I’d never been a nervous guy.
I wasn’t about to start that shit now.
It didn’t matter that Ron Gamble was a powerful man. He wasn’t the first the one I’d ever dealt with. It didn’t matter I was standing in the center of his office, which looked more like a study off the set of a movie. I’d been in offices with equal prestige.
He was my girlfriend’s father.
Correction, my one-and-only’s father.
I’d never had a talk with the girlfriend’s father before.
Correction, yes, I had.
When I was sixteen and horny as hell. Those conversations went in one ear and out the other. I didn’t listen to that shit.
This was different. Josie was different, and Gamble was her father. I wanted his respect.
Okay. Fine. I was nervous.
Fuck if I’d show it, though.
Josie wasn’t even here. She was at the track with Drew and Trent, likely having the time of her life speeding around in my damn Lotus.
Maybe that’s why my guts were churning. I gave the woman the keys to my car.
It was going to get me some serious bedroom action later, though. *wags eyebrows*
The sound of a throat clearing had me spinning around. Gamble stood near his desk, looking at me, his eyebrow raised.
“Did you say something?” I asked.
“You got a hearing problem?” he asked, gruff.
“I gave Josie the keys to my Lotus,” I deadpanned.
Gamble threw back his head and laughed. “Have some scotch, son. You’re gonna need it.” He went over to the bar where glasses sat along with a dark bottle of liquid and poured two glasses. I accepted it when he handed it over.
“You call my daughter Josie,” he said, staring at me over the rim of the glass. He had quite the stare on him. I’d like to see him and my father in the same room. This guy was probably a match for him.
Well, his reputation preceded him, but I’d never met him until now. Even after a couple months of dating Josie and being with her every chance we got.
“Unlike you, I’m pretty happy she’s a girl,” I quipped.
His eyes narrowed. I took a sip of the scotch and appreciated the way it burned my throat. I might not be my father, but I definitely had some of his, uh, gumption.
“I’ve never made a secret I wanted a son. But I love my daughter very much. She’s the only child I have.”
“I know that. She loves you,” I told him.
“Then you must know I’ll do anything for her.”
I lowered the glass from my mouth. “This the part where you try and run me off?”
“I had someone look into your background.”
“Ah, found out all about the skeletons in my closet, did ya? Should have asked. I would have given you the information personally.”
“I actually believe that,” he mused.
“I’m not a liar,” I said.
“Illegal betting, gambling, and attempted murder are nothing to be proud of.”
“I’m not proud of it.”
“I’ve met your father. We actually do some business together,” Gamble said, dismissing my criminal past. For now, anyway.
“I don’t like him,” I said, taking another sip of the scotch. It was some good shit.
“Me either.”
I smiled.
Gamble scrutinized me from behind a shrewd stare. I bet he read people better than most people read books. “You’re nothing like him, though, are you?”
“No. And I never will be.” I confirmed.
“You beat up Dean Cannon, outed him to the press.”
“He hit your daughter in the face,” I growled. “He deserved worse than that.”
He pushed away from the bar, carried his glass over behind his desk, and set it down on a stack of papers. He was still dressed for work even though he was at home and it was after hours. His suit was clearly tailored, and his red tie looked freshly tied. I was willing to bet he wore red just because he was meeting me and wanted to have a touch of the color of blood on him.
Like that would intimidate me.
“I agree with you. That’s why I told him if he pressed assault charges against you, he’d find out exactly how much worse I thought he deserved.”
I stared at him in shock. “That’s why he didn’t press charges? Because you threatened him?”
Gamble held up a finger. “I didn’t threaten. I merely informed.”
I laughed. “Right. Well, thanks for saving me the trouble of a lawsuit. And thanks for the hurt you put on him and a few others that were involved in Josie’s hazing.”
All of them were out of his club. Cannon was totally blackballed from racing and actually serving time for cutting her brake line. Stupid shithead didn’t know him sneaking in and cutting her line was on surveillance cameras. The little scene of harassment they pulled on her when she was fresh out of the shower and in the garage for clothes was all caught on camera, too.
