"I don't know what I feel. I'm not even sure what Tiny will say about this shit. I have to answer to them." He pointed toward the door. "Tomorrow, I'll be laying all this shit bare. I'm not about to risk my cut over your bullshit."

"It's the truth," she said through gritted teeth, gripping the edge of the counter tight.

He shook his head. "This is why I don't do commitment. It gets messy."

"Like I planned this?" she asked.

"I never said you did. Doesn't change the fact it affects me."

"You know what? If you're so anxious to leave and get out of this commitment, there's the front door!"

Her words made him turn his head to the left as if he'd been slapped. "Just like that?" The words ripped him open like a sharp knife, turned in his gut and brought up to his chest.

"I'm not going to try to hold on to you if you want to be free. I knew coming into this it was a possibility. I didn't ask to be Wanderer's daughter. I went my whole life not knowing that. I would've been fine without it. Maybe he didn't want me ending up like my mom. I don't know. We don't talk like that." She shook her head.

The despondency in her voice tore him in two. "Jo-" Moose stepped forward and paused. "Shit." He ran his hands through his hair. "I'm in a shitty place, Jo-Jo. I could fucking wring your neck, but I respect your loyalty. I understand that. But I trust you more than I've trusted any chick and this feels shady."

She glanced up and sniffled. The sound of her tears reinforced the asshole vibe that had begun to cling to him. "I'm an asshole when I'm mad, Joey, we both know that."

"Yeah..." Her voice warbled. "I knew you'd be pissed when I told you. I never imagined you'd find out from someone else."

An awkward tension settled between them. His skin felt too tight. The gray slate-colored walls that always set him at ease began to close in on him. He rubbed the back of his neck and walked the length of the kitchen. "I have to get out of here." He shook his head.

"Then go."

The broken sound in her voice made him cringe. "Jo."

"Do what you have to. Just don't cross a line we can't come back from." She leaned down over the counter and refused to look up.

With nothing left to say, he walked away before he could make matters worse.

Chapter Ten.

Joey ignored the doorbell and scooped another spoonful of chocolate ice cream into her mouth. Still dressed in her pajamas from the night before, she had spent her day curled up on the couch under a blanket, watching movies. The idea was to get her mind off Moose. She failed miserably.

The doorbell rang again, followed by a knock. "Ugh." She set her ice cream down on a coaster on the end table and stood. If this is a salesperson... Glancing out the peephole, she frowned and unlocked the door. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here, Jul?"

"I want to know why Moose is passed out on my couch right now. He came over around nine last night and started getting trashed. I went up to bed early and left him and Shooter on their own. Both of them were sprawled out in my living room, nursing one hell of a hangover when I left." Jul shook her head.

Joey closed her eyes, happy he'd been accounted for. Part of her thought he'd get himself into a compromising position. Lord knew, biker bunnies smelled dissention and went for the jugular when presented the opportunity. "Come on in, this will take a while." She stepped back.

"Yeah, I could tell by the grunge wear and hasty bun."

"Don't kick me when I'm down." Joey glanced down at her black sweatpants and college t-shirt.

"Joey, I'm not. I'm just shocked. What kind of tidal wave hit you guys hard enough to create a rift like this so swiftly?"

Joey sighed and shuffled into the living room, plopping back down on the end of the couch. She retrieved her pint of comfort and spooned another bite of ice-cold chocolate goodness into her mouth.

Juliette joined her, waiting patiently for her to begin.

"There's no easy way to say this really. You know how my mom said she didn't know who my father was?"

"Yes." Juliette nodded.

"Well, that was a lie. A giant messy one. He's the president of the Crazy Eights, a biker gang she apparently was born into."

Juliette looked away and looked back. "I- What?" She opened and closed her mouth, doing her best impression of a large-mouth bass.

"Yeah, you think you're shocked." Joey scoffed.

"And you had no clue? Because with your amassed knowledge of the club lifestyle, it's hard to swallow."

"No, she told me the barebones. Made me think she was a club girl, looking to be made into an old lady."

"Why would she lie? It doesn't fit the image I have of your mother." Juliette pursed her lips.

"No. The reasons were credible. Her father is a member of the Eights from another chapter. A mean son of a bitch, quick with his fists and sharp tongue, stuck in the dark ages of the 'fifties. She said being transferred down here to work in the branch's club was a godsend. She fell in love with my father, and they started an affair behind everyone's back."

"Is that a bad thing?" Juliette wondered.

"A very bad one. You don't shack up with a brother's daughter without asking for permission. Then his own father died and the club was tossed into turmoil. They couldn't take another blow and my father couldn't deal with the war that dear old Grandfather would be sure to demand." Joey shook her head.

"Jesus, your life is a soap opera."

"Trust me, it's much more fun when you're watching it on television and not stuck in the middle of it. My Father caught wind of me dating Moose and decided it was time to claim birthright."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm an Eight by birth and being the president's kid turns me into biker royalty, to make a long story short."

"Holy shit, Joey! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I've only known for about a month myself and I couldn't. Club rules. Our business stays in-house, at least until we sort it all out. Moose isn't my old man, so to them-it's nothing more than a casual relationship."

Juliette winced.

"Yeah, exactly," Joey muttered around another spoonful of ice cream.

"I don't understand though. Moose knows the rules."

"Yeah, and if I had come clean with it, I think it wouldn't have been so bad. Hawk saw me at the Eights last night and brought it home to him." Ashamed, she lowered her head.

