by Colbie Kay
I mumble under my breath. “Fuck! She’s with you because no one wants to take on the responsibility of her needs? Should they even be fuckin’ parents then?” My anger with the world we live in surfaces.
Jorga wipes at her cheeks and clears her throat. “Sister Noelle, it sounds as if you knew Julie.”
The nun nods. “Days after Harmony was born, I found Julie pushing Harmony’s stroller up and down the sidewalk in front of our church one Sunday morning. I invited her in, and she sat all through the sermon, listening, and crying. Afterward, I visited with her, and we talked for a while. She started coming to church every weekend, and I could see happiness lighting up her eyes. We would talk more until she was rushing off to get home before Russell returned from work.”
“Where is Russell now?” I question with anger lacing my tone.
Gritt declares, “He was sitting across the street while Julie and Harmony were inside with the fire. He was arrested and has been in a cell for the last six months.” The fuckin’ cunt needs to be dead, not sitting in a cell, getting three meals a day, and a mattress to sleep on. Gritt must see the fury in my stare because he steps next to me and speaks low enough that only I can hear. “Don’t worry. Once he’s sentenced, I’ll find out which prison he’s sent to. He’ll be taken care of.” Satisfaction slithers through my veins, and I nod.
“How old is Harmony?” Jorga questions. “May I hold her?”
Sister Noelle smiles and steps closer. Lifting her arms out in front of her, Jorga takes Harmony and holds her carefully. “She just turned one. We’ve had trouble finding her a home because of her medical needs.”
“So, you thought we could take her when no one else would.” It was a statement and not a question.
Nodding, Gritt answered, “That’s what we’re hoping. She needs a home, Tink.”
I shift my gaze from Gritt to Jorga, and then to Sister Noelle. “Can we have some time to talk about it?”
“Yeah.” Standing, Gritt moves away from his desk and to his office door, and Sister Noelle leaves with him.
“What do you think, Babe?”
“Look at her, Lucas.” Jorga adjusts in her seat so that her body is facing me, and Harmony is sitting in her lap.
Reaching over, I touch one of Harmony’s chubby little cheeks. “What do you think, Harmony? You want to come live with me and Jorga?”
Harmony’s brown eyes meet mine, and she smiles and coos.
Jorga and I laugh. “I think we have our answer, Lucas.” Jorga’s loving stare meets mine. “If anyone can deal with medical needs, it’s us. Do you think they wanted it to be us because of our scars?”
I hold my arms out. “Let me see her.” Jorga passes Harmony to me. She begins to play with my long hair, wrapping strands around her tiny little fingers. “Probably so, but we are confident in our scars. We don’t let them hold us down, right? Maybe they want the same for her. Maybe they knew that since we can relate, we would teach her to grow up and not see herself as different. We have come a long way in our healing, Babe, and I’m all for helping this little girl through hers.”
Jorga bites on her lip and brows are knitted like she’s contemplating while staring at Harmony. “Would we ever get this opportunity again? What if we said no and never had this chance again?” Jorga sighs as if she’s set in her decision. Her gaze finds mine, and her lips lift even as she shakes her head. “I think we should do it. I think we should adopt her.”
I grin. “I think so, too. I’ll tell Gritt, and then I’ll call my mom. She can’t say no to us now.”
Jorga’s smile beams. “Tell her I’ll have the mother-in-law suite ready for her.”
Jorga and I tried getting my mom to move in with us after we bought our house. We specifically bought the house because she would have her own little apartment, but she turned us down, saying that we needed time to be newlyweds. She didn’t want to intrude. One way or another, I’m going to get her away from that damn trailer park, though. Neither Jorga or I know how to be parents, and I know we’re going to need all the help we can get. Surely, my mom will jump at the chance to help take care of her only grandbaby. At least, I hope she will.
“Did you know?” My eyes drift from Harmony up to Lucas. My heart melts, seeing him hold this little girl who could potentially become our daughter and change our lives forever.
