Sico

by Esther E. Schmidt

  My mind drifts off to Ransom. “When is Casey picking Ransom up?”

  He’s been through a lot. For a moment doctors didn’t think he’d pull through but they considered him lucky and were able to save his arm. Shit. Save his arm. He’s been in and out of the hospital because a bullet went into his leg too and tore some muscle. But that’s not as bad as the bullet and knife wounds that messed up his arm.

  “One o’clock. Ransom wanted to go home. Casey is having a hard time because he already arranged for two months off so he could stay with Ransom but the man doesn’t want him around. Ransom said he could handle himself and wants to be left alone,” Sico says in concern.

  “Maybe we need to talk to his neighbor, ask if she can keep an eye on him,” I offer, making Sico smile at me.

  “That’s brilliant. Come on, we’ll head out right now so the fucker won’t know we did that shit. Because then it will all backfire...he’s got an ego the size of a mountain and wouldn’t allow anyone to see him wounded and not capable. That’s the whole fucking reason he’s pushing Casey away and that’s practically his brother.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t think we can sneak past it. I mean, if he’s still got that camera and the live stream on his phone...”

  “He’s got better things to do, believe me, he’s in the middle of his therapy session. No one’s allowed to have their phone present during that so we’re all good. Come on.” Sico dashes up the stairs and I follow him up to the bedroom where we get dressed.

  We were still in our PJs because we’re being lazy. I still need to figure out what to do with work. Blue and I hired a construction company to repair all the damage that was done. They promised everything would be done later next week. That’s going to be a hard decision. And yet it’s Brandlee’s passion...the store. I have to admit, I love working there and sketching. Blue too, although she’s going to take it slow, with her being pregnant with twins.

  “What are you thinking?” Sico asks as he pulls on his boots.

  I zip up my hoodie and tell him honestly. “I don’t know what I should do with Brandlee’s shop. I mean I’d like to continue to ink from time to time...but with Blue being close to delivering...and for real, twins. Would she be able to work?”

  “Talk to her. Go over your concerns and decide together. You can always rent the place out or hire one or two ink artists and just come in from time to time yourself. There are many options, Simi. You don’t have to decide today but you can easily talk things through with Blue and I think she’d be fine with whatever the two of you decide.” He places a kiss on my temple. “Are we going to take my new bike for a spin or are we taking your car?”

  “My car,” I beam. “It’s been awhile since I got to take William out for a spin.”

  “Woman, it freaks me the fuck out you address your damn car as if it was a dude.”

  Oh, yeah. I totally do. Address my baby as a dude that is. I’ve got a 1958 black Porsche 365 speedster I call William. Well, if it acts up...and it does from time to time, being an old-timer and all, I call it Willy. But normally it drives sooooo freaking sweet.

  And right now, the weather is perfect, so yeah. “We’re taking William, so hush. You don’t want to insult the car because we’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

  Sico groans in discomfort and it makes me chuckle. “Here.” I throw him the keys. “You drive, okay?”

  “Drive a stick, a fucking car with a dude’s name, and I get to ride it. Fucking nice,” he mutters as we head out, making me laugh out loud.

  The drive goes smoothly and I take my time watching Sico who’s got both hands on the wheel. He’s wearing his cut along with a white T-shirt that stretches over his biceps. My gaze travels over his ink. The ink my brother gave him.

  “I want another one,” Sico says, making my eyes snap to his. He nods toward his forearms. “A new piece. I want new ink on my thigh. I fucking love your legs with all those pieces you put on there. I want a big one too.”

  I already know how much he likes the ink on my legs. He’s told me so a million times and most of those times we’re in bed while he’s stroking them. “Yeah? Did you have something in mind yet, what you want inked on there?”

  “Roses. Roses and an hourglass.” He winks at me before shifting his gaze back on the road in front of us.

  Most of the ink on my body are roses and other floral designs. Black and white with shading. “Why roses and an hourglass?”