"Why did you wait?"

"I just got the green light from Wanderer, my dad. They had to take their pound of flesh for him lying and be introduced to me. It was a lot." Joey shook her head. Images of too many men to remember by name shaking her hand along with their old ladies and kids filled her head.

"God, I can only imagine." Juliette reached over and squeezed her arm.

"Moose sort of lost it. We went back and forth; he took a pot shot and I offered him the door. He asked me what he's supposed to tell Mayhem to keep me in their good graces," Joey sneered. "I told him the truth. He can verify it with Wanderer now if he wants, but I don't know if it'll be enough." Joey shook her head. Tears blurred her vision. "He was gun-shy from the start and he looked at me like I'd damaged something between us. God-hearing him all but call me a liar made me fucking sick to my stomach. You know me, Jul. I don't lie."

"Joey, that man feels more for you than he wants to admit. He looked totally devastated last night. You don't walk away from a relationship you're that invested in. Not over circumstances out of your control."

"I don't know. I can't help but think eventually, he'll have to make a choice." Joey's voice cracked. "Either he goes to my father and sets things right by him, or we don't have a snowball's chance in hell. Wanderer's not happy I'm only a sweetheart. He's afraid I'll end up like my mother."

"Oh, Joey." Juliette wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The dam Joey used to hold back her tears broke. She hiccupped as her chest tightened and tears made their way down her face. "I-I keep going over everything in my head, asking myself if I could have done anything differently."

"None of this is your fault. How could it be? You're more a victim than anyone else."

"Then why do I feel so guilty? I came into this thing with no expectations and now that it might be over I realize-I love him."

Juliette gasped. "Joey. That's huge."

"I know. I know. I always said I didn't want to be beholden to any man. Maybe Moose changed my way of thinking, or perhaps knowing the truth about my father fixed something broken for a long time... Regardless, here I am-completely fucked."

"No. I don't believe that at all." Juliette hugged her close. "I really don't. This is going to work out. If I have to lock you both into a room until you work it out."

Joey snickered and choked on her tears. "I wouldn't suggest it. That giant fool would probably just break it down and tear out of there like his namesake."

Juliette laughed. "I wouldn't put it past him."

On the end of her crying jag, Joey began to calm. Breathing deeply, she wiped her face. "I'm a mess huh?"

"I think you're entitled in this instance."

"What am I going to do, Jul?"

"Wait and see what Moose does. The ball is in his court now."

"Yeah, I figured as much. It's going to be a painful wait." Joey closed her eyes. Hell of a time to find love.

"We'll just have to get your mind off things and I think we should start by getting you presentable," Juliette said.

"What, you don't like my chill wear?" Joey asked, twisting her face into a mask of offense.

"Not to go out in public in," Juliette said.

"We're leaving?"

"Yes, I think the best thing to do right now would be to get some air. If this isn't proper cause for an emergency meeting, I don't know what is." Juliette shook her head.

"You call the girls while I get ready?"

"Absolutely, do you want me to tell them what happened?"

The sympathy in Juliette's eyes made her glance away. "No, it should come from me. I'll be back after a quick shower."

Twenty minutes later, she was ready to go in her favorite pair of worn jeans, a quarter-sleeve black t-shirt, a pair of tennis shoes and a black jacket. For once, as she entered Corkers, there was no sense of happiness or lightened load. Joey slunk to the back and took a seat facing the door.

"We're the first ones here. Hil's wrapping up a paragraph she was in the middle of and believe it or not, Mr. Levi is dropping Evonne off."

"Great. The one day I could care less about anything, we finally get to meet the guy." Joey gave a fake smile.

"That's assuming he doesn't drop and dash," Juliette added.

Joey snickered. "He's not skipping out on a bill."

"You know what I mean." Juliette waved her hand. "It's really bothering me we haven't met him almost five months in. I mean, clearly, Evonne is over the moon about this guy. It has to be getting semi-serious."

Joey offered a small smile. "She'll be fine. Evonne is the most levelheaded person we know."

"Which is what scares me. The love-struck look she's been wearing is not her norm and I don't want some rich playboy taking advantage of her." Juliette shook her head.

"What makes you think that's what Levi is?" Joey countered, ready to play devil's advocate.

"I'm not, but you know he fits the description: attractive, wealthy, successful and often out of town. If you haven't met his friends and family after a certain point, you're the other woman or not as important as you should be."

Joey flinched. "Kind of harsh, don't you think, Jul?"

"I know. It's why I've kept it to myself. But with everything that happened to me, I can't help but look at it from all angles." Jul wound a strand of hair around her finger.

"And that's understandable. No one would blame you." Joey did her best to return the favor from earlier and reassure her. She'd been through a lot of shit in the past year.

"I know, but I don't want to steal any of her joy." Juliette shook her head and glanced down to her lap.

"Don't worry about it, we'll feel him out tonight and go from there, okay?"

"Okay." Juliette nodded.

A few minutes later, Evonne strolled in on the arm of an attractive dark-haired man with killer light-green eyes, impressive shoulders and a height that couldn't be less than six foot three.

"Damn," Joey whispered. He was attractive, she had to give him that.

"Uh huh," Juliette said through her smile as they both stood.

"Hey, girls, this is Levi. Levi, this is Juliette and Joey," Evonne said.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you ladies." Levi said. He leaned forward and took the girls' hands, kissing the backs of them.