“Having fun?” I looked through the glass in the shower door to see Ashlyn standing there, watching me.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” I shouted at her.
“Calm down, we have company,” she told me, passing me a towel.
“Who is it?” I grabbed the towel, wrapping it around my waist. I walked past her and into the bedroom, pulling out a clean t-shirt and putting it on. My body was still damp so the material stuck to my skin. I dropped the towel and pulled on some jeans, without boxers as I was ready to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. I didn’t want much to get in the way of that.
“Um… CG?” she said it like she was asking me. This woman frustrated me to no end. I walked out of the room to see CG pacing in the hall way. When he heard me he stopped and looked up at me.
“Hey, man,” he smiled.
“How did you find me?” I asked, not exchanging pleasantries. I didn’t want anyone knowing about my shit until I had spoken to Heather. I just needed to find the right way and time to tell her. If CG knew about me then I’m guessing I needed to tell Heather pretty quick.
“It doesn’t take much, once I set myself on a job I get it done.”
“Job? Uno sent you?” I asked crossing my arms across my chest and widening my stance.
“Na, it’s just me. Need your help.” I nodded my head for him to continue and he looked behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Ashlyn standing there with Tegan in her arms.
“Give us a minute,” I told her. She nodded and I saw her head in the direction of the girls’ bedroom.
“Got a nice little set up here, haven’t you?” he chuckled.
“Shut it and tell me what you want.” I walked past him and into the living room, I had to step over all the dolls and girly shit that was covering the floor.
“We need you back at the club, man,” he said looking at me. “Since Dad found out about Liam, him not being who he thought he was, he’s kinda gone off the rails. Drinking more, taking drugs. I even saw him with a sweet bun the other day.”
“Shit,” I cursed. One thing that Uno never done was sleep around, he loved Gloria and in all the time I’ve known them he was faithful.
“He’s got sloppy too, we got invaded by the Satan MC…”
“Wait, I thought we killed them all?” I cut him off.
“They were in Satan cuts. Must have missed some.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Dad’s shot was off and he ended up shooting Riz in the shoulder.”
“Fuck!” I dropped my head in my hands. If I needed to go back then I wanted Heather with me, which means I have to grow a pair and tell her why I had to leave.
“So, you coming back?” he asked, looking hopeful, though I don’t know what he thought I’d be able to do.
“I need to talk to Heather first.”
“Yeah, what the hell is going on here? You got a built in family?”
“None of your business. I’ll talk to you soon.” I stood up and waited until he left the room and I heard the front door slam shut. I sat back down and tried to form a plan of what I was going to do in my head. I heard little footsteps and looked up when Kelsey ran into the room. She stopped when she saw me.
“Come here, sweetheart,” I told her, holding my hand out to her. She took it and I pulled her into my lap. “I didn’t mean to upset you earlier, I’m sorry.”
“That’s ok,” she quietly said, resting her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a few minutes, after I realised she wasn’t going to move I sunk back into the sofa and got comfy. My eyes were getting heavy, I had been on my bike for a solid ten hours and needed to sleep. I heard some movements and I opened my eyes. Ashlyn handed me Tegan, she was asleep and I placed her on my chest. I looked over to Kelsey who was also asleep with her thumb in her mouth.
“I gotta get some shopping done.” Ashlyn said as she looked through her bag and pulled out her car keys.
“Sweetheart, I’ve been riding for hours. I need some sleep,” I told her, yawning.
“They’re your responsibility, Blade. They’re both tired, put them to bed,” she told me.
“Ashlyn, please.” I pleaded before she walked out of the door and I heard the front door close. I held on tight to both girls as I climbed to my feet, walking towards the room that they shared. It had a bed for Kelsey and Tegan’s cot was in here for her to sleep in during the day, at night time she was in a moses basket in my room. I got both girls changed and into bed within thirty minutes and once my head hit the pillow I was out for the count.
