“We’ll be waiting for you, True.”
He sat on the side of the bed and pulled on his jeans. Fuck a shirt, it was hot and he was grumpy. He had a theory that if the day began badly, it was sure to get worse. He shoved his cell into his pocket and walked into the kitchen.
Nicola had made pancakes and bacon. Alex was sitting in a high chair. He wondered when that had come over.
“You asked me to stay a few days, so I brought over the things I need for Alex, I hope you don’t mind.” Nicola looked anxiously at him.
True thought about it. “Nah, makes it easier to keep you here. We get along good together, don’t we?”
Nicola smiled and agreed.
“I was thinking it was time I settled down and I like having the kid around. You wanna try and make this work permanently, Nicola? You know, be my ol’ lady? I know I was your first and that makes you special to me. I ain’t good with all that love shit but I got a lot of feelings for you.”
She was on his lap and kissing his lips as he finished his words. The kiss deepened and True could feel his cock getting hard. He pushed her off his lap. “I take that was a yes?”
“A big yes and I need to get the rest of my stuff from my dad’s house. You’re going to take care of me and Alex, right? I don’t have to dance or do anything? It’s so hard for me to find a babysitter except for Morgana. I don’t trust just anyone to watch Alex.” She stared intently at him.
“No working, I make enough to take care of you and Alex. You take care of the house and I’ll give you whatever you need or want. I’ll call Mousey and tell him. I don’t want you getting any blowback from him.” True cut his pancakes and looked at Alex who was contentedly wiping syrup over his face. “His dad going to come looking for him?”
Nicola looked down at her plate. “His dad doesn’t know about him. I guess one day I’ll tell him. So no, he won’t be a problem.”
True didn’t answer her, he kept eating, satisfied that was not going to be a problem.
“I got company coming for a while but they won’t be in the house. You don’t need to cook or do anything for them. My boys will be hanging outside if they’re around too. I want my house to be nice so go to town today and buy whatever you and the kid need and whatever needs replacing. I was thinking we need a new washer and dryer, I want the front loaders. Hell everything needs replacing. Get that stainless-steel finish, I like that. I got a shitload of work to do around here so how about I ask Whistler to take you?”
Nicola looked at him in amazement. “You trust me to pick it all out?”
“Yeah, I won’t be using them. You will be doing the laundry and cooking. Maybe we could use a fridge too. I’ll put that one out in the barn. I’ll give Whistler a call. I’m sure he’d rather shop with you than be grading dirt or building fences. I got some bulls coming in. He doesn’t like farming too much.” He laughed as he called his brother. The cell rang a few times before Whistler answered.
“Bro, you think you can take Nicola shopping, I need all new appliances and she needs to get her stuff from Mousey’s. Or do you want to help build fences and move dirt?” He laughed as he hung up. “He’ll be by in a half hour to get you two. Maybe you better buy another car seat too. I hate having to move that thing from your car to my truck. What’s he sleeping in?”
“At my dad’s, Alex was sleeping with me. I think I could get him a toddler bed. Here I used a playpen but that isn’t good for his back.” Nicola couldn’t believe True was being so generous.
“Get him one of those toddler beds, a racecar or something cool. And a gate we can put in front of his door, so he doesn’t wander in and find us in bed. One, he can’t open or climb over.” True went into his wallet and handed her a gold credit card.
He got another kiss and a big smile from Nicola before she went to get Alex cleaned up. It hadn’t been as hard as he expected to ask her to be his ol’ lady either. All in all, maybe his day was getting better.
He got seconds of pancakes and bacon and a cup of coffee when the house phone rang. He hated that phone but cell service sometimes was spotty on the farm.
“Yeah?” He barked into the phone.
“True, it’s me, Marianne.”
“I know your voice, Marianne. What the fuck do you want?” True wasn’t being very nice but he couldn’t help himself.
Marianne felt his anger. “Look, I need to talk to you. Whistler is being very unreasonable and I need to tell you why I left. Can I come out to the farm?”
