Page 17 of Jacob

“A long run,” Dixie said, nodding. “That’s one step closer to a patch. It’s been years now. He has to be just inches from being voted in. I swear they are taking longer and longer to do this shit now.”

Sparrow shifted in her seat as she stirred in the sugar. Her mother hadn’t gotten the milk. Why would she? She didn’t put any in her coffee. She drank it straight. The woman hadn’t thought of anyone else a day in her life. Why would she start now? “He’s hoping after he gets back, he’ll be voted in.”

Staring at the coffee, she shook her head. She had no business drinking coffee this late.

“Fantastic!” Her mother’s squeal interrupted her thoughts. “One step closer to a patch, means one step closer to you being an Ol’ Lady and being set for life.”

“Like you were?” Sparrow deadpanned.

Immediately, her mother’s face fell. She pursed her lips and brought the coffee up toward them, resting her elbows on the table. “I’m a woman with needs. It’s disrespectful to be one guy’s Ol’ Lady while—”

“Okay, I’m done.” Sparrow pushed off the table and stood.

Her mother threw her head back and cackled in amusement.

It wasn’t that she was a prude. She just didn’t need to hear about her mother’s sex life. She knew all about her mother’s needs. Dixie’s needs had her dancing at Razzle Dazzle a month after her father’s death. A lot more than just dancing happened there.

Fluffing her fingers through the back of her wild curly hair, Sparrow squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight off a migraine only her mother could induce. “I’d really like to get another hour of studying in before I have to get ready for work.”

“You’re wasting your time.”

Dropping her hands, slapping them at her sides, she glared at Dixie. “It’smytime to waste. You madeyourchoices, leave me to makemine.”

Standing abruptly, her mother shook her head. “Your father filled your head with promises and lies. He did it to me too. I was his Ol’ Lady, but never his fucking wife. I lost everything because I believed him.” Her voice cracked. “He’s not here. They’re a fantasy, baby bird. They aren’t going to happen.”

“Get out.” Sparrow pointed the door. There were a lot of things she could handle. Her mother stomping all over her dreams? Sure, she’d been doing that all her life, but trying to ruin the memory of her father? No. That was one thing her mother couldn’t destroy.

“I’m just trying—”

“I’m not you,” she interrupted.

Her mother blinked at her.

“I’m not you. I don’t want what you want,” Sparrow explained. “I don’t want to land a guy and just party and have fun. I want tobesomething. I want to be important to the club.”

Dixie’s brows drew together. She canted her head before a smile spread on her face. Slowly, her shoulders shook. She bit her lips together before the laugh burst forth. She covered her mouth, but it did nothing to stop the laugh from exploding further. “Then you bettergrow a dick. They don’t care about pussy. And that’s what we are to them. Ducky don’t mean shit to them anymore. The sooner you understand this, the better you’ll be.”

Reaching for the coffee cup, her mother took a huge gulp, never taking her eyes off her daughter. The rage came off Dixie in waves as she held the cup. After all this time, her mother was still angry that her father had left her—even if he hadn’t done it on purpose.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Sparrow lifted her chin, meeting the glare with a stare of her own. She wouldn’t back down. Her father saw potential in her, even if her mother didn’t see it. Either way, she didn’t live her life to please anyone but herself. She wanted to be something more than just a bitch on the back of someone’s bike.

“I want to be helpful to the club. If they don’t want me, then fuck them. I will figure it out,” Sparrow declared coolly to her mother, though it felt like a bluff. She needed the club to want her. It was her connection to her father. It’d break her heart if they turned her down.

Her mother snorted, slamming the mug down on the table, splashing excess coffee. “I love you, baby, but you’re so young and fucking stupid. One day, you’ll learn.” She shook her head before she stormed out.

Chapter 11

Jacob

Checking in on the Roughneck Riders meant more than just popping up at their bar and their clubhouse. They also had to visit their legit businesses as well. While the bikers of Ohio made the majority of their money moving opiates from Canada into the US, they laundered their money through several legitimate businesses, some of which actually turned profits.

Since they’d already checked out the bar together, they’d decided to split up that day. Pulling into the expanse of the storage facility, Jacob wondered if he’d pulled the short straw. Rows and rows of units and a small office. This place looked boring as fuck. There’d at least be other people at the body shop, where Dash had gone.

Cutting the engine of the bike, he pulled off his helmet just as his pocket vibrated. Hanging his brain bucket on the handlebars, he pulled the disposable flip phone out without checking the number—it wouldn’t have mattered, they all used burners for club business—and put it to his ear.

“Ya?”

“Sonny boy,” his father drawled on the other end.

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