In silent badass speak, that meant That was a good point. I said my piece. It’s now up to you.

It was then I got it. Monty was there as the objective voice of reason.

And this definitely pissed me off more, because it inferred they thought I was being unreasonable.

I slid my gaze through everyone in the room and stated, “Due respect to all of you, and I’ll note, that’s a lot of respect and it’s not just out of love. I know you all are skilled and experienced and exceptionally good at what you do.” I pinpointed Dad. “But you did not have a chat with Hank before he entered the Academy. You did not have a chat with Lee before he went into the Army or when he got out and built his team. You let them do what they had to do and you did that proud. The only reason I can think that I’m standing here is because I’m a woman. And that does not fly with me.”

“Ally,” Tom cut in, and I looked his way. “If Indy was doing this, I’d be worried.”

“Indy’s about coffee, books, family, friends, Lee and rock ‘n’ roll. In other words, Indy is not me,” I retorted and kept at it. “We’ve also sat down and she knows that she will not ever be involved in my business. She’s down with that.” I moved my gaze to Hank. “All of the Rock Chicks understand this and are down with it. So if that’s a concern, I assure you, that’s covered.”

“What Tom’s saying,” Dad put in, “is that, as fathers and brothers,” he tipped his head Lee and Hank’s way, “we’re worried.”

“As they go about their business, are you worried about Hank and Lee?” I asked.

“Every day,” Dad replied quietly, and my body locked. “It’s what fathers do, sweetheart.”

There was no retort to that.

So I didn’t give him one.

Instead, I said, just as quietly. “I get you and I love you for it. But this is what I want to do and I want to do it because I’m good at it and I like it. You know I’ve struggled to find my calling. I’m not struggling anymore. I’ve found it, Dad.”

And Dad had no retort for that. I knew because he didn’t give me one.

“Hector, Vance, Ike and Bobby, as well as Darius and Brody are backin’ your play, Ally,” Lee said, and I turned my attention to him, surprised and pleased at the unknown addition of Bobby. “And I’m not gettin’ in their shit about that. But they’re not your brothers and—”

I interrupted him. “Darius is.”

“You know what I mean,” Lee replied.

“And you know what I mean,” I returned softly.

His jaw clenched.

I held his eyes and kept speaking softly. “You can try to stop me. But you won’t. I know you have the means to do it. But I’ll keep going. Ren’s behind me. Daisy’s behind me and that means Marcus has my back, and you know Daisy’s support means I have Marcus’s support. You won’t sway him your way if Daisy is standing in between.”

His jaw clenched harder.

He knew.

“The Rock Chicks are backing this too, so if you think the rest of the men won’t fall, or at least won’t stand in my way, you’re wrong about that, too,” I went on.

A muscle jumped in his cheek.

He knew that, too.

“And I’ll finish with this,” I told him, still soft but firm, and my eyes went to Hank, Dad, Tom and even Monty but they ended back on Lee. “If you make moves to shut me down,” I looked to Hank, “Or you,” I looked through Dad, Tom and Monty again, “Any of you.” My eyes went back to Lee. “That hurt will dig deep. So deep I may get over it, eventually. What I won’t do is forgive you.”

Lee held my eyes.

I returned the gesture.

Since I had preparations to do and a date to make, I couldn’t do it for what it seemed it would take to win it.

Eternity.

So I broke the staredown and I moved to the door, but turned at it and swept a glance through them all again, my eyes ending on Hank and Lee.

“One last thing. There’s something wrong with Darius, and if you two haven’t clocked that, color me stunned. But I figure you have, and since you’re dudes and dudes don’t get up in the business of other dudes, you’re steering clear. A heads up: I’m done steering clear. I’m gonna sort that, and if I had your help, I’d be obliged.”

On that, I left.

And by the time I got in my car, I felt my throat burning. My eyes were hot and my hands were shaking.

Not from nerves or fear.

From emotion.

Because I honestly didn’t know which way any of them would swing.

I just knew I did not lie.

If they moved to shut me down, these people I loved I’d never forgive.

* * * * *

I opened the door to Ren’s place and smelled garlic.

What the hell?

I dumped my purse on an armchair and walked into the kitchen.

Ren was wearing jeans, a loose pale yellow shirt, sleeves rolled up, feet bare, and he was at the stove, a stove that held steaming pots and pans.

“What’s going on?” I asked and he turned to me.

“Kiss, Ally,” he ordered instead of telling me what was going on.

I walked to him, noting, “I thought we were going out.”

He again didn’t respond until I got close, put a hand to his abs and rolled up on my toes to touch my mouth to his.

When I rolled back but stayed close, he answered, “You didn’t wanna miss your show. I’m makin’ stuffed shells.”

Jeez.

I couldn’t take it.

Just when I thought my man couldn’t get any better, he did.

“We’ll go out tomorrow night,” he muttered.

I focused on him and saw his eyes were probing.

That was when, again, he got even better.

He did this by saying in his sweet voice, “The meet didn’t go well.”

He read me.

“Not really.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Nothing to say. They don’t want me in the business. That’s not a surprise. Now they have a decision to make because I already made mine.”

He nodded, read me again and did what I needed.

He let it go.

“You want me to turn on the sauna?” he asked.

That sounded awesome, but if I was in there, I wanted to be in there with him. Not up there alone and him downstairs cooking.

“No, baby,” I murmured. “But thanks.”

“Then sit your ass on the counter. I’ll get you a glass of wine and you can keep me company while I put the shells together.”