“It’s not like that Roundman.”

“Then enlighten me.” His head cocks to the side, the sneer evident on his face and tone. “What the fuck is it? She’s not your ol’ lady. She’s been to bed with you. Yet, you’re not taking care of her. So, tell me, what the fuck is it?”

“It’s everything. She’s everything. You want me to give her my property patch, done. You want her to move to Catawba, I’ll take care of her. You want me to marry her, then take me to a courthouse, a church, or the god damn back yard. I’ll put a ring on her finger and give her a new last name. All that, I’ll do gladly. I’ll give her my fuckin’ world.”

“You spouting off at me boy. You’re fuckin’ my daughter, and trying to feed me bullshit about what you’ll do. You gonna do all that shit for her or for me? You say you’ll give her your fuckin’ world…what if I don’t want that world for her? You gonna give up your patch for her. You gonna give her the world I want her to have.”

Standing up out of my chair, he follows suit. Eye to eye. “Fuck the world YOU want her to have. Doll’s a Hellion by your choices, not mine. This is the world she knows, accepts, and lives for. Get a few things straight, I won’t do any of that shit for you. I do it all for her. If she wants a property patch, hands down she has it. If she wants a wedding, I’ll give her the white dress and the goddamn suit. You want me to choose between her and my club…I choose her because she’ll choose to support my club and be with me in it.”

Waiting for him to reach for his gun or at least punch me, I’m on edge. Never breaking eye contact, I watch as a grin slowly moves across his face.

“Got balls, Tripp. Always been a tough guy. You’ve met your match in Doll.”

“We good, Roundman?”

“As good as we’re gonna get since you’re fuckin’ my daughter.” He hands me a small box. I open it to see the bullet. “One round, Tripp, that one’s got your name on it. You fuck her over, you take that bullet. We clear? She’s had enough loss in her life. You do this, you don’t get to leave her. She lost her momma way to fuckin’ young, she doesn’t lose you too.”

“We’re clear.”

“Go out there and take care of my daughter. Sort your shit.”

He takes the box back and moves it to his safe. There’s no doubt in my mind that bullet will be waiting for me, if or when I fuck this up.

36

Things Change For Us All

Tripp comes out of my dad’s office. That’s a good sign in itself. He leaves to go visit Tank with the promise to be back when I get off work for the night. How am I supposed to get any work done now with Tripp in town? I want to be with him, not sitting in this office. I’m drawn out of my musings when my dad’s office door opens.