Heather
MY EMOTIONS HAD BEEN all over the place for the last week. Cammie had explained how she knew Ashlyn, but we couldn’t figure out why Blade was with her. Cammie was convinced he wasn’t cheating on me but I just didn’t know. I wanted to be mad at Blade for leaving me, but when I was around him all I wanted to feel was his arms around me, his breath on my neck and his heart beating in time with mine. When we were together we were one.
“You ready?” Cammie asked as she poked her head in around the door. We no longer shared a room, she spent nearly all of her time with Mason now and it seemed silly for her to come back here to get clean clothes.
“I’m just waiting on Penny to come and look after him.” I nodded my head towards a sleeping Liam.
“I’m here,” she called out as she walked into the room carrying her laptop and food.
“Why aren’t you working tonight?” Cammie asked her.
“You may be sleeping with the VP but he hasn’t claimed you as an Old Lady so you can’t question me.” Penny snapped at her. I saw that Cammie wanted to argue back, her mouth was opening and closing like a fish but no words were coming out.
“He’s been changed and fed, so he should sleep. Any problems come and find me.”
“No problem.” She settled herself onto what was Cammie’s bed and started up her laptop. I linked arms with Cammie and we walked into the bar which was overflowing with people. We walked up to the bar and before we could ask Drake, the prospect passed us two glasses of wine. We smiled at him and walked around to find a place to sit.
“What was up with Penny earlier?” Cammie asked as she pointed at an empty table.
Once we were sitting, I told her, “She has an infection, so she can’t work.”
“Oh.” Cammie laughed. “I bet she’s hating that.”
“What’s so funny over here?” Mason asked as he and Solar sat down with us. Mason kissed me on the cheek and kissed Cammie a little more forcefully on the lips. I felt like I was invading on a private moment so I turned in my seat to look at Solar.
“You ok? Haven’t seen you around much.”
“Yeah, just busy, you know…”
“Club business,” I cut him off, knowing exactly what he was going to come out with. “So, what’s this party for?”
“It’s just a Friday night, babe,” he chuckled. It was full of people, the bar was crazy busy and Lottie was helping to serve.
“Oh, I love this song. Wanna dance?” I asked him. He smiled, grabbed my hand and led me onto the dance floor. He pulled me close to him and started moving his hips from side to side, making me giggle. He spun me around and pulled me up close to his chest and he started moving his hips seductively. I could feel his arousal, there was no use in me getting excited as I knew that none of these guys would take it any further. Apparently once you are claimed as an Old Lady no one wants to get in the middle of that. Did I want that? No, I was in love with Blade, I only wanted him.
We had been dancing to a few songs when I felt him disappear from behind me, I turned around and saw a pissed off Blade looking at me. I didn’t move as he prowled closer towards me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he growled against my ear so I could hear him.
“Dancing,” I replied.
“Don’t get smart with me, sugar. Else I’ll show you who you belong to.”
“Doesn’t sound much like a threat,” I purred pushing my body up against his. His hands
found my hips and held them tightly. I looked up at him under my eyelashes and licked my lips.
“Hmm, you’re gonna be the death of me, woman,” he slammed his lips down onto mine and I finally relaxed, I felt complete. We stayed where we were, in the middle of the dance floor dancing and kissing, “I love you, sugar.”
“I love you too.” I smiled.
“We need to talk. Where’s Liam?”
“Penny is looking after him in my room,” he nodded and led me off the dance floor and away from the noise, it was much quieter outside.
“Let’s sit over there.” He nodded to a picnic bench and we sat next to each other. I was patiently waiting for him to start talking.
“Blade,” I said after we sat in silence for what felt like hours but in reality was only a few minutes.
“Kade,” he reminded me, “I want you to call me Kade.”
“Ok.” I nodded.
“The only family I have…” He stopped talking and cleared his throat. “Had left, was my sister.”
“What do you mean had?”
“She died six weeks ago. Cancer.”
