"I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry," Grace apologizes in a hushed tone. Standing, I stretch my arms over my head to work out some of the soreness from my back from sleeping on the sofa, and I don't miss Grace's heated look when I go to retrieve my t-shirt off the table in front of me. The clearing of my throat brings her attention away from my body and to my face. "Like what you see, Little Bird?" I ask with a smirk. I'm rewarded with an eye-roll, and I don't miss the slight blush of her cheeks before she turns around and proceeded to fix herself a cup of coffee. After I slip my shirt back on, I stand here a moment and look at my woman and admire her beauty and all that is Grace. I'm a lucky bastard to have found this woman.
Striding up behind Grace, I press my body flush against her back while sweeping her fiery red hair away from the nape of her neck and kiss her gently below her ear. And I purposely grind my erection against her back letting her know the effect she has on me. "Good-mornin', Grace," I rasp.
"Morning," she breathes in return.
"Fix me a cup, would ya? I'm going to hit the head," I say giving her another kiss.
Grabbing my overnight bag from by the front door, I make my way to the bathroom to take care of business. Once I have brushed my teeth and washed my face, I stride back out into the kitchen to where Grace is sitting at the table drinking her coffee, and I take notice of her fidgeting. Taking a seat across from her, I casually pick up my cup and quietly sip on it while waiting for her to speak what's on her mind. After several moments I decide to be the one to break the silence. "You want to tell me what's on your mind, babe?" Tucking a lock of curls behind her ear and straightening her back Grace opens her mouth, closes it, and then opens it again. "I'm not sure if I should come back to Polson. I haven't even decided what to do about Remi. I'm scared to keep her with me, but at the same time, I'm terrified she'll pull another stunt like she did yesterday. I'm a mess, Jake."
"The answers are easy, babe. You and Remi will be coming home with me. We already discussed this yesterday. The plan hasn't changed."
"Jake, I have my daughter to think about." Setting my cup down, I cut her off, "I'm thinking about her too, both of you. Can you honestly sit there and tell me you know of a safer place for the two of you than in Polson with me? Are you prepared to send her back to Glory while you keep running from one town to the next? It's time to get your life back, Grace, you and Remi." Grace's daughter showing up may be working in my favor. Not that I wouldn't have gotten her to come home with me regardless, because I would have tossed her over my shoulder and tied her ass on the back of my bike if need be, but now with Remi in the picture it makes my convincing Grace easier.
The second I see her shoulders slump and she expels a heavy sigh, I know there is no more arguing. "You're right, Jake, it's time to try and move forward and quit running. Now I need to talk with Remi. She wants us back together; I don't think she cares where we go so long as she can come. I'm going to assume you want to leave soon, but I'd like to stop by the diner and talk to my boss before leaving. She's been good to me, and I don't want to go without saying goodbye. And I don't have much to pack, just my clothes. I'm going to go take a shower before Remi wakes up, then I'll make us some breakfast." Grace rambles off.
"Babe," I say getting her attention. "Breathe. Everything is going to be fine."
Remi appears from the hallway in rumpled pajamas and rubbing her sleep filled eyes. "Morning, Peanut. How'd you sleep?" Grace asks standing from the table and going to her daughter. Looking at the two of them side by side I see how remarkably identical their looks are. Remi is a carbon copy of her mom. She has the same blue eyes, same red curly hair, and the same freckles. She is Grace made over.
"Babe, why don't ya go on and take your shower and I'll cook breakfast." I say giving Grace and Remi a warm smile.
"You're going to cook?" Remi asks with a shocked look on her face.
Confused by her reaction, I go to answer her, but Grace beats me to it and what she says has me understanding her daughter's question. "Remi, Jake is not like him. I promise," she tells her daughter in a hushed tone. I don't need to hear more to know what she is talking about. Grace's daughter is not used to seeing a man do what some may call a woman's job. I sit here and silently grind my teeth at the thought of the motherfucker who has poisoned this innocent child's mind. She has no idea how a real man acts and treats those he loves and cares for.
