He laughed. "I'd feel slighted, but it's funny as hell to watch you two once you hit the booze."
"It's wine, not booze. You make it sound like we're sipping out of a flask."
"Ha, after you both split a bottle, I think it's a similar effect," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "Call if you need something, all right?"
She nodded and offered up the sweet smile that made him feel like the luckiest man in the world. She'd softened him in some ways, but he saw it as a bridge to fatherhood. Before her influence, he was a hard motherfucker. She got him back in touch with the man he'd been with Jade. The shit worked out like it was a designed plan. It made him rethink his outlook on God. He'd been through the mud, but the sun was peeking out over the horizon.
Leaving, he made the fifteen-minute drive and pulled up to the empty Clubhouse. Most of his brothers were at work right now or still sleeping. Eleven o'clock was "morning" for some. Parking his bike, he climbed off and prepared to get his ass chewed. By now he could tell when his President was in snit. He stepped inside the club house and scanned the desolate area before he continued down the hall to Mike's office. His friend sat in his chair looking pensive.
"Come on in and close the door," Mike said.
Snake did as he requested and took a seat. "What's going on, brother? It sounded serious."
"It is. Listen, brother, you got a lot of shit on your plate right now. I get that. This shit with your daughter came out of left field and you're handling it as fast as you can without completely making her lose her shit. I can appreciate that fact as a man who raised Kali as if she was his daughter once our parents passed. But as a President, you need to get your shit together. Finish up your business with your kid, get your old lady in place to be there when you're needed for the Club, and get your head back in the game. The family is uneasy when its Vice President is away more than here and not doing Club shit."
The words were a sucker punch to the solar plexus. He understood Mike's angle, but the shit still stung.
"Business wise, I can understand where you're coming from. But this shit was sprung on me and I'm scrambling to assimilate and get it all into place. You have to give me time. I put in a lot of years with you. I'm loyal and I'm steady. My shit's all over the place at the moment, but I'm working on honing that in."
"I need to know you remember where your priorities lie," Mike said.
"I do. I take my promises to this Club seriously. I meant every word when I patched then. I follow the rules down to the letter. What the fuck, Mike?"
"I can't have our people doubting the status of this Club. There's whispers. That's how Clubs go downhill."
"Look, you want me around more, I will be. You think we need to boost morale, we'll throw some parties and do some runs. We have the patch over coming up in a week. Things will look different. It's been quiet. That always makes the boys antsy. I'm working on getting my shit straight, but you have to be patient."
"Just make it right, so none of us have to make hard decisions."
Snake gave a curt nod, locking his jaw to keep from voicing his opinions. "Is that all?" he managed to ask.
"For now," Mike said.
Snake stood stiffly and walked away, fighting the urge to slam a door. He owed his President respect, but he was out of line. Usually, Snake would tell him to get his head of out his ass, but it was too close to home. Pressed in on all sides by duty, he left the Club, determined to make things happen.
§
The car was silent as they made the drive from Cincinnati to Lexington. He stared out the window at the passing scenery, barely registering anything.
"Your destination will be on the left in three point five miles," the robotic female stated.
"How're you doing right now?" Es asked softly.
"I'm nervous as hell. What if she doesn't like me? Hell, what if she's scared of me? Who I am, what I do, and how I look are the opposite of the world she's been brought up in." He'd never regretted any of his tattoos or the life he lived with his brothers until this moment.
"Hey, you're her father. Half her DNA is yours. It might be awkward at first, but some part of her is going to recognize that. You had for her four years before she was taken. Those memories are still rolling around in her subconscious."
"You think so?"
"I know so. I remember things from when I was four and five," Es said.
He reached across the center console and squeezed her hand. She'd been his pillar over the past week as she moved in and soothed the beast constantly threatening to break free from his cage. He was on edge, moody, and stretched too thin. Mike had been riding his ass hard. He shifted his weight, cracking his neck and his knuckles to relieve the tension running through his body. They'd agreed to meet at a local brunch restaurant that had an outside garden. If things went well, they could step out and continue their visit. The ride came to an end. Stepping out of the car, he took a deep breath. The place was swank.
He worried about her adjustment to a slower pace of life. She'd been raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. His life would pale in comparison.
"Stop thinking so much and enjoy this moment. You're about to see your baby for the first time since she was four. That's incredible. A few months ago she was lost to you. You didn't rediscover her again to have things fall through."
"How could you possibly know that?"
"Because I-"
When she paused, he turned to look at her.
"I have faith," she whispered.
His eyebrows lifted. "You do?" he asked skeptically.
She sighed. "I spent a lot of time angry at God. I didn't understand his motives, so I tried to ignore his existence. I told myself I could do this alone. We both see just how well that went," she said softly.
"What happened?"
"I made my peace, and in turn I found a harmony with myself and my past. I'm still a work in progress, but that anger and bitterness have faded away. I don't wake up every day feeling as if the world is going to fall down around my ears. You played a massive role in that. He didn't bring us together to be each other's support and torture us. He's healing us, piece by piece."
Her words were a warm feeling counteracting the nerves that tangled his insides like a ball of yarn. She entwined their fingers, and he drew strength from her. He could handle being shot at, stabbed, beat within an inch of his life, and left for dead. But his daughter brought him to his knees. She was too important to fuck up with. Es began to walk toward the entrance and he followed her, amazed at the strength that flowed through her petite frame. Nothing humbled you like emotions.
It was one thing none of his brothers could help him with. Maybe she was right. Maybe the man upstairs did bring us together. They walked inside and he took in the marble flooring, ornate dark wood with decorative carvings, and frosted glass that obscured the view of the people dining. The hostess took him in, and her smile turned into a frown. Es stepped forward, drawing the hostess's attention.
"Good afternoon, we're here to meet the Miles. They may have arrived before us."
"Oh certainty," the young blonde said, clearly relieved to be dealing with Es.
He smirked. Serves her right for being so superficial. He wasn't even wearing his colors today. Dressed in a pair of nice jeans, a white T-shirt, and a button up navy blue shirt he was more dressed up than usual.
"If you'd follow me this way, please." She led them to the dining area, where the tables were covered with white linen tablecloths and matching napkins, folded in the shape of a swan. The heavy looking silverware had ornate decorations on the handle and glasses were placed in front of the white plates. It wasn't a place for a child, in his mind. Children were meant to enjoy their time as little people. Life, rules, etiquette, and PC bullshit would kick in soon enough.
They wound their way around tables until they reached a large table in the corner. Lined up in front of a row of windows the spot had a beautiful view of the gardens and offered them privacy. He studied the faces of the Miles. They were an older couple in their late forties, who had an air of aloofness that made him worry about Jocelyn. Dressed in designer clothes they were groomed within an inch of their lives. He looked down the table and saw Jocelyn. She had on a pink ruffled dress. Her brownish-blonde wild curls were tamed and held back by a pink hair band. Her corkscrew spirals tumbled down her back. She stole his breath. There was so much of her mother visible.
The silence that engulfed them was the calm before a bad storm.
"Mr. and Mrs. Miles, thank you so much for having us," Es greeted, stepping forward to shake their hands. The ice shattered between them as it broke. Mr. Miles remained guarded, but Mrs. Miles offered a shaky smile.