“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Badge of honor and all that shit. Got it.”
“Can’t say it’s not a beautiful sight. I’ve missed it a lot,” he said.
“I’ve missed you,” I said as I put my clothes on. “Was that Uncle Mac?”
“You remember him?” he asked.
“How could I forget? He was the one that taught me how to defend myself in hand-to-hand combat.”
“Yeah, that was him. He’s President now.”
“No shit!” I exclaimed.
“Yep. That was him calling me and telling me there was a fucking bug planted in the corner of my windowsill.”
“The DEA?” I asked. “They can’t bug your house, they didn’t have a-”
“It was on the outside. It’s how they got away with it,” he said. “They painted over that shit and everything so we couldn’t see it. Any conversation we had in that foyer was heard.”
“That's how that agent knew my nickname,” I said.
“That’s right. No one else’s house was bugged, though.”
“Ah. That’s why you need to take me to the bar.”
“They probably think I’m cooperating or some shit. Bringing you to the bar will help me piece together for them what’s happened,” he said.
“Gotcha.”
“We can go talk to my mom, I’m sure she’ll be just fine with watching Emery until this all blows over. She’s gonna be safe with her, you know this.”
“I know, I know. I just… I’m so sorry, Hawk,” I said.
“Stop that.”
“I brought you so much fucking trouble, and all because I went on some stupid joyrides,” I said.
“Syd, for all I know the Iron Souls set you up to take the fall for this shit. We’re gonna fix this. We’re gonna make it better again. But you gotta trust me when I tell you that The Road Rebels can help you. We all can. You and Emery will be safe.”
“But won’t they expect me to stay? After this is all said and done, won’t they want me to stay with them?” she asked.
“We can talk about that when the time comes. Lot's changed since you’ve been gone. I think you’ll enjoy the dynamic a bit more,” he said.
“I’m scared,” I said breathlessly.
“And you have every right to be. But I promise you this, Sydney Marshall, so long as you’re by my side, you and Emery both will be safe.”
I looked deep into his eyes and threw my arms around him. I crashed my lips into his, soaking up his strength and courage as his hands dropped to the small of my back. I had no idea what I was walking into, and I had no idea how anyone would react, but all I knew was this.
If my next few steps ensured Emery a stable life, one where I wasn’t thrown into jail, then I would endure whatever ridicule came my way in order to give that to her.
After all the shitty decisions I’d made, it was the very least I could do for my daughter.
Chapter 15
Hawk
I took Syd back to my mother’s house, and we promptly sat her down. Emery was still sound asleep, even as lunchtime began to roll around. Syd wanted to go wake her up, fearful that she wouldn’t sleep tonight if she didn’t wake up now. But my mother insisted that she slept as long as necessary and sat us both down with cups of coffee in front of us.
“Ma, we need to ask you something,” I said.
“And please, feel free to say ‘no,'” Syd added.
“We were wondering if you’d watch Emery for a bit,” I said.
“Is everything all right?” my mother asked. “Did something happen?”
“Well, sort of. We have a way to get us all out of trouble, but it’s gonna require Syd and I sort of… teaming up,” I said.
“And you want me to watch Emery while this all happens back in Nevada,” she said.
“What?”
A groggy Emery was standing at the entrance to the hallway and Sydney ran over and scooped her up. My mother got up and scooped her a bowl of ice cream out of the freezer, covering it with sprinkles and caramel syrup. Emery’s eyes lit up when it was sat in front of her, and we all sipped our coffee while the hungry little girl went to town on her bowl of ice cream.
“Did you sleep okay?” my mother asked her
“I like that room. The TV comes out from behind the bed.”
“What?” Syd asked.
“There’s a small TV in the room Emery was sleeping in. It’s mounted to a twisting arm that hooks up behind the bed. You can bring the television right in front of you while you’re laying down in bed.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s gonna be all over that,” Syd said.
“Miss Emery, I have a question to ask you,” my mother said.
“Is everything okay?” Emery asked.
“Everything’s just fine. My son, Hawk, and your momma have some stuff they have to go do for a couple days,” she said. “Would you like to go with them or stay here with me?”
I felt Syd jump at the question she asked, but I squeezed her thigh to settle her down. If there was one thing my mother was brilliant at, it was communicating with children. They called her the ‘toddler whisperer’ around here because she could always come in and solve any parent’s problems.
We all watched Emery’s face as she thought about the question, her eyes darting around to everyone before landing back on my mother’s face.
“Can I have ice cream for lunch every day?” she asked.
“Ah, a negotiator I see. You get that from your momma,” she said, grinning. “Of course you can. In fact, I’ll have a bowl with you right now.”
Emery’s face beamed, and I heard Syd breathe a sigh of relief.
“We won’t be gone long, sweetheart. Just for a day or two,” Syd said.
“Where you guys going?” she asked.
“We’re… going to set up some things at my place,” Hawk said. “I figured you guys might wanna stay there a little while longer.”
“That why we had to leave? Because you had to fix it up? Mom said you had to work,” Emery said.
“Mom was right, but I was making up the house for you guys as a surprise. I know you guys haven’t really touched down anywhere, and I want you guys to be as comfortable in my home as possible,” I said.
