“Besides, you need me there to counterbalance Wrath.” I slap his shoulder. “Admit it, you two would’ve killed each other by now if it wasn’t for me.”

“You’re more than just an intermediary for us. You know that, right?”

“Fuck, yeah.” Something awful occurs to me and I try to make light of it. “You’re not realizing you like it better without me now, are ya, Prez?”

He pins me with a steely-eyed glare. “Not at all. Your presence is missed. By everyone. But I don’t ever want to hold you back, either.”

“You’re not. Trust me. I’m already feeling shitty enough about leaving you hanging at such an awkward time. I was trying to pick up some stuff so you had time with the baby—”

“Which I appreciate. But club always comes first. You know it and I know it.”

“Hope and Grace okay?”

“They’re fine.”

“Let’s try and do a family day or something so you can bring ‘em down. I bet Chance would love to see Grace.”

Rock finally eases up and laughs. “Don’t go trying to set my daughter up already.”

“Why not? We can be fathers-in-law together. Maybe go fishing when we’re old. It’ll be great.”

He grins and shoves me sideways. “I don’t know about that. Heidi keeps joking about Alexa and Grace taking over the MC one day.”

I burst out laughing. “Hell, maybe they’ll do an even better job than us.” I pin him with a sharp stare. “We done with the spread-your-wings-and-fly-away-little-birdie pep talk?”

“For now. We both know it might not be up to us.”

That’s what worries me.

Chapter Twenty-One

Z

Rock and I head back to the clubhouse together.

Not so surprisingly, there’s a cop car waiting out front.

“Jesus Christ,” I grumble. “What now?”

I take my time backing my bike into its spot. Rock pulls up right in front of the clubhouse and walks over to meet me. “Go easy,” he warns.

In Empire, I don’t deal with the cops as much as Rock does. From time-to-time, I show my face. Hand over an envelope of cash or whatever. But most of my social skills are directed at maintaining relationships with other MCs.

Some outlaws prefer to be assholes to cops right off the bat. My way of thinking has always been they have a job to do and until it interferes with my club or my life, I leave them to it. Unless they’re disrespectful. Then all bets are off.

As far as I know, Sway’s relationship with the local cops is civil. Sway was never forthcoming with all the details, but a few years back, the state police had tried to infiltrate the club. They might still be a little bitter that didn’t work out and that their informants disappeared.

The locals, as far as I know, haven’t been a problem. Yet.