Ruin and Rise(7)

“This is completely insane. Neither of you should be ready to shoot each other.”

“Dani, baby, what are you doing here?”

“I came the moment I got your text that you were going to meet my father.”

“Did you need her as protection against me?” Zeke asked, mocking.

Shakes pressed a little on the trigger.

“Stop it!” Dani yelled.

Only her raised voice made him ease up on the trigger.

“I want you both to lower your guns now!” The last word was once again yelled at them.

Neither of them lowered their guns. She growled at their lack of response.

“That’s it; if you two can’t get along, I’m gone, and you can finally kill each other,” Dani said.

The way she spoke had Shakes lowering his weapon the same time Zeke did. They both turned to her, and Shakes’ heart broke. Tears were glistening in her eyes, and he’d never known how upset she was that he and Zeke were at constant odds.

“Honey,” Zeke said.

“Baby,” Shakes said.

“No. No honey. No baby. No nothing.” She looked from one to the other. Her tears fell down her cheeks, and each tear was like a punch to the gut. He hated it. Shakes had promised to make her the happiest woman in the world, and he’d failed.

“I’m carrying a baby. An innocent life that you’re going to be the father to, and you’re going to be the grandfather to. I don’t have a mother. I don’t have anyone else. The two of you are all I’ve got.” She stopped, and he watched her take in a shuddering breath. “If you two can’t stop trying to kill each other, then I’ll do this alone. I don’t have a fucking clue how I’m going to raise this baby on my own, but I will. I don’t want to, but I will. I love you, Shakes, with all of my heart and soul. I don’t want to live without you. Dad, we’ve had a lot of problems, and we’re working through them. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life fighting you.”

“Honey,” Zeke said.

She held her hand up silencing them both.

“No, I don’t want to hear it. You’ve got to learn to get along. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life worrying if my baby’s father is going to come home, or if its grandfather finally killed him. I don’t want to be scared about you two killing each other. It has to stop. It isn’t good for me or the baby.”

Dani had started to yell once again. He couldn’t blame her. Walking in on the two of them with their weapons drawn wasn’t good for any of them. She turned toward Zeke. “I get it, okay. I’m your daughter, and you can’t handle that I’m all grown up. I’m in love with Shakes. I am pregnant with his baby. Deal with it, because I had to deal with you fucking your whores all these years. I’ve had to listen to the kind of shit you do. I’m being blunt here for you, Dad. Deal with it, or be done with me, because I’m not going to run, not anymore.”

Shakes didn’t think she needed to be that blunt, but he was proud of the strength she had.

“I’m going to go home. If Shakes comes home, then this is the last time you draw a weapon on each other. We’re all a family, and it’s time you both started to realize that.”

She nodded at each of them before turning and walking away.

Shakes stared at Zeke, and Zeke returned the glare.

“Am I going home to my woman tonight?” Shakes asked.

“Do you think this is fucking funny?”

“No. If I thought it was funny, I’d be laughing. My woman has just given us an ultimatum. We either agree or we end this now. I agree with her. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder, waiting for you to strike.” Shakes rubbed the back of his head. “Kill me now, and be done with it. But just know that no matter what, even if I’m gone, I will always be in your life through my child. And you can tell my son or daughter why I’m not around. You can look your grandchild in the eyes and tell them that you took their father away.”

Zeke placed his gun on the counter. “I can’t kill you; Dani’s right. We can play this game for a long time, but the truth is that you’ve got a baby on the way. My daughter decided to pick you, and I’ve got to accept that. It’s not what I want, but we’re done.”

Shakes nodded.

“I spoke to Demon today,” Zeke said.

“Why?”

“He’ll fill you in on that. Just know what I did, I did for my daughter.”

Shakes knitted his brows. “Don’t fuck with the club, Zeke, and don’t fuck with Daniella’s life. I’m a part of it for the long haul.”

“Don’t you regret getting booted out of the club?” Zeke asked.