Prologue
Staring at his front door, Tiny knew he’d f**ked up bad. He stared at the flowers in his hand knowing they were a pitiful excuse for what he’d done. The moment his wife, Patricia, had walked in his office, he’d felt the guilt slam through him. Even with the guilt he’d gotten angry at her for walking into his club, his domain, and what she’d found had torn through his soul.
To the outside world everyone, even his club, believed his marriage was perfect, and to a point it was. Patricia had given him a daughter, and she settled the anger within him, but he was never satisfied. He loved her with all of his heart, and he’d do everything to make her smile.
Patricia doesn’t give you what you need.
Tiny cut the thought away immediately. There was no way he could blame Patricia for what he needed. Not every woman wanted a man to be in charge. It still didn’t give him an excuse to do what he did. Patricia gave him more than most women ever had. He’d been using a sweet-butt to rid himself of the stress running The Skulls gave him. Not that f**king everything in sight was an excuse because it wasn’t. Since he’d taken out Snitch and the evil lurking in Fort Wills, Tiny hadn’t dealt with anything but tension. He didn’t know what happened to Snitch, but as long as the bastard didn’t come back, Tiny would be happy. Patricia didn’t deserve the way he was treating her, and each time he lost himself in another woman he always promised himself it was going to be the last one.
He heard the loud music from Lash and Nash upstairs. The boys were going to be great when they joined The Skulls. They were good kids considering what they’d lost at a young age. He was already working at patching them in. Opening the front door he walked into his home. The scent of roast chicken greeted him.
“Hello,” he said.
No one answered him. From Lash’s room rap music was playing. Nash’s room had rock music, and his daughter had pop coming from her room. The three different sounds were enough to give him a headache.
Going to the kitchen he found his wife stood at the counter beating something in a bowl. “Have you asked them to turn that shit down?” he asked.
“They’re kids. They get to do what they want.” Patricia wasn’t looking at him. She didn’t even give him a glance.
“I got you some flowers.”
She finally looked up, and he saw her eyes were red-rimmed. “Are these your guilt flowers?” The spite she felt for him filled her voice. He knew he deserved it and handed her the flowers.
“Take the flowers,” he said.
“No.” She didn’t move other than to continue beating whatever the hell she was beating in her bowl.
“For f**k’s sake, Patricia. I’m sorry.”
The next move startled him as she threw the bowl she’d been using against the wall. The bowl smashed, and the contents decorated the wall and floor. She turned on him with hands on hips. “No, you’re not f**king sorry because it’s not the first time. You’re never going to f**king change.” Her breathing was heavy, and her chest rose and fell with each indrawn breath. The music in the background still played loudly.
Gritting his teeth together, Tiny couldn’t stop the arousal at seeing her angry. The fire in her eyes blazed even if they were tear-stained.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked, dropping the flowers to the counter.
“Nothing. I don’t want you to say anything.”
She swiped the flowers off the counter and walked away. He never liked people walking away from him, especially his wife. Catching her around the waist, he pulled her against him.
“Let me go!” She shouted the words while also trying to head butt him.
“Fuck, stay still, woman. You’re not getting away from it, so f**king stop.”
After many minutes of fighting Patricia finally calmed down in his arms. “I f**king hate you, and I hate that club.” She spun around in his arms cursing at him.
“The club is what keeps you in this lifestyle. We take care of the f**king town. The club is everything.”
“And the men are f**king pigs.” She spat the words at him. He wasn’t hurt by her outburst. Over the last couple of months they’d been arguing more and more. He loved her, but her nagging was really starting to piss him off. No one knew what was going on between them outside of closed doors. They even kept their arguing away from the kids. He didn’t know how he did it, only that he did.
“Watch how you speak about my men. They’re good men.”
She shook her head. “You don’t even see it, do you? You’re an unfaithful bastard. I don’t want you anywhere near me. You had your dick in a whore today, Tiny.” He held onto her arms, but she stopped fighting him. “You’re going to bring Lash and Nash into that f**king club. What about your daughter, huh? What about Tate? She’s going to end up with one of those bastards at the club. What are you going to do when you see one of them treating her like you’re treating me?” With every word she spoke, her voice grew louder.
His anger increased. Tiny released her and faced his wife. “You knew this when I f**king married you. If Tate decides to marry one of my men then she’s going to have to buck the f**k up. I’m not holding anyone’s hand.”
Patricia slapped him around the face. “She’s our baby.” Tiny looked at his wife and raised his hand in the air. No one slapped him and got away from it.
Don’t do it. You’ll cross the line, and you’re better than that.
She looked at his hand then back at him.
Slowly, he lowered his hand. “If you had a c**k I’d have wiped you out by now.”
“Then it’s a good job I haven’t. Get out, Tiny. I don’t want you near me right now. Tate would be better off without you for a father,” Patricia said.
Tiny watched her walk toward the wall where the mess was. He wouldn’t have hit her, but for a split second he’d been tempted. No woman hit him, not one. He was the f**king boss, and even his wife knew the score. Tiny never hurt women, but he made sure they answered for their crimes.
You cheated on her, dick.
“Mommy.” Tate’s voice came from the doorway. He turned to see his little girl pale. Tate was the light of his life. Everything he did was to build her a better life. He doubted she’d have anything to do with the club when she was older. If she did, he knew deep down she would keep the man to claim her on his toes.
“Hey, baby.”