by Addison Jane
We still had no real idea what Piper was going to do, but Optimus and Chelsea had pleaded with her to let the club be involved in the baby’s life. I knew she was wary, but I knew better than anyone that once these people got inside you, they seeped into your bloodstream, filling your heart with more love and support than you could ever ask for.
I had a feeling that was something Piper needed.
And what the club needed too.
We all still felt his loss. His bedroom hadn’t been touched since his death. It became something like a shrine to his memory. A place where we could go to feel his presence. Maybe this would help them heal, to know that they were supporting his child, a child that we all knew he would have fucking loved more than anything.
“You shouldn’t frown so much, you’ll get wrinkles.” I looked up to see Skylar and Chelsea standing in the doorway. A smile tugged at my lips as they stepped inside.
“What’s up?” I asked, shifting over so the girls could sit down.
Chelsea grinned and I instantly looked at her suspiciously.
“I want to get a tattoo.” She shrugged as though she was just talking about what kind of ice cream flavor she wanted today.
Skylar rolled her eyes but was obviously amused by my reaction as I stared at the woman with my mouth hanging open. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you mean after the babies are born.”
She shook her head. “Better get off that limb, because the branch is about to break. I want one now. Rose mentioned you were thinking of getting Leo a tat for Christmas. I want to get one on me… for Op.”
“Chelsea, you have humans growing inside you. I’m not even sure that you can get a tattoo.”
“I researched it. There’s nothing to say a pregnant woman can’t get a tattoo. The main concern is dirty needles, and we know that Art down at On Point is the most professional tattoo artist out there. He’s like the only one the boys will go to for their tats,” she rambled on as though it was no big deal.
A very unladylike snort shot out my nose. “And you think Art is going to agree to tattoo Optimus’ Old Lady while she’s pregnant and without his permission?”
She waved me off like my comment was invalid. “I have mad powers of persuasion. And I’m pretty sure when I tell him what I want, that he will see how much it will mean to Op.”
“Oh God, what is it?” I groaned.
“Property of Optimus, across my lower back.” She indicated the area with her hand. Chelsea already had a tattoo covering her back of a blackbird, and given she was pregnant, it probably was the only ideal place to get the script.
Strangely, I found myself warming to the idea. I’d been thinking of getting Leo a tattoo for Christmas, but Leo was quite capable of paying for his own tattoo, and I wasn’t even sure there was anything he really wanted.
“Uh-oh, she’s considering it.” Skylar laughed. “Don’t tell me… now you want one too?”
I remembered talking to Chelsea once about property patches.
We each had one, but we only really wore it if there was another club that we weren’t familiar with coming to visit, or if we were on some kind of run with the boys. It kept us safe, knowing that other men wouldn’t approach us or confuse us with club girls and start shit that our boys would have to finish.
Permanently inking Property of Leo wasn’t exactly my style, though.
It was very much Chelsea.
The club had been her life for a long time and would be forever more. They gave her everything she never had before, after her parents were murdered and she spent the rest of her younger years moving from foster home to foster home. Op was her everything.
The club was her everything.
Which is what made her the perfect first lady.
“I could add to my family tree,” I said aloud, becoming excited about the idea.
I knew Leo was my forever and my forever was my family tree. I told him once that I’d put off adding Simon onto it because I just didn’t have that feeling, that knowing. I should have listened to my instincts then, but I won’t ignore them now.
“Okay, I’m in.”
Chelsea bounced happily, clapping her hands. Although she quickly froze, cringing and gripping her tummy. “I need these babies out,” she groaned.
Grinning, I patted her hand softly. “Soon. Let’s go downtown and try to convince Art that he should tattoo you, and that he won’t have a furious president coming to beat his ass down for doing it.”
“That’s gonna take a lot of convincing.” Skylar laughed.
“Oh… you underestimate me, young one,” Chelsea replied in a Yoda-like voice and a smirk on her face.