True couldn’t believe her. “I got an ol’ lady now, Marianne, you think I care what problems you have with my brother?”
She took a deep breath. “True, I kept my promise to you, I never gave up I wasn’t fucking you. But I was fucking Whistler and we have a son together, Michael. He wants to take him away from me. It started by us sneaking around when you weren’t around and I know I should have told you but I couldn’t tell him we weren’t screwing around. I didn’t call to make trouble for you I just want to be honest with you. I love your brother and I need some help here.”
True went silent for a few seconds. “Whistler and you were screwing around and you got knocked up and he hid the whole thing from me? I’ll be damned.”
“I hid it because I promised you I’d say I was with you. He used to want to marry me until he brought Lana to our condo and I said mean things about her. I do keep my word, True. But he doesn’t believe anything I say now. Will you help me?” She pleaded.
True let out a deep breath, “I can’t meet with you today but yeah, I’ll help. You played the game too well huh, Mari? You both should have just told me.”
Marianne was crying softly, “You had court and I couldn’t add to the stress you were under. I didn’t know if I wanted him either. It’s such a big mess, True. I’ll call you tomorrow and explain it all. I had hoped Whistler would tell you.”
“Yeah, call me tomorrow and you may as well know that Nicola is my ol’ lady and don’t be giving her any shit if she answers. We’re happy and I don’t give a shit about age differences. Neither does she. So, I have another nephew, does Morgana know?” He figured Morgana was going to give her more shit than she deserved.
“Nobody knows but Raven and I’m sure Whistler has him looking for me. I got a job and maybe you could explain our deal to Morgana?” Her voice was shaky.
“I’ll try but Morgana is protective of Lana, and having a baby and not telling her? That was stupid of both of you. No wonder Whistler has been so secretive. He just pulled up. I gotta go but I’ll try to smooth this out.” He hung up and grinned as he thought of Whistler being a daddy. He wasn’t happy his brother thought he had to hide what he felt for Marianne. She done what he’d told her to do. Whistler had some explaining to do and he hoped he’d do it before he asked him straight out. Now wonder Raven had told him to talk to his brother. What a bunch of idiots he thought as he sipped his coffee.
Chapter Twelve
Lana was tired and work was getting to her. She thought of Michael, and Hawk… she wanted her own baby. She needed a man for that and there was none in Whispering Pines she wanted. She didn’t think she wanted to adopt a child. Her brothers wouldn’t accept a child that was from a sperm donor either. Her options were limited and she considered trying an online dating service. She lay back on her white couch and laughed a bit thinking of them finding her on a dating site. She’d be thirty-six soon and they treated her like she was still a teenager.
Caesar would be moving into Whispering Pines, she wondered how she could bump into him without her brother’s stopping it. She’d had fantasies about him ever since he’d told her he wanted to settle down. Whatever woman got him would be lucky. He had it all going on, the hard body, the bad boy attitude, and he was damn fine looking. She wondered what his motorcycle looked like and when he’d be out riding. Her house phone rang and she got up to answer it.
“Please don’t hang up on me, Lana. I wanted to tell you I didn’t mean any of the things I said. I’m so very sorry
, I was angry at Whistler and I was being a bitch.” Marianne was reaching out the only way she could.
“It was pretty shitty that you followed behind me and locked me out, Marianne. You seem to have forgotten the past too. You and I go back a long time and we both did a lot of things we shouldn’t have. I got the blame always, because nobody gave a shit about you. I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. I hope you read the text I sent you.” Lana gave back as good as she got.
“I did and you’re right. I was wondering if you’d like to come out to my house. Whistler and I broke up, I got a job. He said I’d never get one and he’d take Michael so I ran away. You were my best friend Lana; I’d like us to go back to that.”
“My brother wants to take Michael away from you? What the fuck is going on in his mind?” Lana was baffled.
Marianne took a chance, “I did say mean things about you, so he pointed out my faults to me. The man is determined to get Michael and let Morgana raise him. I called True this morning, and I am going to tell him everything. He said he’d help me. I’d rather tell you first and in person. It’s a long story and please don’t give up where I live.”
