He walked into the bathroom to remove the evidence before she spotted his clothes from the night before. But the bloody clothes were gone. Cruz must've come in before he woke up and taken them out to burn.
The shower ran hot, steam rising around him as the water pounded the night out of his skin. It didn't make him feel anycleaner, but it helped dull the ache in his muscles. It also helped him pretend, for a minute, that he hadn't killed a man.
Curt Morgan wasn't the first life he'd taken and probably wouldn't be his last. As president of Royalla, shit happened. He'd taken an oath to protect his brothers.
He dressed, noticing his vest was cleaned and folded in half on the arm of the couch. Leaving Roma in his bed, he walked out of the room and into the main area, brushing his damp hair back from his forehead with his hands.
The place was quiet. It was too early for anyone except the old diehards. The elders stayed patched members for life but no longer took part in rides or voting.
He found Cruz right where he expected him to be, leaning on the counter and typing something into his phone.
Kodiak poured a mug of black coffee and took a long drink before speaking. "All cleaned up?"
Cruz looked up from his phone and nodded. "No prints, no trail, no evidence. If anyone asks, we were fixing Rusty's clutch all night."
Kodiak gave a small grunt of approval and took another sip, but before he could breathe, the rush of footsteps against the concrete floor closed in behind him.
"Kodiak." Roma grabbed his arm, trying to spin him around.
He turned, taking her in. Her hair was a mess, her face flushed, and her voice sharp with panic. She grabbed his vest and put her hand against his stomach, patting over his ribs.
"You're okay?" she panted breathlessly.
He led her a few feet away, knowing she deserved answers. The conversation they needed to have was private. Nobody else needed to know what they discussed.
"What happened last night? You wouldn't wake up, your clothes were soaked in blood, and you shut yourself off fromme." She locked in on his abused hands and frowned. "What did you do?"
Cruz cleared his throat and made himself scarce. Kodiak pointed toward the meeting room with his coffee and slipped his free hand underneath her elbow, pulling her with him.
Once inside the room, he shut the door, giving him privacy. The discussion they needed to have was two years late.
She stared him down like she expected him to lie. He sat in his usual chair with his elbows on the table, coffee steaming between his hands. The heat brought comfort to his bruised joints.
"You might as well sit your ass down." He drank, letting the liquid warm his insides. "My head hurts and I'm not in the mood for you to move all around."
She slipped into the nearest chair and leaned against the table. "Tell me."
Normally, club business wouldn't be shared with those who weren't wearing the patch. But Roma was different. Chopper had made his home here. He'd raised his daughter amongst the men. She deserved to know.
"Last night, I caught the man who was spotted near the fence. He had the snake tattoo on his forearm that proved he was the man who had killed your dad," he said, low and steady. "He's no more. You can be assured that he suffered."
She flinched. "You killed him?"
"He's dead." He would never admit to a crime because he never knew when the information would be used against him. "Not only was he the one responsible for killing your dad, but he was also the man who tried to kidnap you."
She gasped.
"He was a threat to you—thethreat. And now he can no longer hurt you." Kodiak drank the rest of the coffee in onebig chug and set down his mug. "You're safe, Roma. No more shadows."
She moistened her lips, rubbing them together. "You did that for me?"
Of course, he had. Whatever she needed, he would always find a way to help her.
"It's safe for you to live your life." He softened his tone. "Maybe go off to college or buy yourself a small house with your dad's money from the club."
She shook her head. "You think I'm gonna pack a bag and go because you've made it safe for me?"
He met her eyes, steady and calm. "Yes."
