“No, we’re talking about the addiction cards causes.”
I had no words. Ivan always had the most random thoughts. Sometimes I wondered if they dropped him on his head when he was a baby. Would that give him an excuse for his weird ways? I didn’t know.
“Do addictions make sense?” I asked.
“Addictions make sense, if you think about the body’s response to what’s going on around it. The happiness, the endorphins that are released. It’s a powerful drug.” He sighed. “But now I’m bored.” He put the deck of cards down on the table and stood up. “Is this guy known for being early or late?”
“I have no idea. Do you want to talk about Oleg?”
“No.”
Ivan’s the boss.
“How are Aurora and the baby?” I asked.
Ivan and I rarely made small talk. Until Adelaide came into my life, it had always been business. We weren’t close.
“They’re healthy,” Ivan said, running a hand down his face. As he did so, I noticed the way he leaned slightly to one side, as if he had some kind of ailment. Like a bruise.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine.”
He wasn’t talkative today. Maybe I should have let him be his usual charming self and talk about the deck of cards for no good reason.
My thoughts drifted to Adelaide and I had to wonder what she was doing. I’d not yet installed any cameras so there was no way for me to steal glances of her on my cell phone. Not that I would with Ivan watching me. He already knew I kept a close eye on her, and he didn’t need to see my obsession in person.
Finally, the doorbell rang and I went to open it. Rage was on the other side, looking mightily pissed. He raised his fist, but I saw it coming, blocking it. Terrance knew not to get involved even as Rage kept on coming.
“You take his daughter and fucking leave, you pieces of shit. You have no right. She is not part of this. She has never been part of this.”
His rage was admirable. In between the blows, I struck out, slamming my boot against his leg, which made him stumble, and this time I charged him, ramming him against the wall and then wrapping my fingers around his neck, cutting off his air supply. Dragging him down to the floor, I stepped over him, wrapping my entire arm around his neck, using all the force I could to keep him there. I held him tight, not letting him go.
His hands gripped mine, but at no point did he beg. This was a club leader. A president. Not that piece of shit Demon.
I wasn’t going to kill Rage. I held him still. “Lottie is alive. She’s still breathing and right now I believe she’s living a pretty cushy life. No harm has come to her, not a single bit. Do you understand?” I let go long enough for him to nod his head. “I will keep fighting you if that’s what you want, but then she will pay for your sins. Got it?” I asked.
A single nod of the head and I let him go, stepping back.
Ivan simply clapped his hands as if it had all been part of a play. I didn’t think that was necessary, but I didn’t tell him that. Instead, I step back and allow Ivan to take over.
“This woman … does she belong to you?” Ivan asked.
“Lottie is a sweet girl. An innocent. She would never hurt a soul, and she has no right to pay for her father’s sins.”
I watched as Ivan tsked. “Don’t get me wrong, I know she’s a sweetheart. I’ve heard the rumors. Actually, I’ve seen the evidence. Lottie is not loved by the club. She is loved by you, and it would seem only you.”
Rage slumped. It was a small action but I caught it.
“Lottie … don’t hurt her. She is still club.”
“But Demon told me to kill her.”
I watched as Rage’s hands clenched into fists.
“She is Demon’s child but…” Rage dropped his head. “He has never been able to love her. He sees her as a murderer. When she was born, her mother didn’t make it. She died in the room in Demon’s arms. Lottie never stood a chance.”
“But you take care of her.”
“Because her mother begged me to,” Rage said. “Before she gave birth, she had this weird feeling that something bad was going to happen. I don’t fucking know what it was. I figured she was on something. Demon always liked to keep his women docile. The spirit she had was dying away, and she begged me to take care of her daughter. Lottie was left. Demon wouldn’t even allow the club women to take care of her. He built up the lies surrounding her mother, told her she was nothing but trash, all her life. She was starving, dirty, and I took over her care. I raised her.”
“So the truth is, you’re her father?”
Rage shrugged. “I guess.”
“You’d die for her.”
“In a heartbeat.”
“How interesting.”
I always hated it when Ivan said that. There was nothing interesting about any of this. This was a man who clearly had a fatherly connection to the young woman. None of it was interesting. He took care of her, and during that time he formed a bond. Nothing to think about.
“Let Lottie go.”
“I can’t do that. You see, Demon has already told me to kill her, and I know for a fact he’s got a grievance with me. Do you really think he’s going to accept the daughter he can’t even care for, to live?” Ivan asked.
“I’ll take care of her.”