Tyrant (Sequel to King)

Chapter 35

•Justin-King•

"Bear is teaching him how to snort blow off strippers," I answered sarcastically when Pup asked me where Sammy was. She playfully punched me in the shoulder. "Ouch," I said, holding on to my arm as if she were actually capable of hurting me.

Physically that is.

"Okay, maybe the stripper thing was a slight stretch," I admitted. "But I did leave him with Bear. He's showing him his bike. I just wanted to come inside and make sure you were okay. You've been in here a while."

"I've been in here for two freaking seconds. I was just getting Sammy's sippy cup," she said, pushing me toward the door. "Overprotective much?"

"Me?" I asked. "Never."

Over by the lopsided garage, Bear was holding Sammy up on the seat of his bike. Although he couldn't reach, Sammy still held out his little chubby arms toward the handlebars. "Vroooom Vroooom."

"Hey big man, looking good on that bike," I said, scooping him off the seat and flying him around in the air like he was Superman. He giggled and clapped his hands together. It felt right that he was with us full-time. And according to Pup, it's good for kids to have a routine. Whatever that meant.

I flew Sammy right into his mother's arms and I planted a kiss on her lips.

"Eeeeeeewwwww," Sammy shouted, wiggling in her arms. We both laughed and turned back to Bear. He lit a cigarette and leaned against his bike.

He took a long drag, blowing the smoke out through his nose. Without his cut, wearing just a black T-shirt. The leather and patches were noticeably absent.

It looked as empty as the vacant look in his eyes.

The scars on his cheeks from the night with Eli were still red and visible through his light beard.

"You really leaving?" I asked after noticing that both his saddle-bags had already been packed.

"Yeah, I got all my shit out of the garage. It's in storage for now."

"I told you that you can stay," I said, repeating what I'd told him several times over the last month. "We can make room, move some shit around. We've always got room for you, brother."

Bear shook his head. "After all the fucking shit that went down with Preppy dying, then the club, then the shit with Eli, and then that crazy fucking kid..." He took another long drag on his cigarette. "I just gotta get away, man. Clear my fucking head. Get some fucking air. Figure out what the fuck my next move is."

I shielded my eyes from the sun. "You planning on coming back?"

Bear shrugged. "Don't know that answer just yet." He stubbed out his cigarette and straddled his bike. He started up the engine and it roared to life.

With a single sad salute, Bear took off down the driveway. A cloud of loose sand billowed up behind his bike, following him down the road.

"Bye bye!" Sammy shouted, jumping up and down, waving frantically long after Bear had disappeared.

"I hope he finds what he's looking for," Pup said as she came to stand beside me.

"Me too," I said. Bear's shit with his dad and the MC still hadn't been resolved. I hoped that wherever he was going, the time away would help him get his head on straight so he'd be ready to deal with the shit storm that was undoubtedly coming his way when he returned.

* * *

•Doe•

"Look!" Samuel said, pointing to where a beige Lexus with dark tinted windows was coming up the drive.