is, we still don’t know if it’s him or not. Don’t you get it? I was protecting you, all of you.” She finishes on a whisper.
“It’s my job to keep you safe, Reign,” he grumbles.
“And it’s mine to make sure you’re alive to be able to do that. I might not be a cop and live by all the rules you do, but nobody will ever stick up for you guys more than I will or love you as fiercely. Even when, most of the time, I want to kick your collective asses.”
He sighs, bending so his head rests against her shoulder. I press close to her back, supporting her weight so she doesn’t topple backward off the chair while she murmurs something to Tate, running her fingers through his hair. Nobody says anything, letting them have their moment before Tate pulls back and kisses the tip of her nose.
“I can’t lose you, Raindrop.” He echoes words her father said over the phone her first night here. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Reign is the glue that holds their family together. She has this way about her, it's what makes it perfect for not just Bates, Priest, and me, but the whole of Carnage.
“You won’t lose me, Tate. I collected three bikers on my travels and found an impenetrable fortress to keep me safe,” she jokes.
“Wanna explain how the fuck this came about?” he asks her as he grabs another chair and sits down.
I lift Reign down off the chair and onto my lap, wanting her close for a minute.
“You know I’m armed, right?” Tate grunts, his eyes on my hand that’s wrapped around Reign’s thigh.
“I doubt very much you’d put our old lady at risk, asshole,” I bite back, feeling Reign go deathly still in my lap.
The silence in the room is deafening as the seconds tick by before he speaks.
“Old lady?” he finally bellows.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Reign
“It’s a long story.” I wave Tate off, trying to climb out from under the bus Saint just inadvertently tossed me under.
“I have time,” he answers as he grips the table so hard, his fingertips turn white.
“How did you even find me?” I hurry to change the subject.
He throws me a look that says seriously?
“You know what, never mind. Do the others know where I am? Does Dad know?” It’s bad enough now having to deal with Tate, but I’m not ready to deal with them all ganging up on me just yet.
“No, your little secret is safe for now, but Reign, I’ll only be able to hold them off for so long. Dad will lose his shit when he finds out you’re here,” he warns, but I just shrug.
What else can I do? He’s right, Dad will, but it changes nothing. “He might be to start with, but he’ll get over it, as long as I’m safe.”
Tate shakes his head like I’m stupid. “You can’t seriously be considering staying? Do you even know what being an old lady entails?”
“More than you, I’m guessing. Tate, I’m a big girl—”
“Don’t be naive, Reign,” he says, cutting me off. “How the fuck are you expecting this to work? Your whole family is made up of cops, and now you’re shacking up with a bunch of criminals who run guns and kill people, real nice. Mom would be so proud,” he snaps. His eyes widen and he shuts up when he realizes what he said.
I stand and Saint lets me, thankfully, because I’m two seconds away from losing my ever-loving mind. I know I shouldn’t let his words get to me, that’s he's only being a dick because he’s angry, but it doesn’t make any of his worded barbs less painful as they lash against my skin. Stepping away from the table, I glance at my brother, my angry eyes locking on his remorseful ones. I let him see every ounce of hurt and disappointment I’m feeling before I focus on the three men who are quickly starting to mean something to me.
Gunrunners, figures. Thanks again, Derek.
“That true? You know what, don’t answer that, I can’t handle any more right now.” I shake my head, suddenly feeling alone in a club full of people. Maybe I don’t have the right to be angry; after all, they didn’t lie to me, but they didn’t offer up the truth either, even knowing who my brothers and father are. They’ve made any chance I have at building a bridge between my two worlds near impossible.