else for him except her.”
I realize how ridiculous it sounds when I say it now, but I grew up hearing this, and believing it.
But then I think of that scarf. Maybe what Crow is saying is true. It’s still a hard pill for me to swallow. I always told my dad I’d be happy for him if he moved on, but he assured me he was fine as he was. I even asked him if he was dating and he said no.
“At the end of the day, he was still a man,” he says gently, stroking my knuckles with his fingers. “And everyone gets lonely, babe. Imagine being alone all of those years. All I’m saying is, you never know. With the amount of times they spoke on the phone, and for the length of their conversations, it’s leaning toward them having some kind of relationship.”
“He wasn’t alone all of those years—he had me,” I say, even though I know exactly what he meant. Swallowing hard, I listen to reason. “Okay, maybe you’re right. But maybe you’re not.”
“Just keep an open mind,” he says, kissing my temple. “That’s all I’m asking. And you know what? If he did have something with her, he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Why didn’t he tell me? If this woman hypothetically did mean something to him, why did he keep it a secret?”
Why couldn’t he come to me with this, and be honest about his own life?
“Maybe because you’d take it really hard, like you are right now at just the possibility?” he suggests.
Fuck.
“My mom was the love of his life—”
“And I’m sure she still was, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the company of someone else. Especially when your mom had been gone for so long. There are different kinds of love. Not all are the soul-connecting kind. Just being simply happy with someone’s company isn’t a crime.”
Gritting my teeth together, I nod slowly. “Okay, you’re right.”
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt any less, though. I know I’m holding my dad to an impossible standard, but he’s the one who set that standard, so I don’t understand how I’m supposed to react right now.
If this is the truth.
“Do you think it was Jasper who did something to Dad?” I ask, resting my head on Crow’s shoulder and staring straight ahead at the TV. “Maybe he was jealous over Jean, or maybe he just wanted him gone so he could take over.”
“I think we’ll find out in the next few days,” he says, kissing the top of my head. “And then we will make a plan. But either way, they aren’t going to get away with what they’ve done. They’ve messed with the wrong family.”
He’s not wrong.
Nothing can bring Dad back now, but at least I can make sure he gets justice.
Before bed, I give Nadia a quick call and update her on everything I found out.
“Bronte, it’s getting dangerous now. I’ll keep listening in, but we need to leave the rest of it up to the MC and your uncle,” she states. “Be careful. This Jasper guy is no joke, and we need to protect ourselves.”
“I know,” I reply.
But we’re close.
I can feel it.
* * *
“Where’s Crow?” I ask Chains as he steps into Fast & Fury. He’s wearing all black, his dark eyes alert, hair slicked back. He’s such a wildcard, and I never know how to act around him. He’s intimidating.
“He can’t come in today, so I’m covering for him,” he says, coming over, eyes pinned on me. “He said he will come to your place later tonight.”
“Okay,” I reply, sitting down at my desk. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you today.”
“I’m good,” he grits out, face expressionless. “But thanks.”
He walks off to the garage and disappears inside. Cam comes over and sits down on my desk as she looks over some documents. “This next bike is going to be insane. You should see the design for the spray paint.” She beams, showing me her idea.
“I love that,” I tell her, checking out the black, white and red design. “Who is it for?”
“Some rich guy.” She shrugs, pushing her blond hair out of her eyes. “He said to do whatever, no cost is too high, and he wants the best of the best for everything.”
“Imagine what that must be like.” I grin, looking back at my screen. Meanwhile, I have a thousand dollars in my account and that’s it. I haven’t reached out to my dad’s