Page 22 of Tye
Those fuckers would pay for McKenna sooner or later. Hawthorne was searching for contacts inside the prison. The Fangs were held in isolation as the threat against them was high.
We’d wait, and then we would get them. One way or another, McKenna’s pain would be returned tenfold on them.
Chapter Five.
Ice
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways, but I headed to Dad’s study. I’d spent most of the day with Mom, now I needed time with Dad.
Dad was sitting at his desk, and as I entered, he looked up. I wasn’t sure what he saw, but he got to his feet as I settled in an armchair, and he walked to the cabinet. Dad poured two shots of whiskey and handed me one.
“How bad is the panic?” Dad asked, sitting opposite me.
I frowned. What?
“Son, it’s written all over your face, even if you are not acknowledging it. You’re panic-stricken,” Dad said.
“No. Not that I’m aware of,” I replied as I took a swallow of the whiskey. Damn, that was smooth.
“How many of your family are you going to lose in this war?” Dad inquired calmly, and I choked.
There it was, the fear Dad had seen in me. I struggled to breathe, and Dad leant forward and held my gaze. My stomach turned itself inside out, and my fingers clawed the arm of thearmchair. My breathing broke into short pants, and I felt like I was crawling out of my skin.
“I can’t answer that, Tye. There’s nothing more I want than to send all my children to safety. The thought of losing one of you kills me. I wanna hunt Fury down, put a bullet in his head, and end this. Shit, if turning Rage over to him would stop his crusade, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
“But it won’t. Fury wants blood; he thinks he’s the next coming of fuck knows who. His ego is writing checks he can’t cash. If I step down, he’d still come after everybody. He’s a murderous lunatic, and how he’s treated his own family shows how he’d treat everyone else. This fight we’re facing isn’t one any of us picked, son, and God knows I need to protect my children. But some of you are adults now, and I can’t. Still, you’ve no idea how much I hope and pray you and Carmine have games on the day he attacks.
“At least I can then save you two and the kids. Christian, Cody, Harley, and Jared. They’re prospects. I’ll order them to accompany the families, and believe me, I am going to. But Fanatic? He won’t leave,” Dad said with a sigh.
“I can’t lose my family,” I gasped, and my fingers clenched tightly.
Dad reached out and grabbed my hands.
“Son, I can’t either. I’m doing to do everything I can to protect my kids. Should we fall, you are our Legacies. You’ll need to rebuild,” Dad insisted.
“I can’t lose you.” I force the words through a closing throat.
“Tye. No matter where you go or what you do, I will always walk by your side. Whether I’m alive or dead, you’re never going to be without me in your heart. I love you, kid, and I am fuckin’ proud of the man you turned into. I’d like to think I had a hand in that, but it’s more Ma’s influence than mine. All you kids are my life, and that’s what we are fighting for. Your future.”
“Dad, I need you,” I said as I tossed back the whiskey. It almost made me choke as I fought panic in my belly.
“Good. Because, kid, the day you do not need me is the day I’m superfluous, and I don’t want that. I’m your dad. When you have kids, I wanna be here and be grandpa and spoil them before handing them over sugared up,” Dad said with a smirk.
“Not nice, Dad.”
“Nope, but it will be fuckin’ fun. That’s my dreams, Tye. To sit on the porch with your ma, growing old together and causing chaos with our grandkids. This life is hard but rewarding. No shit, I’ve made mistakes, but loving your mother and you kids wasn’t one. I’m beyond blessed to have you.
“Son, I’m not sure what I did to deserve you, but somehow, I got all of you. You’re my miracles. Your ma and your siblings. Every fuckin’ night, I thank God for you, and I ain’t no religious man, Tye. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen with Fury. I can’t say what will happen tomorrow. But I can say I love you with every cell in my body.”
“I love you too, Dad. Never thought I’d have parents. Then Mom came along, and you followed soon after. We ain’t had long enough together, and I can’t think of losing anyone because that makes me want to curl into a ball and cry,” I admitted.
“We’re going to lose people; not even I can stop that, Tye. I’ll make all my kids safe apart from Fanatic. But I’m betting Chance will order Fanatic protected. This fight is for our family and for their right to live free and clear of Fury. We won’t back down, and we’ll lay our lives on the line for you to have the best life you can. Hear me?”
“Yeah,” I answered. I held Dad’s eyes. “Love you, Dad.”
“Aw shit. You’ve no idea how much love I got for you,” Dad replied in a guttural voice.
“You forget my name’s Ice now?” I tease, trying to release the tension in the room and in my gut.