by Erin Osborne
“What’s goin’ on?” he asks, sensing the rage filling me at this moment.
“Come see and you’ll know what’s wrong,” I answer, turning on my booted heel and walking back toward my room.
Renegade steps through the open door and his eyes widen in shock. He takes in all the mess before his eyes land on the bassinet that has more damage done to it than anything else in here. His gaze lands on Hadliegh who’s standing in the middle of the room with Axle in her arms because there’s nowhere to lay him down right now.
“What the fuck?” he asks like I should know who did this.
“You tell me. I haven’t been here since Hadliegh had Axle. I’ve been staying in the guest room at Callie and Bear’s every night so I can help with my son,” I tell him, even though he knows that’s where I’ve been.
“Anyone else have a key?” he asks.
“You and Hadliegh are the only ones I’ve given that too. No one else has access to this room. Or I didn’t think they did,” I say, letting my anger get the better of me as I turn out into the hallway and punch a hole through the drywall.
“We’ll figure this out. I’ll have Hawk pull up the camera feed and find out who was in here,” he tells me.
“Got an idea on that one,” I say, looking down the hall to see that Nails isn’t there anymore. “Nails has been actin’ fucked up for a while now. I guarantee she’s the one that did this shit. But we can’t do anything until we have proof of that.”
“I know. We’ll have Hawk get on it as soon as church is over. For now, Hadliegh, go in my room and get some rest. You can lay Axle down in my bed and lay down beside him. The bed is up against the wall so you have nothin’ to worry about. I’ll get Psycho back to you as soon as possible,” Renegade says, pulling out his keys. “As soon as I let you in, lock the door behind me.”
“Thank you, Renegade,” she says, looking at me to gauge my reaction.
“It’s the best for now. I’ll send one of the Prospects out to get another bassinet as soon as we’re done. Then we’re headin’ for the house so that you guys can get to bed,” I tell her, kissing her on the cheek and turning for the meeting room.
Once we are all inside with our phones and guns left out with the Prospects, Renegade slams the gavel on the table and gets down to business. “First of all, Psycho and I will be going to meet with Slim and Killer in the next few days to set up a plan of attack against these Snake’s Revenge fucks. I’ve heard that Vulture, the man that stabbed Psycho in the ring, is now workin’ with them and wants to join their club. Not sure it’s gonna happen, and I don’t really give a fuck. I want them all taken out and for everyone to know that they aren’t gonna fuck with Satan’s Anarchy or the Phantom Bastards.”
“We don’t even know where they’re at, how are we supposed to find them when they’re followin’ the same pattern Henry’s guys did? We’ve been out lookin’, called in more favors, and have tried findin’ out what this Vulture fuck is up to. None of us can find them,” Chains says, bringing up a good point.
“We’ll find them. They’ll fuck up the same way Henry and his guys did. As soon as they do, we’ll be on them the same way we were on Henry. We just need to figure out how to get them to fuck up,” Renegade says, leaning back in his chair. He looks relaxed right now, but I know he’s anything but. “Once we talk to Slim and Killer, we’ll bring the idea back to the table and see what everyone thinks. Now, we have one other piece of business to handle before we go into the rest of the business. Everyone knows that Psycho hasn’t been here. He’s either been workin’ or at Callie and Bear’s house. When he and Hadliegh went to go in his room today, it was destroyed. I want to know if anyone has been in there or seen anyone in there when he’s been gone?”
The room remains silent. Every head is turned toward me as I sit and my anger oozes out of me. “I want to know who the fuck was in there and did that shit. Axle’s bassinet was completely destroyed and that leads me to believe that whoever did this shit was pissed about my son bein’ born. That’s not somethin’ I’m gonna tolerate at all. When I find out who the fuck is responsible, they’ll be gettin’ an ass-whoopin’ by my hands and then whatever Renegade says will happen. My son and Hadliegh are not to be touched, and I know you all know that shit,” I say, looking at each and every single one of my brothers.