“Oh, Kade. I’m so sorry.” I wrapped my arms around him and held on to him tightly.
“She’s the reason I had to go. I…”
“BLADE!” A woman called out, when I looked over to where the voice had come from I saw a small, blonde woman carrying a baby in one arm and dragging a toddler by the hand, who was having trouble keeping up with her fast pace.
“Ashlyn,” he said leaving me and hurrying towards her. “What’s happened? What are you doing here?”
“Kade?” I asked, standing behind him. Wondering what the hell was going on and whose kids they were.
“We had to hide…” She looked scared, she was trembling and her breath was uneven.
“Here, give her to me.” He took the baby from her arms. “Sugar, this is Tegan. Can you hold her for a minute?” I nodded and took the little girl bundled up in a pink blanket. She was adorable, blue eyes staring at me and a scattering of dark hair on her head. I felt my body crumble slightly at the thought that I’d never have a daughter.
“Why did you have to hide? Kelsey, sweetheart, come here.” Blade held out his arms and the other little girl walked towards him. He picked her up and held her against his chest. She placed her chin on his shoulder and smiled at me. I tickled her cheek and she giggled.
“I don’t know who they were. I heard a bike and thought it was you. But I remembered you saying you wouldn’t be back tonight. I looked out the window and it was a load of bikes. I didn’t know what to do. I grabbed the girls and we hid in the garden. I could hear them trashing the house.”
“Who were they? The guy that came over yesterday?” He placed his palm on the side of her face, getting her to look at him. I felt a surge of jealousy rip through my body. I didn’t want him touching anyone else. Was it an intimate touch? Were these his daughters?
“No, these guys were older.”
“In leather jackets?” She nodded. “What did they look like?”
“I… I don’t remember. I think it was red, a devil or something.”
“Satan,” he mumbled quietly.
“What? The Satan MC? Have they come back looking for me? I thought they were dead? I saw you kill them,” she was panicking and starting to hyperventilate. “You burned it down,” she whispered, tears running down her face. Blade held her close to him and Kelsey as she cried.
“Kade, let’s go inside,” I told him. He looked at me and nodded. We walked down the dark hallway and into my bedroom.
“Heather, you’re back early?” Penny said, looking up from her laptop.
“Thanks for watching him, everything ok?” I asked as I walked over to check on him and still holding Tegan in my arms.
“Yeah, fine. Who are they?”
“None of your business, out!” Blade demanded. She looked him over, recognising his cut and left the room, quickly. Ashlyn stood in the middle of the room shaking, Blade placed Kelsey on my bed and she curled up against my pillow, sucking her thumb. Her eyes looking heavy.
“What’s going on?” I asked, sitting on Cammie’s bed and rocking Tegan as she began to cry, which set Liam off and he started to cry too. I looked over to him and watched as Blade walked over to him and picked him up. He quietened instantly and I saw the love Blade had for him in his eyes. “Are these your daughters?” I asked Blade. Ashlyn looked towards him surprised.
“I thought you was going to tell her?” she said.
“I haven’t had a chance yet. No, sugar. They’re my nieces.” He sat next to me on the bed. “When my sister found out she had cancer she was already pregnant with Tegan. She refused treatment and refused to have an abortion. Once Tegan was born, they discovered the cancer was too aggressive and nothing could be done.” Blade was getting choked up and I placed my hand on his face as a way of comfort, normally I would have climbed into his lap, but that would have been difficult with the two babies between us. “The night I left, I got a call from Ashlyn, telling me to hurry, telling me that my sister wouldn’t be with us much longer. I didn’t have time to stop and explain. I had to get to her to say goodbye, I didn’t want to miss the chance. I told Uno I was going and left. No explanations to anyone. I am so sorry I left the way I did. But she was my sister.” A few stray tears fell down his face and I reached up to wipe them away.
“I’ll give you two some privacy.” Ashlyn said.