When I saw Cannon in court, he looked worse than a baboon’s asshole. Something told me Gamble had some connections on the inside, and Cannon’s stay in lock-up while awaiting trial was anything but peaceful.
“A lot of men with the same amount of power I have do business differently. I don’t lie and cheat in my dealings. My deals are all honest.”
I didn’t say anything, just stared at him.
“But I’m not a fool, and I wasn’t born yesterday. This world is cutthroat, and when you have money and power, everyone always wants a piece.”
“That about sums it up.” I agreed.
“This wasn’t the first time scum has messed with my daughter. This is the first time it went on so long without my interference. She’s older now, has her own life. Even so, it probably won’t be the last time she’s a target for what she does and who she is.”
Just the words made my blood boil. I slammed the glass down on the other side of his desk and leaned over it to look at him intently. “I won’t allow it.”
Gamble’s mouth curved up on one side. “I know. I certainly hope you don’t get caught up in illegal dealings in the future, but I will admit, your checkered past seems more like a plus than a negative.”
I laughed. “Well, that’s a first.”
“When you have a daughter someday, you’ll understand.”
The vision of Josie and all her wild hair with a small pink bundle in her arms swam before my eyes and pierced my chest. Possessiveness wrapped around me and that image like the heaviest blanket I’d ever felt.
“I’ll do anything to protect her,” I told him. “I’m in love with your daughter, and love isn’t something I give out freely.”
Gamble nodded, pulled out his desk chair, and sat down. “Good. Glad we got that out of the way.”
I blinked. That was it? I passed father inspection? And I did it by being the dick I always was.
“You seem surprised,” Gamble mused.
I sat down, snatched my drink off the edge of the desk, and took a swallow. “I am.”
He made a scoffing sound. “My daughter is happier than I’ve ever seen her. Keep her that way and you won’t have a problem from me.”
“Fair enough,” I said.
“Now, about your brother,”
I stiffened, my body tense. “What about Arrow?”
“I hear he can drive.”
“Who told you that?” I asked, suspicious.
“Drew, Trent, my daughter,” he listed.
“He can drive,” I allowed.
“I’m down a whole lot of drivers since the shakeup in the pro division.”
I felt the bottom fall out of my stomach. “Are you saying you want my brother to drive for you in the pros?”
“It’s crossed my mind.”
Everything inside me went flat. “No.”
Gamble’s eyebrows rose. “No?”
“My brother is gay.”
His eyebrows rose with the news, but then he said, “So is Drew Forrester.”
“Drew Forrester drives for the much more liberal NRR. The pro division is stodgy and old school, a fact you well know, especially after what happened to Josie.”
“I can understand your concern.” He agreed. “I think the pros are changing. My daughter was the catalyst in that. Your brother could be coming in at the right time.”
“My brother isn’t your guinea pig,” I refuted tightly.
“Maybe think about it. Ask him if he would like a tryout. Hopper is anxious to get him on the track.”
Hopper. I bared my teeth. “You sure it’s his driving Hopper’s interested in?”
Gamble pursed his lips. “Your fierceness extends to your brother.”
“My brother has been through a lot. He and Josie are at the top of the short list of people I care about.” I paused, then sat forward. “And frankly, I’m fucking shocked Hopper is still on payroll. You actually believe he didn’t know about all the shit Josie was being put through?”
“I’ve spoken to Hopper. At length. I will admit, I think he was in the wrong, but I don’t think he knew everything Josie was going through. He’d come down on Cannon in the past for his actions. I think Hopper was foolish and thought he’d dealt with it.”
I snorted. “What a crock.”
“Hopper will not be managing my daughter in the NRR. He’s staying with the pros, much to his displeasure. I’m sure that will make you happy.”
“That he’s away from Josie? Yes. But the fact you want to stick him and my brother together? No.”
“Noted.”
I stood up. I was done here. “I’m going back to the track. Gonna make sure my car is still in one piece.”
Gamble pushed out of his chair.
I held out my hand over the desk. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”
“I respect a man who takes time to get a father’s blessing.”
“I didn’t ask for your blessing,” I said as he shook my hand.
“Not in so many words, but that’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You want to make sure I approve because you plan to marry my daughter.”