She was right.
Art was apprehensive to begin with, but in the end agreed to work on us the day before Christmas. That was our only option at this stage, given we both knew that we wouldn’t be able to hide tattoos from our men for a week.
We stopped at Rose and Blizzard’s house on the way home. Their court case was tomorrow and I wanted to make sure she was doing okay.
She answered the door with a bright smile, already more than I expected to see. “Come in.”
Strolling through the entranceway, it was hard not to feel the warmth of the home they had created here. It was a family home, one that instantly made you feel like you wanted to sit down to a home-cooked meal, or curl up on the sofa with a soft blanket and watch a movie. It was just comfortable.
“How’s everything going?” I asked as I took a seat on the sofa.
We all giggled, as we watched Chelsea back up then drop herself onto the large armchair with a sigh of relief. “You girls know you’re gonna have to pull me out of here, right?”
“We may need to call in a crane,” Rose muttered under her breath.
Chelsea shot right back. “You just wait till you’re pregnant,” she snapped, pointing her finger and wiggling it. “And don’t laugh, because we know as soon as you get custody of Jayla, Blizzard is gonna have you popping out baby after baby to fill this huge house.”
“Speaking of Jay,” I interrupted, rolling my eyes at Chelsea’s dramatic rant. “Are you ready for tomorrow?” I asked Rose as she dropped into the seat beside me.
She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I think so. Blizzard is so confident, but he won’t tell me why. I guess it just makes me feel better knowing that they’ve found something we can use.”
Chelsea nodded. “Sometimes it’s better not to know. Trust them. They will do what they think is best.”
“Yeah. It’s just hard when there’s so much on the line,” she agreed, forcing a smile. “She needs to be with us, there’s no other option.”
It was true. From what little Leo had told me, it didn’t exactly sound like her parents were stand up citizens. Blizzard and Rose deserved credit for everything they had done for Jay.
“So, where have you girls been?”
Chelsea’s eyes lit up like a small child on Christmas morning. “Guess what I’m getting Op for Christmas.”
As expected, Blizzard and Rose won their case for custody of Jayla.
The club really rallied around them.
To say Jayla’s grandparents were unhappy with the verdict was an understatement, but the judge’s ruling was firm and final.
With a little less pressure on the club, we were all looking forward to going and watching the high school football game. It was a chance to relax, have some fun and eat good food. Maybe not for us, since most of the brothers would be working the game, trying to keep the team and the spectators on the straight and narrow.
Hadley had picked up Meyah, and I could see them sitting in the stands close to where I was patrolling. Chelsea, Rose, Skylar, Kat, Lucy and Jess all sat with them. My brothers Camo, Kev, and Skins sat just behind them.
With trouble possible, I wanted to make sure that if we needed to get them out in a hurry, my brothers would be right there. I trusted those men with my life and the lives of the people I c
ared for.
Macy, Jayla, and Harlyn sat on a couple of chairs in the middle of the line of girls. Macy spotted me and waved enthusiastically. I chuckled and waved back.
This was her first football game. Teach them early I say.
The game went off without a hitch, but as it came to an end, it was clear that Athens was going to win and the visiting crowd was getting restless. I pulled my cell from my pocket and dialed Kev’s number.
“Yo.”
“I suggest you get all the girls moving. Get them to the vehicles and see them home,” I ordered as I waved my hand to catch Optimus’ attention from where he was down field.
“Come on girls, time to get going,” I heard Kev say and looked back to find him ushering all the girls out of their seats. His eyes met mine. “You expecting trouble?”
“Athens is winning, and the crowd is getting more and more restless. These people aren’t known for keeping level heads, they’re too competitive. I just need them to be out of here as a precaution.”
He nodded and gave me a thumbs up as the line went dead.
