by A. J. Downey
Noah was tired, his little head against my shoulder and I figured Rev had successfully worn him out for us. That made mine and Archer’s life a touch easier, at least for tonight, so I reminded myself to thank him when I dropped Noah off tomorrow.
“Put our son to bed, Mel… then come to bed yourself, k?” Archer asked in that low, soothing, husky voice of his that I was becoming so accustomed to.
I nodded gently and told Noah, “Say goodnight to Archer, Baby.”
Noah fussed and rubbed one eye with a tiny fist, before throwing himself at Archer who swept him up before I dropped him.
“G’night, Little Man,” Archer said hugging him.
“Ni Daddy Atcha,” Noah hugged Archer around the neck and we exchanged a look.
“Noah,” I asked, having my suspicions, “Did Rush and Nox tell you to say that?”
He nodded, “Unca Atcha kissed Mommy in her white dress and that makes Unca Atcha Daddy Atcha now,” he said and it was a mouthful. I was proud of him, but I was also grateful to Rush and Nox. Archer and I had no idea how we were going to explain it to Noah, now, it seemed we wouldn’t have to.
“Uncle Nox tell you that?” Archer asked and Noah nodded.
“Remind me to thank Nox,” I uttered and Archer hugged Noah, bouncing him a bit and moved over to our son’s crib to put him down.
“Yeah, no shit,” Archer said and winced before I could say it. I closed my mouth and smiled raising an eyebrow. “Go on, I got this,” he murmured and I nodded.
“Ni ni Mommy!” Noah called and I waved at him.
“Night, night, Baby!”
I went into the bedroom and swung the door closed enough to hide behind it while I changed out of my uniform. I wanted to shower, but my tired, aching feet had other ideas when it came to me standing around. I hung my head and Archer, who could still see me through the crack in the door called out, “What’s wrong?”
“I need a shower but I’m really tired and my feet are killing me.”
“Shower,” he ordered and I sighed.
“Yeah…”
I made it quick, resisting the urge to live under the siren’s call of hot water for longer than it took to wash my body and hair. Stepping out onto the bathmat, I knew regret and with a reluctant sigh, I toweled off and slipped into the gorgeous satin and lace pajama set that Archer had gifted me the first night of our honeymoon. Of course, I hadn’t had occasion to wear it since then.
I slipped out into the bedroom and raised an eyebrow, Archer had the wedding gifts piled on one side of the bed. The other he patted and told me, “Get over here.”
I sat down next to him on the edge of the bed and he lifted my feet into his lap. It was an awkward position for me to maintain sitting up, so I lay back against the pillows. We’d opened the few gifts that had been labeled for the honeymoon. Aside from Rush’s simple box filled with bath accessories from Hayden, there had been massage oil scented like the little heliotrope flowers from our wedding, that had been from Nox, and a little matching bottle of perfume from Everett. Mandy had sent a box of chocolates infused with things considered in some cultures to be an aphrodisiac.
Rush had sent along a tube of lubricant called ‘anal eaze’ which made me blush brightly and had Archer suggest we would definitely be using it in the near future, which we hadn’t yet; I was still warming to the idea. The last honeymoon gift from the wedding had been from Blue and had been another of Rush’s simple wooden boxes that had contained a blindfold, as well as a whole bunch of sensation causing implements. From a set of wicked metal claws Archer could put on his fingertips, to a spikey little needle sharp wheel on a metal handle, to silk and velvet scarves as well as a little page of instructions that had been beautifully written in calligraphy.
We hadn’t precisely gotten to that box either, and I’d been impressed at how much these little boxes had held and that Archer had fit them into his saddle bag. Now, I looked dubiously at the small pile beside us and sighed.
“You insisted on the ‘thank you’ notes,” he smiled and handed me a notepad and pen and I arched an eyebrow at him.
“It’s been a long day,” I said.
“Yeah and I put that frown on your face, it was the only thing I could think of to turn that frown upside down.” He started to rub my aching feet which he’d placed in his lap and I let my eyes drift shut.
