by K E Osborn
She rolls her eyes with a huff. “So, who’s sick?” she asks with almost no emotion. It’s kind of like she wants one of them to be terminally ill or something. I know she’s angry at them for cutting ties, but I didn’t know how far the anger had seeped.
Helen steps forward reaching out for Flame, she lets her take her hand from mine, and I watch as Phil relaxes like he thought that wouldn’t happen so easily. “Willow… we love you. We have always loved you, dear. Isn’t that right, Phil?”
He steps forward. “Yes… we love you, pumpkin.”
I try to hold in my smirk at Phil’s baby name for his daughter, my woman, who certainly should not be called pumpkin.
“We miss you. We’ve missed out on so much of your life. On our grandbabies lives. All because…” she hesitates.
“Go on, Mum,” Flame urges her to continue.
“Because of this club.” The hard glint in her eyes makes the bikers in close proximity all puff out their chests, including me.
“You just had a chance to redeem yourself, Mother, and you just lost it. I think you should go.” Flame drops her hand from her Mother’s like it’s burned her and turns to face me.
“It’s Christmas, Willow. We should see you at Christmas time—”
Flame snaps around. “You can see us at any time of the fucking year, Mum, you choose not to!”
Helen straightens out her shirt, blinking a few times, and then sighs. “Well… I want this Christmas to be different. We thought maybe you could bring the children around for a visit? Have some Christmas spirit, dear.”
“Why now?”
Phil steps forward looking at me this time. “We’re not getting any younger. It’s time to celebrate our lives with the family we have. Whether we approve of your choices or not, it’s the family you chose, and it’s painfully clear you’re not choosing another life. So, if we want to see you and our grandbabies, we need to accept Steel as the father of your children and your choice to live… here, even though God sees all.”
“I know there was a compliment in there somewhere,” I tease. Flame smirks as Helen curls her lip up at me.
“What we mean is… we’re not saying we like this life you’ve gotten yourself into, but if we want you to be a part of our lives, then we need to accept it…” he hesitates looking to me again. “… and accept Steel.”
“Aww, thanks, Pops,” I tease. Helen gasps while Phil shakes his head.
“No… don’t do that,” Helen berates as Flame wraps herself around me smiling wide. “So, you will bring the children over?”
Flame looks up at me as if seeking my approval. I’m torn. I know our children. They’re fucking little devils. They will probably tear the Arbors’ home apart. I inwardly chuckle. Well, they did ask for it. If they want our four kids at their place, then they can suffer the damn consequences. Smirking, I nod subtly to Flame and then turn to Phil and Helen. “Sure, we’ll bring them over soon… all four of them.”
Helen turns up her nose. “We meant your biological children… you know, the three younger ones.”
Sighing, I slump a little as Flame jolts back in the same shock I’m in. I go to let loose, but Flame steps in front of me before I even get a chance.
Here we go!
“Jackson may not be our blood, but he is our son, and part of our family. If he doesn’t go, none of us do, you miserable old—”
Phil grabs Helen’s arm. “Helen, don’t be unreasonable. He’s part of their family. He helped bring Steel and Willow together,” Phil interrupts Flame’s insult.
A memory floods my mind of a five-year-old Jackson running across a busy road into oncoming traffic. I stepped into the path of a car to rescue him just in time. He escaped from the kindergarten Flame was working at. It’s how we met. If it weren’t for Jackson, I would have ridden past the kindergarten that day and never met her.
I would have never met Jackson.
A chain of events wouldn’t have been set into motion.
Things would be so fucking different.
But it is what it is.
Shit happened.
Through my actions, and their consequences, both of Jackson’s parents died, and so we opted to adopt him. Sure, he was and is a handful, but he has been the light of our lives, and we would never treat him as anything other than our son.
“Exactly, Dad, and if Mum can’t see that, then you have no place in our family,” Flame states harshly and with such a fierce determination my cock twitches.
She’s so hot when she’s angry.