  “The roses are you. The beauty in them, the silk touch of their petals like your skin. The fierce burgundy that resembles the roses I bought for you the day I brought you home from the hospital...and then the hourglass. The passage of time. You’ve made such an impact on my life...you make me want to enjoy every grain of sand I’ve got left in this life to spend it with you.” His eyes stay on the road but he reaches for my hand that’s lying on my lap.

  He laces our fingers together and places our entwined hands on his thigh. I don’t have anything other to say than, “Okay. I’ll start the design when I get home.”

  “Perfect,” he whispers and lifts my hand to place a kiss on it before settling back on his thigh.

  We drive for two hours before we arrive at Ransom’s house. I’ve texted Casey to ask for the address, making sure to tell him what I was planning and he was actually happy and on board with our little plan. I hope his neighbor is home so we can have a chat. Oh, and that she’d be willing to keep an eye on Ransom for us.

  We park in Ransom’s driveway and I can see movement from within the house next to Ransom. Good. She’s home. Strolling over, we wait after hitting the doorbell. It doesn’t take too long before a tiny woman opens the door.

  “Hi, can I help you?” She’s got dark hair that’s pulled up into a messy bun and her bright green eyes go from me to Sico until she stares at his chest. Following her gaze, I can tell she’s seeing the Areion Fury MC patch on his leather cut.

  “Uhm, you’re one of Ransom’s friends? He lives next door but I haven’t seen him since Christmas and that was a few months ago, so...sorry. I can’t help you.” She’s ready to slam the door on us, what the hell?

  “No wait.” Her gaze goes to me but her hand goes to her belly and it’s then I see what I’m guessing with her movement; a little baby bump. “Oh, shit. It’s his? Does he know? That’s why he’s been watching you, huh?”

  “He’s been watching me?” Her eyes go wide.

  Ooops. “Yeah, not really. He’s got this camera setup that he checks on his phone. I saw him watching you do some gardening stuff, that’s it.” Yeah, way to talk down stalker behavior.

  “I never told him. He’s never here. I don’t have his phone number, really...he only gave me a key to his house to keep an eye out in case something happened. He was supposed to come back later the next day but he never came back.” Her head goes down.

  “Motherfucker,” Sico growls.

  Making my head swing back I say, “Save it. You call Casey and let him know but make sure he doesn’t tell Ransom anything when he brings him here, okay?” I now give my attention to the tiny pregnant woman in front of me. “Can we come in? I’d like to tell you something.”

  She opens the door wider and lets me in. Sico is on the phone so he stays out there for a bit and I follow her into the living room. It’s a nice and cozy house. “I love your interior,” I tell her sincerely. “I’m Everleigh, by the way, my soon-to-be husband that’s standing out there calls me Simi. He’s a part of Areion Fury MC, where Ransom stays every now and then, but since he’s a nomad he also travels a lot. Well, not so much now since...okay, we really need to sit down for this.”

  She sits down in a chair while I plant my ass on the couch. “I’m Hedwig. Oh, and I need to mention that I don’t know Ransom at all. It was one night really. Although I didn’t expect to be left with a late Christmas present a few weeks after.” The tiny smile she gives me makes me really think that this tiny woman is a real sweetheart.

  “It’s going to be just fin
e. I’ve come to realize myself only recently that this MC will always welcome and be there for anyone connected to the club. And you sweetheart, with that little bun in the oven right there and Ransom eying you on his phone, are as connected as a person can be. But something happened to Ransom a few weeks ago and he might have been a weirdo back then...but he’s one grouchy bastard right now.” I cringe thinking back at the outbursts he’s had whenever we visit.

  Concern washes over Hedwig’s face. “Oh, no. What happened?”

  “To make a long story short...someone attacked him. He put up a good fight but a bullet damaged his leg so he’s recovering from the muscle injury and his arm was messed up pretty bad too. He needs to learn how to use it again and the doctors don’t know if he’ll ever regain full ability. And that, for a biker it’s...”

  “He lives for his bike. If he can’t use his arm he can’t ride!” Hedwig chokes and slaps a hand over her mouth.

