“Will there be drinking?”
“Yes, mostly beer, but no one gets drunk until the kids are gone. I’ll have the three of you out of there long before the adult brand of partying starts.”
I could see her debating with herself, and I gave her time. Finally, she nodded and told me, “Only because I know how protective you are of them. I know you won’t put them in danger. They might be exposed to words and actions I’d rather they not see yet, but I’m certain you’ll help me deal with it so they don’t get in trouble at preschool for repeating things they shouldn’t.”
“And so you don’t have to soap their mouths?”
“Yeah, that too.”
I hugged her without asking permission first, and I caught her off guard but she relaxed in my arms within a dozen of her quite rapid heartbeats. “Thank you for trusting me, even when you aren’t sure.”
“You sure like to hug a lot.”
I hadn’t hugged anyone except my brothers and a few of their ol’ladies since my old life had been violently taken from me. At first, I figured it was best she didn’t know, but then I changed my mind and told her as I let her go.
Her eyes grew wide as she considered my words, and finally asked, “Then why me?”
“Because you’re important to me.”
“Surely you’ve hugged women while you’ve copulated with them?”
I thought of all of my favorite positions and realized my arms are never around the woman I’m fucking. “No. Never. Not since… Never.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
“You’re important to me. You’re acting as the mother of my children and you’re doing a damned good job, but it’s becoming more than that. I respect you, and I think I’m beginning to understand you. You’ve experienced loss, too, and you’ve picked yourself up and done what needed doing, and you managed it spectacularly.” I wanted to tell her I’d kill for her if I had to, in order to keep her safe, but figured that might be too much.
She gave me a half smile as she said, “Every time I think I’m beginning to understand you, I realize I have no idea what makes you tick. The only thing I’m sure of is that you’re a guardian and not a predator. Guardians have to slaughter to protect sometimes, but they don’t do it without reason. I’m also sure you love your kids and would do anything to protect them and keep them safe.”
“I think I needed to hear that, Connie. Sometimes it seems as if you still see me as a lowlife scum of the earth. I usually don’t care what people think, but I need you to see who I am. If we’re going to work as a team to raise the twins, we have to be able to work together, and it’ll help if we like each other.”
“I’ve done this alone for so long, I’m not sure how well I’ll manage the team thing.”
“We’ll figure it out. For now, I should leave before I wear out my welcome. Thank you for inviting me into your home, and I hope we can work out a time for me to see the three of you at least one evening this week.” Because if I hadn’t been unconscious most of last week, I’d have missed them terribly.
That thought reminded me she needed to be prepared to hear from someone else if I was out of communication and needed to get a message to her. “Oh, I need to tell you that if we have plans and I’m not going to be able to make them, you may hear from one of my brothers instead of me. We need a code word to use, so you’ll know the message is from me, so if someone calls with information, they’ll use the phrase ‘two-year-old tantrum’. If someone calls claiming to be my friend, or with the MC, and they don’t say that, call me right away. If you can’t reach me, call the bar and tell them you’re Gonzo’s Connie and you need to speak to either me, Duke, or Brain. If Duke or Brain are handy they’ll hand the phone to them, otherwise they’ll transfer you to the control room. Tell whoever they transfer you to what was said on the phone call.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“No need to be scared, it’s just a precaution — like a fire drill. Plans you make in case there’s a problem, though you don’t really expect it to happen.”
“Why would someone else call me?”
“There are a million reasons I might be somewhere without my phone.”
“Then how would you tell someone else to call me?”
“We have comms to talk to each other.” She didn’t understand, so I said, “Like encrypted radios, sort of.”
“You’d only be without your phone if you didn’t want someone to have proof you were doing something criminal.”
“I told you we cleaned up the territory we claimed. We didn’t do that by nicely asking the drug dealers to market their goods on another corner. We still actively patrol our territory, and we still make drug dealers feel a great deal of pain if we catch them on our turf. If LEO gets involved because a bystander reports it, I don’t want them to be able to place me at the scene of the crime because my phone was there.” I’d told her there were a million reasons, and now I was only giving her one possible reason. It wasn’t a lie, just wasn’t all of the truth. “If I expect to be finished with something in time to meet up with you and the kids, but we run into problems and I’m delayed, either I or a brother will call you. They will use our phrase so you’ll know it’s one of us. Eventually, I hope you’ll get to know everyone who’s likely to be in the control room so we won’t need a phrase, but for now it’s just a safety valve.”
“LEO?”
“Law enforcement officials. Police, sheriff’s department, DEA, ATF, FBI — it covers them all.”
“Just the fact you need an all-inclusive term is…” She took a breath and let it out. “Okay. Two year old tantrum. Got it.”
As we walked toward the front door she asked, “You didn’t have to work this weekend?”
“Duke met Gen when we were looking for property in Chattanooga. Or, I should say, became acquainted with her again, because they knew each other as teens though they’d never dated. Anyway, he knew he wanted her, but the first couple of months we were here were going to be rough while we established our territory. Now, belonging to us means safety, but during those first months it put loved ones at risk. Those already married left their families in Atlanta until we had things under control here.” I shook my head before I got too far off track. “Anyway, Duke knew he was going to go after Gen, so he patrolled an ungodly amount of hours and worked himself to the bone. We had a skeleton crew in the beginning, so we all had to patrol a lot. His working so much more gave us a break. However, he’d let us know up front he was doing it so he could have an extended time away from patrolling once he went after Gen.”
I expected her to understand but it was clear she hadn’t, so I tried again. “I haven’t had a family or a girlfriend. I’ve been the one they can call when they’re shorthanded at any of our locations, because I’m almost always available.” I shrugged. “I can take all the time off I want.”