“That’s a really good start,” I said faintly and he chuckled. We lapsed into a few moments of silence and eventually, I broke it with, “Are you sure you have to go?”
“Melody…” his tone held an edge of warning.
I gave him a look and he almost softened in reaction to it. He raised an eyebrow in a silent bid for me to speak.
“If your word is absolute in everything, this probably isn’t going to work. I’m allowed to have misgivings and feelings about this…”
“No one said otherwise, Baby,” he said pressing in a painful spot on the sole of my left foot that very nearly made me yelp. He instantly eased up on the pressure with an apologetic look.
“You may not be saying it, but you’re certainly toeing the line of you’re going to do it because reasons and fuck what I think,” I said unhappily.
Archer frowned, “Hey, did I say that?”
I searched his face, “No,” I admitted. He hadn’t, not in so many words, but the feeling came across just the same.
“I’m doing this for me, but also for you and for Noah,” he said softly. “The shit ain’t right, it’s in our by-laws and they’re fucking up big time. It’s as much for the good of my brothers and holding their chapter of this club together as it’s anything.”
I could see the war in his eyes, his loyalties divided. On the one hand, he had ties with the Arizona chapter, ties that were forged in blood, tears, and years spent with them. He’d served time with them, and had done countless things with them and for them. They were his brothers, but so too were the brothers here, in his new chapter, where he now lived.
“So what you’re saying, without saying it, is that the club is the thing and the Arizona boys are straying too far from that?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying, but I won’t go into any more detail than that.”
I nodded, pressing my lips together, “That I find to be fair.”
He nodded and looked thoughtful, “I promise to work on some things; I don’t need you feeling like you can’t talk to me, or that I’m completely unreasonable. I know I can be bull headed, Mel…” he looked down at his work roughened hands where he pressed his thumbs gently into the aching, tender flesh of my foot, “I’m working on things.”
“I know you are,” I said and felt my eyes grow glassy. I think I was beginning to love Archer for real. This welling and sudden outpouring of emotion at his fragile words of truce were certainly evidence of that. “I appreciate it, more than I can possibly express, and I guess I’m just having a little separation anxiety is all…”
He looked at me, freezing, and searching my face carefully, “I didn’t think about that, I’m sorry.”
Archer wasn’t the kind of man to apologize lightly, so that, more than anything, told me just how much he had changed and was trying since coming out to the mother chapter. I spoke it out loud as much for me as for him, “It scares me. The last time a man I loved got onto his bike and drove away, it was the last time I ever saw him.”
“I promise you, I’m coming back.”
“In one piece,” I demanded and he smiled.
“All my pieces intact,” he agreed.
“Good.”
He smiled and moved on to my other foot saying lightly, in a much needed change of subject, “Grab that one over there; I’m almost afraid of what Rush went and gave us.”
I smiled and pulled one of the largest wrapped boxes across the bed towards me, “If it’s something insane, I reserve the right to smack him without getting penalized for disrespecting a brother.”
Archer laughed, and I tore into the paper, eyes growing wide. The
tube of anal lube had been addressed to me, this, however, was addressed to Archer and it was a beautiful wooden chess set, raised with little drawers on all four sides. Two sides held the light and dark pieces, and the other two, carved light and dark checker coins. It was beautiful, and so detailed. I looked up at Archer.
“I had no idea you played chess,” I murmured.
“Used to play with Grind. Nox has been upping his game though. Dragon and Doc both play too. I’ll be teaching Noah, but I’ll start with the checkers.” I smiled, and thought about the photos I would certainly be taking of the biker and the small boy playing over the beautiful wooden board.
“That one is from Rush, too, addressed to Noah.”
I pulled it closer and unwrapped a handmade Jenga set that’d been put together from many different shades of woods. For a simple stacking game, it was awfully sophisticated looking and beautiful. Rush didn’t do anything half assed when it came to his craft.
“I see a game room in our future,” Archer uttered.
