Текст книги "Two Worlds Colliding"

Автор книги: Jani Kay

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

Chapter 23 ~ Ryder

Razor slammed his fists on the table. “Fuck no! I don’t accept this shit. This is a truckload of crap and you know it.” He glared at his brother, nostrils flaring, fists balled as he challenged Cobra. “I won't have some smartass cop dictate my fucking life. No, and fucking hell no!” he roared.

When Razor got mad, it was futile to attempt to calm him. It only fueled his anger. Besides, I was just as infuriated as he was. Brother’s bitches were always welcome at the clubhouse and compound, and now Cobra and the other patched members wanted to place a ban on new women coming in. They may as well have named them directly. We all knew it was Jade and Lexi that were the problem. All because of Jade’s fucking snooping brother.

“Razor. Reel it in, man. It’s best for the club. For everybody.” Cobra gave Razor the death stare. He was asserting himself as president¸ and final decision-maker. “Sit down. Both of you.” He grumbled at Razor and myself. I hadn’t even realized I’d risen from my chair, I was that worked up.

Cobra sighed. “It’s because Summers interfered with the weapons deal we had going with the Northern Commando MC that it went fucking sour. My informant also said Summers initiated the fucking raid by the LA Demons. Motherfucker Summers has a death wish. He was trying to get the two MC clubs to fight one another in the hopes we’d wipe each other out, and save him the trouble.”

“I say we put a hit on the motherfucker. It’s time to get rid of him.” Razor’s solution to most obstacles was simply to get rid of the source of the problem. It usually worked for him, too.

Drawing in a breath, I shook my head. “No. We can't.”

Fuck. Months ago, I would’ve volunteered to be the fucking hit man. To cut him and let him bleed, slowly, for causing Cobra’s near death. But now . . . now that I knew that the motherfucker who was undermining all our club plans was Jade’s brother, I couldn’t allow it to happen.

If only Summers were transferred to another division, if only he wasn’t Jade’s brother, and if only he wasn’t poking his fucking nose into club business.

Even though I’d given Jade up, vowed never to see her again for her own safety and for my sanity, I knew it would crush her if her brother got killed. I couldn’t cause her that loss, and that immense pain after everything she had been through. There had to be a better way. I had to find a way around this that didn't mean that Harrison Summers had to die.

It was fucking complicated. Since Jade had told me the story, I understood why the motherfucker was so hell-bent on stopping our arms deal. And why he was as hard on the LA Demons and Northern Commando MC as he was on our MC. I even agreed that he had a fucking death wish. But I wasn’t going to be the one finishing him off. No fucking way.

Razor removed his switchblade knife from its holster and started cleaning his nails with the sharp point. “I don’t care that we have to get a new bar bitch. That’s fine. But I want Lexi to be able to come to the club at any time.”

”Yeah. Me too.” Ox spoke up for the first time since the meeting had started. “Boss, have you forgotten that it was Lexi who actually saved the day when Summers and his squad came to the compound? If she hadn’t stayed behind to diffuse the situation with her cousin it could’ve gone off a lot worse. The fuckers would’ve turned the place upside down. You know they thrive on that shit. How many TVs have we had to replace over the years ‘cause those fuckers get their kicks out of smashing our stuff?”

Watching in amazement, I chuckled—Ox and Razor were actually in agreement for once. They were both sweet on Lexi, that much was clear. But that only meant a different kind of war going on inside the club walls. Brother to brother. Fuck.

As his VP, I had to stay on Cobra’s side. “Yeah, Lexi was smart to not make a getaway with Jade and Ratbag. I was surprised as fuck that she stayed. That does say a lot about her loyalty to the club. But, I also see where Boss is coming from. We can't risk Summers and his trigger happy bunch of fuckers coming back to look for them. Christ, that just gives him the opportunity to snoop. We provide the reason—he’s gonna take it.”

Ox’s jaw dropped in surprise. He’d seen Jade leave my room that day, because nothing escaped Ox’s watchful eyes. And he knew we’d been fucking like rabbits in there. His wink over the pool table later that evening confirmed that he knew Jade was my woman.

“Huh? Ryder—you don’t want your bitch to come over? What’s wrong with you man?” Razor groaned. He’d bargained on me being on his side in this argument.

I shrugged. “Jade’s no longer my woman. I gave her up. It’s just better this way.”

All eyes were on me now. Even Hammer, who was usually fiddling on his phone during meetings because he was bored, gave me his full attention. They knew I didn't give up easily if I wanted something. I could read the surprise on every face.