“So, you guys are gonna go fix the house, and I’m gonna stay here?” she asked.
“Is that all right with you?” Syd asked.
“There’s ice cream, Mom. Of course, it’s all right.”
“Wow. Such an attitude,” I said, grinning.
“We’re going to have lots of fun, don’t you two worry. Now, finish your coffee and get out of here. The two of you can grab lunch on the road,” my mother said.
“Not into making lunch for people anymore?” I asked, grinning.
“Not when those people are two grown ass adults,” she said.
“Mommy, she said a bad word,” Emery said, whispering.
“And I apologize,” my mother said, smiling.
I could see Emery was still a bit nervous. She was trying to be such a strong little girl, and I wished she didn’t have to be. She was experiencing so many things way too fast, and I peeled myself from the chair so I could get down in front of her. I wrapped her in my arms, and she fell into me, her head nuzzling up underneath my chin as I kissed the top of her head. I could feel her little body just trembling up against me, and I felt tears spring to my eyes as I rocked her side to side.
“When we come back, everything will be just fine. I promise, okay? We’ll have a home and a plan. We’ll get you enrolled in school somewhere, and you’ll be surrounded by people that will come to love you. I promise,” Syd said.
There was a part of me that couldn’t help but think that maybe she was talking about sticking around with the club.
We finished our coffee, and my mother took Emery back into the room. They started watching some cartoon back there, and already I could hear Emery giggling with my mother. It warmed my heart to listen to my daughter bond with my mother like that, and for
a moment I saw Syd get wrapped up in the moment, too. A smile crossed her cheeks as she held the door open, her foot on the porch while the rest of her body clung to the sound of the laughter falling from her daughter’s lips.
Our daughter’s lips.
“Come on. We’ll take my bike,” I said.
“What are we gonna do with my van?” she asked.
I went over and typed in Mom’s garage door password. The massive door lurched open, revealing a big spot for her to park her van beside my mother’s car. I watched as she drove it in and took out Emery’s car seat, sitting it beside my mother’s car. She locked the car and set the keys on top of the tire, out of sight but easily reachable if my mother needed it for some reason.
Then, we grabbed her change of clothing, shoved it into the carrying case on the back of my bike, and we hit the road.
Feeling Syd’s arms around me threw me back to when we were younger. When I’d gotten my first bike, she was the one that rode it with me. We broke it in with a twenty-mile trek into a neighboring town where we stopped for food and milkshakes. We laughed and joked. I bragged about that shitty bike while she kept stealing my fries. It was the first time I could recall ever looking into her eyes and knowing she was the woman I wanted to spend my days with.
And now she was here, with her arms wrapped around me while we cruised down the backroads of California.
It took us awhile to make our way back to Nevada. By the time we got back to my house, it was almost two in the morning. The both of us were exhausted as we slowly slid from my bike, and the two of us tumbled onto the couch and promptly went to sleep. When we woke up, I could tell Syd was nervous about what was to come. Her hands were shaking around the mug of coffee she’d made herself, and she was particularly quiet. Whenever I brushed up against her, I could feel her trembling, and I knew nothing I could say would take away her nerves.
She was about to walk into a bar full of people she’d walked out on. That would make any person nervous as hell.
We danced around each other in the house until it was time to head to the bar. We hopped on my bike and make our way down the road, and by the time we got there the parking lot was full. Apparently, word had gotten around that I was bringing in some sort of surprise, and everyone had apparently shown up to witness it. Syd locked up the moment she saw all the bikes piled outside the bar, and she gripped harshly onto my jacket as I turned my bike off and parked it.
“It’s gonna be all right. I’ve got you,” I said.
“My god, they’re going to kill me,” she said.
“Far from it. No one’s gonna lay a hand on you, okay?”
I helped her get off my bike, and I could see her shaking. We both turned towards the bar as the neon sign kicked on, signaling the official draping of night out there in the desert as she held tightly onto my arm. We stood there for awhile, simply taking in the night sky as we craned our necks back.
Then, she slipped her hand into mine, and her shaking ceased.
I looked over at her and saw a strength I’d never seen in her eyes before. There was determination, perseverance, and a protective stare I’d only ever seen in my mother’s eyes. She knew she had to do this for Emery. She knew she had to do this to keep her daughter safe. The stoic stare and the way her body simply stopped shaking, it was a protective mama bear stance.
In that very moment, I knew how much I loved Sydney.
She took the first step forward, and I followed right by her side. I pushed through the double doors as we slowly walked into the bar, and all of a sudden everything stopped. People looked over from the bar and up from their cards. The members playing pool dropped their cues to the tables as they gawked. People’s eyes were raking over Syd, trying to make sure their eyes weren’t deceiving them.
And then their eyes trailed to our hands.
Mac parted the pool of people and slowly made his way for us. His eyes were on fire. Angry. Shocked. His eyes flicked towards me before landing heavily on Sydney, and all she did was roll her shoulders back while she held his stare. His stature loomed over both of us as he stopped, cloaking us in his shadow while Syd stood toe-to-toe with the man who’d taught her everything she knew about fighting when she was younger.