His eyes widen. “Know what? That we came here for a baby? No, I had no fuckin’ idea.”
I should probably still be mad at Lucas, but this little girl has made every emotion inside of me evaporate except happiness. She is beautiful with her dark brown hair, chubby cheeks, and big brown eyes. Her perfect smile, with only a small number of teeth, makes my heart full. The way she scrunches her little button nose makes my smile widen. “Are you sure you want her, Lucas? This is a big decision.” Even though I’ve already given my answer, I want to be sure he wants this too and isn’t just agreeing because he wants to make me happy.
“Do you want her to be ours, Jorga?” My heart skips a beat at his question.
My vision blurs with unshed tears. “Yes. I hadn’t thought much about us having kids because we can’t, but this opportunity we’re being handed may not come again. Our family will be made with her, Lucas. I’m being given a chance to be a mother to this little girl. That’s something I never thought I would have the privilege to be, a mom. You already know I want her, but I want to make sure this is what you want, too.”
Lucas stares down at Harmony, his lips lifting into that gorgeous smile of his that I love so much. His finger trails over the bandages covering her arms. “I really don’t think there’s anything else to discuss or decide about it. She’s going to be our daughter. I never thought I would be a father either, but I want this with you, Jorga. I want her to know the love we have, and I want to give her the best life we can provide.”
I take a deep breath and nod. “Okay, it’s settled then.” My smile won’t leave my face. “Go tell Gritt and Sister Noelle to come in.”
As Lucas stands, he asks, “Does this mean you aren’t pissed at me anymore?” He gently sets Harmony on my lap.
“I’m still mad, but you’re a little less in the doghouse.”
He smirks. “Do I need to drag the tent out?”
I laugh, remembering him camping out in the front yard at Dancer’s. “We’ll see. Let’s keep this between us until it’s all finalized.”
Lucas frowns in confusion. “Okay, why?”
I shrug. “Just in case something happens, and the adoption doesn’t go through.”
“Whatever you want, Babe.” I hear the door close.
A few minutes after Lucas left the room, he returns with Gritt and Sister Noelle. “Did you make your decision?” Gritt inquires. Something flashes across Gritt’s face. Hope maybe? Whatever it was is gone as soon as it appeared. His features tighten, giving him a more serious dominant expression.
Lucas and I glance at one another. My smile is beaming as I gaze at Gritt. “We have. We want to adopt Harmony.”
“That’s wonderful!” Sister Noelle’s smile matches my own as she claps her hands together.
“What do we need to do from here?” Lucas asks Sister Noelle.
“There is some paperwork you will need to fill out. You will need to go through the courts in Kansas for it to become a legal adoption. It could take months, but you are more than welcome to visit Harmony as much as you would like in the meantime. It will be good for her to start getting to know you,” she explains
“We will come as often as we can,” I assure her.
Sister Noelle takes Harmony from me. “Gritt has the paperwork for. I need to take Harmony back to the church since it’s time for her to eat lunch.” Her head tilts a little as she glances at me, and she speaks as if she’s responding to my unanswered question, “You can see her before you leave town.”
“Thank you,” I reply as I watch her leave with Harmony. I have this overwhelming sense of emptiness that I’ve never experienced before.
<
br /> The sun went down hours ago, and Harmony hasn’t left my mind since Sister Noelle took her back to the church. Today was a whirlwind of emotions, and now, as I’m settling into the hotel room, waiting on Lucas to bring back food, I need to talk to someone. I decide to call Dancer.
“Jorga, hey!”
I smile, hearing her voice. Even after what she did, Dancer is still my best friend. It took some time for me to get over being hurt, but I believe she truly is sorry for everything that happened. “How was your grand opening? I’m so sorry I had to miss it.”
“It was amazing! Everyone showed up, and Hanger has invited me back into the clubhouse. I asked where you and Tink were, and they said Arizona, but that was it. Is everything okay?” Her tone is laced with worry.
I lean back against the headboard. “Everything’s great, Dancer. I was mad as hell at Lucas for lying to me, but when I found out why we’re here, I can’t be mad.”