  “Yeah. So, he’s really hard to handle these days. But he doesn’t want any help either. He’s been systematically pushing people away. Even Casey, one he considers his brother, they have a solid background...he doesn’t want him to move in for a few months to get him on his feet. Ransom really just wants to slam the door on everything and sulk in silence.” I hang my head because this gets to me. Ransom was there when we needed him and he fought for me...for us.

  “Well, he’s going to be sorry for choosing to do that right next to my house,” Hedwig says, her chin high as Sico strolls into the living room.

  “That’s fucking music to my ears.” Sico chuckles. “They should be here within the hour.”

  “Did you say anything to him? About me? About you guys being here to tell me?” Hedwig asks.

  Sico shakes his head slowly. “No. I’ve only told Casey that we were here and that you were home, so he should drop Ransom off and leave because we would talk you into keeping an eye on him. That’s it.”

  “Good. You guys should leave now too, just in case they’re early. And no. No need to worry because I’m getting a little payback and will make sure he will be back to himself and on that bike in no time at all,” Hedwig vows and shit...the way she says that, standing up from her chair with those tiny fists on her hips? I don’t know if this is such a great idea after all.

  I look back at Sico who’s got a huge grin on his face. “Don’t worry, beautiful. If we manage to grow into where we are now...these two can have a shot without killing each other.”

  Hedwig gasps. “I would never kill someone. And surely not the father of my child. Even if he doesn’t know...but...I didn’t have a chance to tell him, so. Ugh. I’ll wear a large sweater when I bug him the first few times. Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him. But...”

  “But what? Anything we can do to help,” I press.

  “Can you leave a number where I can reach you? In case I need to call someone to punch his nose if he does act like an idiot? That would be nice.” She chuckles.

  “Do you have your phone or a piece of paper?” Sico questions.

  She grabs her phone as Sico rattles off our number and even gives Casey’s and tells her she can call either of us, day or night. Although I don’t even know her, I step closer and hug her, promising I’ll stay in contact. We rush out of there to make sure we don’t run into Ransom and Casey.

  The long drive home fills me with contentment as everything seems to fall into place. With Ransom taken care of and a wedding to plan, it seems like I finally get to set my eyes on a future. One I get to share with a man who loves me. Even if he’s still an asshole every now and then...but he’s my asshole.

  Epilogue

  Twelve years later

  ***Sico***

  “Asshole! Where is he?”

  I nod to a nurse, keeping a smile in place, while I cringe internally. That’s my ol’lady’s voice blasting out of the delivery room. A delivery room she threw me out of mere minutes ago. Do I need to add the fact that she threw me out already three times before that? Oh, yeah...she’s one hell of an angry pregnant woman when she’s on the verge of giving birth.

  “Daddy? Is my little brother here yet?” my daughter, Lyla asks.

  Looking down at my precious four-year-old, I scoop her up in my arms and place a kiss on her cheek. “Not yet, sweetie. Why don’t you go back to Aunty Blue and the rest?”

  “Lee is stupid,” Lyla grumbles. “Can’t mommy poop out a girl? Why do I get another brother?”

  Poop out? “Who have you been talking too, Lyla? About pooping out a baby?”

  “Aunty Blue said pop it out, but I really think she means poop because popping is with gum and she doesn’t have gum but something in her belly and when you eat something and it goes through your belly, you have to poop.”

  “Siccccoooooo,” Simi bellows from inside the room.

  “Mommy is really mad she can’t go potty, huh?”

  “Blue,” I snap.

  From across the room I see the waiting area where some of my brothers are waiting patiently. My oldest son is sitting next to Zack, he’s copying his whole pose. Eight years old and he’s mimicking my Prez because he’s already asked when he’s going to get his own real bike.

  Of course, I bought him a dirt bike when he was four and he’s been racing ever since. I know, I’ve created a monster. We named our firstborn Lee after Simi’s brother Brandlee. Now everyone is bracing themselves for the birth of our third. Another boy.