Helen swallows a lump in her throat, but nods. “Okay, I’m sorry. I understand he’s a part of your family, and so he’s a part of mine. He’s welcome, too.”
“You’d want to fuckin’ hope so,” I mumble under my breath.
Helen glares at me, and I can’t help but smirk. I love winding the bitch up. Stupid, cranky old shit. She’s only ever done one fucking right thing in her life in my eyes, and that was bringing my Flame into the world. Other than that, honestly, I have no damn time for her.
“Am I welcome to come, or is this just a Flame and kids excursion?” I ask.
Helen cocks her head like she hadn’t thought it through, but it’s looking tempting in her eyes as Flame snorts out a laugh.
“Ha! No, Mum, Steel comes too, or none of us will.”
Helen waves her hand through the air. “Fine, fine! But I want everyone dressed appropriately. The neighbours will probably be watching.”
“I won’t even wear my cut, how’s that?” I ask trying to fight back a grunt.
Helen’s eyes sparkle. “You’d do that? For us?”
I let out a small laugh. “I’m not an arsehole, Helen. Much to your disapproval of me, I can be generous… sometimes. It is Christmas.”
She lets out a small giggle as she turns to Phil with a smile. “Well, then, Christmas Eve? Brunch? Our house?”
Flame looks at me, and I nod giving her approval. “Yeah, we’ll be there. Just no preaching, okay? We’re not about that, not me, definitely not Steel, and we’re not bringing the kids up in that—”
“The kids should learn about religion, Will—”
“Mum, non-negotiable.”
Helen smiles with a nod. “Okay, see you at nine.”
Helen looks me up and down with a sneer and shakes her head.
“We’ll walk you out.” I grab Flame’s hand and stride with her and her parents to the red door then out into the compound. We make it to their car, and they both turn around looking at Flame.
“We love you, Willow, just know that.”
She sinks into my side with a heavy sigh. “I know. I love you guys, too. Despite it all, I love you.”
Helen opens her arms up signalling a hug, and Flame exhales letting me go. She steps forward and embraces her mother for the first time in two years. I fold my arms over my chest standing back watching them. It’s good she’s reconnecting with them again, even if they are batshit crazy fuckers. You can’t choose your family. I of all people know that. For all his faults, my dad was a wild card, it’s what got him killed in the end.
Pain sears through my chest thinking of the old fool. Christmas is hard, even harder now I have kids to share it with. I could imagine the crazy old fucker dressing up as Santa, and taking my boys for rides on his Hog dressed as the fat man. But he had to go and get himself killed.
The life of a biker.
A falling leaf catches my attention, and I smirk remembering what Dad told me before he died. That if I ever see a falling leaf, it’s him watching over me. Sappy fucking shit I know, but it always makes me feel like he’s still with me, the old arsehole. For all his flaws, for all the shit he put me through, for all the torment he put Flame and my brothers through, I should hate him, but in the end, he’s still my dad, and he had his reasons. He was just as tormented in the end. I glance up to the white fluffy clouds nodding my head once before turning back to Flame with her parents.
Flame pushes into my side, and I embrace
her tightly, needing her comfort right now even if she doesn’t know as I press my lips to her flaming red hair. Phil and Helen drive out of the compound with Flame waving to them and we collectively exhale. Seeing them is tough, especially after so long. We need to take a second just to breathe.
I wrap my arms around my Old Lady and look into her glassy eyes. “You doin’ okay?”
She inhales long and deep while she ponders that question. “Honestly, I thought I was never going to see them again, and bam, they show up out of the blue wanting to see the kids. It’s so strange, Steel.”
I chuckle. “Christmas does weird shit to everyone.”
She brings her hand up to my bearded cheek and smiles at me. “You seem down. They didn’t get in your head, did they?”
I smile at her. “Helen and Phil? Fuck no. I’ve had years of their bullshit.”
“So you’re okay?” she asks even though she can read me like a damn book.
