Page 58 of Peer & Coco

Chapter 23

The single-story, box-shaped house Kelli lived in sat thirty feet off the main street. Peer rode by, letting anyone looking out see him around. The place wasn't much to look at with its overgrown grass, faded paint, and an old plywood garage door on the single detached garage.

He rounded the block. There were no vehicles in the crumbling concrete driveway providing off-street parking. Hell, Kelli and the asshole Simmons might not even be home and coming to her would've been a waste of his time when he could be home with Coco.

Getting back on the busy street, he shifted down and stopped in the driveway. Not giving them time to prepare, he strode to the front of the house and beat his fist against the door.

He'd give Kelli one minute to come and face him, or he'd kick the fucking door in.

He lifted his hand again, and the lock clicked from inside, and then Kelli stood in front of him.

"Peer?" She looked past him to the street. "What are—?"

"Stay away from me. Stay away from Coco." He widened his stance. "I won't allow you around my family."

Her head snapped back, and her mouth opened at him claiming Coco in front of her. His muscles tensed, ready for her to yell, hit, cry.

"You can't keep me away from my son," she said.

"The fuck I can't." He narrowed his gaze. "Try me."

She crossed her arms. "I'll get a lawyer and take you to court. I want to see him."

His throat tightened. The situation would never get that far. He'd leave the country.

Knowing he'd need to leave Coco behind if Kelli pushed him, he said, "You do that, and all hell will break out. You're now hooked up with Bantorus Motorcycle Club. Slag will view your actions as a threat against Slag. I will not give you a chance in hell of taking my son away from me."

"He's my son, too," she said, her voice rising. "I trusted you to take care of him when I couldn't. But now I can. I want to see my son. I have a right to—"

"You don't have any damn rights, woman." Peer spread his arms. "Look around you. You abandoned him. You're living with a Bantorus member. This house is shit, and my son is walking around and getting into everything. As a mother, you should know that, but you don't. You don't know a fucking thing about him."

"Peer, listen to me." She reached for the front of his vest.

He cocked his head, warning her away. She'd pushed and pushed him too many times in the past, and he'd forgiven her simply because he believed she had good in her. Now he believed he was only fooling himself.

She wasn't good. He'd seen good. He'd had good. He wanted good in the form of Coco.

He didn't want Kelli's hands on him, ruining Tyr's life.

"Stay away from me. Stay away from my son. Stay away from Coco." He stepped backward, away from her. "That's the only warning I'm giving you."

"What do you think I'm going to do?" Tears rolled down Kelli's face. "I just want to get to know him, be a part of his life, love him."

"Love?" Pain ripped from his throat, having firsthand knowledge of what it was like to love a child. "You don't know what love is. You abandoned my son."

"I had to—"

He raised his hand, turned, and stormed back to his Harley. Starting the engine, cutting off her calling his name, he rode through the tall grass, hopped the curb, and rode away. At the end of the street, he spotted Elling and Brage.

They both made a U-turn and followed him away from Kelli. Not wanting to go home in the mood he was in, he went to the clubhouse. In the alley, he flung his helmet to the ground and walked inside, straight to the kitchen.

Roar seen him coming and held out a bottle of Aquavit. Taking the water of life, he drank straight from the bottle. Agitated, he paced the room, not knowing if he wanted to calm down or head home and pack his shit together.

"Get him a chaser," said Roar.

Brage approached Peer and put a bottle of beer in his hand. He popped the cap and guzzled the contents. He wanted to forget. He wanted to make his problems go away. He wanted to protect his family.

Tyr.