The Biker's Fate Chapter 517

Poppy stood and made her way to me, giving me a hug.

"Where's Sparky?" I asked.

"Dev's talking to Booker. Niall accidentally downloaded a virus on the laptop, so Booker's going to fix it."

Her old man, Devon, was my cousin, which sounded very in-bred without the full story. Poppy had fallen in love with him when she and my mother first met my dad, and the rest was history, so to speak.

"So the porn has begun," I mused, and Poppy punched me in the shoulder. "Ow, shit, Pop."

"We have all manner of protections, so he doesn't accidentally find that shit."

"Then how did he get a virus on your computer?"

"Some new video game," she whispered. "Which is why he's currently got his head buried in his science book. He's grounded for a week because he didn't have permission to download it."

"Poor kid."

"Poor kid, my ass. He's already pushing my limits." She shook her head.

"Speaking of video games, guess who I'm takin' up tomorrow?"

"Who?"

"LRG."

LRG as he was called in the tabloids, I didn't know his real name, invented the wildly lucrative Fighting Fowls and Sweets Smash apps that made him billions, but had since branched out into platform gaming and pretty much buying up most of western Idaho.

She gasped. "Shut up! You'll have to tell me what he's like. In real life. Dev'll freak."

I grinned. "I'll think about it."

"Why are you here?" she asked. "Escaping Mum's disease?"

I chuckled. "Dad's keeping her holed up in their room, so for the most part, she's good."

"Have you seen Tate yet?"

"You know she's home?" I asked.

"She's been home for, like, two weeks."

"Fuck me," I breathed out.

She crossed her arms and gave me a cheeky smirk. "Ah, so this is why you're really here."

"I came here for a beer," I said. "Not to be psychoanalyzed by my sister."

She grinned. "Okay, okay. I'll lay off. For now. We've set the date for Niall's birthday party, did you see the email? It's next month. Can you make it?"

Niall was turning thirteen and all he'd talked about for months was a bowling party.

"Bowling with my favorite nephew?" I retorted. "Wouldn't miss it."

Poppy chuckled. "He's your only nephew, so…"

"Fash!" my youngest niece squealed, reaching her arms out to me. Sparky was currently carrying her into the room, but he set her down so she could run to me.

"Hey, Tenley," I said, picking her up and squeezing her gently.

"I had cake!" she squeaked.

"Lucky girl," I said, setting her down. "Where's Holland?"

My other niece, Holland, was typically never far from Poppy.

"She's hanging with Lily and Charleston tonight. Sleepover at Payton's while Hawk and Maverick are on a run," Devon said.

I was still of a low enough rank I wouldn't be privy to just what the run was for, so I nodded without comment.

"You ready to go home?" Poppy asked Tenley.

She pointed at me. "Uncle Fash come too?"

"No, baby," I said. "But I'll come over next week and read you a book before bed."

She nodded, sliding her thumb into her mouth, and leaning against Poppy's leg.

"Okay, sweet girl, let's go." Sparky leaned down and picked her up again while Niall shoved his schoolbook into his backpack.

My sister hugged me, Niall and I shared another handshake, and then I watched them walk out the door.

I headed directly for the fridge and grabbed a beer, twisting the top just as Booker walked into the kitchen. "Hey, bud."

"Hey, Book." I took a swig.

"You look like the world just dropped on your shoulders." He grabbed a Twinkie from the pantry. "Have another fight with Tate?"

"Just found out she's been in love with me since high school and didn't tell me," I disclosed.

"No shit?" he said, deadpanned.

"Fuck me," I breathed out. "Did everyone know but me?"

"Flash, the few times she came to family night, she didn't leave your side, except to maybe grab you something to eat or drink. She knew what you were sayin' without any kind of audible language. She knew your shorthand, so to speak."

"She's my best friend. It's not like I wasn't doin' the same," I grumbled, but it was a weak explanation at best.

Booker cocked his head, unwrapping the Twinkie. "Um, yeah, bud. No shit."

I took another swig of beer.

Booker continued, "She never once looked at another brother, and you know a couple had their eye on her."

"What the fuck?" I frowned. "Who?"

"Razor, for one."

I relaxed a little. "Razor has his eye on everyone."

"Harm," he said, shoving the entire cake into his mouth.

"Bullshit," I hissed, but I couldn't stop my stomach from dropping.

Harm had earned the nickname Charmin' Harmon because the women thought he was 'hot as hell,' plus he had some dark and mysterious history that was like catnip to them. Only my dad and Booker truly knew what his past was all about, but he had obviously gone through some shit, and it made all the club women want to 'heal' him with their love, or at the very least, their pussies.

The thought of Tate anywhere near him made me want to slam his pretty face into a bench press. And that thought made me suddenly realize I'd been both an idiot and an asshole.

"Goddammit," I breathed out.

"Gettin' it now, huh?" Booker pointed out.

I was in love with Tate Burke.

"Jesus."

Booker smiled, settling his hand on my shoulder. "We might be dumb as shit, brother, but when we figure it out, we're tenacious in makin' things right."

I nodded.

"On that note, I'm gonna head home. Bunk room's open if you drink a few."

"Thanks, Booker," I said, distractedly as he walked out of the room.

In the end, I dumped the beer and headed home.