Page 19 of The Riders’ Reign

Her expression tightens. “Seriously, Dad? Camile doesn’t need to be here.”

We’re back to this again. I think of the note Camile slipped under her pillow. Her words saying ‘I love you.’

Fixing my daughter with a heavy stare, I try to get her to see the importance of what I’m about to say. “It’s about time you grew up, Vani. I love you, and that will never change. You’re my daughter. But you’re an adult now, and you have your own life, and you have to let me lead mine, however I choose. I’ve tried to fight it for you, but it’s making me miserable. The fact is that I love Camile. I’m truly head over heels fucking in love with her. And I know you understand how that kind of love feels, Vani. Like you will sacrifice the whole world if it means you can be together.”

She doesn’t want to look at me. She presses her lips into a thin line, her nostrils flaring. But she’s also not arguing with me.

“I almost fucking died,” I say, softening my tone. “My life could have been over, and I’d have spent my last days fighting the one thing I want. How do you expect me to wake up tomorrow, continuing to pretend like I can simply go on without shouting to the whole world that I love her? I’ve already wasted too much time. I refuse to go another second without her.”

Ivani’s dark eyes glisten as she finally looks at me. “But Dad⁠—”

I cut her off. “No. I won’t hear it. You need to get your head around this, so we can all go back to living our lives. You don’t get to dictate to me how to live mine, and you don’t get to tell Camile who she gets to love either. I could have come down really fucking hard on you, Vani, when I found out about you being with three men, but I didn’t. I trusted that I’d raised you right, and that you would make the correct decisions for yourself. Now you have to do the same for me.”

She bites her lower lip until the skin turns white beneath her teeth, gives a brisk nod, and sniffs. “Okay, Dad. I’m not saying I’m happily going to give you my blessing, because honestly, I still think about Mom, and it doesn’t feel that long to me since we lost her. Also, I’m sorry, but the whole thing still icks me out some. But I’ll stop standing in your way, if that’s what you want.”

“It is.” I sigh. “I lost your mother, too. I will never stop loving her, and she won’t be replaced by Camile. Our hearts are big enough to love more than one person in this life.” I give her a wry smile. “As you know all too well.”

Her mouth twitches a little in response to that.

“Your mother will always have a place in our hearts and lives, but… I’m ready, to try to love again.”

Tears shimmer in her gaze and she sniffs, nodding once. “I’m just glad you’re going to be okay. I was really scared I was going to lose you.”

I take her hand. “I know, sweetheart. But I’m still here. Takes more than an ambush and a few hours in the OR to kill me.”

She gives a small, choked sob-laugh at that. “I’d hate to think of what it will take.”

“A broken heart because of a daughter who refuses to love the woman I love? Her friend, at that?”

“Dad, stop. I told you I wouldn’t stand in your way. That’s the best I can do for the moment.” She looks away, then back to me. “I’ll try, okay? I promise. Just… give me a bit of time.”

“Okay, thank you. Now go and call the club for me.”

7

CAMILE

Time is running out for Ghost.

Our men will never make it to the airstrip before Hector calls back wanting to hear Ledger’s voice, and he’ll never hear Ledger’s voice again because I killed him.

This is all my fault.

Not only because I killed Ledger, but because I brought all this shit raining down on the club.

“You okay, Cami?” Rook asks.

We’ve come back to the house for a breather, and to get away from everyone for a few minutes. It’s intense in the clubhouse, for obvious reasons. Rook insisted on coming with me, and I’m glad for his company.

I shake my head. “Not really.”

I don’t want to make this about me. Jack is lying in a hospital bed, and Ghost has been taken by the cartel and they’re threatening to cut off parts of him.

But my heart is broken into a million pieces, and a tear slips, unbidden, down my cheek. I sniff and wipe it away.

Rook puts his arm around me. “Hey, it’s all going to be okay. We’ll make this right.”

“It’s just all too much. I’m worried about so many people that my brain can’t cope with it.”