“I plan to marry her,” I said with no hesitation. “But not right now. I don’t even have a ring.” I mean, shit, I’d never even really thought about it ‘til now. Sure, it was a given I would marry her. Someday. We were too busy right now dating, driving, and getting to know each other better. We hadn’t even moved in together yet. But that was about to change. This driving back and forth to see each other was shit. I wasn’t doing it. I wanted her in my bed every single night.
As if he read my mind, he said, “All in due time.” He released my hand. “This house is plenty big if you two want to live here.”
“I’m not living off my girlfriend’s father.”
A satisfied glint came into his eyes. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Ah, a test. Lucky me, I passed.
I headed for the door. His voice rang out behind me. “After you save your car from my daughter’s clutches, dinner will be on the table. Drew and Trent will be here, too. Bring your brother.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Okay. We’ll be here.”
He nodded.
“But this doesn’t mean Arrow will drive for you.”
“Understood.”
I liked the guy. Respected him. I definitely understood where Josie got her stubborn mule head from. I could see how it might be hard to grow up with such a father. Hell, in a lot of ways, I had, too.
I liked his no apology way of living. He didn’t back down from who he was. He didn’t try and change. It was what it was.
Although, he did apologize once. To Josie. For not seeing what she went through sooner and for making her feel like she had to hide any struggle she faced. They had a long talk about her past, how he wasn’t holding it against her now or expecting her to revert back to her hell-raising ways. In short, she finally got the approval she’d always wanted from him and his respect. After talking with him today, I knew she’d had that a long time ago, she’d just never realized it. It took him telling her flat out to make her finally see.
Shocked the shit out of Josie. She still had a shell-shocked look on her face when I met her after their talk. But really, that’s what made me respect Gamble more. He gave her something that day no one else could give her, something she truly needed.
It pushed them closer, made her a little less bitter she wasn’t born a boy.
Note: I’d never tell her I thought she was bitter about that. She’d kick me in my sack.
They were even in the process of creating a foundation for people who felt alone, bullied, or just plain needed someone to talk to. It had become a pet project for the duo. It gave Gamble a chance to see his daughter in a new light and her a chance to do something that made her feel empowered.
God, she was amazing. Like hella good.
I loved her more every day.
But if she messed up my Lotus, I might have to amend that statement and just love her the same today and even more tomorrow…
Yeah.
Watching her with her father made me wonder about my own. If maybe I should give him a chance. I just didn’t think I could.
But Arrow… I saw it in his eyes when he didn’t think I was looking.
I told him about my talk with our father. I told him he wanted a relationship and he might feel bad about everything that went down.
I honestly thought my brother would shoot it down just like I did.
Apparently, my little brother had been holding on to hope dear old Dad would come around. It made me sick. How Arrow could have the capacity to forgive him even just a fraction blew my mind.
It also made him a better man than I might ever be.
He was sitting in Josie’s Skyline, his ass in the driver’s seat, when I walked up. When I got out of the car, I’d been the one driving. Guess he decided he needed a turn.
I opened the passenger door and leaned in. “What the fuck are you doing?”
He tossed the blond hair out of his eyes. “I’m driving.”
“You need a haircut,” I bitched.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he muttered.
I got into the passenger seat and motioned for him to drive.
“How was meeting the pops?” he asked.
I grunted. “Fine. We’re going back for dinner after we rescue my Lotus.”
“I’m starving,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. He was always starving. ‘Course, I was, too, so…
“Hey, A,” I said.
He glanced over at me as we drove out of the gates on Gamble’s property. “Yeah?”
“You like, Josie, right?”
He laughed. “You know I do, bro. She’s way too good for you.”
I smacked him in the back of the head. “Asshole.”
“For real, though, she’s cool. She’s the only one who doesn’t treat me like a kid.”
“I don’t treat you like a kid,” I argued.
He gave me a withering look.
I grunted.
“She’s good for you,” he said after a minute. “You’re happy.”
Was that a little bit of envy I heard in his tone?
“She’s family now,” he said, nodding once like that was that.
It was that. She was family.
I debated for two seconds, then let out a curse. Arrow gave me a sidelong look out of the side of his eye before staring back at the road.