“Since no one wants to say anythin’, and I’m hopin’ that’s because you really don’t know anythin’, Hawk, I want you to pull up all the video footage for that hall and see who went in his room. As soon as we get a name, we’ll deal with the situation,” Renegade says, looking at me so I know he has my back a hundred percent in this matter.
For the rest of the meeting, I zone out. My thoughts volley between the house that I need to call Jason about, Hadliegh and Axle, and whoever trashed my room. Hadliegh is still cold and distant when it comes to me. I can’t really blame her, but I don’t think I should be punished forever for what I said either.
I’m at a loss of how to make it better and try to get back in her good graces. The only spot I want right now is back in her bed. I miss her and the way she wraps her body around me. Hadliegh gives as good as she gets and I want that back.
“Meetin’ adjourned!” Renegade says, breaking me out of my thoughts.
Getting up, I don’t wait for anyone to say anything else. My only goal right now is to get to Hadliegh and make sure she’s okay and no one has bothered her in Renegade’s room. I know Hawk will do his thing and within a few days, we’ll know who broke in and did the damage. Not only will they get an ass beating from me, they’ll be paying for all the damage too. I’m not fucking around when it comes to the safety of my family. If it does turn out to be Nails, then she’ll be doing the worst jobs we can think of before we send her packing. I’m not going to have a slut think she has rule over me and try to go out of her way to hurt Hadliegh.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Jason. He answers on the first ring. It’s usually what happens whenever I call him.
“What’s up, Psycho?” he asks.
“Saw a house off of Main street that I want. You know the one,” I inform him.
“I do. The one you’ve been waiting to come on the market for a few years now. I’ll pull the paperwork as soon as I get in the office tomorrow and call you as soon as I have it ready to go look at,” he says.
“Thanks, man. I want the deal done as soon as possible,” I answer, hanging up the phone and beginning to make my way to Hadliegh and Axle.
That’s when all hell breaks loose and I run down the hallway. Hadliegh is yelling and I don’t have to guess to know who she’s yelling at right now. Before I can make it to my brother’s room, I hear the rest of the guys following me.
Chapter Eight
Hadliegh
I’VE BEEN IN Renegade’s room, and Axle is sleeping soundly in the middle of his bed. My thoughts turn to Psycho and what I want to happen with him. I need him to be back in my arms and in my bed, but I don’t want him to think he can ever talk to me that way again. There’s a knock on the door, and not thinking, I walk over and pull it open to find Nails standing before me. There’s a smug look on her face and I can’t wait to hear what she has to say.
“I know you think Psycho wants you, but he doesn’t. He’s in my bed now and that’s where he’s gonna stay. I’ve told you this before and I’m gonna keep telling you that. I know he’ll tell you we’re nothing and that I’ve never touched him, but I have. And, like I said before, I’ll make sure that his son is taken care of by the bitches here because he’ll be too busy to be around the little fucker!” Nails says, getting in my face as she spews her shit.
I don’t think, I just act. Throwing out my fist, I punch her dead in the nose. Nails begins to screech and wail like she’s dying while bringing a hand up to cover her nose. “Don’t you ever talk about my son like that again. I hear his name in your mouth and I’ll beat the fuck outta you. Is that understood, you crazy fucking whore?”
“You
’ll be banned for this,” she says as I hear boots pounding down the hallway toward us.
“What’s goin’ on?” Renegade questions, taking in the scene before him.
“This bitch punched me for no reason,” Nails whines, trying to play the victim.
I roll my eyes before turning to the men standing in front of me. “Let me tell you what really happened. See, this isn’t the first time this bitch has gotten in my face to tell me all about her and Psycho, and how they’re going to take care of my son. Apparently, he’s been sharing her bed and she’s going to get me out of the picture before handing Axle over to the ‘bitches’ here. Her words, not mine. I’m not going to let some used-up skank talk about my son and get away with it. I’ll gladly go home and not have to deal with this bitch,” I say, never once taking my eyes off of Renegade and Psycho.
