by Annie Buff
“Holy shit dad, when did you grow hair?” Ajax had to laugh, the shock was obviously wearing off and she had started to joke with him. “And a freaking beard? It’s like super red dad.” Yes it was and he had a sneaking suspicion his baby daughter would receive those red genes too. Morgan had the beginning of peach fuzz on her tiny head.
Krispy watched his woman tease her father and try to give Smoke the best answers she could. Isadora reached for him and he sat next to her, taking her hand. “You still want wings baby?” He asked her and she gave him that smile only she had.
“Wings! God yes, I’m starving. And a burger too. Getting shot definitely gives you an appetite.” The crowd of men had to laugh, Izzy ate as much as they did.
Ajax had relaxed some, watching the dynamic between Izzy and Krispy. He knew the kid loved her, but seeing how they were together sealed it. Ajax still wanted to give him a beat down for the disrespect Krispy had shown him but that too was passing. “You can go to Handlebars but not alone. This hit home and we ain’t having anyone else hurt so you two are getting chaperones.” Ajax said looking down at his daughter.
Despite craving alone time with Isadora, Krispy didn’t argue. He still wanted to go a few more rounds with the cleaner but he’d save that for another time, being fairly certain it would happen. Krispy’s fuse had grown short when it came to her and Ajax had a way of pushing his buttons.
TIME GOES BY Several weeks went by with very little issues concerning the Bastards and that had everyone on edge. A few shipments of hardware and ammunition had been stolen and Smoke had been shot at twice but it was minor. The women had been taken off house arrest and even Tara had been cleared to go back to work. The body of Cheyenne hadn’t been found and both presidents chocked it up to dismemberment. Smoke handled the funeral for her financially. It was the least he could do.
Isadora was doing most of the bakery work. The only thing she didn’t do was baking, that was Tara’s job. Ajax had been stopping in a dozen times a day and Izzy knew it was making Tara nuts but she stayed quiet. He could be kind of intense.
Isadora and Krispy’s relationship had blossomed, they became official by club standards. He bought her a cut of her own and had asked Smoke to mark her as his old lady which Smoke did with a smile. They both knew Ajax wouldn’t be happy considering that targeted her even more but Krispy wanted it never the less. Izzy had moved out of Ajax house and into Krispy’s little trailer. It was tiny with just one little bedroom but it worked. She had cleaned and decorated it, making his place a real home.
He had respected Bones orders of no sex but the minute that lifted, nobody could have stopped him from being with the woman he loved. Krispy took it gentle at first, but with time he gained the confidence to be just a little rougher. Izzy liked him on the rough side, her favorite was him taking her from behind with a fist full of her hair. Even the sting of a spanking was thrilling, never realizing how much of a turn on a little pain could be. The thing she liked the most was Krispy not pulling out after. He stayed buried inside her until gravity took over and his cock would slide out on it’s own. He would always trail kissed down her back before he took her in his arms and held her as they fell asleep.
Krispy left her to sleep, it was Sunday and they had no place to be. Well, at least she didn’t. He was headed to see his president. Smoke was always up with the sun and something Isadora said the night before wasn’t sitting right with him. The president was found in his usual morning spot, next to the fire pit in his Adirondack chair.
“Morning Smoke.” Kris py took the chair next to him. “I know it’s early but this has been eating at me. Last night Izzy said something and it stuck in my craw. She thinks this is about me, and I think she right. It makes sense with the whole Jake thing.” Yes it did Smoke thought, but why now? Krispy had his patch since he turned twenty. It was time to send Wisha and Falcon on a mission, Jace could join the party once he figured out how the Bastards knew where Renegade had taken the young lovers. That stuck in Smoke’s craw, the club was the only ones who knew who was assigned to what.
The box had been examined and nothing was found so now it was on to the area’s surrounding Krispy’s trailer, the clubhouse and anything close. As president he had to know, Smoke was still fuming although he hid it well.