“Thank you,” I said. “Cammie’s in the bar. She’ll keep you company.” She nodded and walked out of the door. I stood up and placed Tegan in Liam’s moses basket, then I took Liam from Blade and put him in there with her. I was surprised they both fit, with Liam being much bigger than her. I walked back to Blade and pulled him close to me. I stood in between his open legs and his head fell against my stomach. His tears soaking my top. After a few minutes, Blade pulled back and he looked more composed.
“Where does Ashlyn fit into all of this? Is she your…”
“She was my sister’s best friend. She came to the Devon clubhouse to tell me about her stubbornness. Hoping that I could get her to change her mind. That’s when the Satan’s grabbed her. They came back for Cammie once they discovered I had never met her. They used her as a play toy.”
“Oh God,” I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.
“She was there for months. She’s been helping me with them. But I can’t expect her to help forever. I want them to grow up having a mum,” he pointed at me, “And a dad,” he pointed to himself.
“Oh.”
“You don’t want that?”
“Oh, Kade. Of course I want that. Of course I’ll help you. Does that mean moving back to Devon?” I asked, disappointed in the fact. I loved Cornwall and wanted to stay here.
“I’m not sure.” He explained the visit he had from Neil and now with the Satan’s apparently being around again, no one was safe. A lockdown may need to be called, for the Crusaders and the Destroyers. “Now, are you mine?” he asked. I nodded.
“I’ve always been yours,” I whispered.
“That’s what I like to hear. I want to see that property back on that gorgeous body of yours.”
“Uno took it from me,” I told him.
“What?” he shouted, standing up. I winced as I thought all the children would wake up but they didn’t.
“He told me I had to give it back. I was no longer an Old Lady and you had gone enforcer. That I could stay if I worked for them, or stay in your house but I had to pay him rent.”
“That cheeky fucker,” he growled. “I never asked for it back. To me, you will always be my Old Lady. You could have stayed in our home, it’s ours and has nothing to do with that club.” I nodded, that was always good to know, for the future. “Come on, sugar. Let’s get some sleep before I talk to these guys about the Satan’s.”
“We can’t leave them in there together. I’ll go and find Carla, see if she has a cot we can borrow.”
“I’ll
come with you,” he said, standing up.
“Babe, you need to stay with them. What if Kelsey wakes up?” He nodded and I hurried to find Carla.
* * *
Blade
IT FELT good getting everything off my chest, telling Heather about my sister. I was relieved when she agreed to help me raise the girls, we would have the large family she wanted and if she wanted more we would adopt. I heard a noise outside of the door and opened it to see what was going on. There was the Prez, VP and Tat carrying a cot down the hall and figuring out how to get it through the door. Behind them was Heather, Ashlyn and Cammie. Once the cot was in the room, I heard Kelsey.
“Uncle Kade?” She was sucking her thumb and rubbing her eyes. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Heather and Ashlyn both went to go to her at the same time, when they noticed what they both done, they stopped, telling each other to go to her.
“It’s ok, she doesn’t know me.” Heather told Ashlyn. “You go.” I could see how much Heather wanted to comfort her. She busied herself with making the cot comfy for the babies. Cammie and Heather changed the babies and put them to sleep in the cot that was borrowed from the Prez’s wife. I pulled the guys to the side.
“I know this isn’t my club, but we need a church meeting in the morning, early. It’s important.”
“You got it.” Prez said, slapping me on the back. “See you at six am.” I nodded my appreciation.
“There’s a bed next door for you.” Cammie told Ashlyn.
“Shall I take her with me?” Ashlyn asked, talking about Kelsey, I nodded. I needed some time alone with my woman before all hell broke loose. Especially if that meant calling a lockdown.
Once Ashlyn left, I pushed the two single beds together, there was no way I was going to sleep separate from my woman tonight. I pulled her close to me and began removing her jeans.
“I just want to feel your skin tonight,” I whispered to her.
South Coast Brothers Part 1 Page 20