“I have never shared a bed with you, I’ve never touched you, and you’ve never touched me. I don’t know what the fuck your obsession is with me, but I’m over it. Told you earlier to leave Hadliegh and Axle alone and you didn’t. Renegade, you better do somethin’ before I do somethin’ I regret and beat this bitch down,” Psycho says, walking over to me and wrapping his arm around me.
“Wait!” Hawk yells, running toward us from his room. “You wanted to know who fucked with your room? It was Nails. And she had help from Chris.”
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” Psycho bellows out, causing Axle to wake up crying.
I remove myself from the hall to get him and cuddle him to my chest. Psycho is right next to me while Renegade has moved to make sure Nails doesn’t enter his room. The rest of the guys have formed a circle around the bitch as she begins to look around at them all. She’s not getting out of this one.
“I didn’t do a fucking thing!” she yells.
Hawk holds out his phone and I can faintly hear the video playing as Renegade, Grave, and Bear watch. As soon as it’s done, Renegade looks at the bitch in question and doesn’t say a word for a minute. “So, you went into a brother’s room, destroyed his things, got a Prospect to help you do that, and now you’re goin’ to lie about it?” he finally asks, holding up his hand when she goes to spew more bullshit at him. “You’re gone from here. Psycho, you want payment for all the damage so she’s goin’ to be cleanin’ up at Satan’s Den every night after close. The bathrooms and everythin’ will fuckin’ sparkle when you’re done with them. And, you won’t be allowed at any chapters or any of the clubs that we’re affiliated with.”
“You can’t fucking do that! I’m not going anywhere, and I’m sure as fuck not going to clean up a fucking bar to pay that asshole back for anything. That bitch trapped Psycho and now the rest of us have to pay for his mistakes? Fuck that shit!” she says, looking at everyone before turning to head back to her old room here.
I’ve had enough of this shit. I didn’t trap anyone, and Axle sure as fuck is not a mistake. I hand my son over to his dad before making my way through the group of men standing there. They might not put their hands on a woman, but I will.
Grabbing Nails’ arm, I turn her around to face me before I land another solid punch to her face. She falls to the floor and I go down with her. While she’s trying to scratch my eyes out and pull my hair, I’m landing punch after punch to her body and head. This bitch has pushed me way past my limits and has disrespected every member of this club.
Strong arms pull me off of Nails at some point. She goes to get in a cheap shot, but I kick out my leg and nail her in the stomach, forcing her back to the floor once again. This bitch is never gonna learn.
Looking over my shoulder, I see that Renegade is hanging onto me. I tell him that he can let me go now and make my way into the room and take Axle out of Psycho’s arms. Sitting on the bed, I listen to Nails as she continues to screech and cause a scene while the guys remove her from the clubhouse. Apparently, after the show she just put on, she’s not going to be allowed to get any of her things.
“Sorry about that but I’m not gonna have some bitch talk shit about our son,” I say, more to Renegade even though I’m looking at Psycho.
“Don’t worry. That bitch had it comin’. Are you okay?” Psycho asks, sitting down on the bed next to me and wrapping his arm around me before pulling me into his side.
“Yeah. I’m good. I’m ready to go back to Callie and Bear’s now,” I tell him, knowing that I just want to get out of here right now.
Psycho nods his head and grabs Axle’s diaper bag before leading me out through the common room and to the SUV. As we drive back to the house, once Axle is secure in his seat and we’re in, I wonder what the hell I got myself into. There’s no reason I should have to put up with skanks that want Psycho. We’re not together right now so he can do whatever the fuck he wants.
As soon as we get inside the house, Psycho helps me get Axle ready for bed before we climb into bed and put a movie on. I’m not sure what his game plan is right now, but I don’t get what I’m supposed to do now.
“I’m not gonna be dealing with that shit all the time. At this point, I don’t even know where we stand. The only thing I know is that I’m still so pissed at you. The way you talked to me that day, I’ve never been talked to like that before in my life. Not even when I was being held by those cocksuckers. How am I supposed to move on when you basically compared me to Nails and the rest of the babes?” I ask, knowing that we have to talk about this shit.