Falcon and Jace both had scoured the surrounding desert looking for anything out of place, neither noticed anything that didn’t seem to belong. Smoke gave them new assignments but they would wait until the morning. It was bike night at Handlebars so the clubs would be going. Smoke sent the kid home to his woman while he pondered. “Lemme think a bit, then I’ll have some answers but for now we just get a day to blow off some steam. Make sure your bike is ready to go.”
Krispy just nodded, knowing what tonight was. Smoke thought it was just their regular night out, but it was far from that. Peyton had arranged her husbands birthday party for bike night so he would have no clue. Hating his birthday, Smoke was going to kill old Red when he found out Peyton recruited him. Things almost seemed normal.
Babysitting had been arranged, and the brothers headed to Handlebars with their women. Rylee rode on the back of Slingers bike while Peyton and Wisha rode their own. Isadora rode with Krispy, her bike was still a mess. Ajax let Tara “drive”, letting her take the front. She really didn’t do the driving for obvious reasons but I gave her the feeling of doing it.
The two presidents rode out front, feeling exhilarated. The club hadn’t ridden together in a way too long. All the rides if late had been rescues and
reinforcements. The Bastards had been laying low but Smoke knew it was only a matter of time. Tonight he would put his concerns to the side and just enjoy bike night with his wife and the brothers.
Handlebars wasn’t very busy but it was still fairly early by biker standards, just going on seven. Magic was in the lot leaning on his ride. The grin he sported went ear to ear and Smoke had that sinking feeling his wife had been sneaky. “Sweetness, what did you do?” The giggle that came from Peyton let him know she was up to no good.
“Nero Xavier McAllister, don’t be such a spoil sport! This is supposed to be a fun night.” He just gritted his teeth as he let her dismount. Damn woman went and put a party together for his birthday. “I hate my birthday.” He mumbled under his breath. Peyton knew how he felt about it, but it seemed to make her happy so the president would just have to grin and bear it. His actual birthday was several days before and with no
celebration, Smoke thought he dodged the bullet. Looks like he was wrong, very wrong.
The bar had been decorated with everything Harley Davidson including miniature bikes on every table. He saw a table full of wrapped gifts and his favorite bourbon and several classes on the Devils usual table. Smoke just shook his head, hating his birthday or not he did have the best wife a man could ask for.
The party was a huge success and with all the hoopla over Smoke, Krispy found a private moment with Isadora. “I want that to be us.” He pointed to Smoke and Peyton. They really were the ideal couple. Not that they didn’t fight, they did but they never let it destroy their love. That and Peyton picked her battles well. She never went to bat with Smoke unless she was positive she was right.
“Me too Joshua, they’re like a biker fairytale.” Isadora told him as he leaned over to kiss her. It wasn’t a long kiss, it didn’t need to be. That kiss said everything it had to. Peyton’s voice got their attention. It was time to toast the president. Krispy held her hand as they made their way back to the Devils tables while the Queen stood on a chair to toast her husband.
“ Nero everyday with you is an adventure, some are definitely more enjoyable than others. “ She chuckled as she spoke. “And five years later I wouldn’t change a thing. Happy birthday Nero.” The bar goers toasted Smoke also. As president of a one percent club he was respected by his peers. Most probably feared him but that was ok too.
The drinks poured late into the night for everyone except Izzy. The first shot of tequila di
dn’t sit well so she opted for Dr. Pepper instead. She just figured the wings she’d eaten had taken it’s told on her digestive system. Maybe extra hot was a mistake, she thought to herself. Then something occurred to her, she was late, as in period late. Isadora hadn’t thought anything of it since she was on the pill but being late and nauseous made her wonder.
She and Krispy made a stop at an all night drug store and thankfully he just waited in the lot for her. There would have to be an explanation to her purchase but for now she just wanted to get it done and be home.
Krispy could see her items on the conveyor from his vantage point. He had a feeling when she didn’t drink anymore what the deal was. After two months of being together almost daily he knew she had missed a period. It could have been from stress, getting shot will do that. It also could be she was carrying his child. The latter was his hope. Now it was just wait and see and try not to get his hopes up. That one was going to be harder than anything, Isadora was his love and having a baby with her was the ultimate.