Then, he did something no one else had seen him do.
He threw his arms around Sydney and pulled her close to him.
“Uncle Mac,” she said breathlessly.
“Holy fuck, Sydney. Where the hell have you been?” he asked.
The bar erupted into cheers and celebrations as tears wafted down Sydney’s face. Mac held her close, a small grin creeping from his cheeks as Sydney worked her arms around his stout frame. For the first time in years, I genuinely smiled. This crew had welcomed her back with nothing but open arms for the little girl they’d lost six years ago, and I could see Syd melting back into her family even as she stood there hugging Mac.
“I’m so happy you’re finally back,” Mac said.
“So am I,” she said, whispering.
“Mac, I hate to ruin the moment, but we really need to talk,” I said.
“Yep. You two follow me,” he said.
I took Syd’s hand and weaved her through the crowd. People stopped to hug her and tell her how wonderful she looked. Some of the girls gave her kisses on her cheek while some of the men told her what a beautiful woman she’d grown into. I squeezed her hand before I pulled her close, showing them all who she belonged to as she giggled. Her hand patted my chest, trying to get me to calm down as we finally made our way back towards the back room.
And the rest of the men stood to greet Syd with all smiles before we sat down and got to business.
“Have you told her?” Mac asked.
“I told her we had a plan, but that was it,” I said.
“I believe I’m to blame for the DEA being here,” she said, and everyone’s head turned toward her face.
“How so?” Talon asked. “Whatcha get yourself into, Marshall?”
“Talon,” she said, grinning. “You look good. I haven’t heard you talk this much… well, ever.”
He grinned and pulled her back in for another hug before she started talking.
“I just need you guys to listen, all right? Because a lot of this is going to come as a shock. Just know that my father never meant to lie to you guys. This was just a different club when it came to family when I was born,” she said.
“Your momma’s not dead, is she?” Snake asked.
“That’s who I’ve been with for the past six years,” she said. “Until she passed away a couple weeks ago.”
“Sorry for your loss,” Talon said.
“Sorry for both your losses,” Mac said.
I heard Syd draw in a shaking breath and I held her close to me.
“You’re good here, okay? The hard part’s done,” I said into her ear.
“My mother lived near the Iron Souls,” she began.
“Say no more,” Fox said. “They’re on a witch hunt. If they’ve seen you with them once, they’re tryin’ to round ya up.”
“Do you know anything?” Mac asked.
“No. They think I do, because apparently, their joyriding route was also one of their trade routes? But I didn’t know any of that,” she said.
“An agent approached her in the hotel I found her in,” I said.
“An agent talked to you?” Mac asked. “You sure you were just joyridin’?”
“I hung out with them, yes. But I was never patched as someone’s property. They just reminded me of…”
I gripped Syd’s hand tightly while Talon rubbed her back. If there was one thing this club was sensitive towards, it was people intimidating their women and children. They didn’t put up with it, and they didn’t tolerate it.
“That agent threatened you, didn’t he?” Mac asked.
“‘She,'” Syd said. “And yes, very much so. Threatened me with jail time, with exposing secrets, all sorts of shit.”
“Exposing secrets?” Snake a
sked. “The fuck’s that mean?”
I searched Syd’s face as war raged behind her eyes. The men sat back and waited for her to make her decision, giving her the space she needed to gather her thoughts.
“We’re a different club now, Syd. Let’s tell ‘em,” I said.
“Hawk and I… the night… that night,” she said.
“That night,” Mac repeated.
“I was just overcome with grief. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to process it. I just wanted to distract myself from it. And Hawk, he would’ve done anything I asked him to.”
“The two of you have a kid,” Fox said.
Syd closed her eyes as a tear fell into her lap.
“They threatened to take Emery from us,” Syd said, whispering.
“A daughter,” Talon said, grinning.
“They what?” Mac growled.
“Called me a bad mom. Threatened to tell Hawk that I was a terrible mother who left my child home at night with my own mother while I went joyriding with criminals across town,” Syd said.
“They fucking did what?” Snake asked.
“Did all this shit in front of Emery, too,” I said.
“Emery was there?” Mac asked.
“We were swimming,” Syd said, sniffling. “I was-... in the hot tub and-... and Emery was jumping into the pool. She looked so scared and that agent… she didn’t give a shit.”
“All right, I’ve heard enough,” Mac said. “This club won’t stand for that shit. Hawk, congrats on the kid. It’s time to get your family safe.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Ain’t no one mad at you, either,” Snake said. “This shit rolled up onto my doorstep? I would have done the same thing.”
“I’m so sorry, you guys,” Syd said breathlessly.
“You went to the only place you knew you could run,” Fox said. “If anything, it’s good you still feel safe with some of us.”
Fox reached out to grab her hand and Syd clung to it desperately. I looked around the room at the men that now ran this club, and I couldn’t have been more honored to be apart of this kind of family. It took us years to change the way The Road Rebel viewed family, but I really did believe that after all this was said and done, they would respect whatever decision Syd made.
Talon (The Road Rebels MC Book 2) Page 50