“There’s a couple parents down there already arguing with some of the home crowd,” Op added, his muscles flexing. “Managed to stop the fight before it started, but I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”
The final buzzer went off and a loud roar went up from the crowd. Helmets were ripped off heads and thrown in the air with a scream of victory from the home side. The Athens defensive team sitting on the sidelines took off running, leaping on the backs of their teammates and falling to piles on the ground as they crowed in victory. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I watched them celebrate as state champions.
“They deserved this shit, man. Went all season undefeated,” Op said in complete awe. “Quarterback carried them through. Heard he already has a scholarship to play in coll—”
“Leo!” Ham’s scream had me almost screaming as I searched the crowd for his voice. Catching him sprinting at full force toward the center of the field, the Athens team was walking around the edge of the stadium, waving, as the crowd cheered and chanted for them.
“Shit!” I cursed before digging my foot into the ground and throwing my body into a run. I knew I wouldn’t make it in time. Instead, I had to watch it happening in slow motion. “Stop!” I screamed as I watched the visiting team’s captain walk up behind Athens quarterback with a metal pole. He had it swung backward, and I knew what he intended to do with it next.
I swear I’ll never forget the scream of pain that came from that poor kid. It was earth shattering, hitting me as if I’d been slapped across the head and sending a wave of chills through my body.
The Athens kid crumbled as the pole connected with the back of his knees, and I swear I could hear the bones crunching and moving. Ham was about five seconds too late, but he did just what I wanted to do to that fucking kid with the bat, hit him at full force with a shoulder in the center of his back and sent him sprawling to the ground with a frightful cry.
He tried to scramble to his feet, but Ham was a lot bigger—the kid had put a lot of weight on in the last year. Ham pinned him, straddling his body, and when he still attempted to struggle, a sharp fist connected with his jaw.
The crowd, in complete outrage screamed and yelled as I threw myself to the ground with the Athens kid, trying to calm him as he rolled and writhed in excruciating pain.
The coaches surrounded us. A medical team getting to work right away while Deacon rushed over, taking the little shit who had the pole into custody but not before allowing Ham a few extra throws of his fist.
I looked around, watching as my team, both brothers and security managed to begin escorting the spectators from their seats and directing them toward the carpark. Some stared on in worry. Others objected and threw around profanities and bullshit statements encouraging the little assholes actions.
We spent a good twenty minutes, herding people like cattle and breaking up more fights than I could count on both hands.
“Fucking bullshit,” Blizzard cursed, holding a can of soda against his eye.
I smirked, pulling my cell from my pocket to check on Hadley before I rounded the guys up. “You catch one?”
“Did I what,” he groaned. “I’m not sure what’s more painful, Jayla kicking me in the nuts accidently when we play fight, or my bruised ego knowing that this shiner came from a five foot nothing teenage girl.”
It felt good to laugh after the last few hours of stress, focusing on getting this shit right and keeping everyone safe. Guilt had settled in my stomach, knowing that I let something so simple slip by me. Knowing I should have been paying better attention.
“I would definitely—” Looking down at my phone, my heart stopped. I could practically feel the life drain from my body. Numb, my entire body had run numb. Those words staring back at me like God haunting me.
Laughing at me.
I couldn’t let him have another one.
He wouldn’t have another person I loved.
Five. Missed. Calls.
Kev: With Hadley and Meyah. Shots Fired. Clubhouse now.
“How about I take Macy and Harlyn home with me so the girls can have a play,” Rose suggested as we got to our cars. All three girls jumped up and down in glee, their bright faces making it an easy decision.
Kat, Lucy, Jess and Skylar all waved as they climbed in Lucy’s car. They were going to do last minute shopping while the stores were still open late for Christmas and then meet us at the clubhouse later. Leo had invited the boys from the security firm back to have a few drinks and check out the club. He said a few were thinking about patching in which was exciting.
The Brothers were growing and growing.
The club getting stronger and fiercer.
“I’ll come, too,” Chelsea commented, rubbing her belly and looking down at it with a frown. “I’m not feeling so good.”
