before Axel could take a second step, JD grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him back.

“We aren’t here to start a fight,” the older man warned. “You,” he motioned toward Houston. “Need to hear me out. We have a lot of catching up to do. Things have changed and it’s time to let the past be the past.”

He shook his head. “No. We. Don’t. I mean maybe if you hadn’t come after me like I owed you, I might have listened—eventually. Now? Forget it.”

“I told you he was still an asshole. Ten years didn’t change shit for him.”

“He is right here and what I’ve done or not done is none of yours or this club’s business. And I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t make me keep repeating myself. I’m not now or will I ever be Wrath again. I have zero interest in your shady deals or your fight with other criminals or any other illegal bullshit you can’t stay away from. I may not be 100% sure what my future holds today, but I do know it doesn’t include any of you. The sooner you get that through your thick heads the better off we’ll all be.”

“You ungrateful motherfucker. Who the fuck do you think has taken care of—”

“Axel,” JD barked, his booming voice almost thunderous as he intervened again. “The boy said he’s done, he’s done. I’m not here to make him do something against his will. He owes us nothing and if this is the way he wants it then we owe him nothing either. Whether he appreciates it or not, our debts have been paid. Let’s go.”

JD turned to leave and then stopped and turned back. “Sell the house and don’t come back. As much as I hate to say it, you won’t be welcome there anymore. Good luck, son.” With that JD disappeared back into the shadows and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Despite his ten years away and a whole lot of pain between them, JD had still felt like family.

“I hope you fully understand what you’ve done. The club is done waiting for the favored son to return. That pussy in there better be worth it because you are on your own for real.”

Houston swallowed the pithy comeback on the tip of his tongue. In the big picture it didn’t matter if Axel or anyone else was pissed at him over this. He’d gotten what he wanted and it was best this way. A clean and final break. He didn’t need the club for anything. He had to move on.

The final tether holding him to his old life had broken.

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