  Poor Lyla here really wanted a little sister but when we heard it was going to be a boy she tried to find comfort in the fact that she was older so she might get to have some control over him. Simi and I really had a good laugh over that statement. After Lyla left the room of course because we didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but shit...I really hope she’s right because all kids are a handful at some point, so I’d gladly accept the help.

  With my background? Yeah, raising kids wasn’t ever in my future, or so I thought. Hell, I’m sure I couldn’t even do it without Simi. And yet here I am, holding a perfect lady in my arms who’s the spitting image of her mother. It’s a rough ride and yet I love every bump in the road.

  “Sico, get your ass in here noooooooowwwwww.” I hear my lovely wife growl animalistic.

  “Better go to mommy,” Lyla whispers.

  I set her down and she runs toward Blue, raising her arms so she’s being lifted up and onto Blue’s lap. Spinning on my heels, I make my way into the room and give Simi a dashing smile. Earning me a deadly glare that washes the smile right off.

  Even if she looks murderous, she’s still the woman I would do anything for. And fuck, she’s in the middle of popping out our kid. The corner of my mouth twitches. I lean closer, right next to her ear. There’s a nurse next to me who mutters something that sounds like ‘brave man’.

  “Your daughter overheard Blue, who mentioned you were popping out a kid. Then Lyla decided popping wasn’t the right word so she told me you were pooping out one instead.” I’m grabbed by my shoulder while Simi groans in pain, but I continue, “Her reason was popping is with gum and you clearly have something in your belly and when you have something in your belly...yeah, pooping it is.” Simi falls back and breathes heavily but with a damn smile on her face.

  “Ma’am, one more push, that’s it...push, push, push,” the obstetrician says in a calm and soothing voice.

  Simi grips my hand and throws her chin on her chest, closes her eyes and grunts. She might just squeeze the life right out of my hand but what do I care, she’s about to bring a tiny person into this world.

  I hear the doc, nurses, whoever, talk but I’ve only got eyes for the most beautiful person alive; Simi. Even when her face is edged with exhaustion, she’s so damn perfect.

  Her eyes are set between her legs and they flare up with so much emotion before they go wide and she chokes, “Oh, God. He looks like you.”

  Everyone in the delivery room laughs but I can’t stop staring at my strong wife who doesn’t look as tired as she seemed a moment ago.
It’s like she got jolted with a surge of energy due to something she’s staring at.

  “Here you go,” someone says and our kid is placed on my woman’s bare chest.

  Fuck. Look at that. No wonder Simi has that look on her face. A tiny baby all covered with goo and shit and still it’s magnificent. Except for the sirens, nothing wrong with his vocal cords that’s for fucking sure.

  “He’s damn perfect,” I croak.

  “Do we have a name for this handsome fella?” a nurse asks.

  Simi’s eyes meet mine as the both of us reply at the same time, “Briggs.”

  Fuck. We had two names and couldn’t decide but it seems we needed the little man to make a choice and damn...saying the same name at once? Simi’s got the biggest of grins on her face and probably shares my thoughts about how special the little man’s name is and how we both wanted that one.

  “Congratulations on your beautiful son.” More of the same congratulations ring out but they all fade into the background.

  My woman, my youngest son, our other two kids, and our friends in the waiting room outside. Damn, within this moment, life couldn’t be more perfect. New life in our midst, a future ahead, many challenges we get to face together. For the good, and the fucking worst, we’ll face everything head on. Because when you’ve grown overtime from a struggle into easy sailing, you’ve got the experience to keep your head high and your heart full.

  Yeah, that’s right...a heart that’s filled with love. Attitude, words, demeanor, every damn aspect that makes you the person who has the ability to be an asshole, or to be a person who can embrace something that will enrich a life.

  For me, Simi made all the difference. The day I met her was the day my life truly started. Thank fuck she was special...special enough to endure the asshole I was before I woke the fuck up and truly realized how damn beautiful she was inside and out.

  “I fucking love you both,” I murmur before I kiss my wife and my newborn son, earning a look back from my wife where her eyes burn with the same intensity, radiating the love that mirrors mine.