“Wait, so now you want me to give her the cold shoulder?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Monroe isn’t an emotional person, but that doesn’t mean I want her hurt. I saw the way she looked when you were nice to her during miniature golf. She can’t help getting her hopes up.”
“Hopes up? What does that mean? What does she want?”
“Needy painted you as a winner. A big strong biker man that people respected. Monroe’s family, the grandparents, I guess, were losers. Needy and her sister are women who relied heavily on their good looks to get by. There’s nothing to be proud of on the Hobbs’ side of the family. So Needy talked you up to Monroe. Her little girl was special because she came from your bloodline. We do that shit all the time in the Woodlands.”
“I still don’t get what she wants.”
“Well, what does Dunning want?”
“For me to buy him shit.”
Leaning back, I shake my head. “Bullshit. Dunning wants what all kids do. Sure, he acts cold now because he’s seventeen. But you know he wants your attention. Remember what a twat he was when you taught him to ride a Harley? All that drama, but he loved every damn second of your attention.”
Recalling how badly his boy controlled the bike at first, Lowell allows a little grin. “He gets so easily embarrassed by any small failure. I don’t remember being that way.”
“Because he takes after Topanga. Plus, his closest friends are all loud-and-proud girls.”
Lowell taps his fingers on the table. I study him for a long minute while wondering what’s the holdup with Monroe and Topanga. Then, I see a chance to fuck with Lowell and can’t help myself.
“Wait, is your awkwardness with Monroe because you imagined fucking her?” I ask, fighting a grin.
Lowell’s angry expression answers my question. “I don’t cheat on Topanga. Even if I wanted to, she’s too insecure. She pretends to be okay with the bunnies. But if she knew I was hooking up with one, she’d fall apart. My goal in life is to avoid her freak-outs.”
“I didn’t ask if you would actually fuck Monroe. I asked if you imagined fucking her. Shit, I imagine fucking every woman I meet. Topanga, Pixie, Lana, hell, even DeAnna. I just wonder what it’d be like, but I don’t do anything even if they wanted to.”
“Never imagine fucking my wife.”
“Too late,” I say, smirking. “Like ten years too late. I first imagined banging her when I was a teenager. Can you blame me when she’s always flashing her long bare legs?”
“Knock it off,” he growls.
Laughing, I point at him. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? You probably had a naughty little fantasy about the new blonde bunny. Then, bam, she’s your kin, and you feel weird. We’ve all been there.”
“Have we all been there, asshole?”
“I hadn’t seen Aja since she was a kid. For years, we only talked on the phone. Before we met for the first time since she hit puberty, Aja warned me that she looked like a fat dude. She also said she was coming with her friend. So, when a hot chick showed up, I assumed it was the friend and had a quick fantasy. Then, Aja’s like ‘Hey, bro,’ and I had to shame my dick for a few minutes. Well, until I realized my dick was incapable of remorse, and I moved on with my life. You ought to do the same thing.”
“I never imagined anything.”
“Sure, sure. She was just a hot bunny that you could, in theory, fuck. However, your mind remains too pure to even consider what that might feel like.”
“She’s my kid,” he nearly hisses.
“But you didn’t know that.”
“I probably should have,” he says, running a hand through his still thick hair. “She kept eyeballing me, and I guess there’s probably a resemblance.”
“Lowell, calm the fuck down. It’s not that big a deal. Monroe is aware that you checked out her ass. Well, maybe not literally, but she’s kidded about what would have happened if you came on to her. It’s old news.”
“I just need time to get used to being a dad to someone who isn’t Dunning.”
“Well, you have plenty since I’m never letting Monroe leave Elko.”
“Let?” Lowell asks, giving me the same “dad look” Bronco wears when someone tries to set up Summer with a guy. “You need to give a girl some room.”
“Nope. Monroe isn’t like Topanga. There are no high drama moments. Monroe doesn’t freak out like my mom, either. She bottles up all her crap inside. If she doesn’t have a safe space, all that shit will overwhelm her one day. I’m her home. You should want that for your baby girl.”
“Dickhead,” he mutters, but I see him getting used to the idea of having two kids.
“Since the women are still screwing around in the restroom, I should tell you I’m trying to contact Needy. Monroe doesn’t know, and I have to be careful not to alert her uncle.”
“And how will you do that?”
“Aja’s planning to slip Needy a phone.”
Lowell’s expression screams “DANGER! DANGER!” even as he calmly explains, “Seems dicey to owe another club a favor.”
“I’m not asking a club. It’s my half-sister. With Needy in Kansas, Aja can get to her easier than I can.”
“How dangerous is Needy’s situation?” he asks.
“See, that’s the thing. Aja found out that Needy is married to a rich guy. Not super loaded, but his family has money. I assume Needy was married off by Clive. But she might have gone willingly, and that’s the real problem.”
“How do you figure?”
“Monroe believes Needy was forced to marry this guy. But what if she wants to be there? Finding out her mom ditched her will break Monroe’s heart.”
Lowell’s daddy vibes return when he asks, “What did Aja say?”
“She sent someone to watch Needy and get a feel for her schedule. When the opportunity arises, she’ll slip her a burner phone. I don’t know if Needy will call or if she’ll rat out her daughter. That’s why I haven’t told Monroe about my plan. She’s already dealing with a ton of shit. No reason to hit her with more.”
Lowell frowns. “We need to know about her uncle.”
“I already told you what I know.”
“His first name and the possible state he lives in.”
“She’s afraid if you know his name, you’ll go looking for more info and draw him here.”
“Yeah, then he’s our problem, and we deal with him.”
“What if he brings muscle?”
Lowell narrows his dark eyes, giving me eerie Monroe vibes. “Are you asking if I’ll hand over Monroe to her uncle?”
“If Clive shows up here with muscle and makes threats against the Woodlands, how quickly would the club hand over one stranger?”
“Forget the morality of handing her over. And how she’s your woman and my daughter,” he says, looking at me as if I’m a fucking moron. “If the Executioners bow to outsiders, we’ll be asking for every ally and enemy to fuck with us. We’ll be shouting to the fucking heavens that we’re weak enough to be removed. No one, not even Wyatt, is dumb enough to let an outsider start shit.”