I placed my hands over hers, breathing in relief when I felt her two little ones fighting each other for space inside that tiny compartment. That was a good sign. It meant they were okay. Pressing my hand to her forehead, she was sweating slightly, but that could be because she was so damn uncomfortable.
We loaded Chelsea in Rose’s car with all the car seats and boosters with help from Kev and Camo. Skins got on his bike, following them slowly out of the parking lot.
A loud roar went up from behind us, and both Camo and Kev grinned. “Sounds like we won!”
Camo hooted, throwing his fist in the air. The noise of the crowd echoed into the vast parking lot, and I screwed up my nose as I could tell it wasn’t all cheers of victory and celebration. There was an angry tone that sent shivers through me.
“Maybe you guys should go back in and help Leo,” I suggested as I placed my hand on Meyah’s back and guided her to the passenger’s side of the truck.
Kev frowned for a moment before patting Camo on his shoulder. “You go help, I’ll get the girls home and then come back to see if everything’s good.”
Cam gave Kev a snappy salute before jogging back to the stadium entrance, nodding to Phil who was standing guard outside with all the brothers’ polished bikes looking alert but completely bored out of his mind. Phil wasn’t the sharpest, but he had a huge heart and never complained about being given the shitty jobs around the place. Since Ham was patched in, he seemed to have been dumped with a lot more of them alongside Skins and Neil.
“You dropping Meyah off home?” Kev asked before I climbed inside the truck. I looked to Meyah who shook her head.
“Can I come to the clubhouse for a couple hours?” she pleaded, her Bambi doe eyes already melting my insides. “Denver has friends over and I just can’t deal with that at the moment.”
Kev chuckled, and I turned to him with a smile. “Clubhouse it is.”
He nodded and jogged over to his bike. I turned the engine but waited until he was moving before I pulled out of the parking space and headed for the road, Kev rumbling behind us.
I smiled as
Meyah talked happily about the game. Apparently, Nick had been playing and every time she watched him get sacked hard by the opposing team, it gave her a little relief. Especially, when the coach ended up sidelining him because in her words, “he sucked.”
We even made a quick stop at the store and got an ice cream to celebrate Nick’s downfall.
I didn’t see Neil as we pulled in through the clubhouse gates. They were open but I assumed he knew to be expecting everyone back soon.
I should have never assumed.
As I pulled Leo’s truck in next to the concrete wall, Kev glided in, parking his bike next to the clubhouse where all the brothers would usually line their babies in perfect formation. Things began to slow down, the click of Meyah’s seatbelt as she took it off, the sound of my door opening as I pulled the handle, then the frightened tone of Kev’s voice as he screamed at us to run.
I startled, my eyes instantly searching for the danger.
I could see him walking across the gravel, the gun in his hand sparkling with what was left of the daylight as the sun was going down.
Allen Sanders. Jayla’s grandfather.
Grabbing hold of Meyah, I dragged her across the gearshift and handbrake causing her to cry out. But there wasn’t time, we needed to get out. I took a deep breath and peeked up through the windows of the truck just in time to see Allen turn his gun on Kev and scream.
“Don’t fucking move!”
Kev’s hands went up. “Hey man, no harm.”
I knew Kev was armed, being an ex-police officer he never went anywhere without his holster that sat at his lower back. The problem was, I knew Allen would shoot him the moment he reached for it.
Kev inched closer to us as Allen watched him. The man’s hands were shaking and there was sweat forming on his brow. “You two girls, come out, or I shoot him!” he ordered. I looked down at Meyah who was huddled on the ground, tears streaming down her face. “Now.”
I quickly scooped her up in my arms and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were wide with fear, a fear I knew only too well. “Whatever happens, you do not move from behind me, and you do not look over my shoulder. Stay behind me. If I tell you to run, you head straight for the space in the fence and into the clubhouse. Then you hide.”
