“No. I have an apartment nearby I rent. One of the brothers owns the building.”
“But you have a house right here?”
“It’s paid off, so it’s not like I’m paying two bills.” I shrug.
“There’s a story there.”
I nod. “There is.”
“Are we going to talk about it?”
“How ’bout we get into the house and settle first? I have a cleaning crew come through monthly to keep it up to snuff. It’s not common knowledge to everyone in the club, but the top three know about its existence. It’s been helpful in a pinch.”
“But that’s not why you hold on to it, is it?”
Observant little flower.
“No.” I dismount the bike, grab the saddlebags, and lead her up the stairs and onto the porch. Wrapping my hand around the handle, I shove the key in the lock, gritting my teeth as I unlock the house, that dream home that had become a nightmare. After pushing the door open, I allow her to step inside before I follow, turning off the alarm.
“Were you paranoid prior to joining the Sinners?”
I shake my head. “Concerned about protecting precious treasures.”
“You’re not talking about gems and money, are you?” she whispers.
“No,” I agree.
“Are they—” She bites her bottom lip. “Dead?”
“No.” She’s something worse, out of my reach. “This life isn’t for everyone. And sometimes people discover that after.”
“Oh,” she breathes. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
“I …” She clears her throat. “Am I competing with a ghost, Preacher? Because we both know that’s a losing game.”
“God no.” I scowl, remembering the way Penny had changed. “People grow apart all the time, and sometimes all that love and warm feelings ice over and turn into dark, malicious emotions.”
She licks her lips. “On whose end?”
“Hers. When I left the service, we were both looking for a place to belong. We had friends who were like family who’d gotten out a year earlier, and he’d joined the Sinners. We already loved to ride and had been around them enough to have a pretty good idea of what to expect. So, I prospected. That year is just as much for the potential member to decide if the club will be a good fit as it is to determine if they want the prospect as a brother.”
“And you both agreed it worked?”
I drop the saddlebag in front of the entryway and nod.
“It did. We had a blast that year, then Penny got pregnant, and priorities shifted. As they should’ve,” I clarify as she narrows her gaze. “We were both overjoyed about it. I don’t want you to think I never wanted my daughter because I was chuffed from the day I discovered she existed.” I grin, remembering the day she handed me a jar of Prego sauce and waited for the dots to connect.
“So, what happened?”
“I think she started to resent the time I spent away and the dual lifestyles I had to hold down. I wasn’t just a parent who could be there whenever his child had an event or a PTA meeting. Club business came first. I think it made her feel like an outcast. Not being able to share her life with the new friends she made. She started drifting further away from me, the club life.”
“Can you blame her?”
“You’ve been around long enough to know the Sinners who have a family get time with them and are welcome to bring them ’round for family days. She decided it wasn’t what she wanted.”
“And you weren’t willing to meet her halfway?”