“What else could he possibly make?”
“Backgammon, cribbage, Chinese checkers; hell, I’ve seen him make a wooden battleship board and he was still building a Monopoly board, he was just trying to figure out how to get the cards and money to match the classier wood setup.”
I laughed, “Seems like it’s an awfully expensive use of wood.”
“Most of this was made from scraps, believe it or not. He doesn’t let anything go to waste and he has a lot of wood in his shop that he literally just went out into the woods and picked up random chunks and fallen limbs to make shit out of.”
I shook my head, “He’s wasted as a mechanic,” I murmured, “He should be making a living at his woodcraft.”
“I’ve said the same thing, but you know Rush.” Archer lifted a shoulder in a shrug and I nodded.
I smiled, a lot of the rest of the gifts were things that belonged in a house, not the small one bedroom apartment we were in. From Ghost and Shelly, we’d received a beautiful full set for a bathroom. Shower curtain, bath mats, towels, soap dispensers, toothbrush holder – you name it. It was all very beautifully done in varying shades of purple and lavender and I couldn’t wait to have a place to put them all. For now, I simply piled them neatly on top of one of the bins that had things in it Noah and I weren’t using daily.
“Oh hey, this one is from Nox to you.”
I opened it to find a beautiful little box, maybe twelve by fourteen or sixteen inches. Nox did some woodcraft with his twin, but I could tell. This may have come from Nox’s mind but it was Rush’s execution and more than made up for the honeymoon gift. It had little pockets and places and they were for things like Noah’s first tooth along with jewelry or what have you. There were places for other, subsequent children’s milestones and the whole thing was a bit overwhelming to me. I set it down in my lap and Archer rubbed a gentle hand up and down my shin.
“You okay?”
“Your brothers certainly know how to do it, don’t they?”
“Yeah, yeah they do.”
“Okay, I don’t know that I should do anymore tonight, I’m gonna cry for real if I do.”
Archer chuckled, “You’re tired. You get more emotional when you’re tired, I’ve noticed that about you.”
I nodded, I couldn’t be mad at him for making astute and accurate observations. Even if the way he said it did come off as just a little bit sexist.
We went to bed, and even though it wasn’t our first night sharing the bedroom in the apartment, it still felt strange. I was so used to sleeping in this bed alone. I had to admit, though; I felt a million times safer and slept at least one hundred times better wrapped in Archer’s arms.
There was something to be said about that safe, protected feeling I got from being with a man. I know, I guess I could be sexist too, but that didn’t stop it from being any less true.
Chapter 26
Archer
Dealing with my old chapter had been tough for a number of reasons, one of which had been the loss of all respect for my former chapter’s president. A dude, I had erroneously, but seriously looked up to before my time spent with Dragon’s chapter. After a little more than a year under Dragon’s roof, I’d picked up pretty hard that the old AZ chapter had been doing a few things wrong.
In the beginning, I hadn’t thought anything of it, chalking it up to being a dog eat dog world and the fact that we’d all pretty much been raised in a shitty environment. Running guns across the Mexican border didn’t make no never mind, and under Dom, we’d taken his version of ‘no women, no children’ to mean something vastly different than what the original charter now did.
We’d figured it’d just meant leave the women and children of our enemies out of it. Now I knew different; after that whole mess with Dani, I’d been schooled in the actual meaning. Still, it wasn’t until Melody that I fully came to appreciate and understand it.
Dom hadn’t been too happy when we’d showed up. He’d been even unhappier when he’d come out of a closed door conversation with Dragon, Trigger, and Data. It’d been agreed upon, with my personal stake on all sides, that even as Road Captain for the first SHMC chapter, I needed to wait this one out.
When they’d come out of the room, Dom had looked pissed, his steely gaze falling right on me.
“You fuckin’ serious, bro?” he demanded.
“Yeah,” I answered him grimly.
