Kitt

“We should talk,” he said, waiting until Switch was far out of earshot. Fear fluttered through me. I know what Switch said, but maybe they were all wrong. Maybe I was about to see the man my mother wrote about.

“Come in,” I said. “It’s your house anyway.”

I hated how awkward my tone came across. I was new at this. There was no playbook. For his part, Sly was awkward too. He stood in the doorway for a moment longer. Then he came in and shut the door behind him.

He moved past me and went into the kitchen. “Scarlett usually keeps the good stuff under the sink.” He pulled out two shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey. I was impressed. I took a seat at the tiny kitchen table. Sly joined me, pouring a shot for each of us.

“Shit, you’re twenty-one, right?” he asked.

I smiled. “Just.”

“Right. I should know that.”

I took the shot glass and raised it. My heart hammered as he raised his too and we clinked our glasses together. I downed my shot. It burned going down but he was right. It was just what I needed.

“I’m sorry about all of this,” I said. “I know I’m probably the last thing you need to be worried about right now.”

He acted on instinct, without thinking. He put a gentle hand on my arm. It warmed me as much as the whiskey. Shocked me too. It was an affectionate gesture. His eyes filled with concern. The first shards of ice began to melt from my heart.

“I’m not sorry,” he said. “I’m glad. Overjoyed, if you want to know the truth. But yeah. Shocked too. I just ... it kills me that I didn’t know about you. And it matters that you understand. I cared about Darcy in my own way. I wasn’t good enough for her back then. I made mistakes. We both did. But you ... you weren’t one of them, honey.”

Honey. Just a simple word. My breath left me in a whoosh.

“I swear,” he said. “Had I known who you were or where you were, I would have made sure you were safe. You wouldn’t have wanted for anything. I mean ... things haven’t always been easy with the club. I’m not saying I could have been father of the year. But ... I would have made sure you had a home. Mo ... you haven’t met her yet. She’s Charlie’s old lady. He sent her away when things started getting heated around here. She’ll be back. She kind of takes care of us. Kitt ... if I’d known about you ... I would have sent you to live with Mo.”

I smiled. I had this image of a Mrs. Claus type. Switch had mentioned Mo in passing too.

“And I think it’s not going to do either one of us any good worrying about what-ifs. It’s too late for that.”

He nodded. “Still, I owe you an apology. I should have kept better track of Darcy.”

A weight lifted from my shoulders. It shocked me. Then I knew what it was so I said the words. “I forgive you,” I said. “And I know it’s probably not fair of me to even hold you responsible. You didn’t know.”

“I should have,” he said. “I knew Darcy needed more friends. I should have been one.”

“Okay.”

He smiled. “I didn’t protect you when you were a kid. I can now.”

A chill settled in the room as I realized what Sly was really saying. “Sly ... you …”

His eyes held sadness in him but something else as well. I didn’t know him well enough yet, but if I had to name it, he seemed proud. He took my hands in his. When he looked down, his eyes widened. “I don’t remember my own mom very much. She died young too. I was raised for a lot of the time by my Uncle Blackie. Well, I guess that makes him your uncle too. But I remember her hands. My mother. I’ll be damned. You have her hands.”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t breathe.

Sly let me go and reached into the breast pocket of his leather cut. He pulled out a fat envelope and handed it to me.

Rage flared in my heart. “I don’t want a payoff, Sly. That’s not why I …”

“No,” he said. “No. Kitt. I said I regretted not protecting you when you were a kid. I can do it now. Kitt, you have to go. You have to get as far away from this club as you can. You’re in danger now because Manny knows you’re my kid. But there’s enough money in there, a fake passport and ID. I can get you somewhere safe. I can help you start over. But you have to leave now.”

“But Switch …”

Sly’s eyes flashed darkly. “He can’t know. He might try to stop you. Even though he’s going to realize deep down this is the best way to keep you safe. I’m so sorry, Kitt. I’m the only one with the means to protect you now, but it’s your connection to me that’s putting you at risk. You already know it. You know what Manny wanted to do. He’ll keep coming. He’ll try to use you to hurt me like he did with your mother. I won’t let him. Not this time. I’m so sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. But the only way to keep you safe is to get you as far away from me as I can.”