Page 185 of Straight to Me

Mum and VP crouch beside us, mum moving to his head so he can rest on her lap. “Keep your eyes open! Do you hear me? Don’t close them!” I yell.

He blinks, the life slowly fading from his eyes. “Call an ambulance! VP, call an ambulance now!” I plead, looking desperately at him.

VP looks around, searching for a phone or maybe trying to decide whether it was worth getting the authorities involved.

Rocco makes it easy for him. “No,” he says which stops VP from moving, holding his arm in his clutches. "Don’t…call…them,” he gasps, coughing up more blood, “not…until…they’re out…of here.”

His dark eyes roll, not fixing on anyone.

“Rocco, we can get you help,” VP’s voice shakes.

“Let us help you, please,” I sob, looking between them in desperation.

Rocco lifts his hand to me. I hesitate, tears running down my face, then I take it in mine. “You…were the…happiest…part…of…my life.”

VP looks between us, unaware of the truth I’d just pieced together moments ago. I look to my mum. “I didn’t know how to tell you,” she cries.

Seeing her upset like this shows how deep these emotions truly run. All these years spent living with such a big secret, knowing a truth but never speaking of it. “You’re my father,” I whisper, looking down at Rocco. His eyes finally focus on mine.

Holding his hand tight, his chest slowly rises and falls, labouring in between each breath. “Dean,” he murmurs.

VP’s eyes are focused on me, his lips slightly parted in shock at my words. When he finally looks at Rocco, he nods, knowing what’s being asked of him.

“The rest of you go, we’ve got this! Leave them,” he orders, turning, motioning towards Alex’s body and the two Sodom Saviours in the garage. “Travis, take Lauren back to the clubhouse.”

Travis nods at VP, ushering Lauren towards him.

“Mads, we need to get out of here, Rocco’s right,” VP says calmly. He sounds so strong, but his face is slack, his eyes wide in dismay. I know he’s trying to work out what’s going on and how to get us all out of here.

“We have to take him to a hospital,” I sob on dry breaths. “We can drive him! We drove here. Mop, please!”

VP wavers at Mop, then back to me. “We’re not leaving him in the rain on his own!” I shout, squeezing Rocco’s hand tighter, determined not to give up on him. Mop nods at VP, his face equally as distressed as the rest of us. He turns, running towards the direction of the car.

One by one, Rocco’s fingers turn numb, their hold on me slackening with every second that passes us by.

The pulsating beat of the engines sounds around us. On the furthest bike, Lauren holds Travis tight as he pulls away first. Rocco’s eyes momentarily widen as the rest of his men reluctantly pull away from their president, one after the other.

Looking down at him, his vision loses focus, his eye lids slowly closing.

Death’s robbing us of time.

He’s leaving before giving me a chance to get to know him properly.

Placing a hand on mum’s arm, she looks at me, heartbroken at having to say goodbye to the man who’s clearly held a place in her heart for all these years.

Rocco coughs, trying to take a breath. We both look down at his pained attempt to move. A single tear rolls down his cheek.

“I love you,” mum whispers, placing a soft kiss against his head.

When she leans back, his eyes are closed.

His chest lays still.

Chapter Forty-Six

When someone you love dies, they say that grief and memory go together. Unlike everyone else here, I didn’t know Rocco for the man he truly was. The grief and heartache I feel is for a man I wish I knew.

Even though I didn’t know him as my dad, mum said she could see him in me. The stubbornness and bravery I showed last week alone was testimony to Rocco and the way he lived his life.

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