Standing from my seat at the table, I walk over to the sink placing my cup inside. I stand here briefly so I can get my anger under control before I turn my attention back to Grace and her daughter. "How about I whip up some pancakes? You like pancakes don't ya, sweetheart?" I ask Remi. Looking at her mother then back at me when Grace gives her a reassuring nod, Remi answers. "Yes, sir, I love pancakes. Do you know how to make them?"
I give her a playful glare, "Of course I do. Maybe not as good as your momma does, but I used to make them all the time for my nephew, Logan. Come on, you can help," I coax, and don't miss the beaming smile on Grace's face when her daughter, without hesitation opens the refrigerator door and proceeds to gather the ingredients needed. Trusting me with Remi, Grace quietly leaves the room and heads in the direction of the bathroom to take her shower. As I'm opening and closing several cabinets looking for a skillet, Remi asks. "Do you still cook for your nephew?"
"Nah, sweetheart. Not for a long time. Logan is grown now," I chuckle.
"Oh," she says with slight disappointment. When I mentioned a nephew she probably was expecting a kid, maybe someone her age. "He and his wife Bella have a daughter though. Breanna is six months old now." Remi perks up at the news. "Really!"
"Really. There's also Sofia, and she's eighteen. Then we have Reid and Mila and their daughter Ava who is five. Then there is Gabriel and his wife, Alba. They have two children, Gabe is two, and Val is not even one yet."
"Wow! You have a big family."
"I do. You'll get to meet them as soon as we get back to Polson. You'll like them, and they'll love you. I hope you're ready for endless amounts of shopping. I'm sure Bella and Alba will kidnap ya whenever possible and drag you to all their favorite stores."
"I'd like that," she says ducking her head, but I don't miss the big smile taking over her face. Over the next several minutes we go about cooking breakfast in comfortable silence. I catch Remi constantly cutting her eyes over at me like she's studying me. Like she's still not quite sure what to make of this big tattooed biker standing in her mom's kitchen making her breakfast. Once I have placed our food on our plates, I motion for Remi to take a seat at the table. I wait for her to sit before I follow suit. I pass her the syrup for her to use first. "You can use it first," she says quietly. Shaking my head no, I reply, "Ladies first, sweetheart." We are both halfway through our meal before I decide I can no longer bite my tongue. Remi's father had no doubt poisoned her mind. I want her to know that the men she will soon meet and I are not chauvinistic pricks. Remi and I don't know each other so I could try and talk to her and convince her that I am different, but because we are strangers I can talk till I am blue in the face, and it wouldn't do any good. As they say, actions speak louder than words. So, I will have to show her with my actions. I will have to work on gaining her trust. Deciding I need to see where her head is on things and how she is feeling about her current situation, I ask. "Did your momma tell you about going back to Polson? How do you feel about that?"
"She talked to me last night when she was putting me to bed. I want to be where my mom is. Besides, I know she likes it there, and she loves the bakery." Fidgeting in her seat a moment, something she gets from Grace when something is on her mind, I wait patiently for her to speak it. "I've heard my mom talking to my Aunt Glory about you. She likes you."
"Well, I would hope so because I like your mom," I say with a wink, and that earns me a giggle. "Look, I get the feeling you're a smart kid, so I'm going to lay it all out for ya. I care for your mom very much. I want to protect her and make her happy. And because you are a part of her, I wa
nt to do all those things for you too. Now, I am not going to ask you to trust me, because you don't know me. But what I am going to ask you is to give me a chance. A chance to show you that I mean what I say, and I say what I mean. I'm a man who will go to the ends of the earth to protect the people I care about. Your mother is a queen, and she will be treated as such." Not used to hearing someone speak so highly of her mom, Remi stares at me with a stunned look on her face, then quickly recovers and offers me a big smile. "Do we have a deal?" I asked holding out my hand. Placing her small hand in mine we shake, and she answers, "Deal."
"Good, now let's finish eating. We have a long day ahead of us." We finish eating our breakfast, and I breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate my small victory.
