“Not in depth,” I admitted. “I remember the news showing a couple of pictures of you, but you didn’t look like this.” I remember the pictures of him showing a really skinny, buzzed haircut, kid. Not the giant, long-haired man sitting beside me now. “It was around the time your dad was granted a new trial.”
That was probably a decade or so ago, and a lot had happened between then and now, including his father being reconvicted. I wanted to know all of it.
He nodded. “They’d kept me out of the media as much as they could since I was a minor, but I also spent my time behind bars bulking up.”
I squeezed his hand. “How bad was it?”
“Not goin’ there, baby. It was bad. But you don’t need those images in your head.”
I bit my lip. “Okay, but if you need to share that load, honey, I’m here.”
“I appreciate that, but that’s never gonna happen.”
“Tell me about your brother,” I said. “Titus, right?”
“Yeah,” he said. “He was little. We both were, but he was particularly small for his age and Dad took full advantage of that. I tried to protect him as much as I could, but my dad was always bigger and stronger.”
“Which is why you bulked up? So you’d be bigger than him?”
“Yeah. Didn’t get big soon enough to save Titus, though,” he said sadly. “Or Billy.”
“That was Titus’s friend?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’m so sorry, honey.”
“Thanks.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
“Where’s your mom?”
“Don’t fuckin’ care.” I let out a quiet gasp and Silas sighed. “Sorry, baby. I know you had a complicated relationship with your mom, but overall it was good, and I know that when you lost her it cut. I also know that women look to their men and judge them based on how they treat their moms, but swear to God, I’ll always honor you. Your crown will always be filled with jewels even if, at the same time, I hope she dies in pain and alone.”
The threat of tears burned at the back of my nose. “I’m really sorry she didn’t protect you, honey.”
He shook his head. “No, Cat, you don’t understand. She didn’t just not protect us, she participated, and backed my father up when he framed me. Had it not been for a cop who smelled bullshit, I’d still be locked up.”
“Oh my god, really? How could a mother do that?”
“I’ve never asked her, and honestly, I don’t give a fuck,” he ground out. “She’s still harassing Atlanta PD to find dirt on me.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because that cop? He still checks in with me a couple times a year to make sure I’m doin’ okay.”
More tears.
“Really?” I sobbed out.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“What’s his name?”
“Zim.”
“His name is Zim?” I challenged. “Sounds like a soda pop from the nineteen fifties.”
“Richard Zimmerman,” Silas said with a smile.
“Tell me about Richard Zimmerman,” I urged.
“Good man. He and his wife couldn’t have kids, so he focused on setting those who were troubled back on the right path. Mostly juvenile delinquents, that kind of thing. Until me. I was from a family that, from the outside, looked normal. I was clean, I was educated, but I was also hiding bruises and broken bones that weren’t healin’ right because they wouldn’t take me to the doctor. I’d never been in trouble before and he could tell something was off. He reached out to teachers and other adults I’d ever had contact with, finding a few that had my back and gave statements about the abuse they witnessed. He’d run with their testimonies and dug. Deep. Honestly, if he hadn’t pushed for a rush on the DNA, I would have been in there a lot longer, and had he not dug in the first place, I would have never gotten out.”
“What happened when you got out? You were still a minor, right?”
“Yeah. I was officially emancipated by then, so I lived with Zim and his wife until they thought it would be better I didn’t.”
I frowned. There was something there. Something deeper that he was trying not to show me. “Did they say why?”
He frowned. “Huh?”
“Did they say why they felt it was better you didn’t?”
He looked genuinely perplexed. Like this was the first time the why of it had ever been questioned. “They did not.”
“Did you ask?”
“Cat—”
“Did you ask?”
“Wasn’t my place to ask,” he said.
“Honey, that’s not true.”
“They wanted me gone. I got gone.”
