The plan was to let the ol’ ladies know what was going down but not until after the Fury met up with the Shadows Saturday morning. This way the sisterhood knew the deal and how to act that night, but not to give them enough time to freak out too badly or try to put a stop to the plan.
If any of them actually tried. Trip decided not to take that risk since, while every damn one of the sisterhood wanted the Shirleys gone, they might not approve of the way the club was going about it.
However, it wasn’t up to them. It was up to the men to protect the Fury family.
The other problem was, Fallon wasn’t an ol’ lady. She was an outsider.
He couldn’t tell her the truth but he also didn’t want to lie to her more than he had to.
The whole thing was fucked.
And so was he because he didn’t want to hurt her.
For fuck’s sake, that was what he was about to do.
“You said you didn’t mind me sticking around until your birthday.”
“Yeah, babe. Birthday’s tomorrow. Just said that. No reason to go to the party.”
“Why?”
She wasn’t going to let this fucking go so he needed to finish it. “Want the truth, Fallon?”
“Of course I do. Why would you even ask that?”
Because it wasn’t going to be the truth and the lie was going to hurt like fuck. He braced. “Ain’t gonna lie then… Don’t want you fuckin’ there.”
Her mouth opened just slightly but nothing came out for far too long.
He waited with his heart pounding in his throat and dread twisting his gut. He did everything he could to keep his expression from showing it.
“Shay said all the ol’ ladies are going.”
Fuck! “You ain’t an ol’ lady.”
She stared at him, unblinking, her face a complete mask. But he could fucking see it. Right in her eyes. She hadn’t been expecting that comeback from him. Normally that wouldn’t have been his damn response, but he was trying to keep her out of the mess that was about to happen.
Unfortunately, if he told her the real reason, it would just open a box of worms. One he wouldn’t be able to close the lid on.
He wanted her safe. He wanted her hands clean. Since she wasn’t an ol’ lady, he didn’t want any of this Shirley bullshit splashing back on her.
That could very well happen.
It could happen to any of them. Hell, all of them. Even the sisterhood. If any Fury members ended up dead or in prison, it would affect their ol’ ladies, too. Their future, their family. It could be, would be, devastating.
One reason why Trip was so big on protecting, not only the women and children, but his brothers. As far as Whip knew, every one of his brothers, except for Deacon, had come from a broken home. The prez did not want that happening to the next generation.
“You’re right, Whip. I’m not an ol’ lady.”
Fuck.
“I guess I overstayed my welcome,” she finished. “I didn’t mean to intrude or push my way into your life like that. I figured… I thought…” She shook her head and took a step back so they were no longer touching.
He closed his eyes and inhaled, slowly filling his lungs, then pushing it back out just as slowly.
He was fighting the instinct to fix this. To invite her to Pete’s, anyway. But he had to remember the risk.
What if she got wind of what was going on?
What if she saw the truth of what his club was capable of?
What if she saw what he was capable of? She might not ever look at him the same way again.
Wouldn’t it be better if she continued on her trip before she learned any of that? Clueless of the deep, dark secrets not only in Manning Grove, but his MC?
It would be safer for her to have zero knowledge of what was going down. But if she had decided to stay in town… To stay with him…
Then things might be different. His approach on this whole thing would be different.
But she never once hinted about staying. Not once.
The fact was, she couldn’t leave knowing their plan and the secrets behind it, the secrets because of it. It wouldn’t be smart for her or the Fury.
The less people who knew about the plan, the better.
She wasn’t staying so, no matter what he said, no matter what he did, he was losing her anyway.
Fuck me upside down and sideways.
“That’s the problem, Fallon, you think too much. You’re too goddamn independent. In my world, to be an ol’ lady you’d be my property. That means when I tell you I don’t want you goin’ somewhere, you’d listen. When you don’t listen, you make me look weak and less than a fuckin’ man. I can’t fuckin’ have that. I’d lose all goddamn respect from my brothers.”