She felt him gingerly get out of bed, trying his hardest not to wake her. The sun was up and that meant Krispy had work to do but Izzy had taken the day off so she had nowhere to be this early. Once the front door clicked she made a dash to the bathroom, grabbing her drugstore bag.
A quick read of the directions was all that was needed as she did her morning business, peeing on the stick. Once it was recapped, Izzy watched and waited. The box said three minutes but those minutes seemed to take forever. The test didn’t do anything for the longest time so she left it to get dressed. As she was brushing her teeth Isadora glanced over and saw a plus sign in the test window. She squealed with joy, running out to find Krispy; leaving the test on the bathroom counter.
Smoke saw Isadora running up the pathway with a grin on her face. “Where’s Joshua?” She said as she caught her breath.
“ Tire shop where Big Mosh works. Took the truck to get me some parts for the Camaro. Why? What’s up?” Izzy wanted to tell Krispy before anyone else so she dodged the question.
“I just need to talk to him. It’s important and I don’t wanna do it on the phone. Can I borrow a car?” Smoke nodded as he handed her the keys to the Chevy he had kept around for emergencies. Grabbing the keys she ran for her purse and sped off to find her man.
Isadora was so amped up she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings as she sang along with the radio. The sound of glass shattering and metal twisting filled her ears as she was slammed into the drivers door from the broadside. She tried to stay conscious, holding on to the steering wheel for dear life as the big truck backed up and rammed her again.
She knew she was screaming, there was really nothing else she could do as she watched the giant truck come at her over and over. Izzy cried out for anyone who might hear her but no one did. She tried to focus on the driver who looked eerily like her man but much older. He had a sinister grin on his face, one that said he was going to kill her. She had to somehow get out of that old truck.
Her vehicle was being thrown closer and closer to the canyons edge. The seat belt had locked and there was no way to escape from the mangled metal that was Smoke’s truck. Izzy said a silent prayer as the last hit came, careening the truck over the edge; rolling towards the bottom of the canyon.
TIES It took a few hours but Krispy managed to fit everything Smoke wanted in the truck bed. Big Mosh made sure everything was secure before following Krispy back to the Devils property, he had to check in with his sponsor; Renegade.
Krispy made a pit stop at the mini mart for a bottle of bourbon and some rolling papers. Lately he needed some herbal medication to keep him calm. Ajax had been intentionally pushing his buttons and if he lost his cool, well things would be worse than they are now between them.
Driving from the mini mart back home he let his mind wander. Isadora hadn’t called him at all while he was gone and that made him wonder if she took the test or not. Maybe a baby wasn’t something she wanted right now, or maybe the test came out negative. If that was the case there would be no need to tell him anything. Once he got home and unloaded Smokes parts, Krispy would go see if she was home. Taking her out to dinner sounded like a good idea, but not to Handlebars. This was going to be a nice dinner. It wasn’t that her dads place wasn’t nice but it was a bikers bar and that meant prying eyes. They needed a quiet place to go just in case she wanted to tell him something important, like they were pregnant.
Unloading the parts took a couple hours, carefully placing them on the shelves in Smoke’s barn. It wasn’t really a barn but it looked like one from the road. Painted red and white with huge doors that a tractor could easily fit through. He left the keys in the coffee cup on the work bench and headed down the path to his trailer.
Looking around he knew Izzy wasn’t home but he was starving and had to pee. Standing at the commode he saw it, the test. The biggest grin he’d ever sported crossed his face, the test said positive. They made a baby together, Krispy was going to be a father. He stood stunned for a minute before taking off to find Isadora, ignoring the growl in his stomach.
Krispy’s first stop was Tara, who hadn’t seen her all day. He did stop long enough to hug and kiss baby Morgan before heading over to see Bones and Wisha. No Izzy there either. By the time he made it to his president, Krispy was getting worried. “Prez, have you seen Isadora? She’s not home and I can’t find her.” Smoke nodded and Krispy relaxed.
The look of confusion took over Smokes face. “She took the old Mule and went to see you this morning.” Smoke had nicknamed his old truck the Mule because on cold mornings it was as temperamental as a mule.
