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He held rank while Razor still worked for him.The smile was gone from Razor’s lips, and Doc left, walking down to the bottom of the street where he left his bike, so he didn’t make too much noise and wake their neighbors.Not that he gave a fuck about the neighbors, or other people in general.He knew there were a lot of nasty pieces of shit in the world, and upsetting their delicate natures just didn’t register to him.

Straddling his machine, he made his way toward the club.There was already some club pussy hanging around on the walls.There were a couple of men, and they were all smoking or drinking.They nodded toward him, and a couple of the girls attempted to move in closer, but he had no interest in any of that shit.Club pussy didn’t appeal to him.When club brothers worked up a doctor’s bill for getting an itch on their junk, for passing a woman around between them, he soon lost his interest.

He made his way toward his office and stepped inside, only to pull out his gun, staring down the barrel and looking into his daughter’s eyes.She didn’t look terrified.

“Charlotte, what the fuck?”he asked.“I could have fucking shot you.”

“You wouldn’t have.”

“Do you want to tell me why you’re sleeping on my couch?In my office?”

Charlotte sat up and ran fingers through her long hair.“It’s nothing.”

“You’re in my office, and I nearly shot you.”He sat down on the coffee table in front of his daughter.“Talk to me.”

“I got into a huge fight with Mom, and you know how she can get when she’s in one of her moods.She doesn’t listen to me, and she always thinks she knows best.”Charlotte’s bottom lip came out as she pouted.“It sucks, and I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to come here.I just couldn’t listen to her shit anymore.”

“Watch your language.”

Charlotte sighed.“It’s nothing worse than what you or Mom say!”

“You’re different from me and your mother.You’re better than us.”

“What if I don’t want to be?”Charlotte asked.“What if I want to be a biker’s wife?An old lady?”

“And you tell me which brother would go behind my back to do that,” he said.The man would be dead by the end of the day.No questions asked.His little girl was off limits, and if no one respected that, well, they could all fucking die.

“Mom wants me to consider moving away.She wants me to consider my options.”Charlotte got to her feet.“She doesn’t seem to understand that I’m enjoying what I’m doing.College is all well and good, but I don’t want to be doing that.”She shrugged.“I do happen to like makeup, and look at Maeve, she made it work.”

“I know.”

“And Maeve is a damn good artist.”Charlotte pulled out her cell phone, and seconds later, a social media account was thrust in front of his face.“Look at some of the work she did.”

Doc didn’t recognize half the women, and there were also a couple of men.He noticed Maeve had also posted angles of her own face, with a technique she’d perfected.Maeve was gorgeous, and she truly was a great talent.

“I know.I’ve seen some of her work, and you have got to do whatever you want.Arguing with your mom and running away is not going to solve anything,” Doc said.

“It did for you,” Charlotte said.

“I never ran away.”

“But you always stormed out and would come to the club to think.”

His and Nancy’s marriage hadn’t been great.He tried to do everything he could to avoid the kids having to deal with it.

“It doesn’t make what I did right,” he said.

His cell phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket to see a message from Razor.Shit, he’d wanted to stop by, check on the club, and be gone.

“Look, I’ve got to head out.I’ve got an appointment, but we can talk about this another time.Do you want to stay here, or do you want me to take you back to your mother’s?”he asked.

Charlotte sighed.“I may as well go back to my mother’s.”

She got to her feet, but very reluctantly.It was cute, her little temper tantrum.Charlotte rarely made waves.It was a shock to see her causing them now.This was between her and Nancy, though, and was not his problem.He didn’t mind what Charlotte wanted to do, or what she wanted to become.That was her path, for her to choose.Not his, and certainly not Nancy’s.

He made his way out toward his bike, and Charlotte climbed on the back.Several of the brothers held their arms up and waved toward him.He acknowledged them, and then Charlotte wrapped her arms around him as he took off, heading toward the house she shared with Nancy.There was a time he did share this house with them, but that was long ago.He was always invited for every Christmas and family event.

They could get along, but as he parked, Nancy opened the door and held out an arm to wave to him.He nodded in her direction, and Charlotte climbed off the bike, kissed his cheek, and then walked up to the house with her head down.