“Fuck, brother. What happened?” Hammer asked. Of everyone, he knew how invested I was in Jade. He’d helped me do research on her and Marcus’s relationship when I thought she was going to go for the douchebag. Hammer was the one who’d told me about the party that night, when I just ‘happened’ to be there for Jade when she came rushing out. It was no fucking accident that I was there. I'd been stalking her for days, trying to decide what my next move would be, when she came storming from the building, shoes in hand, bewildered and in need of a dark knight to save her.

When I realized what had happened and that she was running away from her so-called boyfriend, I couldn’t have been happier. I wanted to punch the fucker in the face, but he was screwed anyway. The bit I’d gotten to know about Jade, I knew she wouldn’t want him. And that’s why I decided to take her up Mulholland Drive. My time to claim what I wanted had finally arrived.

And then, after finding happiness I didn't even know was possible, I had to let her go. Fuck. My heart ached so much that I wanted to ask Razor to cut it out with the pointy edge of that knife he was playing with now. Yeah, I didn't want to feel this pain. Fuck, I was better off being a fuck-‘em-and-leave-‘em kinda guy.

I shrugged, shifting uneasily in my seat. “Don’t want to talk about it. All I can say is that I'm going for a long ride. I’ll be gone for around five weeks. I’ll go up north and talk with the Northern Commando MC. Give me time to clear my head, and work toward fixing the shit that went down.”

The only way I was going to be able to stay away from Jade, as promised, was to put physical distance between us. I may as well be useful while getting out of LA. A trip up the coast to Seattle on my bike was just what I needed. The Northern Commando MC was based in Tacoma, and things needed to be smoothed over.

“I’m coming with you, brother.” Before I could even reject his offer, Ratbag added, “I’ll be quiet. You won't even know I’m tagging along.”

I nodded, grateful for the company, but I also knew Ratbag well enough to know he yakked worse than any woman. Yet I was grateful that I wouldn’t be alone. His unending nattering would keep my mind off Jade. I could only hope.

Loving someone the way I loved Jade wasn’t for sissies. The real thing was way more painful than the indifference I’d always felt.

I’ll never be the same old Ryder again.

Jade had changed me, little by little as she consumed my body, my mind, my heart and now—my soul.

It was because I loved her so much that I had to let her go. It didn't hurt any less. I mourned the loss of receiving her love.

Yeah. I was truly fucked now. I loved the one woman I could never have.

Our worlds had collided, and ripped us apart.

Chapter 24 ~ Jade

I managed to get through the fourth week without Ryder. Mia had been kind enough to let me know that Ryder had left for Seattle earlier and would be away for just over a month at a minimum. Maybe even longer, she’d said, because when bikers took to the road, there wasn’t any guarantee that they’d be back any time soon. Damn Ryder. He was trying to get distance between us, thinking that would solve our problem. We couldn’t even talk to one another. He’d turned his phone off—if anyone had a message for him, it had to go through Ratbag.

I'd had a few conversations with Ratbag, trying to get Ryder to speak to me, but every time Ratbag let me know very apologetically that Ryder had gone silent and wasn’t talking to anyone—not even to him.

If anyone had told me what torture it was to be separated from the man one loved, I wouldn’t have believed them, at first. It hurt like hell that Ryder didn't even want to speak to me. Just that one small thing—hearing his voice—would’ve made it so much more bearable.

What was even worse was that I didn't even have a photograph of Ryder. I remembered how he felt, how he smelled, even his crooked smile. But the memory of what he sounded like was fading, and I was panic-stricken by the idea that I couldn’t remember his deep, soothing voice that melted my panties every time he spoke to me.

“Jade, honey, I really don’t understand why you’re moving out of the family home right now, just to be in an apartment by yourself.” Mom wasn’t happy that I’d found my own place so soon. I’d used some of my investment money as a deposit and bought a cute two-bedroom apartment only a few blocks from Daddy’s offices. At least I had a totally valid reason—that I'd be closer to work. Because I was working longer and longer hours just to exhaust myself completely so that I’d tumble into bed at night and drift off to sleep from sheer exhaustion, and not be able to dwell on my dilemma with Ryder. While he was away, it was completely out of my hands—there was absolutely nothing I could do about it, so there really wasn’t any point in banging my head against a brick wall.