“I never saw her at the shop. Did she say anything else?” “Only that she needed to talk to you and it was important. She never made it to Mosh’s place? Fuck!” Smoke yelled, knowing this was bad; very bad. Krispy went white as a ghost before hitting his knees.
“Oh kiss my dick! Bastards took her didn’t they! We gotta find her man!” He started to take off when Smoke grabbed his shirt collar, stopping him in his tracks. There was no way the president could let the kid go off half cocked. It was time for Church. He needed all hands on deck with this one.
Smoke sent a mass text, all it said was Church in caps. He knew the message would be received loud and clear. “Come on kid. I just called church, you can’t find her without help.” Krispy knew Smoke was right but his instincts said go find Isadora.
It took just under five minutes to have everyone including the Pound in the Temple room. Not one man said anything as the president entered the room. Smoke looked at the faces of his club before he spoke. “Isadora is missing.” He told them. Ajax stood against the wall listening to Smoke speak. When he heard the words missing and Isadora he went nuts.
“What! When! How the fuck did this happen!” He screamed as he approached Smoke. “What are you doing about this!” Then he turned his attention to Krispy.
“And you! Where were you when this happened! I told her you would get her killed!” That was the last straw, Krispy went straight for Ajax like a bull. His shoulder was down and he took the cleaner off his feet and straight through the door.
Before anyone could stop it, the two were brawling on the gravel driveway. Krispy traded blows with Ajax, surprisingly holding his own. “Fucking die!” The kid screamed as his fist connected with the cleaners nose. The blood spattered everywhere including in Krispy’s eye, giving Ajax enough time to pull one good punch. Krispy felt his eye socket crackle. Something broke but his adrenaline was rushing so fast there was no pain. Smoke had stood to the side, letting these two go at it but he’d had enough.
“That’s it! Knock this shit off!” Smoke commanded as he broke the brawlers apart. “This ain’t gonna help Izzy so get it together!”
Peyton had watched from the sidelines as the fight started and ended. Now was her time to step in. “Joshua, talk to me.We need to slow down and think. If she’s not home where, would she go? Did you try to call her?” He hadn’t, the though
t never crossed his mind.
Krispy fumbled with his phone, trying to unlock the screen to no avail. Peyton took it from him and dialed. She listened to the ringing as Krispy paced. It just kept ringing half a dozen times before going to voicemail. There was no need to leave a message, Isadora would see the number and know.
The tears were welling up in his eyes, he couldn’t stop them. Krispy was going to have a breakdown in front of the entire MC but at this point he really didn’t care, until he heard Ajax muttering under his breath.
“You got something to say cleaner? I’m right here old man and I have no problems going again. I ain’t afraid of you!” Krispy bellowed. You could see Ajax
contemplating an out her go-round but he opted to shoot his mouth off instead.
“That’s my daughter and once we get her back I’m going to forbid her from being anywhere near you!” As his face reddened from anger, Krispy remembered the test in his pocket. He just grinned at Ajax.
“Good luck with that! She’s got my kid inside her!” He announced to the crowd, revealing the capped test. “It’s positive, and she’s an adult. You got no right to keep us apart! Oh and by the way daddy dearest, fuck you!” Which wasn’t the right thing to say. Ajax tried to tackle Krispy once again but this time the brothers stepped between them. Renegade was the one to speak, knowing he had a better relationship with the cleaner.
“You gotta let her make her own choices Ajax. She’s ain’t stupid, if it’s the kid she loves; well you can’t stop that. The heart wants what the heart wants. And he does love her, anybody can see that.” Ajax just shrugged his shoulders, knowing he had just lost this fight. The only thing that mattered was finding Isadora. As Ajax wandered away from the brothers he saw his wife. The look she had on her face said it all, he was In trouble.
“ Noah, really! I heard it all and you need to walk it off like Red always says. Izzy is an adult now and from the sounds of it she’s going to be a mom. You need to calm down and work with Krispy, not against him. He loves her Noah and you know that.” The ass chewing he was getting was well deserved and Tara was right, damn he hated when she was right. Ajax stepped in and hugged her, he wouldn't promise there wouldn't be more fights but he could try, for her and for his daughter.