by Avelyn Paige
And at the moment, it's filled with bikers and women, and a couple of kids, including my own. “This is my family,” I tell her. “You’re safe here.”
She looks around nervously, biting at her lip. “Are you sure? The last time I saw these folks, I kind of unintentionally brought along a SWAT team.”
Her worries are definitely warranted. The people in this clubhouse won’t trust her easily. They never trust an outsider to begin with, not until they’ve proven themselves. But after being a part of the authorities dropping in on us unexpectedly... well, let’s just say, she’s gonna have her work cut out for her to do that.
“You’re here with me,” I tell her. “They may not like you much yet, but they will be respectful.”
Her gray eyes look uncertain, but she doesn’t argue.
I lead her to one of the sectionals where Lindsey sits with the kids. “Take care of her, would ya?”
Lindsey looks Grace up and down, then nods. She doesn’t smile or say hello.
I plant a kiss on Grace’s forehead, and I feel everyone’s eyes on us, but not one of them has the balls to question me, which is exactly the way I like it.
“Be back shortly.”
Nodding, she takes a seat on the couch, and Natalie’s quick to sit right beside her. Thank God for her.
“Let’s go, boys,” I call out, rounding up the troops so we can get this ball rolling.
Chairs scrape across the floor, and the sounds of several pairs of heavy boots follow me into our meeting room. Taking my seat at the head of the table, I watch as the others pour into the room and settle into their spots.
For the first time in a long time, everyone is here. Mom sits to the left of me, then GP and Stone Face. Karma sits to my right, and then Hashtag and Twat Knot fill out the rest of the table.
My crew back together again.
“So,” Twat Knot says with a grin, “what’s the stripper doin’ here?” Karma moves to swat him, but Hashtag is closer and beats him to it. Twat Knot throws his hands up. “Watch the hair, asshole.”
Twat Knot comes by his name honestly. That goddamn man-bun he wears every day really does make him look like a fucking twat. And he’s obsessed with his fucking hair.
Hashtag rolls his eyes and lifts his middle finger in response.
“If you don’t mind,” I drawl, giving them both a flat, unamused stare.
“Sorry, Prez,” Hashtag mutters, while Twat Knot rearranges that messy fucking bun on top of his head. Once everyone is paying attention, I begin.
“Kevin and Nat have a father. He’s come looking for them and put out a missing persons report for them and their pedophile uncle.”
“What’s his name?” Hashtag asks, likely already planning to go digging for info on the internet. If information is stored anywhere in the limitless worldwide web, Hashtag will find it. It’s what he does.
“His name is Henry Wayne Tucker, and he’s one bad dude. The kids don’t really remember him, but he’s got priors.”
“Don’t we all?” GP huffs.
“He tried to abduct Grace at gunpoint this morning.” That shuts him up. “I was standing right outside. She was in a coffee shop and he walked right in, shoved a gun into her ribs, and forced her out a side door.”
“Fuck,” GP mutters.
“He wants my fucking kids. A judge has ordered Grace to remove them from my home and hand them over to their father.”
Shocked faces stare back at me.
“She’s agreed to hand over everything she has to the club and allow us to track this bastard down before that happens. She agrees the kids need to stay with me. Hash, you speak with her before we leave. Find out everything you can. Leave no stone unturned. We need to find this motherfucker before he hurts somebody.”
“You got it.”
“The rest of you, stay alert. If he’s willing to go after Grace with me on the other side of the door, then he’s willing to do just about anything. Dude’s a fucking wildcard. Nobody rides alone. Keep your families close, and go nowhere without your piece.”
“What’s the plan once we find him?” Mom asks from beside me.
“He’s gonna sign those kids over to me,” I tell him. “And then I’m gonna rip his fucking head off.”
Grace
I never thought I would step foot in this clubhouse again after the failed removal, yet here I am, sitting on a huge leather sectional with Eugene’s niece and one of the other guy’s girlfriend who I know now is Blair. Kevin and Natalie took off down the hallway with another teenager the second the conference room door shut with Eugene and the rest of the men. Except for a couple of guys who sit near the front door, eyeing me closely.
“Will they be okay?”
“Oh yeah,” Lindsey replies. “That’s Hayden. She and Kevin are as thick as thieves since the incident.”
“She’s the daughter who was taken by Randall,” I surmise, remembering my earlier conversation with Eugene Kevin’s last catfish for his uncle that ended up freeing them all. The reason Kevin and Natalie are living with Eugene.
“She was,” Blair acknowledges. “All three of them have been through so much, but I think spending time together has helped them to work through the trauma. Hashtag wasn’t so fond of the idea, but it’s been the best thing for them.”
“Hashtag? Where do you guys come up with these crazy nicknames?”
“It’s just a thing bikers do. Some earn them, and some are born with them.” Blair laughs. “They all call me Red, thanks to GP.”
I grin, admiring her gorgeous head of red, curly hair, and then turn my attention to Lindsey. “Do you have one?”
She smirks. “Not one they’d say to my face if they do.”