“He lied to you?” Her voice raises a couple octaves.
Groaning, I reply, “Yeah, tried to say he wanted to take a road trip for our anniversary to see the Grand Canyon.”
She bursts out laughing. “I’m sorry. It’s not funny, but why would he tell you that?”
“I don’t know. It was so stupid. Hanger told him he had to come to handle some club business.”
She gasps loudly. “Oh shit! And what were you supposed to do while he was doing that? Hang out in a hotel room somewhere?”
“That’s what I said!” I shout and throw my arm in the air. “But I gave him no room to argue with me. I told him I was going to this club business with him.”
“Jorga!” Dancer laughs harder. “So, what happened?”
“He was setup. It wasn’t actually club business at all.”
“What?” She now sounds confused. “Then why the hell are you there?”
I sigh, hesitating for a moment. I can’t not tell her; I have to tell someone, or I’m going to burst, keeping it to myself. “Because they have a baby in need of a home. We’re going to adopt her.”
“Oh my god, Jorga!” she squeals, making me giggle.
“I know! It’s going to take some time to go through the court process, home inspection, and all of that, but I’m going to be a mom, Dancer.”
“I’m so happy for you!”
“Thank you! And I’m so excited for you! I can’t wait to enroll her in your dance classes.” My laughter fades. “I’m glad that everyone showed up for you and Demon.” It’s taken everyone else a lot longer to accept Dancer, but I think they’re moving in the right direction, especially if Hanger invited her back into the clubhouse. I know that has to mean something. It was hard on Demon not being able to have his Ol’ Lady at any of the club functions. With Dancer not allowed there, it meant their babies weren’t either. I’ve seen how close all of the club kids are, and it hurt me to see Demon and Dancer’s twins excluded from that.
“Me too! I had no idea they were coming. Maybe my past can stay there now, and we can all continue to move forward.”
Hearing the door open, I glance at it. “I hope so. Lucas is coming in with food, so I’ll see you when we get home. Love you, Dancer.”
“Love you too, Jorga.”
Lucas presses his lips against mine after I end the call with Dancer. “How did her grand opening go?”
I rummage through the bags of food he sat on the bed. “She said it was great. Everyone showed up, and she’s allowed back at the club with Demon.”
Lucas takes his containers of food and begins to dig in. “Thank fuck for that. It was fuckin’ hard on Demon.”
“Yeah, I understand Hanger’s worry, but she really has gone out of her way to try and make up for what she did. It’s time for everyone to get passed it. I’m happy for them.”
Lucas’s gaze connects with mine as he swallows. “Did you tell her about Harmony?”
I grimace. “Maybe just a little bit.”
He chuckles. “I knew you couldn’t keep it a secret. I thought we weren’t going to tell anyone until the adoption was final.”
I sigh dramatically. “I couldn’t keep it in anymore! Gah, I suck at keeping secrets.”
Lucas doubles over laughing. “Damn right, you do. But I love you and your big mouth.” He waggles his eyebrows as if he’s giving me an innuendo.
“Shut up!” I throw my piece of bread that came with my dinner at his face. “I’m going to take a shower.”
Removing my clothes, I step into the now steaming hot shower. I close my eyes and let the water cascade down my hair and body. I’ve only been in for a few minutes when I feel Lucas’s hands glide up my stomach and cup my breasts. “Lucas,” I breathlessly moan. “What are you doing?”
“I’m showing you how sorry I am for lying to you. It won’t happen again, Jorga. It about killed me not having you speak to me or letting me touch you.”
My eyes slowly open as I’m about to respond Lucas drops to his knees. He spreads my legs further apart, and his tongue slides against my pussy. “Lucas,” I cry louder. With each stroke of his lapping tongue, he applies more pressure to my clit, sending jolts of electricity through my body. My back slams against the cold tiled wall as every ounce of me is consumed by the feel of his perfect tongue.
