One Step Forward

Chapter 13. Party

I woke up naked on my stomach with a sheet draped over me from the waist down. Sunlight glistened through the windows of Linc's bedroom. My hand slid across the bed, searching for him, but I quickly realized he wasn't there. I propped myself up on my elbows and looked around. My robe was at the foot of the bed on my side. 

After using the bathroom, I tied the robe tight around me and started down the hall. Voices drifted through the house, coming from the kitchen. Good thing I put a robe on—I thought to myself.

My dad, Bryant, and Mitch stood in the kitchen with Linc. He had no shirt on and looked groggy as if he'd just woke up. Linc was pouring cups of coffee and passing them out. He glanced at me and smiled apologetically. He offered me a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," I murmured.

I started for the living room, but Dad stopped me. "Mya," Dad started. 

I turned around and looked at my father. Linc looked as confused as I did, but Bryant and his dad wore the same solemn expression as my dad did. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Lilly went outside this morning to ride her bicycle. She snuck right past your mother. She came back inside and said she saw her dad," Dad explained.

"Oh my god," I gasped. My fear turned into relief as I realized we had cameras and more importantly, he didn't take my baby. "Wait, the cameras—"

"Didn't capture him. She said she saw him standing at the end of the block."

"Shit," Linc spat.

"What?" Bryant asked.

"Son of a bitch probably knows the cameras are there. He would have tried to get closer."

"Lilly knows that she's not supposed to see her dad, but she's so little that I doubt she understands the seriousness of it," I explained. I took a sip of my coffee and sat it on the counter. I stepped closer to Linc out of instinct, feeling unsafe. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side.

"Well, we know two things for sure that girl is smart and very blunt. If she said she saw him, I have no damn doubt," Linc said. He lit a cigarette. The tendons in his neck gave away the tension he tried to hide. 

"Maybe I should just get out of town for a while," I said.

"No," all the guys said at once.

"Maybe it would throw him off. Someone could go with me."

"No," Linc murmured. "I can't stand the thought of not having you nearby when you're in danger."

"Fine," I said and sighed.

"Don't forget we're patching over today," Mitch said. "I want everyone at the club by three."

"Yeah," Linc said and nodded.

Dad kissed my forehead before walking out. Mitch and Bryant gave me a smile before disappearing.

I moved from Linc's side to stand in front of him. "Patching over?" I asked and arched a brow.

"We have some new guys joining, and Mitch wants to step down. Actually, they're all retiring."

"Why?"

"They're tired, baby. They've been running shit for years. They finally made what they needed to in order to step away. I don't blame them," he said and shrugged. "God knows I want to retire before I die."

I smiled and shook my head. "So, you're taking over?"

He bit his lip and nodded once.

"Why didn't you tell me about it? You must have known it was coming."