“Because Karma wouldn’t allow it,” Blair adds, earning a side-eye from Lindsey, but she doesn’t seem to care, keeping her smile firmly in place. Why do I get the feeling they’re having a silent conversation about this Karma guy I’m not privy to?
“So, do you all live here?” I ask, changing the subject.
Blair shakes her head. “No. Most of us have our own homes. GP and I live nearby.”
“I kind of float around between my uncle’s house and here. It just depends on your situation. Some of the newer guys prefer to live here until they can get settled.”
“Oh.” I don’t know why, but I’d always assumed bikers lived together like one big commune. This is actually the first time I’ve really gotten to learn what their lives are really like.
“We don’t all live here like one big family,” Lindsey huffs. “Believe me, none of us needs that much testosterone in our lives.”
“God, no,” Blair agrees. “GP’s bad enough at our house. I don’t need the rest of them under one roof. Our house couldn’t survive it. Neither could our refrigerator.”
“That’s something you need to remember, being my uncle’s old lady.”
“Old what?” I inquire.
“Old lady,” Blair says. “When you’re with one of the patches, that’s what they call you.”
I throw up a hand to stop her. “Patches? I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”
“Patches are full members,” Lindsey explains. “They have the full patches on the back of their cuts.” I nod, only somewhat able to wrap my head around what they’re telling me. “Their vests. The guys without them are called prospects. They’re kind of the probationary members of the club. They work with a patch mentor, and if they do well enough, they’ll become a full member someday.”
“And the other women I’ve seen around here? Are they... what was the word you used... old ladies?”
Lindsey’s hands fly up in the air. “Oh, hell no.” She points to a small group of women sitting at the bar across the room. “They’re what we like to call sweet butts. Most of them live here at the clubhouse. They’re kinda like friends with benefits for the members without old ladies. They’re here for the guys who need a little attention.”
“They what?”
“Not all
the guys are into that sort of thing,” Blair clarifies. “GP never touched the girls.”
“And Eugene?”
Lindsey laughs. “I’m never going to get used to you calling him Eugene. I’ve called him Judge for as long as I could talk, and he’s my blood relative.” She takes a sip of her beer. “And yes, he’s been with some. But he won’t now that he’s with you. My uncle is loyal.”
My head spins as she rattles off more and more information, while I’m stuck inside my own head at the thought of any of these gorgeous women hanging all over Eugene in front of me. My heart sinks. He’s been with the sweet butts, or whatever word she used to describe the scantily clad women who have popped in and out of the main room we’ve been sitting in. Is that what he would expect me to handle if we were together? To just be okay with other women trying to sleep with him right in front of me? Just the idea makes me want to walk right out the door and never look back. I may not be an expert in the relationship department, but I don’t share.
I would have never thought that being with a biker could be so complicated.
Reaching out, Blair takes my hand and squeezes it. “It’s confusing at first. It took me a while, but once you get used to it, it’ll make more sense.”
“It’s like riding a bike,” Lindsey assures me.
“It’s more like trying to fly a plane with no experience, or pilots. Until you find the manual, you’re kind of on your own to bring the nose up.”
“You’ve been playing that flight simulator with the kids again, haven’t you?”
“I don’t mean to scare you away with all the club talk, but if you’re going to be with him, you need to know. Being an old lady is one thing, but being the president’s old lady is an entirely different animal. He leads the men. The president’s old lady fills that role for the ladies. You’d be the first old lady if you’re his.”
My head spins. “I don’t even know where I stand with him.”
“No one ever does,” Lindsey warns. “Club life isn’t for everyone. Outsiders don’t do well here.”
“I was an outsider,” Blair acknowledges.
“You’re a different story.”
“Ignore her, Grace. She’s just protective of her uncle.”
“Someone should be.” Lindsey throws her hands up in the air. “He’s had a lot of bad in his life. I want to make sure he doesn’t get anymore.”
I lean forward and catch Lindsey’s eye, making sure she’s listening to me when I speak. “Listen, I like Eugene a lot, actually, but I have no idea where this is going to go. We’re still feeling it out... I think.”
“Just don’t hurt him. He seems to care for you. If you can’t handle this, you need to tell him now before he gets in even deeper.”
Is it really that obvious? We’re attracted to each other, sure, but we barely know anything about each other. I don’t even know his middle name or his birthday. How did we go from screwing around once to me leading the women of this club? If his own niece looks at me with such disdainful conviction, I assume others will too. He and I really need to talk.
“Enough about all that stuff,” Blair asserts, her voice high and uncomfortable, and just the thing to break the tension in the air around us. “Tell us about you.”
“There’s really not much to tell, to be honest.”
“Bullshit. My uncle wouldn’t be that interested if you weren’t something special.”
“I really don’t know why he’s interested in me,” I admit.
Blair takes a long look at me. “For one, you’re stacked, and you’ve got this innocent librarian look going for you.”
“I what?” I practically shriek, pulling my cardigan tight across my chest. Blair’s bluntness is shocking. Do all women talk to each other like that? I’ve never really had close girlfriends to know if it is, or if it’s just a biker chick thing. Whatever it is, I’m not sure I’m comfortable talking about my body like this.