8
Grace
In a few hours, I'm heading back to Polson with my daughter and Jake. To say I'm slightly nervous is an understatement. For two years I've built relationships with everyone in town, especially Bella, and for those two years I've been living a lie. On the surface, I worry they will hate me, but deep down in my heart, I know they aren’t like that. My friends are the least judgmental group of people I know.
Then there's Glory. Glory Keller has been my best friend since I was eight years old. If she wasn't with me at my house, I was at hers. Glory's family is very wealthy, but you would never know it because they aren't the kind of people who go about showing it off. We were inseparable. She's also the only person allowed to call me Anna anymore. Little by little I had fewer communications with the people I loved. I noticed a change in Ronan. He was becoming more irritable, and extremely suspicious of everyone around him, to the point we stopped going to family dinners on Sunday, and he also started having an issue with the time I would spend with Glory. Before I knew it, he had control over every facet of my life.
Over time I began to notice all the dirty secrets the De Burca family kept neatly tucked away from outsiders. It got to the point Ronan didn't try to hide the filthy and illegal things he and his 'employees' were up to. I've heard him threatening the lives and livelihoods of so many people I stopped counting. I remember the first time I witnessed him and one of his men beat another man near death. I wanted to turn and leave the room but Ronan ordered me to stay. He wanted me to see what happens to people who didn't do as they were told.
I became a prisoner in my own home. Things got worse once I became pregnant with Remi. Fear of him hurting me and causing harm to my baby had me complying with every command he made. I hide the fact I was keeping in touch with Glory after my mom died for some time until he found a cell phone I had kept secret from him. Remi was three then. That was the first time he ever hit me in front of my daughter.
"Babe, we need to hit the road soon so that we can make it before sunset," Jake walks up behind me and rests his chin on my shoulder then kisses my neck. The contact instantly causes my skin to prickle.
"Okay. Let me give Glory a call before we leave," I tell him.
"I'll be out front when you get done." He gives me a reassuring squeeze and walks away.
Pulling my phone from my back pocket, I give my best friend a call. It rings a few times before she picks up.
"Hey," Glory says, her voice sounding tired.
"You sound exhausted. Still not sleeping well?" I ask her feeling concerned.
"When have I ever? Insomnia has run my life for years. I think I'd freak out if I slept for more than two hours straight," she laughs trying to play it off. It's true. Ever since she was teenager, she has suffered from insomnia. I sleep like a log, so I can't imagine running on empty all the time as she does. "Well, I'm packed. We should be pulling out and heading to Polson in about thirty minutes. I wanted to give you a call before getting on the road," I tell her.
"I'm so happy you decide to go back to Polson. Jake sounds like a good guy, and he will do anything it takes to protect you and Remi," She admits.
"You going to be okay by yourself? You’ve had her company for the past two years," I tell her.
"I'll miss her presence, but Remi is right where she needs to be, with you," Glory quickly responds.
"I promise to call you once we've gotten settled." I sigh and flip the last light switch off in the apartment before stepping outside.
"You'd better," she mocks in a motherly tone, "and tell Remi I love her," she says somberly, which leads me to believe the adjustment of being alone in an empty home will be harder than she realizes.
"I can hear your thoughts. Stop it. I have Bo to keep me company," she says. Bo is her overgrown basset hound.
"I love you. I'll talk to you soon."
"Ditto. Drive safe."
She ends the call, and I shove my phone back into my pocket. With my keys in my hand I lock the door to the duplex. As the landlord suggested, I walk next door and knock. He asked that I leave my keys with my neighbor who also happens to be his grandson. Chris opens the door greeting me with a smile.
"Hi, Grace. Leaving, huh?" He rubs the back of his neck with his hand and quickly glances towards Jake who is mounting his bike.
"Yeah. Please give these to your grandad and tell him thank you for me." I reach into my bag and pull out an envelope. "And this is the two weeks rent I owe him."
"Sure. You take care of yourself, Grace," Chris says with a slight smile.