Lana thought about it. They had been best friends and she missed Marianne. She wouldn’t give her up. “I hope it isn’t far, it was a long day. But I don’t have to be anywhere now so I could come for a little while. Will Michael be up?”
Marianne thanked God, Lana was going to give her a second chance. “I’m at The Pines Motel. Please make sure nobody follows you. I got a job as the manager, and we’re closing to remodel the place. Percy gave me a chance and I don’t want Whistler ruining it. I got a real job, Lana, and a real house and I did it all on my own.” She stated proudly.
“Do you need anything from the store? I’ll bring some cheesecake and we’ll work this out. My brothers are both crazy. Is there a place to hide my car?”
“I live in the house next to the motel, just pull into the backyard. I’m going to be one hundred percent honest and tell you everything. I’ll put coffee on now.” Marianne promised.
“Won’t take me long and does Michael like cookies or anything?” Lana couldn’t wait to see her nephew.
“He loves cheese doodles. I’ll be looking out for you.” She hung up.
Lana changed into blue jeans and a black tank top. She’d stop at the grocery store and pick up the cheesecake, cheese doodles, and anything else she thought that Michael might like. She locked her front door, got into her car and took off, carefully watching to see if anyone was following her. Nobody was and she had filled a shopping cart before she knew it. Marianne probably needed all kinds of stuff anyway, she reasoned. It was good to be going over to her house and talking out their differences. She thought of Whistler and frowned. He was faithful as a brother to have been angry over what Marianne had said about her, but to threaten to take her child away. That wasn’t going to happen if she had any say in the matter.
*~*
Raven watched Morgan as she rubbed her stomach. “Heartburn, baby? You seem to be rubbing that belly a lot.” He smiled at her and suddenly felt very guilty about hiding Whistler’s son from her.
“I just like knowing she is in there, I want a girl this time Raven. I was thinking it’s a shame my brothers and Lana have no kids for Hawk to play with.” She frowned at him and sat down next to him. He placed his hand on her belly and rubbed circles on it.
“Morgana, you know how sometimes a brother will tell me something and I don’t tell you, because I can’t?”
She nodded at him and waited for him to continue.
“I hate doing it and you know I take being in the club very seriously, but sometimes I am bound not to tell you shit that involves your brothers. I am going to tell you something and you can’t flip out. Or I won’t tell you. It has to stay between us and we have to let it work itself out. Got me?”
Morgana glared at him. “You don’t tell me things about my brothers? I don’t think that’s right, Raven. I think it sucks you don’t trust me. I get it, but I don’t like it. What did one of those idiots do now?”
Raven hung his head a bit, “Whistler has a son with Marianne, older than Hawk. I was there when he was born and I didn’t want to hide it from you. But at the time you wanted kids and I didn’t. We were having so many problems that I couldn’t tell you, babe. I’m telling you now though. Your brother and Marianne broke up and she’s taken off. Whistler is losing it.”
“True was with Marianne, but she was never his ol’ lady. I never quite understood that relationship but I was avoiding everyone. Whistler wouldn’t touch Marianne if she was with True. You’re wrong.” She stared into his eyes then saw he was telling her the truth.
“If you’re mad at me I get that. I did as he asked and I knew about Whistler and Marianne. They love each other but Whistler hasn’t told True. Marianne wouldn’t marry him until they got a DNA test done. For some reason, he won’t tell True. He had her living in a condo over in Daresville.” Raven ran his hand through his hair. “I wanted to tell you but I needed Whistler to step up and fix his mess. I was hoping he’d come over to tell you himself because he thinks he can take the baby from her and we’ll raise him.”
Morgana stood up and looked at Raven. “I’m not happy about this at all. I wish you had told me but I understand. I want to see Marianne and the baby, what is his name? Why would Whistler think I’d take their child? I don’t even know him!”
