Page 16 of Property of Yak

I shake my head. “Yeah, I’m here. Sorry, I’m trying to get out the door.”

“Everything okay? You’re usually already on the road by now.”

“And you called knowing that I don’t answer while I drive?” I tease.

Dad chuckles. “I was going to leave you a voicemail.”

“Well, now you can just tell me. So what’s up?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to do dinner tonight?”

“Sure,” I say with no hesitation.

“Good. I’ll make your favorite. Are you going to invite Liz?” he asks.

I can’t help but smile at my dad’s automatic assumption that my best friend will join.

“I’ll send her a text.”

“You kids and texting,” he mutters, making me laugh softly.

“Anything else? I need to get on the road.”

“Just stay safe, and I’ll see you tonight. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He hangs up, and as I put my phone into my bag, my heart aches.

I know I should have told him about last night. I know he would want to know, but at the same time, I made my mystery man a promise. I told him I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I meant it.

So, for the first time in my adult life, I’m keeping something from my father. Not because I don’t trust him, but because he is the law after all. I’ll keep the secret close to my chest, and hopefully someday I’ll be able to show my knight in shining armor my thanks.

Yak

I stand in the middle of the field and stare at the land before me. There is a thin layer of snow on the ground that fell in the early morning, but by midmorning it will probably be gone. The weather changes up here as fast as it does in Colorado, only here it’s different.

For one, it’s a lot fucking colder.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out. I chuckle when I see the name flash across the screen.

Wolf

I had to sit on guard duty with Trout last night because the prospect came down with the flu. About midnight, he started snoring logs. It was all I could do to stay awake. Fuckin’ Aspen had to keep bringing me coffee, and now I’m too wired to sleep.

Me

So what you’re saying is…you miss me.

Wolf

when are you coming home?

Sighing, I look away from my phone for a moment.

I want to tell him I’m home, that I’m where I need to be, but I know he won’t like it. Wolf used to be a part of the FBI. He specifically worked on taking down MCs like KOA. When I told him that I was going to be staying here and patching in, he pulled me aside. Told me he didn’t like it and gave me the little information he had on the club as a whole. Not my brother’s chapter, but the entire network. He tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t listen.

Because Yooper needed me, and maybe I needed him.