“Nothin’ some lovin’ won’t fix.” I chuckle turning her and slapping her arse hard as she takes off running toward the door of the clubhouse. I run after her, and I’m happy that after three kids and adopting another, we’re still big kids at heart. She scampers inside the clubhouse trying to outrun me, but I swoop in on her fast, my hands running up her skirt to grab her arse through her lace panties. She screams as she swats at my hands, while Gator and Techie waltz up to us laughing at our playful behaviour.
“Steel, stop it!” Flame chides in an all-joking manner. She spins in my arms throwing herself at me. I laugh as Techie and Gator step up next to us killing my mood.
“Sorry to interrupt—”
“Then don’t,” I murmur and lean in kissing Flame’s neck.
She swats at me again, pushing my forehead away from her as she pulls her skirt down and steps away from me with a giggle then clears her throat. “Sorry, pres, please continue,” she says.
“Kiss arse,” I mock as Gator and Techie grin while she sways from side to side in a cute fashion.
“Someone has to keep you in line, VP,” Flame chimes, and I glare at her.
“I’m comin’ to get you after this!”
She giggles as Gator steps in front, blocking my view of Flame. He raises his brow and exhales. “Steel, control your teenage hormones for just one second. What’s going on with Ma and Pa Kettle?”
I scoff. “You do realise they’re nothin’ like the characters Ma and Pa Kettle, right?”
“What-the-fuck-ever, just fill me the fuck in.”
Flame spins around, and he steps back into his previous position. “They want us to come over Christmas Eve… with the kids.”
Techie lets out a ‘hmm’ sound. “You going to?”
“Yeah, the kids should see their grandparents. I mean they see Amelia all the time. And don’t get me wrong, Steel, your mother is utterly amazing, but they should know their other side as well… yeah?”
I shrug as Techie looks up to the ceiling, and I groan slumping my body knowing we’re in for a fact session, and it’s eminent blurting from his mouth. “The thing is that seventy-two percent of grandparents think being grandparents is the single most important and satisfying thing in their entire life. Not only that, but sixty-three percent think they can do a better job caring for their grandchildren than they did with their own children. I guess it’s from learning from the mistakes they made first time around and all that.
“But, I think the one that’s most important here, Flame, is that sixty-eight percent of grandparents say that being one, brings them closer to their adult child.
“So if you look at it that way, maybe Helen and Phil are wanting to see the grandkids to be closer to their adult child… that’s you, Flame, in case you missed that part… sixty-eight percent chance anyway.”
Flame looks at me, and I raise my brow in a shrug. It’s probably true. This is most definitely a bad idea, but family is important. We all know this. Every one of us.
“Well, go see what’s up. If it’s a complete failure, then you just go back to the way shit was, and at least you tried,” Gator suggests.
Techie slaps my shoulder for comfort, and Gator nudges into Flame’s side. “And no matter what, just know we’ll be here, all of us, for anything you need,” Gator offers, and I smile at my president and good friend.
“Thanks, Gator, that means a lot,” Flame offers to the hulk of a man, covered in black and grey tattoos. His longer than normal blond hair back in a man bun today. He turns to walk off, but as he does, Irina strolls up grabbing his attention.
“Pres, I need your attention as well as VP and Techno if I can for a moment?” Her Russian accent coming through thick and heavy as we all look at her stunning face. For a club girl, she really could branch out and be a model, her and her twin sister, Marina, who’s also a club girl. The Azarov twins could do anything they want, but they love this club, and they get everything they need here, so they stick around. Which makes everyone happy, especially the younger brothers of the club, the ones who aren’t tied down with old ladies.
“Irina, good job with the decorating. Where’s your sister? She slacking on the job?” Gator asks with a hint of teasing in his tone.
Irina swallows hard like she isn’t joking about. Her eyes glass over like she is trying to hold it together. “Pres, she… she’s been gone longer than usual. She was going out to buy candy canes for the children much to her displeasure, but this was four hours ago.”