“Can I ask you about your job?”
“What would you like to know?”
“How do you handle it? It has to be hard, ya know, being in the middle of the fray of broken families. While I deal with the aftermath in my line of work, you’re there when the split happens.”
“It’s not easy. I used to be able to shut off my emotions and do my job, but I’ve realized recently that not every case calls for a removal.”
“You mean Kevin and Natalie?”
“I do. A few days ago, if you would’ve told me I’d be here in this position, I’d have said you were off your rocker. But talking with Eugene and the kids, learning about everything they’ve been through from their own perspectives has changed mine.”
“So why did you come here to remove them?”
“It was a court order. I’m bound by the law to do it, but I can’t take them away from Eugene. Not after finding out the real truth of why they’re with him.”
“What will you do now?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. The legal ways take too long, and the illegal ones are too dangerous. It’s like a coin flip with no good options on either side. I’m not sure if your uncle told you, but I filed to be a foster parent. If my friend in the inspection office can get it pushed through, I can file to take legal custody of the kids while the issues with their father get worked out in court.”
Lindsey’s face falls. “My uncle wouldn’t have custody if you did that. You could take them away any time you felt like it.”
“I couldn’t do that. Kevin and Natalie trust your uncle. They need him, yet he’d never get approved to be a foster parent with his record. But I can. It’s the best option we have while the club deals with their father.”
“You’re risking your job, aren’t you? Pushing through that application with your internal connections can’t be legal.”
I almost laugh. Nothing this club does errs on the side of legality, but here sits their president’s own niece, questioning mine. Irony at its finest.
“I am, but if that’s the price I have to pay, so be it. They can’t go with their father, and putting my trust in the legal system is too much of a chance. This is the only way.” Even as the words slip past my lips, my candor shocks me. I know I’ve had my doubts about my job, but saying them out loud seems so foreign. I love my job, or I used to love it. But this case has given me an entirely new perspective on it all. Right now, Kevin and Natalie’s safety is all that matters, with or without the law on my side.
“Well, if you’re thinking about a career change, I could use someone with your dedication at the women’s shelter I’m building. The non-profit paperwork was just approved last month, and I’m working on sourcing extra capital outside of what the club has agreed to pitch in to get me started,” Blair mentions casually. “It’s not much, but I hope to build on it in the future.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Working without a paycheck would be hard, but it gives me an alternative to consider later. With so few things to spend my money on over the years, I have a decent nest egg. I could survive if something happened with my job, at least for a little while.
“I hope you do.”
The door swings wide, and the three of us shift our focus to the men filing out in a line. Seeing me, Eugene makes his way over.
“The club’s in, but I’m going to need you to stay with me for a few days. I don’t want you going anywhere alone.”
“I don’t need protection,” I counter. “I’m a big girl.”
His face doesn’t waver at my joke. “I’m not taking no for an answer, Grace. I’ll go get the kids, and we’ll swing by your place to get your things. You’ll be staying at my house.”
He pivots away from me and heads for the hallway. I guess I understand why they call him Judge now.
Judge
“But... we haven’t seen our dad in years,” Kevin says, his eyebrows squished together in confusion. “He took off when Nat was born. I don’t even really remember him.”
Natalie just stares ahead, her gaze unfocused
.
Moving beside her, Grace wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay, honey?”
Natalie lays her head on Grace’s shoulder. “I want to stay with Mr. Judge.”
“You’re not going anywhere, kiddo. You’re staying with me. I won’t let anyone take you away.”
Natalie finally focuses her gaze, and when she does, she turns it on me. With a slow smile, she throws herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist and hugging me tight. “You’re our father, not him.”
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. But good bricks. These kids haven’t even been in my care for two months, and we’re already a family. We argue sometimes. We laugh together. We play together. And most of all, we love each other.
“Damn right I am,” I tell her, but my voice is thick with emotion.
“You kids go on up and get into bed. It’s late.”
“Goodnight, Grace. Goodnight, Mr. Judge,” Natalie says with a musical lilt.
“Night,” Kevin says, following his sister out of the room and down the hall.
Grace’s eyes follow them before they disappear from view. “They’re amazing kids. They’ve been through so much, but they’re sweet, kind, and care about others.”
“They’re fucking incredible kids.”
Grace smiles. “You’re a pretty incredible father to them too.”
Heat blooms in my chest. “Fucking incredible,” I correct her.
She bites her lip, attempting to hide her smile. “Oh, excuse me. You’re a fucking incredible father.”
I lift my arm and flex my bicep. “Fucking right I am.”
Grace’s laughter fills the common area of the clubhouse, and a few of the guys look over. I can tell they don’t trust her, seeing as she didn’t exactly make a good first impression. But they will. Once they see the real Grace—the one not hiding behind her glasses and a stack of case files—they’ll realize she’s a good woman.
“I never had a father,” she tells me. “I was an orphan from the day I was born.”
“What happened to your parents?”
“I’m not sure, really. And I think that’s the worst part. There was no information in my file. Not their names, their ages. Nothing.”