His fingers dig into the flesh of my thighs while my hands lay against the crown of his head. Pulling at his long dark hair, I edge him closer, my knees bend, and my legs shake as I find my climax. “Lucas!” I moan as my head lolls back. “Right there, oh God, right there!” That euphoric bliss washes through me, and before I’ve even had time to recover, Lucas spins me around to face the same wall my back was just pressed against. His hands grip my hips roughly while pulling my ass back toward him. I splay my hands against the tile as he pushes himself inside of me and gives no time for slow and steady. This is anything but his sweet side.
“So fuckin’ good,” he groans behind me. Our bodies slam together, and our sounds of pleasure drown the noise of the water. Lucas’s arm snakes around my waist, his fingers travel down my stomach and don’t stop until he finds my clit. With the small circles of his finger, I’m growing close to another orgasm. “Come for me, Babe,” Lucas demands, pushing me right over the cliff.
My legs are barely able to hold me up. They’re shaking so hard as my release bursts from me, and I hear Lucas growl my name as he drives into me one more time.
Helping me to stand straight, he spins me to face him. My hooded eyes stare into his. He’s breathtaking to look at, and I still wonder how I got so lucky to have him as mine.
“I love you,” I mumble.
“I love you too, Jorga.” Lucas reaches down and grips my thighs before lifting me up and wrapping my legs around his waist. “Am I forgiven?”
Pursing my lips together, I act like I’m thinking it over. “I’m not sure.”
His eyes narrow. “Maybe I need to show you a little more of how sorry I am?”
My lips lift into a grin, and I nod. “I think so.”
He growls and bites the side of my neck, nipping at my flesh before he reaches down and turns the shower off. Carrying me into the room, he throws me onto the mattress. “This might take a while.”
“We have all night.”
Jorga and I got back from Arizona last week and immediately got started doing everything Gritt and Sister Noelle instructed us to do. That included me walking into the courthouse to file the adoption papers. We are hoping that it will be a quick process, and we will be able to bring our daughter home soon. It’s still so fuckin’ surreal that I’m going to be someone’s dad, I’m going to responsible for this little person, and she’s going to depend on me. I’ll do everything in my power to give her a better life than I had, and I can only pray that she looks at me the same way the other club kids look at their dads, my brothers.
Hanger’s called Church today, and I’m taken aback when I step into chapel, finding Snake and all of the Cobras gathered around our table. As we all get seated, Hanger begins, “Cobras are joini
ng us today because I want to take a vote on something we’ve voted on before. At the time, I was letting personal shit interfere, and I wasn’t thinking of the greater good of our club. It’s taken me a long fuckin’ time to accept the fact that Snake is, in fact, my father, and shit was out of his control. I’ve dealt with my own demons on the situation, and now, we’re going to hold vote again. I know this probably seems like it’s abrupt, but when I met with Snake and really listened to what he had to say, he made a lot of valid points as to why it should happen. After thinking it over the last several days, I have to agree that it makes sense and would be good for both clubs. Yes or no, vote for Satan’s Sinners to combine clubs with Cobras? Snake and I have discussed the details as to what will happen if the vote is yes. We will all be patched over to the new club name with new cuts, and we will all move to a new compound. We will put ours up for sale as will the Cobras. The money from each sale will stay within the club.”
Hacker jumps in, “Who will be president?”
Hanger responds, “That was one of the top issues for making this happen. After further discussing it, we felt it was best to run the new club with two presidents, and everyone below us will hold their positions within the club. I won’t demote any of you.” Hanger’s eyes drift to the Cobras sitting at our table. “Snake won’t demote any of you either. We would join as one club, one family, co-exist under the same compound. There will be no more calling each club to help. If we have issues or they have issues, it becomes all of our problems to take care of. Gunner and Storm, since you two are vice presidents, you vote first.”
After everyone’s vote is in, it’s unanimous. Hanger nods. “It’s official we are now Sinning Cobras M.C.” Hanger slams the gavel down onto the table, and everyone stomps their feet and claps.