“I know that, Hadliegh. There’s no reason I should’ve said what I did that day. I was caught off guard and shocked by the conversation. In the end, I pushed you away and missed you bein’ pregnant with our son. Up until having a kid became a reality, I never wanted them. Now that Axle’s here, I don’t want to miss a moment with him. I want to stay home and be with him every single second of every single day,” he tells me, keeping his eyes focused on me the entire time. “As far as the babes go, they all know that you’re untouchable because of Callie and now havin’ my son. We could do more if you were an ol’ lady, but we’re not there yet.”
“You’re gonna have to give me time. Maybe one day I’ll be able to move past this. It’s not today, though,” I respond, completely ignoring the ol’ lady comment.
“Tomorrow, will you come with me? I have a house to look at and I want you there with me,” he asks, shocking me with that news.
“Um, yeah, I can go with you. Why are you buying a house?” I ask, wondering if his reason is the same as where my mind just went.
“Because we need a home. Not us stayin’ at Callie and Bear’s all the damn time. I want to know that I’m comin’ home to you at the end of the day, and that Axle will be here waitin’ for me to show up. And I’ll show up home every fuckin’ night,” he answers.
“You know I’m not moving in with you right now, right?”
“I know. But it’s there when you’re ready. I’ll have a room already set up for Axle and everythin’. This way you already know the house and can be comfortable in it when you’re there,” he says.
I nod my head before walking into the bathroom to change into my pajama pants and tank top. When I walk back in the room, Psycho is already lying in bed with his shirt off and the sheet covering his waist. I know he’ll be naked under that sheet because he doesn’t wear anything to bed.
Knowing this shit is not gonna be easy with wanting him the way I do. But, I’m not going to change a single thing about him. Fuck my life! I can’t even have sex for another few weeks anyway. I guess it’s time to sleep before Axle wakes up and I’m dead tired tomorrow.
Waking up the next morning, I realize I told Psycho we’d go look at a house with him. It’s not that I don’t want to go, it’s more that I don’t want to know where he’s living so that my mind shows me what it’ll be like when he’s there with someone else. That’s imagery I don’t need to picture when I’m torn about what to do.
On one hand, he’s proving daily that he’s going to be here for Axle. And that he wants to be in my life. But, I still remember his words an
d I can’t help but feel like it’s going to tear us apart when things become real and we live together. Then there’s really no escape. I won’t take my shit to Callie’s house and pull them in the middle of it all.
“We gotta be there in less than twenty, babe,” Psycho says walking back in the room with Axle.
Our son is dressed and resting comfortably in his father’s arms. I’ll never get tired of seeing Psycho holding him. It’s sexier than I ever thought it’d be. I don’t have time to dwell on that though. Jumping out of bed, I grab some clothes and make my way into the bathroom so I can take a quick shower.
As soon as I’m ready to leave, we head out and I keep my attention on the scenery passing by. Not that it takes long to get to the house he’s looking at. It’s less than a ten-minute drive from Callie and Bear’s house to the one we’re pulling in front of.
On first glance of the house, I see it has a huge yard. There’s a fence that surrounds the property and stops about four feet from the road. Psycho gets out and opens the back door to grab Axle’s car seat as I’m stepping out and closing my door, and then he’s by my side.
“Ready?” he asks, looking like a little boy that just got told all of his dreams were about to come true. It’s infectious as he grabs my hand and leads me up the driveway.
I see a man leaning against his car in a relaxed pose until Psycho calls out to him. He smiles at us and takes in the scene, not bothering to hide the look of shock on his face. Once we’re close enough to him, Psycho sets the car seat down on the driveway and shakes the man’s hand before pulling him for a man hug. Yep, they definitely know one another.
“Jason, I’d like you to meet Hadliegh. Hadliegh, this is Jason. One of my friends and the realtor sellin’ this house,” he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“It’s nice to meet you, Hadliegh. And who’s the little guy?” Jason asks, holding out his hand for me to shake.