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Clover clings to her daughter, kissing her head over and over again. “Mama is going to miss you.”
I know Cara feels terrible that this has to happen, so I make sure to stand next to her and offer her my support. I’ve never been really good at comforting people—I’m more of a suffer-in-silence kind of guy—but with her I want to at least try.
I watch as she says goodbye to her goddaughter, and note the sadness in those beautiful brown eyes. As soon as Fire leaves her arms, Cara turns and hugs me, burying her face in my chest. I hold her tightly. Glancing over her, I notice Faye and Sin observing me closely.
“Look after her,” Faye says, and I nod.
Clover cries after they leave, and Felix takes her to their room. I sit out in the living area with Cara, watching the new windows being installed. Atlas watches from the outside, checking the perimeter. I appreciate him being here, because it allows me to relax a little bit more.
“It won’t be for too long; she will be back,” I whisper to Cara, stroking her hair. She has her head in my lap, her feet up on the couch, her green socks poking out. “And she will be safe.”
“I know,” she replies, sighing deeply. “I know it’s what’s best for her, but do you know how hard it was to see my best friend crying because her kid had to go? Clover hardly ever cries. And to know this is all because of my bullshit—”
“It’s to do with MC bullshit, which is all of your bullshit,” I remind her. “Clover included. No one would blame this on you, Cara. Like you said, this is how you grew up, this is a part of the lifestyle that you are all in, not just you. Clover was sad to say bye to her child, like any mother would be, but she knows it is the right thing to do right now. This isn’t on just you. It’s an issue that touches everyone. You just happened to be dating the wrong guy at the wrong time and now you are a main target.”
She makes a sound of disgruntlement. “And I haven’t even spoken to Rhett. I know they haven’t told him about what’s happening over here.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because then he would be here,” she says, shrugging. “He’s not a coward. He wouldn’t be able to hide if he knew they tried to kidnap me, or that they shot up Clover’s house. He would be here.”
I know that she didn’t say anything that’s not true, but the way that she speaks about him makes me feel... I don’t know. Jealous? Whatever it is, I don’t fucking like it. Not that I’d ever let her know that. Like I said before, suffer in silence.
“Okay, well, I guess that’s why no one is telling him,” I reply, and clear my throat a little. “And maybe that’s what the FC want. For him to come out and face what has happened, and that’s why they are going after you.”
“Yeah, I’m the bait,” she replies, sounding like she has accepted her fate. “I just don’t know how we are going to solve this. We can’t fight a whole gang, I mean, the MC could, but we’d all end up in prison, and no one wants that. We can’t kill them. They aren’t going to go anywhere either—people hold grudges for a long time. I don’t want my future kids to have to watch out for the FC because of what is going on right now.”
I wince at the picture she is painting. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?”
“Nope. They aren’t going to forgive a kid being hurt, though—this shit runs deep. They’d be angry and they want their pound of flesh as revenge.”
It should be Rhett giving them that pound of flesh, not Cara.
“We will find a way that ends the feud but keeps us all out of prison,” I promise her. “We can ask Atlas’s stepbrother what they would need to end this shit. Otherwise, the Wind Dragons are going to have to step up and handle it from their end. There’s only so much we can do.”
“I know. We just need to stay alive,” she grumbles, looking up at me. “Thank you for being here. I know that you don’t have to, and it means a lot to me. You are...one of a kind, you know that?”
I’m smiling as I lean down and kiss her. “I’m crazy about you, Cara. Can’t be letting anything happen to you when I’ve finally found someone that I like.”
Her eyes soften, but I don’t miss the amusement there either. “Trust me, the feeling is mutual. And it’s nice to hear you say it. Especially when I’m lying here, feeling sorry for myself, and not exactly in my finest form.”
I laugh just as Clover comes out and sits next to us. “We will be okay,” she tells her best friend.
“I’m sorry,” Cara whispers.
“It’s not your fault,” Clover replies, tone hardening. “And don’t you ever think that. I’m sad to see my baby go, but it’s for her own good.”
“Clo, I’m going to Decker’s place.”
“But—”
Cara holds up her hand. “I love you, but I will not bring this on you.”
Felix agrees with the plan, liking the idea of moving Cara around and therefore not being an easy target. Cara packs some things to move in with me for a few days.
“What do we do now?” Clover asks, shifting on her feet, looking like she’s actually excited for some action to happen.
“I’m going to get Cara settled at my house, and I think we need to speak to Atlas about talking to his stepbrother.” I don’t want to put the guy in a bad position, but it’s all we have right now, and having some inside information would be fucking great.
