Page 64 of The Club Betrayal
Luca sits forward. “Still no word on the fed?”
“Nothing. It’s like he vanished into thin air.”
Sometimes, I wish I could vanish into thin air too.
* * *
“He’s awake and asking for you.”
Straining my eyes open, Mom and Sparky look down at me, but I can’t move.
“He’s fucking awake, Leo, just like you said he would,” Sparky says, arching his brow.
“You need to see him for yourself, darling. He’s going to be okay,” Mom assures me.
Heaving myself up, I stretch my arms above my head, and my back cracks in three different places.
Dad’s room isn’t far, and Mom and Sparky mutter something about going for coffee.
I stop by his window, and sure as shit, his eyes are open. I sigh in relief. I knew that motherfucker was stronger than fucking steel. Walking into his room, I close the door behind me and sit beside his bed.
“Sparky said you refused to even contemplate taking my patch. While I appreciate you not giving up on me, you do it again, I’ll haunt you forever. If I’m ever in this position again, you fill my shoes.”
Wow, he’s going to jump straight in, huh?
“That’s the job of your VP until your last breath,” I argue.
“And if I didn’t wake up, would you still have fought taking my patch?”
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve known I’ll take your patch.”
“But do you want it?”
“Let’s talk about it when you’re out of here and feeling better.”
“No, I need to know that when the day comes, you’ll proudly wear my fucking patch.”
Even though he’s trying to be strong, he sounds weak.
“If it’s the right time, and you die of old age, the way it’s meant to be, then yes, I’ll fucking wear it. But, not only is the club not ready for me to lead them, I’m not ready for you to leave us, so let’s stop this now and revisit it when you’re on your deathbed at home, pissing your pants ’cause you can’t control your bladder any longer.”
A soft chuckle escapes past his lips, and I push up out of my chair.
“I promised Rayna I’d read her a bedtime story tonight. Now that you’re awake, I don’t feel so bad for leaving.”
“You get going, and drop your mom and Luca at home on the way.”
“I’ll be back in the morning.”
As I make my way to the door, he says, “From now on, you’ll take more of a role in the club, so when the day comes, my patch won’t be so daunting.”
With a nod, I head out. Once outside, I light up as I wait for Mom and Luca to say their goodbyes by the truck. Having a few moments to myself, I pull out my wallet and slip out the photo of India and me. Running my thumb over her smiling face, I struggle to breathe through the pain in my chest.
Each day that passes is another day my guilt grows, especially when Rayna is growing so fast, learning something new every day, all without her mom to cheer her on and make a fuss over her.
Hearing Mom and Luca talking as they approach the truck, I tuck our photo away and shove my wallet back into my pocket.
* * *