Page 36 of Infected By Virus

“Virus?” Hook called before he exited the room.

“Yeah?”

“You deserve it.”

“What?” He wasn’t asking what he deserved, but more, why the hell he’d said it.

“Don’t fuck it up on purpose because you think you don’t deserve it or that they don’t deserve you, because you do, and they do.”

Virus turned to him and crossed his arms. Ready to tell Hook to shut the fuck up. His words cut way deeper than Virus was ready to admit.

“You can drop the stance. It’s just us, and I know what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, and what is that?” Fuck Hook for being … well, Hook.

“You’re going to send him away with your woman because you think you’re not good enough for them.”

What the hell? How did that fucker know what was in his head?

Hook crossed his arms across his chest. “Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll apologize and go to bed.”

Virus couldn’t tell him that, because Hook was one hundred percent correct. He couldn’t pursue Rae after all that had passed between him. On the other hand, he couldn’t ask his son to give her up. The only solution was to honor half of Celeste’s wishes, and give Adam Rae.

At first, he’d wondered why Rae hadn’t told him of her sister’s wishes to raise Adam together. Celeste’s letter said she’d made her wishes known to Rae. It took him no time to puzzle out that she didn’t want to be with him. Earlier, he’d thought maybe she could give him another chance. The way she’d looked at him, it felt like home, but maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part.

“Tell me,” Hook taunted.

“I fucking can’t.” He growled and raked his hand through his close-cropped hair. Virus shifted his gaze toward the tent and detected no movement. He lowered his voice.

“I can’t say it because it’s true. I’m going to share custody with Rae, and I’ll visit him in Vegas. They’re better off without me.”

“That’s fucking bullshit, and you know it. You’re scared and you’re looking to punish yourself for every mistake you’ve ever made. And what better way to inflict pain on yourself than to give up everything you love?”

Virus stared slack jawed at his enforcer.

“What the hell makes you think that?” He tried to sound as incredulous as possible but failed.

“Because.” Hook pointed to his freshest ink, a dandelion. “I thought the exact same thing about them. I was scared to hope or wish for the likes of them because I was convinced I didn’t deserve it. My past made me unlovable, or so I thought. But this—” he indicated the tattoo once again—“was a fresh start. A clean slate. They didn’t see my past, they saw me.”

Hook slapped his hand over his heart. “They saw me, and when I accepted the love that was offered, I saw myself the way they did.”

His smile was wistful and not at all what most would expect on a tattooed face like his. “It changed my whole life, they changed it.”

“But Rae saw my past, Hook, that’s the difference. My past is sleeping right there.” The hurt and longing in his heart was bleeding into his voice.

“Saw is past tense, my brother. The way she looked at you tonight was not like she was seeing your past, but her future. Her future with you and Germ.”

The gravity of his words didn’t sink in before the last word did. “Germ?”

“Yeah, a little version of a virus—Germ.” Hook practically beamed. The man seemed to pride himself on the nicknames he gave people. Hell, he was the reason Bigfoot’s road name had officially been changed about a year back to Sasquatch. It started casually , but before everyone knew it, even Prez was calling him that, and so were other chapters, so they’d made the change official.

Virus just shook his head.

“But seriously.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “You deserve to be happy, and I promise you, sending them away won’t do that for any of you. Fight, Virus. Fight for your family, even if that fight is with yourself.”

With that, Hook vanished down the hall in the same direction Nova had earlier.

Virus walked to the room in a daze, mulling over not just Hook’s words, but Adam’s as well. It would be easier to cut off a limb than send either one of them away. Dare he hope?

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