Page 68 of Goose

“During a party one time. He asked me to help him in his office and tried. I said no, but he... he still tried. Told me that’s all I was good for. I cried, and he got off of me. We didn’t get far. Bear ran from his office and refused to look at me for a long time.”

I growl and pull Bambi closer to me. “I’m so sorry, angel. I’m so fucking sorry.”

My poor woman has been through so much, and when she turned to the people who she thought would help her, we all turned our backs on her. Yet here she was, still caring for us. We didn’t deserve this angel, and we still don’t.

Bambi’s breathing slows and I look down to see her asleep. I start to get up when she grabs my arm.

“Please, don’t leave me.”

I lay back down and pull her into my arms. “I’m never leaving you again. You’re mine until the day I die.”

Kissing her forehead, I stroke her hair until she’s back asleep. Instead of getting up, I make the call right from my bed.

Striker’s face pops up on my phone first, and then Mav’s.

“What’s up, man?”

“He tried once to touch her. Only stopped because she was crying.”

Striker paced around his kitchen. Maverick moves from his couch to his porch. They both have a scowl on their face.

“My pop is fucking dead to me. How he could treat Bambi like that is beyond me.”

Mav shakes his head, “Man, life is really fucking falling apart, huh?”

“You don’t even know the half of it. Listen, I’ve been a fucking dick and I’m sorry for that. I don’t want to talk about feelings or shit. Just know I’m pretty fucked up from the shit I’ve done, and sometimes I feel like there’s something wrong with me.”

Bambi stirs beside me and I gaze down.How could an angel like her want to be with a devil like me?

Striker looks at me through the phone. “I know how you feel but know this, your actions for the club and to defend the people you love, don’t define the man you are.”

“But it does. How can I be a husband and father when this darkness taints my soul? The shit I’ve done for Bambi and for the club...it feels good to me. I have no second thoughts when I kill somebody. It brings me fucking joy.”

Striker chuckles, “We’re all a little fucked up. That’s why we’re in this brotherhood together. Lilah and the kids are what grounds me.”

Maverick nods in agreement. “This life isn’t fucking easy, brother. Willow and the twins bring me back to earth when I feel that darkness creeping in. Are you thinking about walking...?”

“No. It sounds fucked up, but I like what I do and that’s what scares me. I would never walk away from my family.”

Striker just grins. “Good. Now get some sleep and if you want to talk feelings again, don’t fucking call me.”

We all laugh knowing that he’s kidding. All my brothers had my back, and I had theirs.

I plug my phone in and lay down next to Bambi, pulling her in close to me. There was no way I was ever letting this fucking angel go ever again.

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