Jett eases her back, patience steadying his voice as he locks onto me. “Luke, you wanna fuck girls on the road, do things casual-style, I’m all for it. I was young once. We’ve all done some shit out there. But in this house, it won’t fly. We’re family. The people who…shack up…are married, teammates for life. Not like what you guys have done, sneaking off, keeping secrets. There are no secrets in club life. We can’t afford them.”
Mom’s voice is gentle, filled with compassion, “You’re both very attractive, young, sexual people. Of course it’s natural that you gave into that—”
Dad interrupts, “We’ve been out here for a half hour, talking about this. We know how it happened. Why it happened. We threw a couple punches. Let’s stop rehashing it.” I realize suddenly that there’s a fresh bruise forming on his face, and a matching one shining fresh on Jett’s jaw. “Sage was right when she said it was bound to happen at some point. She saw how you look at Sofia.”
My sister glances up, eyes dulled by sadness. “Dad, if you’re sending Luke away, don’t bring me into it.”
“You know what?” I snap, losing my temper. “Fine. It’s a stupid fuckin’ rule but fine, I want to go. I need to get the fuck out of here.”
Jett grabs my arm as I head off, growls, “Rules keep this club together. We’ve lasted a long time, happily, because of our ‘stupid’ rules. And forgive me for not wanting you inside of my daughter!”
Dad lunges at him, grabbing his shirt and spitting in his face, “My son isn’t good enough for your daughter?”
Luna groans and covers her eyes with one hand, “Here we go again.”
Sage stares at me, whispers, “You had to know this would happen.”
As they manage to shove each other around Luna’s locked arms, Jett shouts, “If he loved my daughter that would be one thing, but having his fun under my roof, no fuckin’ way!”
“Just your roof, huh, Cocker? I’ve saved your ass more times out there on the road than you know how to count!”
“Oh, twice I’m being called stupid now? The other day when I said we wanted to go to Paris for our vacation, because Sunshine’s never been, you said Paris, Texas?! A place we’ve been so many times they named a park after Meg’s toenails!”
Dad roars back, “Now, that doesn’t make no sense!”
Luna shoves them both so hard and so fast, it successfully creates distance. “That’s three times you’ve been at each other’s throats in thirty minutes! I’ve had it! You’re best friends. Calm your shit down!” Locking onto me, she shouts, “This is why we keep things platonic!”
“I gotta get out of here.”
Mom flies up. “Luke! Please come down and talk to me once you’re packed, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” I mutter, blinking hard.
CHAPTER 16
L UKE
G rabbing a bunch of clothes takes no time since I’ve done it so damn often. My toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, razor, they’re always ready in a small leather bag I carry on the road.
The porch is quiet when I walk out. Only Mom and Sage are waiting. They stand as I drop my saddlebags near the steps. Mom fiddles with her necklace as she walks to me, long red hair streaked with silver and straight as mine. “Your father is dying inside, he hates to have you go. He couldn’t wait here with us, he’s so upset.”
“I know, Mom. I saw him fighting for me. He’s just trying to keep the code.”
“He’d be here to say goodbye, but he has a problem softening.”
“He’s not supposed to be soft. He’s who he is.”
She gives this sad smile. “You know I love that about him. It’s just, this is tearing him up and I want you to know that. We both will miss you so much.”
If they knew Atlas had thrown me under the bus, I don’t know what they would do. But I won’t do to my brother what he did to me. If I don’t stand by my own integrity, I’m nothing. I decide the man I’m going to be, and nobody, not even my brother, can take that away.
Pulling Sage into a hug, I kiss her head, “Watch after Mom.”
“I will. And Atlas is here, too.”
“You need to do it, okay? Because I know you can. No matter how cute and short you are.”
She hits my chest, tears in her eyes. “Shut up.”
“You shut up,” I offer her the best smile I can, but it’s not much.
Have to pull Mom in for the next hug. Her arms fly around me and she squeezes like she won’t let go. “I love you, Luke, please call me every day.”
“I’m not going to do that.”
“Can’t you just pretend?”
“No, I can’t lie to you.” Letting her go I hoist my bags onto my shoulder, walk down the creaky old steps for my bike, still parked far up the drive where we left them.
Mom calls out, “Luke!” and I look back, slowing down. “I love you.”
Chewing on my lips I nod, “Love you, too.” My eyes catch movement upstairs as a curtain opens. Celia’s watching me from their bedroom window. She touches the glass and I throw my chin up to her in goodbye.
At our bikes I slow down because there sits my father, the darkness and my mood cloaking him until just now. “Dad?”
“Where you headed?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care.”
“You gassed up?”
“You took it out on a beer run.”
“Oh yeah.”
I check out the gauge. “Enough to get me out of Louisiana.”
“You got a credit card?”
“The club’s. You want me to use it?”
His eyes flash. “Yes, I want you to fuckin’ use it! You think I’m throwing you on the streets with no way to eat? Use the card. Let’s see how much you can piss off Jett by buying stupid shit.” We both awkwardly smile. “Use the card, Luke. Don’t starve. Stay in any hotel you need. Best they have. Get her out of your system.”
My mouth goes dry. “She’s not in my system.
