“That movie you made me watch, first time at your house. Love and redemption. You said, ‘the most beautiful stories ever told are the most difficult to take’. You said that, Red. Right out. And I knew if you got that, when it was later and I shared my shit with you, you’d get me. I never thought my story was beautiful. I thought it was shit. But you said that and when you did, I saw it. The ride is not over but if I can keep my Club together and find a sweet, feisty woman who’s got my back and enough to her that she’ll stay there, holding me up not dragging me down, I figure I’d find my way to beauty eventually. And I’d find absolution because I’d know, I earned the love of that woman, a woman who’s got so much to her it’ll take years to dig down and find the heart of her, that would be my reward.”

Ohmigod.

Ohmigod!

Ohmigod!

Did he just say that?

Did. He. Just. Say that?

“And you told me,” Tack continued, his face coming closer, “I had that when I first met you.”

“I –”

“So I was hooked to that shit, I did it, I participated in it, I was loyal to my brothers as I’d vowed I’d be and I pulled me and my Club out of it. I did that but that didn’t erase what we did. You are my absolution.”

Oh.

My.

God.

Now did he just say that?

“Tack –”

“And no way in f**k I’m gonna get in a stupid-ass fight with my woman, find out hours later some ass**le took his hand to my daughter, justifiably lose it and then watch the woman I been waitin’ for walk out my door.”

Oh God.

He said that. All of it.

“Tack, honey, I –”

“I get pissed, babe, wait it out or give it as good as you get,” he declared.

“But –”

“I say somethin’ stupid when I’m pissed, like you don’t have a say with my kids when you’re practically livin’ with them and definitely you’re a fixture in my life, you tell me to go f**k myself.”

“Well, I –”

“You got somethin’ to say, say it. You’re pissed, let it all hang out. You got an opinion, share it. What you don’t do is get scared of me and what you don’t do, ever, is walk out on us.”

I shut my mouth.

Tack waited.

I kept my mouth shut.

Tack didn’t.

“Am I clear?”

“Mostly,” I answered.

His eyes narrowed. “What’s not clear?”

“Rivers of blood.”

His head twitched and he asked, “Say again?”

“The Russian mob.”

He shook his head instantly. “No.”

What did he mean, no?

“No?” I asked.

“No,” he answered.

I verbalized my question. “What do you mean, no?”

“What I mean is, that is not done. But it’s gettin’ done. Careful, quiet. And how it gets done, you don’t know. You don’t know shit. So when it’s done, any shit blows back, you’re clear. The Club is dealin’ with this. You’re workin’ in the office and sharin’ my bed.”

“I –”

His fingers came up and pressed to my lips as his eyes locked with mine.

“Trust me.”

“What if you get hurt?” I said behind his fingers and he moved his hand.

“I won’t.”

“But what if you do? Or Dog? Brick? Hound? Or –”

“I won’t. They won’t.”

My voice was rising when I asked, “How can you be sure?”

“The whole point of doin’ it careful and quiet is so they don’t. I went with my base instinct, babe, blood would have been shed about fifteen minutes after we surrounded Hawk’s truck. But doin’ that shit serves no lasting purpose except the pain it might cause if someone gets hurt or dead. No, you plan that shit so the vengeance you seek sticks and lasts a f**kin’ lifetime.”

I was seeing benefits of Tack being sharp as a tack.

He kept talking.

“The mob bought that shit when they took Mara and Lawson’s kids. We been workin’ that now for f**kin’ ever. They took you, the time had come to speed that up and be done with it. But you are not involved or in the know. You trust your man. Then, when it’s done, we live easy until the next f**kin’ drama. And, Tabby doesn’t pull her head outta her ass, seein’ as we got two years of her at least in this house, that could happen tomorrow since it happened yesterday. And by the way,” he added, “I know it I made my point last night but it’s worth repeating. It didn’t help you goin’ commando on that motherfucker’s ass.”

“I’d had a bad day,” I muttered and his mouth curved.

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t think,” I went on.

“Got that, babe.”

“Actually, to be honest, I’m not entirely certain what came over me,” I admitted.

“Don’t care, long’s it doesn’t come over you again.”

I took in a breath.

Then I shared, “Well, considering I didn’t exactly have control over it the last time, I can’t make that promise.”

“Fuck me,” he muttered to the headboard.

“But I’ll try,” I offered, he looked at me and when he did, his eyes had changed in a way that made me catch my breath.

“You bein’ cute mean we’re over this current shit?”

I let out my breath and asked back, “If I say yes, will you let me up for coffee?”

His face dipped close. “Babe, I like your cute but this is kinda important.”

I pulled in yet another breath and held his gaze as I whispered, “Do I really have a choice not to be over this current shit?”

“No,” he replied instantly.

“I didn’t think so,” I muttered.

“Red, you’re still bein’ cute.”

I sighed.

Then my voice softened and my arms tightened around him as I whispered, “I’m sorry that happened with your sister.”

Tack closed his eyes and dropped his forehead to mine.

There it was.

Damn, there it was. He gave it right to me but I should have known the instant I looked in his awake, alert eyes after I woke.