Page 29 of Obliterate

Raid snorts, shoving him in the shoulder. “Shut up, prospect. That’s none of your damn business.”

I chuckle, waving him off. “Nah, it’s cool, brother. I was out with Ingrid. She had an appointment, and Pres wanted me to go as her tail. Drove her there, then walked back to the clubhouse.”

Clover shakes her head. “They do have Uber here, you know?”

“Clo, don’t be a smart-ass,” Jesse berates his little sister.

Tilting my head, I exhale. “Yeah, I thought about it, but the fresh air was good. Plus, I came here to see New Orleans, and what better way than to walk the streets and take in the sights?”

“Yeah, and get mugged on your way for good measure. Some parts you must have been walking would have been in a pretty shitty neighborhood. South, you should make sure you have backup if you’re gonna walk around like that,” Frankie states.

“I had my piece with me, and I wasn’t dawdling. But I’ll take that advice on. Thanks, Franks.”

“So, how are you liking the Big Easy?” Jesse asks as Jaz pours me a drink from behind the bar and slides it my way.

I give her a wink. “Thanks, Jaz. As for New Orleans, you guys are great. The city is incredible… what’s not to like?”

Raid lets out a laugh. “I dunno, maybe the Russian Bratva. Or the fucking Baroness dropping by unannounced all the damn time, throwing her weight around. And don’t even get me started on the cops and how bad they have it in for us. Need me to keep going?”

“Sounds likeyouhave a problem with New Orleans, Raid?”

Frankie cuddles into his side and shakes her head. “He loves it here. He does. He gets stressed because the security and tech falls on him.”

“But you’re so damn good at it,” I tell him, and he shrugs.

“Most of the time. It’s when shit slips by me that it gets to me.”

“You’re too hard on yourself, babe,” Frankie comforts.

“Yeah, man, we’d be fucked without you,” Jesse reaffirms.

“This club is bigger than one person. You’d all get by without me, but that’s not going to happen any time soon, God willing,” Raid states.

“Fuck, don’t put that jinx on yourself, babe. Too many people love and need you. Not just the club… me, Addi… we love you, we need you. So don’t go doing anything heroic because you’re tired!” The tension in Frankie’s tone is clear as she holds onto her Old Man.

Raid needs help, but I don’t know how to do that. Somehow, I will try to find a way to make his life easier while I am here.

He softly kisses Frankie’s cheek, and he smiles at her. “I’m fine. You and Addi are my life. I’m not gonna mess that up… I need a second to breathe, but I can’t do that now. The club needs me. Once all this shit dies down, maybe we can take a vacation. Somewhere nice… somewhere with a beach, where you can sit on the edge of the water writing, Addi can swim in the ocean, and I can rest back and sleep in the sun.”

Frankie sighs with the brightest smile. “Sounds like heaven. It’ll happen. We just have to bide our time.”

“Addi will love the beach. She’s been wanting to go for so long. She talks about it all the time,” Clover states with a smile.

Raid nods. “Yeah, I know. She’s such a good kid and doesn’t have a normal life here. So if I can give her one normal thing when this all settles down, I want to be able to do that for her.”

“You’re a good father, Raid. You stepped up when everything happened with her mom. You didn’t have to do that. Addi and I talk a lot, and you have no idea how much she adores you. She loves you more than I think she lets you know,” Clover tells him.

Raid’s face lights up like those words have given him the boost of confidence he was clearly lacking. He sits taller and lets out a long breath of air. “Thanks, Clover. It means a lot that you have taken her under your wing while you’re here. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. You’re a good kid.”

Jesse smiles at his little sister.

“You guys took us in when you didn’t have to. The least we can do is help y’all when we have the opportunity to. Plus, I love it here. This is the home I was always meant to have. Growing up was hard because Dad left when I was really young. I barely remember him now, and it was tough for our mom because I am sick with my diabetes. Poor Mom had to work so much to pay for all my medical bills… then when she passed, and it was up to Jesse to take care of me… I felt really useless. But at least here, I feel like I can contribute a little, whether it’s helping the girls with the cooking and cleaning or hanging out with Addi. It’s nice to feel like I am part of something. Part of a real family, you know?”

I get that. The thing about NOLA Defiance is they have a way of making you instantly feel like you belong. Not that LA doesn’t have that feeling too. But Alpha, the president, tends to shut himself off, and sometimes it can make it feel like there’s a bit of a disconnect between the ranks in the club. I think that’s the difference between NOLA and LA. I mean, Alpha sure as hell has his reasons. No one is disputing that. The man’s been through some shit. But maybe being removed from your club isn’t the best way to be a president, and that is why he’s lost three of his members to NOLA in the past few years.

“Can I ask, and you can tell me to fuck off because it is none of my business, and I am nosey as fuck, but… what happened with your father?” Frankie asks Jesse.

Clover tilts her head, looking at Jesse like she’s curious about how he will answer this question.

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