Tiny walked a good distance away from the barn before stopping, his wise eyes landing on Diesel the way they had when Diesel was thirteen and had started hanging out with some questionable kids. Back then, Tiny had steered him to the ranch, doling out lessons in responsibility, giving him purpose for those hours when his mother was at work and he’d had to fend for himself. Had he taken Diesel under his wing due to a sense of duty rather than simply extending kindness to help a single mother?

“Biggs called,” Tiny said evenly. “I know why you’re here, son.”

Diesel handed him the pictures. “What do you know about these? The dates are on the back.”

“Oh, honey,” Wynnie said in a soft, pained voice. “We didn’t even know your mother and Axel were ever together.”

Diesel eyed her, looking for hidden signs of lies, but there was nothing but grief and empathy looking back at him. He shifted his attention to Tiny. “That true?”

“Pretty much. I knew they’d met at the Roadhouse when Axel blew through town and we were there with a few brothers.” By brothers Diesel knew he meant other Dark Knights. “Your mother was working, and I saw him flirting with her, but I didn’t think much of it. He was always playin’ around, and he made no attempts to hide who he was from the women he was with. Biggs said he told you about what Axel had gone through.”

Diesel nodded.

“Axel was in rough shape.” Tiny sounded as if his brother’s anguish had been his own. “You remember how angry you were after we buried your mother? How you took off on your bike with that damn backpack, and we didn’t see you for more than a year?”

He’d never forget the unrelenting dragons that had chased him down the highway and had continued chasing him…until recently.

Until Tracey.

But he couldn’t go there now, couldn’t think of her sweet face and loving words when his whole life might have been built on a lie.