I could tell he was hanging on by a thread in regards to his vulnerability, so I wiped my wet cheeks and cupped his chin. “I think there’s more to that, honey, but you have to work that out. If you need me to help you work that out, you let me know. But just to say, I’m really really sorry your parents weren’t what you deserved, but I’m very glad you had Zim.”
“Me too, baby. He actually introduced me to Doom’s pop. I was lookin’ to get out of Atlanta and Sterling needed more crew to work his expanding construction company. I had skills he could use. That’s how I met Doom, which is how I ended up riding with the Dogs, and the rest is history, as they say.”
“Does the club know your whole story?”
He shook his head. “Just Doom and Doc. No one else.”
“You didn’t tell my brother?”
“No, baby. I didn’t feel right telling him if I wasn’t tellin’ you.”
“Wow.” I felt another crying session coming on, but I took a few deep breaths and controlled myself. “Are you going to see Zim while we’re here?”
His face softened. “Was thinkin’ about it, but didn’t want to drop this on you since we’re only here a couple of days. I didn’t want you stuck with Nova alone.”
“Oh, honey, this is important. You have to see him. Nova and I’ll come. Or Willow can watch Nova and you and I’ll go. We should take him and his wife out for dinner.”
“You’d go with me?”
“Of course I’d go with you,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I’m your person, Silas. I’ve got your back. All the way. One-hundred percent.”
“I fuckin’ love you, Catalina Grant.”
“I fuckin’ love you too, Silas Mit—um, I mean, Lynch, right?”
“Mitchell,” he countered. “I’m never goin’ back to Lynch.”
“How did you choose Mitchell?”
“It was Titus’s middle name.”
“That’s sweet.”
He smiled. “It helps me remember him.”
“Yeah.” I placed several kisses on the top of his hand before hugging it to my chest. “Thank you for trusting me with all of this, honey.”
“Thanks for being patient.”
I let out a quiet snort. “Not sure how patient I’ve been, but you’re welcome.”
He laughed, and all was right with my world again as we caught up to my brother’s truck. Silas flicked his lights to let my brother know we were behind him and my brother gave a wave acknowledging us.
We continued behind the convoy and didn’t stop again until we arrived at the restaurant for dinner.
* * *
“Can I ride with Kinsey and Alfie again?” Nova asked as Silas shoved bills into the leather check holder at our table.
“Okay, first, you need to use your manners when asking a question, baby,” I directed, and Nova nodded. She was hopped up on sugar and I had a feeling we were going to have a hard time getting her to go to bed.
“Pwease, can I ride with Alfie?”
“No, baby, they’re staying somewhere else tonight, but you’ll see them tomorrow at the zoo.”
She wrinkled her nose but nodded her understanding and focused back on coloring her menu.
“Good job, baby,” Silas whispered, sliding his arm around my shoulders.
“For what?” I asked.
>
“For that.” He nodded to Nova. “She knows her limits and that’s because you’ve given her boundaries.”
“Well, she’s a great kid. Darlene did that, honey. I’m just hoping she continues to feel safe within the boundaries we set going forward.”
Silas grinned. “Thanks for including me in your wins, baby.”
I chuckled. “You’re welcome.”
Silas rose to his feet. “Nova, baby, you ready to do our thing?”
Nova gasped, clapping her hands. “Now?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed.
“Okay.” She pushed her seat back and took my hand. “Will you mawwy us?”
I glanced up at Silas who grinned, pulling out the ring box.
“Can I put it on her fingaw, Uncle Shutter?” Nova asked.
“She has to say yes first,” he said.
“Say yes, Cat,” Nova demanded, and I laughed.
“Yes,” I said, and our group burst out into applause as Silas handed Nova the ring and she slid it on my finger.
Nova clapped and I bent down to hug her, then Silas pulled me in for a nearly R-rated kiss in front of the world. I didn’t care. I basked in the beauty that was my man, kissing him back for longer than might have been approved of in polite society.