“Mom, it’s exciting to have my own place. Isn’t that what you taught me all these years? To be independent, and stand on my own two feet? Well, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“Mmmm, I just never thought you’d use that advice against me. You’re hardly eating as it is, so how do I know if you’re going to take proper care of yourself?”

“You won’t. Unless we catch up for dinner on the weekends. It’s time to lose a few pounds of baby fat anyway. My birthday is in a few weeks, and its time I shake off my little girl image.”

What Sylvia Summers didn't know was that I was looking forward to just moping around my apartment by myself, with a large tub of ice cream and my favorite book boyfriends. I could stay in my pajamas all weekend without anyone telling me it was unhealthy for a twenty-two-year-old woman to hibernate like that.

Besides, if anyone else tried to fix me up with his or her best friend’s son, or organize another blind date, I’d freak the fuck out. If I couldn’t have Ryder, I didn't want anyone else. I’d have my career and my novels to keep me going. Real life sucked, anyway. Nothing worked in my favor—I was disillusioned and alone. What I’d always dreamed about: a mansion with a pretty garden, servants, an adoring but successful and wealthy husband, and maybe a grandchild or two to keep my parents happy, was no longer important to me.

I’d be happy with nothing other than Ryder’s company, and his love to keep me warm.

But he doesn't love me.

He used me to get revenge on my kind: upper-class snobs that looked down on the less fortunate, including biker types. He wanted to teach me a lesson, and boy, did he ever. I was nothing more than a challenge and a willing fuck to him. Now it was game over.

I’d lost.

Not only were my lifelong dreams shattered and disintegrated, but I’d lost the challenge against the rugged biker, and also the love of my life. Without a doubt, I could never feel for another man what I felt for Ryder. He’d snuck up on me, invaded my being, and now he was so much a part of me that I struggled to function without him.

When my phone rang, I wasn’t even curious as to who was calling. It wouldn’t be Ryder. I'd come to accept that by now. He had drawn into his shell, and wasn’t coming out any time soon.

It was Rebecca.

“Hey, Jade. I'm coming to visit next week. I'm flying out of Germany on Thursday night, which means I’ll be in LA by Friday. So if you want to organize a girl’s night out for Saturday, it will be great. I’ve been working so damn hard that I’ve hardly had time to socialize. Invite a few of your girlfriends, too, if you want.”

I really wasn’t in the mood to go out with anyone. I'd rather be alone in my new apartment, but I’d promised Rebecca that I’d entertain her while she was here. My cousin had been through some tough times herself. I wondered what had happened between her and the Frenchman, Alain—if they ever managed to patch things back together? She’d also told me all about her pesky but very handsome boss, and how he was trying to get into her panties although he was a married man.

Why are matters of the heart always so damn complicated?

It appeared that both Rebecca and I had bad taste in men, and that we fell for the wrong guy.

“Ha ha. Believe it or not, I don’t have a lot of girlfriends. I’m always either studying or working or reading. I was never part of the in crowd at school or at university.”

“That’s funny, because if it weren’t for my two sisters, I'd also be stranded without friends. What about Cousin Lexi? I know we’ve never been close, but I’d love to see her, too. Can you invite her along?”

“Sure, I will. Lexi is always nagging me to go out. She’ll be so happy to take both of us to her hangouts. I’ll let her suggest where we should go. Is that OK with you?”

Rebecca laughed. “Of course. Why not? If she knows LA better than both of us, she can take us to a club where we can just have fun. God, I haven’t done that for so long. It will be awesome just to go a little wild.”

“Go wild, you say? Right.” I laughed. My idea of a fun night out was movies and popcorn, and back in bed by ten so I could read before going to sleep.

“Dammit, Jade, we’re young, and not too shabby looking. It’s time we have an evening out on the town. Get a super sexy outfit; we’re going to dress to kill, and have a night out that will make history!”

I sighed. Rebecca was beautiful, with her long auburn hair and stunning body. Most men couldn’t keep their eyes off her. No wonder she had her boss pining after her. As for the Frenchman—Alain was a damn fool . . .

Lexi. Well, she was . . . interesting. She had a banging tight body, and the same beautiful lily-white skin as Rebecca and I. But Lexi was different—she wasn’t afraid of her sexuality, or to show off her assets. She changed the color of her hair like other women changed lipsticks. But the weird thing was, regardless of whether she had dark or blond hair she was stunningly beautiful.

Once I’d finished taking to Rebecca, I rang Lexi and told her about our Australian cousin’s visit to LA. We hadn’t spoken since that night Ratbag had smuggled me out of the compound, and she’d stayed behind. I still wondered about her motives for staying. What man had she set her sights on? I hoped it was Razor or Ox, because Ryder was already taken.

