Page 46 of Seven

I didn’t even speak to Duggar.

I was too pissed to speak.

I just left the hotel and drove straight to the clubhouse.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I parked and walked into the bar. As usual, the place was buzzing. Music was playing from the jukebox, and there were brothers at the pool tables and a few in the back playing darts. I barely noticed any of them.

I grabbed a bottle of bourbon and a glass, then sat down. I poured myself a tall one and kicked it back. I was about to have another when Preacher came over and sat down next to me. He glanced down at my hands and asked, “What the hell happened to you?”

"It’s been a night.”

“Oh, yeah? Wanna tell me about it?”

Preacher had his own shit going on and I hated to unload on him, but there was no one I trusted more to give me advice. I poured another and tossed it back before answering, "Tallie came by my place tonight."

“And?”

"She had quite a story.”

“I can imagine.”

“Nah, there’s no imagining this. Hell, this was one for the books.”

I cleared my throat then told him everything Tallie had told me. At first, he didn’t say anything. He just let it all sink in. After a moment, he finally let out a breath, "Jesus. They did a real number on you both."

"Yeah, they did."

“Doesn’t explain why your hands look like they’ve been through a meat grinder.”

“I stopped by the hotel and had a word with Rooks.”

“I see.” He studied me for a moment, then asked, “You really care about this girl?”

“Yes, sir. Always have.”

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

“She asked me the same thing.” I rubbed my hand over my face. "I just don’t get why she’d wait two years to reach out to me. I don’t give a fuck what her old man said. I could’ve held my own.”

“Shep said he was involved with the Volkov family.”

“Yeah, among others.”

“Would be enough to make anyone leery, especially a young, single mother who was off in another country alone.”

I understood what he was saying. They were bad people who didn’t think in the lines of limits, but I wanted to believe I was strong enough to handle whatever they would throw at me. And maybe I was, but I couldn’t say the same about Tallie. “But what if she didn’t know about her father’s dealings? What could’ve kept her from reaching out?”

“Even if she had no idea who he was involved with, she knew he was powerful in his own right. And he was her father. That would be enough to make her hesitate.”

“I guess you have a point there.”

“Definitely one to consider.” He took a pull from his drink, then asked, “How’d you two end things?”

“I told her I needed time to think it over.”

“What are you thinking?”

"I don’t know," I said honestly. "But the thought of losing her again is fucking killing me."