“Gamble wants to see you drive. He’s looking for new pro drivers for his team,” I told him.
The wheel jerked beneath his hands. “Are you fucking for real?”
“Unfortunately, I am.”
“You don’t think I’m good enough,” he said, flat.
“Fuck no!” I protested. “I know you are. But look at all the shit Josie just went through.”
“I’m not a kid, Lor,” he argued angrily. “If I want to try out, I will.”
“I know that,” I said, calm. “That’s why I told you about the offer.”
“I’m not the same kid I was two years ago. I want a life, one of my own.”
“Tired of being my sidekick, are you?” I asked.
He laughed. “Maybe.” Then he said, “But seriously, you’re building a life with Josie. I’m glad about it. But I need to build a life of my own.”
“Yeah,” I said. I knew he did. It was hard to give up control, though.
A few minutes later, we pulled into the lot at Gamble Speedway. Arrow parked, and the sounds of the cars’ engines inside the track carried out to the Skyline.
“Lorhaven,” he said as I was moving to get out. I stopped, turned back in the seat, and looked at him. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for all the shit you’ve done for me the last couple years. In a lot of ways, you literally saved my life.”
“Arrow…” I began. My chest got tight really fast.
He shook his head, and his Adam’s apple worked when he swallowed. “Thank you. You’re a good brother. The best. My loyalty will always be with you, and I’ll never do anything you’re dead set against. For a long time, you were my brother, but more recently, you’ve been more like a dad.”
Not a father… but a dad. This kid, who wasn’t really a kid, got to me. He got me right in the damn feels.
“I want to start making my own way, but I won’t do it unless you give me your blessing.”
It was a day of blessings apparently.
I looked into his eyes. They were brown, not as dark as mine, and they were sincerer than I think I could ever look.
“Take the tryout, A,” I said. “And if you decide the pros aren’t right for you, you know we’ll get you a spot in the NRR.”
“Seriously?” Once again, he seemed shocked.
I grinned. “Of course. Gamble is interested. That’s not gonna change. Especially after he sees you haul ass.”
My brother grinned. Excitement sparked his eyes.
It made me kinda happy.
“Thanks, Lor!” he said and bounded out of the driver’s seat.
We met at the front of the car. “Hey,” I said. “I’m proud of you.”
He launched himself at me, folding his arms around my waist. I closed mine around him, hugging him tight.
“C’mon,” I said after a minute. “We need to go save my car.”
He laughed. We were almost through the entrance when he said, “So you think Hopper will be at the audition?”
“What’s it matter?” I barked.
He shrugged. “Guess it doesn’t.”
No dating. I ain’t ready for that shit.
Especially not when the guy sniffing around my brother was a douche who, despite what he said, had to know Josie was being fucking harassed. If Arrow was going to get involved with someone, it wouldn’t be a guy without a spine.
I’d kill him first.
A few minutes later, we were standing alongside the track, and my Lotus was nothing but a white streak on the other side of the track.
When it finally made it around to where we were, she glided to a stop not far from where we stood.
The engine shut off, and she bounded out of the driver’s seat. Her hair was wild, her jeans tight, and the green in her eyes resembled that of a sparkling emerald.
When she jumped, I caught her.
“I love that car,” she announced.
I laughed.
She tossed the key fob at my brother. “Here, why don’t you take it for a turn? Cool the engine down a bit.”
Arrow caught the fob and looked at me with wide eyes. I’d never let him drive it before.
I nodded. “Go on.”
He was gone in a flash, leaving Josie and me alone. At least until Drew and Trent made it the rest of the way around the track.
“How’d it go with my dad?” she asked, running her hands through my hair.
“He thinks we should move in together,” I announced.
She laughed. “I’m sure he didn’t say that.”
I shrugged. “I’m saying it.”
Her eyes settled on mine, realizing I was being serious.
“Really?” she whispered.
I nodded. “I want your ass in my bed every night.”
She tilted her head to the side. The wind blew and ruffled her curls. “Just my ass?”
“Your heart, too.” I kissed her softly and pulled back. “Yes?”
She nodded once. “Yes.”
I was one lucky bastard.