And then I remembered. He’d left me, because he didn't love me.

But that didn’t stop me from thinking about him, yearning for him, missing him.

Or loving him. Damn.

Chapter 25 ~ Ryder

Two things brought me back to LA sooner than I’d wanted. The first was a call from Max, reminding me that his woman was coming to LA, and that I'd promised to look out for her. He expected me to do some low-profile stalking, ensuring her safety.

Was he also worried that there may be another man in Rebecca’s life? I’d heard about the French man she was seeing while she’d been in France, but as far as I knew it was over between them. Maybe Max was worried that he’d try to contact Rebecca on neutral ground? Whatever his reasons were, he was adamant that I had to follow her and be her unknown bodyguard at all times. Fuck, I really wasn’t in the mood to babysit anyone, but he was so persuasive that before I knew it, I’d promised to do everything he asked.

The second thing that brought me back prematurely was a call from a man who wanted to meet with me as soon as possible. It had something to do with Marianne. Fuck, I’d nearly fallen off my chair when he’d mentioned her name. He wouldn’t tell me anything more, so I agreed to meet him. I was curious as all hell. Why had this happened now, just when I’d finally stated making progress by thinking less of hating my mother?

If I was totally honest, the third thing that brought me home was my longing for Jade. Just being in the same city would be enough for me at this point. Fuck, I missed the shit out of her, even her snarky ways, her witty comebacks, the way she scrunched her nose when she was deep in thought. Yeah, I missed everything about her, so much it hurt. But I’d chosen this path, so I had to fucking suck it up.

However, I did plan on doing some stalking of my very own. I’d be her shadow, and even if she didn't know it, I’d watch over her. Protect her and keep her safe.

My discussions with the Northern Commando MC hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped. I was pretty skilled in negotiating, yet we couldn’t reach a compromise that would benefit both parties. The motherfuckers were cagey, and wanted more reassurances than I was able to provide to get the deal back on track.

Cobra was raging mad when I called him and told him about their terms and conditions. He shouted down the phone at me, unhappy that I couldn’t smooth things over. But what shook me to the core was when he asked me if my heart had been in the negotiations. I couldn’t give him a straight answer, because I fucking knew it wasn’t. Fuck, I was letting the club and my pres down. That didn't sit well with me.

The Scorpio Stinger MC had always come first in my life; my brothers were my family. And now that had all changed. My thoughts were constantly turning around a beautiful golden-haired woman who’d cast a spell on me.

No amount of wind in my hair or distance on my bike could rid my mind of her. The faster and more reckless I became on the road, and the wider Ratbag’s eyes grew, the more I yearned for my Princess bitch. My cock fucking ached for her at night, dying to be buried inside her sweet pussy.

I could only laugh at myself now. How I‘d thought running away would help, I had no idea. But I’d tried. It was funny as fuck.

Ratbag thought I’d completely lost my mind when I started laughing uncontrollably for no apparent reason, because it finally dawned on me. No matter how much physical distance was between us, she was always right there with me, wherever I went, because she was in my fucking mind and in my fucking heart.

I could run, I could be in denial, but I couldn’t hide from my true feelings.

Chapter 26 ~ Ryder

The man standing in front of me was a mirror image of myself, just older. It was like traveling into the future and seeing what I would look like when I was about thirty years older.

“Ryder? Ryder Knox?” Fuck, even his deep baritone voice sounded like mine.

Scrunching my eyes up, I stared at him, trying my fucking best not to gape. Who the fuck is this man?

I kept my voice even, hiding my alarm. “Yeah?”

“Christ. You look just like me. It’s like looking in a fucking mirror thirty years ago.” We even thought the same. He shook his head, visibly rattled. His skin was ashen grey, his lips drawn into a thin line. Even the way he stood, fists clenched, legs slightly apart, was a mirror image of myself right at this very moment.

“So—who the fuck are you?” I growled. This shit was shaking me up, and I had no idea why this man was looking for me.

“Listen, Ryder. I need a drink. A stiff one. Can we go somewhere to talk?”

I nodded my head. Fuck, I needed more than a stiff drink. I needed to sit as well. For the first time in years, my legs were wobbly as hell. Whatever was going on here would affect my life profoundly.

