Page 121 of Property of Yak

“No,” she cries out, her hands trying to press on his wound.

“Yes. I need to try to stay conscious for the cops. To clear your man, so you need to go with him and know that I love you more than anything in this world. Tell Liz I love her too. You be good to each other. Take care of each other.” He coughs, blood coming from his lips. “He’s a good man. I’m happy you found someone to love you the way I loved your mother.”

Julie cries, leaning over to hug her dad. I let her, giving her a minute to say goodbye.

“Yak, get her out of here. That’s an order.”

I give him a sad look, nodding. “Yes, sir.”

Picking up Julie, she strains against me.

“No, Daddy. Don’t go. I love you. Please.”

“I love you, baby. Go with him. Please. Live a good life,” Benjamin calls out as I pull her away.

Yooper is waiting at the door, looking back at the chief with a questioning look.

I shake my head. He nods, a somber look on his face as Julie wails in my arms.

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. A good man wasn’t supposed to die, but he did.

Julie loses all of her fight as we make it to her car. I get her inside and seat-belted in. When I climb into the driver’s seat, I look over at her. She is still crying but has fallen silent.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep, shaky breath.

I don’t know if she will ever be able to forgive me for this. For taking her father from her because of my club’s bullshit.

Shaking my head, I follow Yooper and the guys as they ride their bikes around the car, escorting us away from town and farther out into the vast nothingness out here.

It’s over.

It’s finally over, and I’ll never let a day pass where I don’t think about his sacrifice.

Not as long as I have her.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

Julie

It’s been two weeks since everything went down. I still feel traumatized from it all, but I’m getting better. I don’t know if I will ever get over watching my father die before my eyes or the situation surrounding his death, but I do know he was doing what he thought was best, and that helps ease the pain.

Yak wanted me to go back on my sleeping pills, but I don’t think I ever want to take them again. I don’t like knowing something can knock me out to where I’m unaware.

Yak says he will keep me safe in my sleep, and I know he does, but ever since that fateful night, I haven’t been able to bring myself to lose control like that.

“You’re thinking hard over there,” Yak says from his spot on the couch.

I look up to find him staring at me as I wipe down the counter.

“I miss him,” I admit.

He nods, grief filling his eyes. “I know you do. If I could have taken his spot, I would have.”

It’s what he always says, but I don’t want that. As hard as it was losing my dad, it would have been harder to lose Yak. He has become part of me. I always knew Dad would leave me some day, Yak doesn’t get the option to leave me. He’s stuck with me for better or for worse.

“You know I don’t want that.”