Tension ripples through me as I glance to Techie. “Is there a way to trace her? Look for her somehow?” I ask.
Techie scoffs like I’ve said the stupidest thing on the face of the planet. Shifting his glasses up his nose, he puffs out his chest looking right at me. “24 GPS satellites orbit the globe at approximately 12,000 miles above the Earth. They travel at approximately 7,000 miles per hour powered by solar energy. The L1 signal is transmitted at 1575.42 MHz (UHF) being designed for civilian use obviously, I mean that’s clear to everyone.”
I widen my eyes wondering what the fuck he’s talking about as he continues, “The three parts of information confined within the signal comprise of almanac data, ephemeris information, and a pseudorandom code. The best part is the code contains an ID for the satellite transmitting the information.” He smiles wide with a small laugh on the end like we’re supposed to know what that all means, but we all just stand here in a kind of stunned silence.
I rub the back of my neck, cocking my brow at him. “Huh?”
His brows knot together as he groans. “Fuck! Do I have to explain every-fucking-thing in plain English to you idiots? We can track her phone!”
“Oooh,” the rest of us all mumble in understanding.
Irina pats Techie on the arm. “Techno, why you no just say this in first place?”
“It’s Techie! How many times do I have to tell you this, Irina? Fuck!” He rubs a hand through his hair. “Gadget, will you come over here? I need you to help me track Marina’s mobile,” Techie calls out, making us all chuckle at his mini-tantrum.
Gadget strolls over with his tracker bobbing his head up in a greeting. “What’s going down? Especially since Techie called me in to help?”
“Don’t get excited, I want them to pick on you not me for a fucking minute,” Techie grunts.
Gadget smirks as he pulls up Marina’s number in the tracking system they have developed. We have all the brothers, club girls, and old ladies’ mobiles fitted with tracking devices in case something like this happens, and we need to find them. So, Gadget pulls up Marina’s file and searches. We all look over his shoulder, but to our surprise, her mobile is off. The tracking works only if the mobile is operational.
“Derr`mo!” Irina calls out in her native Russian tongue.
“Shit is correct! If her mobile is off, we can’t track her. This doesn’t feel right,” Techie announces what we’re all feeling.
Something is very wrong.
Gator steps in front of Irina as she begins to panic. Her breathing rushes, and tea
rs well in her eyes as she shakes her head from side to side frantically.
“Irina, talk to me… what’s going on?” Gator asks with a firm but steady voice.
Her ochre glistening eyes glance up at him as her bottom lip trembles. “I fear for my sister, pres.”
A shudder runs down my spine as I glance at Flame, and she reaches out wrapping her arm around one of our much-loved club girls.
Gator takes in a deep breath. “Irina, be very clear with me now… what’s Marina gotten herself into?”
She sniffles, wiping under her nose. “It’s her ex-lover. He’s been spotted in town. He’s a bad man, Gator. If anyone has her, it will be him.”
Flame wraps herself around Irina as she begins to cry, a sight we rarely see from either of the Azarov twins. They’re normally hard, strong, slightly cocky but never broken.
If Irina is this worried for Marina, we need to do something.
Gator wracks his jaw from side to side. “With no trace of Marina, it’s hard to know where to go from here. “Irina, do you have any background on the guy?”
Irina nods. Techie and Gator both immediately pull out their tech tablets to start typing as soon as she speaks. “His name is Zoryn Novikov. He’s from Russia, and all I know is he was into some seriously bad shit. It’s why she left him so soon after she started seeing him in Russia. It’s why we left the homeland.”
We all open our eyes wide. “So the reason you left Russia has been spotted in our city, and you didn’t think it was a good idea to tell me?” Gator snaps.
Irina grimaces. “We didn’t think he would do anything, it’s been so long.”
I shake my head as I look at her. “Irina, you should have fuckin’ told us. Even if you think there’s no threat, so we could have had Xander or someone tailing you both.”
“Xander? No. The new prospect smells like sautéed onions,” she quips making us all break out into stifled laughter.
