Page 88 of When You Stayed
Panic reached inside my chest, yanking at my heart.
“Wait, you—you can’t go without your cut…your colors,” I cried anxiously, “My dad, he didn’t give you permission to go, you can’t go.”
Johnson appeared in the hall behind us. I turned as tears gathered on my lashes.
He held something leather in his hands, and for two idiotic seconds, I thought maybe it was my property patch. My dad was suddenly at my shoulder, his hand carefully cupping it. “Come on, honey. Your mother is on her way.”
“Why?” I turned my head. “Tell him no. Tell him he can’t go. He can’t go without your permission. He’s not authorized to go to war with another club, no matter what the reason is.”
My dad’s eyes were full of remorse, but he wasn’t looking at meanymore, he was staring behind me. I turned to see that Ford was slipping the leather on that Johnson had been holding. It was an exact replica of the one currently on my shoulders, swallowing me in black. Except for one difference.
There, over the left breast, was stitched something new. Something I knew deep down and stupidly ignored.
President.
My mother suddenly entered through the back of the club, storming in on high-heeled boots. She was close enough that when my father confessed, she heard him. “I can’t, Royce. Ford’s word is law, and if he wants to go to war, then we go.”
My mother froze mid-step.
Jameson searched the space between my mother and father, then me, before speaking up. “Ford, we’re supposed to be preparing for war against the Destroyers, I think we’re playing into their hands.”
Ford refused to look up, but his fists clenched and shook.
Connor added his thoughts too. “Ford, think this through. You were obviously given incorrect intel from someone, which is a huge red flag. Besides, they took down the video at Nova’s request. That means she holds some sway with them. Let this ride out, and then we’ll still be ready?—”
“No!” Ford slammed his hand on the bar, making the glass rattle. “You know if they’d done this to Penny, or Laura, or fucking anyone else, you wouldn’t hesitate.”
My mother was furious as she stepped closer, likely trying to play catch-up. “Am I understanding this correctly, Ford? You’re the president of the club?”
“I am.”
Mom’s eyes blazed with fury as she glanced over at my father. “And for how long?”
“Daisy—” Dad started, but she cut him off.
“How long?!”
Ford’s gaze locked on me. “Seven months.”
I felt the floor nearly fall from beneath my feet. I had assumed perhaps it was recent, but seven months…that meant when I had gone and asked my father about this initially, Ford had already been leading the club for six months.
“Well, then, I’m not sure why there’s even a discussion.” Mom folded her arms over her chest. “Your president has made a decision.”
“Mom.” I whined, as tears still gathered along my lashes. My heart felt too heavy to keep in my chest.
She lifted her chin. “Come on, Royce. This is a world we don’t belong in. They’ve made sure of that.”
“Fuck, Daisy, you know—” My dad tried arguing, but she turned and stormed off, back through the exit. Meanwhile Ford just stared at me.
I stared back, confused and hurt. I slid his leather cut off, and he shook his head.
“Do not make me choose between defending what they did to you and having you. It’s not in my blood to walk away from this.”
I tried to gather as much resolve as I could. All the strength within me to be like my mother. She’d married into this and had been at the mercy of a man who didn’t have it in his blood to walk away from any of this either. Yet, she never once backed away from the fire in her veins.
“Mom’s right. If you need war, then go get it, Ford. Just know that there will be another one waiting for you when you get home.”
I still clung to the leather cut because I couldn’t seem to release it, but I turned and followed my mother outside, knowing Nova and Taryn wouldn’t be far behind.
