oe

I walk into the room where they hold Church, the long, scarred w

ather and club colors. It's a formal assemb

his hand. My seat, the one traditionally beside him, is empty.

daring me to make a scene. I meet his gaze wi

e door with her children, looking like a lost lamb

h is in session." His voice bo

filled with genuine grief and honor. The members listen, their expressions grim. He i

Brandy Cannon, and her children are hereby granted permanent protected status withi

he says it. A final, public

ore me, glance uneasily in my direction, but no one s

housand tiny pieces. It's not just about another woman. It's about my en

I simply watch as the foundat

meeting, I turn and walk out, ignoring th

it's forged in ice. He wants to r

gitimate businesses-the bar, the auto shop, the small freight contracts

eckbooks, the access codes for the online bank accounts. My hands are steady. My mind is clear

look busy by wiping down an already clean

k ledger books onto the table in front of

, her eyes wide with c

l emotion. "You're family now. You wanted to prov

and greed in them that she can't quite hide. She thin

he keys to the bar, the shop. The account books. You're in

rk. "Are you sure, Chl

off. "He decided what kind of family h

He's standing in the doorway of the Church room,

nk you're doing?" he dema

What you wanted," I say simply. "I'm making the new

now looking uncertain, clutching

ll her. "You're g

and furious Jasper, leaving the keys to a ba