“They named him Michael, after Whistler. He’s a toddler, not a baby, Mor. Really cute, and I have no idea where she took off to. I made it clear, I’m not chasing her down. I’m being here for you and our babies. Whistler broke it off when he took Lana over there and she said some nasty shit about Lana. That’s how she ended up over here the night Trick smacked her. Now your crazy brother wants to hurt Marianne by taking Michael away from her, but she’s a really good mother to him. Marianne completely changed, Morgana.” Raven had confessed all he could think of.
Morgana narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips she stared at Raven. “That leaky cunt, she talked shit about my sister? Oh no. Raven, you find her ass. I want her found and I want to have some words with her. Lana did most of that crazy shit because Marianne was doing it. Nobody calls my sister names. Promise me you’ll find her; I don’t want my brothers knowing first either. This is a family matter. If Marianne is a good mother, I won’t be a part of Whistler trying to hurt her, though .”
Raven sat weighing his options. If he didn’t find her, Morgana would be hell to live with and if he did find Marianne, Whistler would want to know first. He was fucked.
“Well, do you promise me, Raven?” Morgana had an evil glint in her eyes. He knew that glint, he’d seen it when she drugged him and put him in a cell with her as his warden. He didn’t like that look, not at all.
“Morgana, I don’t even know where she is. If I can find her first, I’ll let you know. But you can’t be fighting pregnant, you promise me that?”
“I don’t intend to fight her. I might take a bat to her though, unless she tells Lana she is sorry. I want to know what the hell True and Whistler were doing back then. And they think Lana is crazy? I think I’m the sanest one in this family. Now I am going to make a snack and you start thinking where that crazy bitch could have gone. I know you can find her.”
Raven watched her walk toward the kitchen and thought he should have kept his mouth shut. He wondered about Marianne, he had a feeling she wasn’t far away. The best place to hide as far as he was concerned was in plain sight. He decided the safest place for him was out in the garage. Morgana needed time to absorb this news.
*~*
Lana sat there totally confused at what she was hearing, Michael on her lap. She was already in love with him. He was playing with her long brown hair with his sticky fingers, and she didn’t mind one bit.
“So you see, by True having me living with him, he didn’t have to deal with any of the sluts coming over to the farm. None would get too serious with him because everyone kne
w I was in the picture, and I was known to fight over a man. I didn’t intend to fall for Whistler. I was trying to sort out my life. True was dealing with court then one day, Whistler came over. True had been gone a few days and we got drunk. I hadn’t had sex in so long and it was so good, Lana. He did everything right. It was like never before. I lied to him because I had promised True. I wanted to marry him so badly but how could I do that once True was in jail? I know how important family is to you all. So, I kept the lie going and said we needed a DNA test. Whistler rented the condo and hid me out there. I wanted to come home so much and I got bitchy. Only Hazel knew and he wouldn’t let her come over much. I was so lonely and I was scared. He’d tell me the Filthy Fiends were around, and I didn’t know if it was true or to keep me inside.’ Marianne sipped her cold coffee. “I called True and told him what’s happening, I’m supposed to call him tomorrow.”
Lana shook her head. “I would have just told True, what could he have done? Wasn’t like you were sexually involved for God’s sake. I guess with court; I can sort of understand it. But shit Mari, look at the mess you’re in! Morgana is going to be so angry at you. I’ll go with you to see True if you want.”
Marianne felt her face heat up, “I know, she’s going to be out for blood because of the things I said about you. She never liked me that much, did she?”
Sadly, Lana nodded. “She blames you for me getting into a lot of trouble. I will talk to her though and if we’re honest with her, I think she will side with us. Taking Michael away from you is not going to happen, I promise you. Now I’ve got to get home and wash my hair. Shop in Green Point. Don’t go into Whispering Pines, and if I hear the Filthy Fiends are around, I will call you.” She handed Michael to his mother and kissed their cheeks. “Call any hour of the day or night. I’ll answer now that I have your new cell number. I’m glad we straightened this all-out Mari. Wait for me before you talk to True. We’ll go see him together. I’m going to take the day off from work tomorrow.”
Thirsty (Satan's Fools MC Book 2) Page 7