But, as Silas had said on many occasions, he wasn’t one for polite society.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Catalina
AFTER A LONG day at the zoo, kids and adults alike were exhausted, and we dragged ourselves back to the house we’d rented, practically falling into bed right after we’d eaten. Dinner with Zim was going to have to wait, mostly because he was apparently out of town working a case.
Nova didn’t give us an ounce of trouble when we put her down with Mr. Diggles and her new stuffed giraffe that she’d named, Seymour.
When Silas asked why his name was Seymour, her answer was, “’Cause he’s taller than all the animals, so he can see more.”
I’d had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing and Silas had grinned wide, replying, “That’s sound logic, kid.”
We tucked her in, shutting off the light but leaving the door cracked before heading to our room. I climbed into the bed next to my man and snuggled close. “That was fun today.”
“Yeah.”
We were facing each other, our heads on our respective pillows and our hands linked. “I love doing this family thing with you, honey.”
Silas chuckled. “How many kids are you gonna give me?”
“How many do you want?”
“I want three more,” he said.
I ran my finger down his cheek. “We’re gonna have to buy a big house if we have four kids.”
“We sure are.”
“I’ll have to quit my job or go to part time. I don’t want our kids raised by strangers.”
“Or… I’ll lessen my studio hours so you can do whatever the fuck you want. Work full time, part time, not at all,” he clarified.
“You think you can handle being Mr. Mom?”
“Hell, yeah. You’ve given me the confidence to believe I can do anything, baby.”
“That’s an awfully nice thing to say, Silas.” I smiled, running my thumb over his mouth. “Even if you might be giving me a little more credit than I deserve.”
“It’s the truth, beautiful.” He kissed my thumb. “The way you’ve dealt with all of the stress of suddenly having a kid, your home being destroyed, and your man giving you nothin’ but grief—”
“You don’t give me nothing but grief, Silas,” I argued. “The opposite is actually true.”
“Debatable.” He smiled. “I’ve watched you, honey. For years, I’ve been in awe of you and how you handle life, desperately wanting to walk through it with you. Not just so I could lighten your load but because I wanted to walk in the beam of light that follows you. You make everyone better for knowing you, Catalina, and I will forever be grateful you’re letting me be part of it.”
I let out a quiet squeak as I rolled on top of him, kissing his face before covering his mouth with mine. “I love you with everything I have, Silas Mitchell. It’s me that’s grateful because I got the best man in the world to fall in love with me. I will never take that for granted.”
Silas flipped me onto my back, kissing me deep as he slid his hand under the waistband of my panties and between my legs. Before I could react, he’d torn the lace from my body and slid two fingers inside of me. “Ride my hand, Catalina.”
As he pumped his digits into me, I gripped his forearm and thrust my hips in rhythm, his tongue in my mouth keeping my mews and whimpers from echoing through the house.
When I was about to lose my mind, he broke the kiss, his thumb pressing against my clit and I came, my walls contracting around his fingers, my face in his neck.
With a gentle stroke of his thumb over my sensitive nub, he slid his fingers out of me, licking them clean before kissing me gently.
“Gonna fuck you now,” he whispered. “Can you keep your moans to a minimum?”
I smiled. “Depends on how good you make it.”
“Oh, baby, that’s not an acceptable answer. I always make it good for you.”
“Yeah, but you’re gonna have to take it easy on me if you want me to be quiet.”
He rolled us so I was straddling him, gripping my hips as he donned a condom and slid into me. “It’s time for a choose your own adventure fuck.”
I bit my lip, raising up slightly before sliding down again. “I can totally get behind this.”
He cupped my breasts, and I gripped his arms as I rocked my hips, making sure I felt every inch of him. As he rolled my nipples between his fingertips, I moved, slow at first, but then bracing my palms on his shoulders, I rode him… hard.
He squeezed my ass, guiding my movements, kissing me when I nearly screamed out his name. “Bite my shoulder if you need to,” he said.
