Page 93 of Rafe: Sins of the Father

My father’s expression hardens, but I can see he’s trying to control it. I’m sure it's hard realizing your little girl is a grown woman and can fuck whoever she wants. Not that I’d ever say that to the man.

“Give me a hand with this, will ya?”

“Sure.”

We end up having to stop and wait for a parts delivery to finish the job. At almost five, the back door of the clubhouse that leads out to where the cage sits flies open, and my mother is marching across the polished concrete.

Red Dog is behind her. “Sorry, Wolf. I tried to stop her.”

My father has the corvette pulled up at one of the old loading bays.

He stands and wipes his hands on a rag, and I quickly grab a blue tarp and throw it over the car.

“Baby, what’s up?”

“Don’twhat’s upme. Where have you been all day? I’ve texted you a million times.”

My father looks sheepish and pulls his phone out of his back pocket. “Sorry, my phone’s dead. I guess I didn’t realize.”

She folds her arms and thrusts a hip out. “Oh, you didn’t realize, huh?”

That’s not a good sign. Anytime a chick gives that body language, it means a fight’s about to start.

“I’ll let you two have some privacy,” I say, backing away.

“Don’t you dare,” my mother snaps, pointing at the floor. “You stay right there.”

I know better than to disobey, so I freeze.

Then she swings her attention to my father. “You need to find Fiona. She isn’t answering her phone.”

“I told you, Ma. She had a date.” When she glares at me, I pull out my phone and call her. It rings, but never goes to voicemail. I frown.

My mother has now noticed the car and steps around my father. “What are you doing? Is this what’s kept you all day?” She picks up the corner of the tarp and flings it back, then frowns.

“Crystal. Stop,” my father snaps, trying to grab the tarp out of her hands, but she’s having none of it. She bats his hands away, and I think I see recognition dawning in her eyes.

“Is this my…” She pulls the tarp all the way off and her eyes widen, then swing to my father.

He lifts his hands, then drops them. “Well, now you’ve ruined the surprise.”

“Is this my car?”

“Yes.”

She frowns suspiciously at him, then can’t help running her eyes all over the corvette. “My car? You’re sure? How is it here? How did you find it?”

“I’ve been trying to track it down for a long time, babe. I know how much you loved that car. I was fixing it up for our anniversary.”

Her hands fly to her mouth, and her eyes fill with tears. “Oh, Wolf. You did all this for me?”

He grabs her waist and tugs her against him. “Of course, I did. You loved that car. I hate that I was part of the reason you had to sell it.”

“Where did you find it?”

“San Diego. She was passed around to about four different owners. But now she’s home, honey. And here she’s gonna stay.”

My mother hugs my father tight, and then they kiss. I finally clear my throat, and they both turn to me.

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