my wall? Do we have to fix it? Can it just stay there?” Drake asks like this is just one of his video games.
“You sure as hell are mine, huh?” Roland asks with a laugh while looking down at his son. I take this opportunity no matter how strange it is to just watch the two of them.
“Yeah. Do you get shot at a lot? Your arm is still bleeding dad. Wow. You got shot?”
I find myself wondering if I’ve let him play just a few too many video games.
“It’s just a graze. I won’t even remember it happened in a few weeks,” Roland says.
Is this normal? Why are they discussing bullet wounds? I want it to stop. I want to step in and say something, but the look on their faces has me shutting my mouth. This father and son interaction, even if the topic is a little out there, is magical. I can see them bonding and it makes my heart happy.
“Get in the truck. I’ll have Ink show you where that bullet is still stuck in his leg later,” Roland says. I see Drake’s eyes widen.
“Okay. I’m in,” Drake hollers as he climbs into the back of the truck.
Roland turns to look at me, waiting for me to get in as well, but I can’t move when the smile crosses his face.
“What?” I ask while shaking my head. I don’t think I can form words. Roland stalks slowly toward me bringing his hand up to cup my cheek.
“I love you, both of you.”
That’s all I need to hear. His lips press firmly to mine. It’s a soft, sweet kiss before he pulls back.
“Let’s go. We’ve got a date,” he says as he walks back around the truck.
“After all of this you still want to go?” I ask.
“Why the hell not? This ain’t shit. I know who it was and I’ll get it handled. I wanna take my boy fishin’ Molly.”
“We’re going fishing?” Drake squeals from the back of the truck.
Roland starts it up and pulls out while constantly checking his surroundings.
“You even been on a boat Drake?” he asks.
“No. Are we going on one?”
“Damn right we are. I’m gonna teach you how to fish.”
The excitement in both of them warms my insides. They are truly father and son. It makes me sad that they’ve missed so much of this together. I wish I could change the past, but there is nothing I can do but try to make the future better.
“Mom are you coming?” Drake asks pulling me from my thoughts.
“Why? This a boy’s only trip?” I ask teasingly.
“Hell no. It’s a family trip,” Roland answers.
“Yeah mom, it’s a family trip. Besides I want to see you get sick when I touch the worms.”
“That’s just gross. We aren’t touching worms Drake.”
“Like hell we’re not. How the hell do you think we’re gonna catch anything without touching worms?” Roland asks with a playful smile on his face.
“I don’t know, but not with worms.”
“God, I love you babe.”
Chapter 24
Reaper
I kept my cool in front of Drake and Molly. I didn’t want them to see how volatile the situation really is. I know that it was Ramirez’s guys. I can’t believe that fuck had the balls to send them after me at my own house. Viking called the prospects and he has them on their way over to my house to clean that shit up, but that does little to ease my mind.
“Sit the fuck down,” Viking snaps at me.
“Fuck you. That was my family in that house brother. They could have shot my kid.”
Snapping back at him isn’t ideal. I need to remain strong for them, but fuck. How do you do that when some piece of shit was gunning for you when your wife and kid were in the house? It’s a tough pill to swallow. I’ve seen it with the other guys that had families and all, but I was the loner back then. I didn’t have anything to look forward to, but I do now, and that’s the part that scares the shit out of me.
Someone trying to take away the time I have left with my son is simply out of the question.
“I got a call out to Romans. They are lookin’ around to see what they can dig up. I sent Charlie and some of the boys out also just in case they decided to stick around. Ink’s callin’ around to see what he can dig up too. I want you on lock down