“Yeah. There is a bar across the road. Let’s go there.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I never thought I’d react like this. I was expecting this, but fuck me, it’s more bizarre than I thought.” He hesitated for a beat, scrubbing his face. A fine layer of perspiration covered his brow.

He extended his hand. “My name is Bill.”

I took his hand, looking him in the eyes as I shook it. “You have a last name, Bill?”

“Yeah. It’s Ryder. William Ryder.”

He could have kicked me in the nuts, and it would’ve had less of a punch to it. “Who the fuck are you?” I hissed. It was no fucking coincidence that we looked alike, and had the same name. And he’d said on the phone that he knew Marianne. That was the only reason I’d agreed to meet him in the first place.

“I’m your biological father.” His voice cracked ever so slightly.

All the air had been sucked out of the room. I couldn’t breathe. This guy was a nut-job.

“What the fuck are you talking about? My father was Tiny . . . Steve Mayfair, from Karma Electric. My mother’s name is Marianne Knox. You’ve got your facts wrong, old man.” I gasped.

“Ryder. Let’s get that drink first—we both need it. It’s a long story. OK?”

I nodded. This was going to be interesting as fuck. I needed to hear what William fucking Ryder had to say. Even though I knew he was wrong, I still wanted to hear his story. And fuck, I needed a drink. More than one, actually.

We made our way across the road, silent in our thoughts. Yet, oddly, it wasn’t uncomfortable. I didn’t warm to strangers easily, but somehow this one had hooked me.

“Two Jacks. Two beers,” Bill ordered when we got to the bar.

The barman placed the drinks in front of us. We both lifted the scotch and gulped it down. Damn, that burned. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and indicated to the barman to refill the glasses. They went the same way. I picked up my beer and walked to an alcove. I needed to sit.

Bill followed me, sitting across the stained table. My stomach churned. It wasn’t only because the joint reeked of stale beer and cheap perfume.

“Fuck. It’s uncanny—the resemblance. Marianne was right.”

“Marianne?” I sucked in a breath. Jesus, I was feeling sick.

“Your mother. My lover. We were having an affair.” He held up two fingers to the barman. Fuck, I needed the whole bottle, not just a shot.

“Who was Marianne not fucking? The whore sure got around.” His eyes narrowed at my words, a smirk on his face, as if he didn’t like what I was saying. I didn’t care—it was the truth, and nobody knew it better than I did. I stared at him for a long minute. He looked so familiar, but not only because he looked like me. I’d seen his face and heard his name before. All those music magazines I’d read when I was a teenager—his picture and name were all over them. Why had I never picked up on that before?

I took a sip of my beer. “So. You knew Marianne. That doesn’t prove a fucking thing.”

He ran a hand through his hair, the exact same dark color and thick texture as mine, although his was short and graying on the sides.

“Ryder, I know it’s a hell of a shock—”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you the William Ryder I think you are?” My hands were clammy, and my heart beat erratically in my chest.

“Which William Ryder would that be?” He raised an eyebrow, sneering. This son of a bitch was as cynical as I was.

“The fucking head honcho of Ryder Music. That one.”

He nodded. My eyes burned into his. There were so many questions, I didn’t know where to start.

I’d always suspected that Marianne had named me after the music mogul—she was a groupie, after all. But I had no idea she actually knew him, let alone had fucked him.

The barman sauntered over with the bottle to refill our glasses. I took the bottle of Jack from his hands and took a huge swig of the amber liquid. I needed to stop the churning of my stomach.

“Rich dude here will pay for it,” I said, nodding my head towards Will. He nodded, his gaze not leaving my face. The barman shrugged and walked off.

“Start talking, William,” I growled. “And explain why the fuck you are only showing up now. Why I never knew all this shit before today. And where the fuck is Marianne?” I slammed my fist on the table. I felt like throwing a few of these cheap wooden chairs around, smashing them to pieces. Then punch something. Anything. Including Bill’s face.

He held up a hand. “Calm down, Ryder. I’ll tell you everything I know. We can take it from there.” He let out a long, slow breath.

“I’m listening.”

“Put the bottle down. I need you to understand what I’m going to tell you.” His voice was deadly calm, yet he looked as if he’d aged ten years in the ten minutes I’d known him.

Bill got a faraway look in his eyes. I could tell he was digging up the past. Fuck. I’d been trying for nearly twenty years to forget that past and here it was, sitting across the table from me, dragging up all those feelings again. I’d thought I had a handle on it, and that I’d buried it so deep inside that it would never surface again. I was wrong. All it took was the mention of Marianne’s name for me to feel like the helpless boy again, deserted by his own fucking mother.