“You went and married that snatch, and now it’s a big fuckin’ issue how we do things? Shit, she’s just a goddamned club whore! Whatever happened to ‘bro’s before ho’s’?” he demanded. Dragon made a disgusted noise and Trigger looked like he’d just plain smelled something bad. Data remained stone-faced.
I felt my blood start to simmer and took a slow deep breath, letting it out and counting to ten like they’d made me learn in some anger management class I’d been ordered to take after an assault charge some years back. What I really wanted to do, was punch Dom in the face, but there were some things that were supposed to be left to the SAA. Throwing punches was one of ‘em. I wasn’t SAA, either here or back in my new home. Dom was disrespecting me, sure, but he was also hot headed and not thinkin’ too straight right about now.
“I’m gonna let that slide, but Dom, I’m telling you right now, that’s the last time you talk about my wife an’ Ol’ Lady that way. You get me?” I shook my head, “Mel deserved a hell of a lot better that what you fuckwits gave her. Did you even know she had a kid?” I demanded.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Dom demanded.
I pulled out my phone and lit up the screen to a picture of Melody and my son, Noah, playing on a picnic blanket in the park. We’d gone right before I’d left and I’d been calling her every day, surprised to find how much I missed them both.
I used to think that Dray and the rest of them were fuckin’ whipped. That the pussies on their women must have been made out of gold or some shit. When Mel had hit town, I’d learned quick that it wasn’t their vaginas, but rather their hearts, and I definitely now knew the difference. It was a humbling experience.
Dom was staring at the screen like he’d never seen it before and demanded, “Who the fuck’s is it?”
“Mine,” I uttered and he raised his eyebrows.
“You were diddling Mel behind Grind’s back?” he asked shocked.
“You ain’t a dumb motherfucker, Dom. Grind is gone; that makes the boy my responsibility.” I shook my head, “You knew Mel was head over heels for my fuckin’ brother, when she ghosted, did you think for one minute with anything other than your fuckin’ dick? Did the fact that she was Grind’s woman mean a damn thing to you?”
Dom had scoffed, “Grind never made nothin’ official,” he said.
“Maybe not,” Dragon intoned, “But the last I checked, when a brother went astray, or didn’t live up to his responsibilities as a man, it was his brother’s and president’s responsibility to fuckin’ help him. To get him back on the path to succ
ess, not to leave him on the side of the fuckin’ road. This ain’t what we’re about, Dom, and you fuckin’ know it. I don’t think there’s really anything else to be talkin’ about here. Archer, you good?”
“No, P. I’m not, but you know what? That’s just the way it’s gonna be.” I turned back to Dom, “Brother, do me a solid, pull your head out of your fuckin’ ass.”
With that parting shot, I took myself out of my old fucking clubhouse, straddling my bike and resisting the urge to punch something. Dragon, Trig, and Data came out a few minutes later and got on their bikes. I glared at the closed door of the club from behind my sunglasses and Dragon asked me, “Any other business you got to attend to while we’re here?”
“Yeah,” I uttered. “Shit that should be done solo, though.”
“You know that ain’t how we roll,” Trig grunted and I nodded.
“Yeah.”
We started up the bikes and rolled out, the guys giving me the lead, seeing as I was the one who best knew where I was going. It was a small enough town that just about everybody knew where everyone else lived, they just didn’t give enough of a shit to bother to go over there, except this time? I did.
It was only something like five turns to get to the street I was lookin’ for and when I pulled up to the curb in front of the house, it was to Mel’s mom coming out onto the front porch. I guess the noise from the bikes had gotten her attention.
“What do you want?” she called out before I could take so much as three steps in her direction.
“Just letting you know, Mel and Noah won’t be coming back here; ever.” I told her. She drew herself up, chest all puffed out and I felt myself quickly losing my temper. I bit the inside of my cheek and shook my head, saying, “Just save it, bitch. You’re so damn stuck up that you lost your daughter. You missed her wedding, you’re going to miss out on your grandson growing up, and you’re going to miss out on more grandchildren being born. That is what it is. You did it to yourself, you and that loser judgmental bastard of a husband of yours.”
