become well-acquainted with the night sky, and of course thunderstorms as well.
They’d been through a lot together. Finding hell and working their way out of it. Dean was no longer the nice little rich boy he’d been. Gone were the soft edges and easy smiles. What stood in its place was a hardened man life hadn’t been nice to. He’d seen what the hard life was all about.
During their travels, they’d gotten hurt a time or two. Their shit stolen.
Simon had become hard, as had Dean. It was what they did. Like his father before him, he’d managed to somehow draw people to him. Pa, Felix, Knight, Twig, and Teddy were amazing guys. They were the kind of people he could trust. In their own way, they’d become a family. He wasn’t sure exactly if this was how his father had found the club he now had, or how each member gravitated to Chaos Bleeds. Either way, it had worked. He’d always been clear to the guys that he intended to go home. Piston County was where he belonged. There were always odd moments when he truly believed he would never return home, but each time he thought of his woman, there was no doubt in his mind. She was where he was meant to be. Wherever Tabby was, he’d be. He’d already spent so much time away from her, there was just no way he’d be able to let her go.
He wouldn’t be without them now. When he’d told them what he had to do, where he was going to go, they had followed him. No questions asked. They knew how important Tabby was to him.
Now he had her tied up.
“I’m not going to fuck anything up,” he said, finally answering Dean’s statement.
“No? The girl of your dreams is locked up back at the cabin. She wants to talk to her son, which could be yours, or the rapist you killed.”
“Enough, Dean.”
Dean held his hands out. “It’s not good for you to hide out.”
“I’m not hiding out. I’m simply not going to think about him. Not right now.”
“Why don’t you just go to your dad?” Dean asked. “All this sneaking makes me feel like you’re going to strike out. Take the club from him.”
“I’m not taking the club from him.”
“Then what is all of this about?” Dean asked.
Staring out of the window, he watched his father step out of the shop. His mother, Lexie, was in the doorway. A young boy with dark hair stood in front of her. Devil crouched down and gave his cheek a squeeze.
The kid was too young to be his brother or sister. He didn’t know if any of his siblings had kids. Elizabeth would be of age, but she’d always been about studying. He stared at the boy and he just knew. This was Tabby’s baby. This was Nathan.
Simon didn’t know what he expected, but a sudden wave of love washed over him as he looked at that boy.
He knew from his own coloring and Ryan’s, Nathan could be either of theirs, but knowing he was Tabby’s, it did something to him.
Devil stepped away, kissed Lexie’s cheek, and moved toward his bike.
Did his father know he was in town?
Devil was always two steps ahead of the game. Simon had watched him closely and he expected him to strike any minute, but he didn’t.
“Do you want to meet him?” Dean asked.
“My dad?”
“No, your son. Or not your son.”
“He’s my son,” Simon said.
“You don’t know that.”
“What is Tabby’s is mine. She loves him and that’s all I need to know, and I love him as well.” Simon fired up the van and pulled out from the curb.
“Well, do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Want to meet him? He’s your son.”
“Yeah, I want to meet him.”
“Simon, I can’t help you here if you don’t talk to me.”
“There’s not a whole lot to do right now. Make sure the boys lay low for the time being.”
“You’re going to make this last longer?” Dean asked. “Don’t you think that’s a little stupid?”
“My parents know Tabby’s missing. I imagine they’ll check where she lives if she’s not staying with them. It won’t be long for my dad to figure out I’m in town.”
“You sure they’re going to naturally assume it’s you?”
“You don’t know them like I do.”
“Si, hate to break it to you, but five years changes a lot of people. You could be overthinking this shit. For all they know, Tabby might have run off. Had a life of her own.