I groaned. “Don’t tell me that. I may break your skin.”
He cupped my face as I continued to impale myself on his dick. “Then, fuckin’ draw blood, Cat.”
I couldn’t stop a quiet whimper as I buried my face in his neck. He slid his hand between us, fingering my clit and I could no longer control my base instincts, biting down on his shoulder as I came hard and fast, my walls contracting around his cock that was pulsing inside of me.
After I’d milked him dry, he rolled me onto my back, kissing me gently. “Don’t move.”
I nodded and he stepped into the little bathroom attached to the bedroom, returning with a warm washcloth, and cleaning me up. “I love how you do that, honey.”
He grinned. “Then I’ll keep doin’ it.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
After throwing away my shredded pair of panties, I found a clean pair and pulled them on, along with a T-shirt and pajama shorts, climbing in next to Silas again.
“I love you,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around me.
“Love you, too, honey.”
I closed my eyes, my face in his neck and breathed in his masculine goodness before falling into a deep sleep.
* * *
We pulled up to the barn at almost six o’clock Sunday evening and both Nova and I were a little sick of being cooped up in the car. I couldn’t imagine how Silas was feeling, considering he was a hardcore biker and rode pretty much everywhere, every day.
“Can I play pinball, pwease?” Nova asked once I’d released her from her car seat.
“Yeah, baby,” Shutter said, giving Dylan a chin lift. “Dylan’ll take you while Cat and I unpack.”
Dylan walked over and hunkered down in front of her. “You wanna beat me at AC/DC?”
“Yes!” she exclaimed, grabbing his hand. “Let’s go.”
Dylan laughed, letting her drag him inside.
I turned to Silas. “You doing okay, fiancé?”
He smiled. “Yeah, fiancée, why?”
“You’ve been stuck in a car all weekend long.” I looped my arms around his neck
.
He chuckled, sliding his hands to my butt and squeezing. “This is true. I plan to rectify that tomorrow. You game?”
“I have to work tomorrow.”
“Play hooky.”
“I wish I could,” I said. “But I have to pay for the giant house my man wants to fill with feral children.”
He dropped his head back and laughed. “Jesus, woman, feral children?”
“Will they, or will they not, have been made with your baby batter?”
“You may have a point.”
I wove my fingers into his hair. “I can’t wait.”
“Me neither.” He kissed my nose. “You up to going through some listings tonight after we get Nova to bed?”
I gave his hair a little tug. “Yeah, that would be fun.”
I studied him and he cocked his head. “What?”
“You had a nightmare last night,” I said.
He sighed. “Those happen.”
“Because of what happened to you in—”
“Not goin’ there, baby. Seriously. You don’t need those images in your head.”
“Okay, honey, but if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
“I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know,” he said, kissing me again. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
He kissed me gently, then we went about unloading the car, then unpacking our bags.
* * *
Shutter
A little over a week later, Nova was at school and Cat was at work when I got a call from Sterling Marxx, Doom’s dad, with a lead on a fixer upper in Nova’s school district.
“You want to meet me in an hour to walk through it?” he asked.
“Yeah, that would be great.”
An hour later, I was standing in the foyer of a fuckin’ steal of a deal that I’d be an idiot to turn down, so I called Cat.
“Hi, honey, how’s your day going?” she asked after the first ring.
“Interesting.”
“Interesting good, or interesting bad?”
“Depends on you.”
She chuckled. “No pressure.”
“I’m standing in our new house, provided you love it as much as I do.”
“What?” she whispered. “What do you mean?”
“Four bedrooms, plus a bonus room, and den. Two bathrooms, but it’s on an acre and a fixer upper, so we can add on and make some changes that suit us. It’s close to Nova’s school, and it’s a fuckin’ deal, babe. Seriously.”
Revealing the Biker's Destiny (Dogs of Fire: Savannah Chapter Book 9) Page 14