Page 85 of August 20

"We don't need any more cats. One is enough."

"Yeah." He inhaled deeply, looking at the four legs poking out from underneath the pool table.

For now, Skye was content to play with Toro's daughter. But as soon as she was alone, he could almost guarantee she'd start on Brooke.

Dio approached him, holding out a beer. He shook his head before he remembered that he could speak.

"No, thanks, man." He pulled Brooke in front of him and wrapped his arms around her.

"Now that you can talk, tell me what you have against drinking." Dio cocked his head. "You always turn a bottle down."

"My stepdad drank and liked to use a leather belt on me for entertainment." He held Brooke tighter when she tried to turn around and look at him. "Left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't want my daughter to put up with an old man who drinks."

"Respect, brother." Dio looked around the room. "Where is my Skye girl?"

He pointed. "Probably trying to figure out how to smuggle Momma cat home with her."

Dio chuckled. "You're going to have your hands full with her."

His MC brother walked away. Brooke wiggled until she faced him. He kept his arms around her.

She vibrated. He knew her well enough to know she wanted to dig deeper into his past. A past he wanted to keep buried.

"I explained why I don't drink. That's all." He kissed her forehead. "It's over."

"Please tell me your stepdad doesn't live around here, and you don't have a relationship with him because if he does and you do, I'm going to kill him." She fisted his leather vest. "Why haven't you told me?"

"Because it's over."

"Good." She nodded. "I love you."

"You better." He kissed her hard.

She gasped, pulling away. "What time is it?"

He pulled out his phone. "Four o'clock."

"We're late. We need to get Skye over to the coffee shop." She broke away from him. "I'll get her bag out of the car and meet you on the sidewalk."

He swatted her ass to get her moving and headed to the pool table. Spotting the pink sneakers, he bent over and grabbed Skye's ankles, pulling her out from under the pool table.

Skye looked up, frowning at him. "Dad, I was playing with the cat."

"Time to go if you're spending the night with Mariah." He helped her to her feet.

"I want to go. We're watching movies and eating popcorn. Mariah said her mom doesn't make her go to sleep. She can stay up all night." Skye bounced beside him on the way to the back of the clubhouse.

Jagger dipped his head in farewell. Maverick held up two fingers and walked out the door.

Brett rushed over. "Do you need anything, brother?"

Recently voted in, Brett believed Maverick was responsible for putting a patch on the younger man. Even without Maverick's vote, Brett would've made it into the club. He was loyal and eager, and in time, life would harden him enough to understand that the legal parts shop wasn't the only thing the club had going on.

"Go in and kick back." Maverick slapped Brett's shoulder. "Enjoy yourself. The girls are coming in a few hours."

Skye took two steps and said, "What girls are coming, Daddy?'

"Girls that you're not going to meet."