“You almost died on me,” I remind him.
He rubs his hand over his scalp. “Shit, yeah.”
“Seems like we crammed in ten years of drama.” I stare at him for a minute. “You know I’m proud of you, right?”
“You’ve mentioned it.” He flashes a tight half-smile.
“First time I met you—”
“I was a scared little boy, worried you were gonna kill my best friend.”
I nod to acknowledge his memory, then share my version of the story. “You put yourself in front of Heidi. Trying to protect her from me.”
“Kinda pointless.”
“Yeah, but brave.” I press my fist against my chest. “Things were rough at home for you. But you rose above it and turned into a good man.”
He lets out a humorless laugh. “Did I?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation. “I know I’ve asked you to do things for the club that civilians wouldn’t consider ‘good.’ Morally gray to some, maybe. But not to us and the code we live by. You’ve always done what needed to be done to protect your brothers. Without question. Not everyone has the strength to do that.”
My words seem to ease some of the tension from his body. “It’s all I know.”
“We still have some adjusting to do, but we’ll get through it.”
In the end, all this pain will leave us stronger than before.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Hope
After Rock sends me a text saying things are calmer at Teller’s house, I pack Grace’s things and head for my car.
When I arrive a few minutes later, Murphy’s truck is in the driveway, facing the road, as if he wanted to be prepared to make another quick getaway.
My heart hurts for all the pain we’ve caused.
I catch sight of Murphy and Rock in the backyard. While Alexa’s happily watching the chickens, the guys seem deeply involved in their conversation. Deciding to leave them to work out their issues, I gather Grace and tap on the front door.
Teller opens it a few seconds later. “Hey.”
“Can I talk to Heidi?”
“Yeah, of course.” He opens the door wider.
The house is quiet. The emotional fireworks must’ve fizzled.
My guilt isn’t as simple to snuff out.
“Hey, Gracie.” Teller holds out his arms for his little sister. “Here, let me take her?”
“Sure.”
Grace lights up as Teller pulls her into his arms. “She’s in the living room.”
“Okay.” As much as I’ve dreaded this moment, in a way, I’m relieved it’s finally here.
Heidi’s on the couch, staring at her phone. She leans forward and sets it on the coffee table. “Hey, Hope.”
Good grief, how can I not know what to say? I’ve had plenty of time to prepare. “How are you?” I ask carefully.
“Fine.” Her answer’s clipped. Unlike Heidi.
I force my feet to move across the carpet and sit next to her.
“Did you lie to protect me?” she eventually asks.
“Yes, and because I knew he needed time.”
She blows out a long breath and finally looks at me. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Did you want to protect me?”
Isn’t the answer obvious? “Because I love you, Heidi.”
She sniffles and nods. “So, not a club thing?”
“No.” It sounds cowardly, but I say it anyway. “It wasn’t my information to share, or I would have told you.”
She stares straight ahead, seeming to consider my words. “Wow, yeah. I think it would’ve been a lot weirder coming from you instead of him.”
The tightness in my chest eases. This can be repaired.
The corners of her mouth lift. “Is guilt why you bought me those expensive boots for my wedding?”
The question throws me. “What? No. I’ve watched you work so hard the last few years. I wanted you to have something nice to celebrate your accomplishments.”
She kicks out her feet so I can see she’s wearing one of the pairs I bought her. Purple with a tapestry panel and row of buckles. Then she tucks them against the couch.
“I’m jealous,” she whispers.
She doesn’t need to explain. I felt it when she tried to ask Rock if he was her father too. I slide closer and slip my arm around her shoulders. Her body’s stiff, and she ignores my attempt to comfort her, but I don’t back away. “I understand.”
“That’s pathetic, isn’t it?”
“Not at all.”
Finally, she relaxes and leans against me, resting her head on my shoulder. “When do we finally outgrow all the trauma our parents inflicted on us?”
I sigh. “When I find out, I’ll let you know.”
Murphy
Things seem stable now that the air has been cleared.
I pop into Marcel’s living room to find Heidi and Hope.
“Hey, Murphy.” Hope stands and holds out her arms, then drops them to her sides as if she’s worried I’m mad at her.
“Come here, first lady.” I pull her into a tight hug. Couldn’t stay mad at her if I wanted to.
“Are you all right?” she whispers.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I pull back, holding her at arm’s length. “I don’t blame you.” Shit, I don’t even blame Rock. My issue’s with Marcel. “This must’ve sucked for you.”
She nods, then shakes her head, dismissing my concern. “I love both of you.” She reaches down and squeezes Heidi’s shoulder.
“We know.” Heidi smiles up at her.
I’m relieved they’ve talked it out. She and Heidi seem to be solid. That makes what I have to tell Heidi easier. I jerk my head to the side, motioning for her to follow me into the hallway.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Nothing. I gotta run down to Furious. Will you be okay here or do you want me to bring you home first?”
“I’ll ride up with Hope and Rock later.” Her mouth quirks. “My SUV’s still here in Marcel’s garage if I need to make a quicker getaway.”
My expression stays the same.
“I’ll be fine,” she assures me. “Go. Before Wrath dreams up some creative punishment for your absence.” She leans up and kisses my cheek. “Thank you for this weekend.”
I capture her in my arms, lifting her just a bit. “We needed it.”
“We did,” she whispers.
“You and me.” I press a kiss to her lips. “We’ll always be okay.”
The corners of her mouth lift. “Team O’Callaghan for life.”
“Yeah, beautiful.” I set her down but keep my hands on her waist.
“Are your hands ever not all over each other?” Marcel groans.
I turn and he’s standing in the hallway, hands on his hips and a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
“Can we talk for a sec?” he asks.
A wave of trepidation propels me toward the door. “I can’t. I need to run down to Furious.”