Visions (Cainsville #2)(80)

He took a deep breath and propped himself on his side, facing me. “We had some shit to do earlier. Territory issue. New guys. Not bikers—just punks with bikes who fancy themselves a club. They want territory, and they’ve decided, since we’re the smallest club, they’ll take ours. We’ve been trying to stomp them without causing serious trouble. Dad doesn’t like trouble. It’s bad for business. Anyway, we went to have a conversation, and the * in charge decided to come at me instead. He figured he had ammunition. That picture of us in the Post.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah. So he’s trash-talking you, and usually I’m good at ignoring idiots. But he stepped over the line, and I went off on him. Hence . . .” He pointed at his jaw and lip.

“Bet he’s feeling worse.”

I smiled when I said it, expecting he’d joke back, but his eyes clouded. “Yeah. I . . . really went off on him. I’m not like that. I can fight, obviously. I have to. But my dad and I don’t get into it the way the other guys do. Part of that’s how we are, but part of it’s a choice, too. Let the guys get down and dirty while we stay above that. We stay in charge. Never lose control. I lost it tonight.”

I must have looked worried, because he hurried on. “In some ways, it probably helped. The guys respect my dad even if he doesn’t mix it up. The old-timers have seen him mix it up, before he took over. Me, though? I’ve never done that, and I think some of them figure maybe I can’t. The college boy. Smart, but . . .” Another shrug. “A little soft. So, yeah, they were impressed. My dad, though . . .”

“Is not impressed.”

“Yeah. And considering what set me off? We didn’t need to have our conversation after that. I should have told him about us. Finding out that way?” He shook his head.

“He’s angry.”

“Hurt, more like. Confused. It’s always been just the two of us. Now here’s this major change in my life that he knows nothing about, and if it was just some girl from school, he could figure I was working up to an introduction. With you? No such excuse. He knows why I kept it from him, too—because I thought he wouldn’t like it. And he doesn’t. He really, really doesn’t.” Ricky rubbed his mouth and paused before saying, “It’s worse than I expected. He told me to end it. Not as my father. As the president of my club. He’s . . . he’s never done that before.”

The look in Ricky’s eyes told me Don wasn’t the only one hurt and confused here.

“Okay,” I said carefully. “So that means you have to end it, right?”

He shook his head. “He took that back. I think he was testing me. Seeing how serious I am about you. When I argued, he retreated, but . . .” He looked over at me. “My dad and I don’t fight. We disagree, sure, but even that’s rare. We’ve never had the usual parent–kid issues. This was an issue.”

“Because of Gabriel.”

Ricky nodded. “I know how bad this will sound, so bear with me. In a club, women aren’t exactly equal citizens, as you’ve figured out. They can’t be members. Even wives are kept out of club business. You’re supposed to treat women well, and there’s some serious old-school chivalry there, but that leads to a certain mind-set. Your woman is your . . .”

“Property?”

He winced. “I wouldn’t use that word, but it’s the gist. One thing you don’t do is go after another guy’s girl. Ever.”

“I’m not Gabriel’s girl.”

“To my dad, you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re not sleeping with him. He brought you in. You’re with him. Therefore you are off-limits.”

“In case Gabriel ever decides he does want to sleep with me?”

Another wince. “In my world, you can be friends with a girl and not go there. Not for my dad, though. Either you are there or you’re heading there.”

“Otherwise, what’s the point?”

“I know that makes him sound like a Neanderthal. He’s not. When my mom got pregnant, he never expected her to drop out of med school and marry him. He offered to get married, of course, but he didn’t expect a yes. He was just happy she was willing to go through with the pregnancy. He never asked for anything else from her. Never tried to deny her rights, either. A lot of the guys didn’t get that, and he took some lumps for it. He lost a few members when he took over, because Mr. Mom wasn’t their idea of a club president.” He stopped and flushed. “I didn’t mean to rant.”

“You didn’t. I understand, and as long as you don’t consider me your property—”

He laughed. “I know how far I’d get with that. Booted out the door. With my ass kicked the whole way. No, I’m not my father. But as a club member, I have to follow his rules. After you came by that first time, and I knew I wanted to see you again, I made sure I wasn’t overstepping. I talked to Gabriel.”

“And said what? Hey, are you planning to hit that?”

He gave me a look. “Not in so many words, but yeah. That’s not sexist, either. If you met a guy through a woman you respected, wouldn’t you check to see if she was interested in him before making a move?”

“Point taken. So what exactly did you say?”