“I met your mother—”

My fist hit the table again, harder this time. Bill jumped. His eyes widened.

“Don’t call her that. Marianne deserted me and Max when we were kids . . . to fend for ourselves. She’s a whore, not my mother,” I hissed. “Anyway, where is the fucking bitch?”

Bill closed his eyes for a minute. His jaw slackened, and he swallowed hard. Fuck.

When he opened his eyes, they glittered brightly. “Marianne died, two months ago. I’ve been looking for you ever since.”

“She’s dead?” Fucking Christ, this was getting worse by the minute. I’d fantasized about seeing Marianne again. About telling her to her face what a shit mother she was. It was my hatred that fueled me, kept me alive through all the things that had happened to me, because one day I was going to find the whore, and give it to her straight. Now she was gone. Fuck.

I grabbed the bottle and took a swig, even though Bill clearly didn't approve. Well, kiss my ass, motherfucker. All this time I’d believed that scumbag Tiny was my father—that I’d killed my own flesh and blood. That kind of guilt weighed heavily on a kid; it was virtually insurmountable. Even the fact that I did it in self-defense and to save Max’s life didn't make it any lighter a burden to carry.

And now William Ryder was telling me he was my father?

My head hurt, and my chest tightened.

“Yes. I’ve been looking for her for years. She was supposed to show up at my office with Randy to sign a new contract. I waited all day. They never came.”

My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Marianne had called me, and asked for a favor. She said that Jake had throat cancer, and wasn’t going on tour any longer. She’d finally had enough of Karma Electric. She begged me to give her new boyfriend a contract so that she could move you and Max away. She wanted to buy a house, settle you boys. Send you to a normal school.” His voice faded away. He grabbed the bottle and took a long swig. Seemed I wasn’t the only one having a hard time here.

I rubbed at my chest. My heart was squeezing. “She left with Randy. Never came back. Didn't even leave a fucking note.”

“That’s because she never intended to leave you. She only went with Randy to sign the contract and find a house in LA. She planned to fetch you and Max the next week.”

“Yeah? Well, Max and I are still waiting. She never fucking came for us.”

Bill was quiet for a long moment. The sorrow on his face was palpable. His steel-grey eyes—the exact color of mine—were so pained that I had to look away.

“That’s because there was an accident. Randy hit a bus head on. He was killed instantly—wasn’t even wearing a helmet. Marianne survived, but barely. She was in a coma for months, and when she finally came around, she’d lost her memory.”

“What the hell?” I breathed. My throat tightened, and my hands started trembling. It was slowly making sense why Marianne never came for us. Why she didn't save me from juvie.

Fuck.

Bill cleared his throat. He was having trouble talking. “I was married at the time. Even though I knew about you, I couldn’t do anything about it. But signing Randy up with a contract meant Marianne would move closer, and stay in LA permanently. I was planning to get to know you. I'd helped them secure a house, paid the school fees for you and Max.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Then when she never showed . . . at first I was angry. Thought she changed her mind. That she wanted to keep me from seeing you.”

“So, you’re saying you didn't know about the accident at the time?”

“No. I had no idea. At the time I was busy with a label takeover—I couldn’t risk my career trying to find out what happened. The scandal would have killed my business and my wife. She had bowel cancer and something like that wouldn’t have been good for her.” He blinked a few times, trying to regain his composure before continuing. “By the time I decided to look for you a few months later, you were no longer with the band. It was all hushed. Nobody would talk to me.” He fell silent, shrugging his shoulders. “I didn't know you were in juvenile prison. I'm sorry.” He choked on the last words, his eyes glittering with tears.

“So you just gave up?” My mouth was dry.

“My wife really needed me. Our daughter was taking her illness badly, so I had to help her, too. I had so much on my plate, and I figured Marianne took you boys and went elsewhere with Randy. I got tied up in my own life and business. The perils of a high-flying career and success. ” He laughed bitterly, shaking his head, his shoulders slumped.

I nearly felt sorry for the bastard. “So what changed? Why find me now?” I took a deep slug of my beer, and wiped the froth from my mouth.

“Marianne lived in an institution for years. She was practically an invalid. Her memory never came back—until one day, a few months ago. Apparently, out of the blue, one morning she woke up lucid and remembered everything. She told the nurses everything she could recall, and they contacted me immediately. I hadn’t changed offices in decades, so I was easy to trace.”