"You too," I tell him and make my way to my car where my daughter is waiting for me in the front seat. Climbing in, I throw my bag into the back seat. "Put your seatbelt on, Peanut." I instruct my daughter who complies along with a dramatic sigh. Once Jake makes way for me, I back out and head towards the diner.
Before leaving town, I need to swing by and say goodbye to Janet. I called her yesterday-a call I found out she was expecting to let her know I would be quitting. I was worried that I would be leaving her in a tight spot but turns out her daughter is moving back home with her grandchild in a few days and would need a job, so the whole situation worked out perfect.
I pull into the parking lot a few minutes later, and Jake pulls in beside me. "I won't be but just a minute." I turn and address my daughter. "You want anything for the road while we're here? It will be awhile before stopping again."
She puts her earbuds in, "I'm good, Mom."
The door chimes the moment I open it and Janet is standing behind the register handing a receipt with the change to a guy, so I stand off to the side and wait for her.
"Grace," she gives me a motherly hug. "I hate to see you go, hon, but you and I both know you were never happy here. I think your heart was always somewhere else."
Giving her a knowing smile, I hand her my uniform. "You've helped me more than you know, Janet. I'm going to miss you."
Janet reaches into the pocket of her apron, and pulls out a folded envelope containing my last paycheck. "I see my daughter in you. Let's say she's a survivor too." Janet passes the envelope to me, and I tuck it in my back pocket. I'm not going to meddle. I know how to read between the lines as to what she is referring to. I've overheard more than one phone call between her and her daughter and the desperation in her pleading voice every time. I give her a final hug goodbye. "Your daughter is fortunate to have you."
"And you and that man out there on the motorcycle are lucky to have each other," she replies.
On her final words, I leave. I walk up to Jake, "She's a good woman." I turn and look back at the diner. Laying his hands on my hips Jake pulls me in.
"I know, babe. She and I had a little chat the day I came in looking for you."
Surprised by his admission, I raise my brow and wait for him to elaborate.
"She pretty much told me she'd chop my balls off if I hurt ya," he chuckles, then plants a kiss on my smiling lips. Swatting my butt, he tells me to get in the car. Noticing my daughter is in her own little world filled with music as she plays a game on her phone I put the car in drive and turn onto the highway heading east.
After a few hours, we make a quick stop at a rest area inside the Montana state line. I give Remi a few dollars to g
rab herself some vending machine snacks, and we hit the road once again. Deciding now is as good a time as any I decided to talk to her about Jake and me. Reaching across the console, I tug on the earbud in her left ear to grab her attention. She taps the screen of her phone and turns her face towards me giving me her full attention.
"What's up?" she speaks softly.
"I want to talk to you about Jake. I want to know what's going on inside of that head of yours."
She's quiet for a moment. "I feel okay about Jake. He makes you smile, and I like that." She says smiling herself.
I smile back, "I like that too."
"He has kind eyes, and when he talked to me yesterday, he made me feel safe. Dad, always made me feel small and scared all the time. Jake was easy to talk to." Turning her head, she looks out the window at the passing fence posts on the side of the road, "Do you love him like you used to love Dad?" she asks.
"I love him more," I confess to my daughter.
Her focus lands back on me, this time her expression raw with emotions, "Does he love you too? Like really love you?"
I take her hand in mine. "Yes, Peanut, Jake loves me," I assure her. Both finding comfort in the small conversation we held, Remi digs her stash of candy from her bag and holds it out for me to dip my hand in. For the rest of the ride, we eat junk food and sing along to the radio. That one little mother-daughter moment in a sense is freeing for both of us.
With the Polson exit up ahead, Jake passes my car and takes the lead. Taking the street leading away from town I follow him through winding roads for several miles. The people who live out this way are spread out from one another. Slowing Jake's turn signal starts flashing as he turns on a blacktop road. We cross over a stone bridge where a small creek runs before his home comes into view.
UNBREAKABLE: The Kings of Retribution MC Page 6