“I find I’m not happy with the idea of you squaring off against drug dealers.”
This woman was never going to lose her mind and start shooting people because of some elaborate fantasy world she’d concocted in her head. She approached so much of life scientifically and logically — sometimes it was annoying, but most of the time it was endearing. I kissed her forehead before I considered it, but she smiled at me instead of glaring, so it seemed I’d done okay.
“I worry about you, too. I can take care of myself, Connie. You don’t have to worry about me.”
She didn’t frown when I shortened her name this time, but asked, “Do you wear a bullet proof vest when you patrol?”
“Club business. Some things I can’t talk about.”
“Because if it got out you do then they’d aim for your head?”
I laughed and said, “You’re too smart for your own good. Give me a goodnight hug and lock the door behind me.”
She held onto me during our hug, and I caressed her upper back and waited for her to break away. When she did, I smelled regret but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up,
so I didn’t. I waited on the front porch until I heard the deadbolt, and then grinned as I heard her arming her alarm system. I’d seen the signs of it, but whoever had installed it had done an excellent job of hiding not only the keypads, but also the window and door sensors.
I know where to look for them, though. I was also pretty sure I’d figured out where her saferoom is, and wondered if it’d come with the house or if she’d had it put in.
I leaned down to pull my weapon from my ankle holster when I was in the car, and settled it under my right leg. I detest ankle holsters but I wasn’t taking my family to the woods without a way to defend us, and it was my best bet of a location I was pretty sure I could keep the kids from touching.
My family. Connie had admitted I’m family to her now, and the truth is I see her as family now, too.
I also knew I had a huge secret she was going to have to know eventually, and it might be better to tell her sooner rather than later.
Chapter 12
Gonzo
“We’re going to have to bind her and tell her soon, I think. If I wait too long she’s going to be pissed because I waited,” I told Duke. “What’ll I have to do to get Abbot to be there, in case she freaks?”
“Who’ll take care of the kids while we tell her?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t figured that part out yet.”
He didn’t respond, so I finally said, “We can do it at her house after the kids are down for the night.”
“How will you get her to invite us all?”
“Fuck. You and your questions. I don’t know!”
Duke laughed. “When you figure the logistics out let me know and we’ll see if I can get Abbott or Gavin. Abbott charges five thousand if we do it at CBC in the late afternoon or early evening. If we want him to come to us it’s more, depending on his mood, I think. Gavin will only do it if he wants something you can provide.”
“Not Gavin, he’ll scare the piss out of her just by looking at her. Abbott or Kendra.”
“Okay, you figure out what to do with the kids and how to convince her to go with you without them, and then I’ll see about getting Abbott or Kendra.”
Duke and I had come to the chapel early to talk, and I could hear the other brothers in the outer room getting rid of cellphones and anything else electronic they didn’t want fried in the EMP that Brain would set off in the room before we started. He’d done it for Duke and I as well — just a simple way of making sure no bugs had been planted in here that we might not be aware of. Or rather, of making sure they no longer operated, if they’d been planted in the room or on us.
Some church sessions are long, others are short. Today was thankfully an easy one. Everyone had heard about my twins through the grapevine, but I took the opportunity to give the basics to everyone all at once, and ask them to make sure Connie felt welcome at the picnic Saturday.
When I finished, Bash looked at Duke and said, “I don’t agree with not retaliating on Randall.”
“No,” I said. “Those of us who came from Atlanta know the troubles we had between Pack and MC. We’re here with Randall’s blessing, but we have to follow the rules. If Randall hadn’t done it, a Master Vampire or someone from the Concilio may have done worse. I fucked up — I paid for it. We aren’t starting a war because I had to face consequences.”
“As much as I want to retaliate,” said Brain, “Gonzo’s right. Randall could’ve done worse. He could’ve toned it down, too, but by Concilio law he could’ve killed him.” He looked at me. “I know it’ll be hard, but it’d be a nice note to take him tribute in the next couple of weeks.”
I met Duke’s gaze, and he shook his head. “Brain’s the one who looks toward what we should do politically. I won’t ask you to do it if you’d rather not, but we’ve all learned in the past it’s usually best to take Brain’s advice when it comes to supernatural politics.”
“What do you suggest?” I asked Brain.
“Bison, venison, and beef are always good tribute for a wolf. Randall isn’t the sort to appreciate the gift of a skilled woman for the night, so don’t go there. Whatever you choose, it should be worth between two and five hundred dollars and you should hand deliver it with graciousness. Don’t say the words no hard feelings, but that’s the idea you want to convey. Also, don’t take Duke this time, take me or Bash. You don’t want to duplicate the feel of the last time you met with him, but you should take an officer.”
“What do I say when I set the meeting?”
“Nothing other than you’d like to schedule a five-minute meeting at his convenience.”
When it was clear we’d finished, Duke asked, “Any other business?”
“What are we going to do about the North Carolina transplant?” Dawg asked.
Horse leaned forward. “He’s been a big help in the range.”
Duke shook his head. “Nix hasn’t asked us to bring it to a vote. Gen’s showing him some property in hopes it’ll help him decide to choose us. I like him, and so far no one’s come to me with doubts. If anyone has them, speak up.”
“He’s a sniper,” said Dozer, “but apparently he isn’t coming to us as one? Said he isn’t opposed to taking people out who need it, but it has to be his decision to do it, not the club’s.”
“I’m aware,” Duke said. “He’s done wetwork for his club in the past, and I have no doubt he’ll step up and help us should we need it, but he’ll have to know the facts. It’s more an issue of his not blindly killing someone because he’s ordered to, even if it’s a vote. There were some issues in the military that messed him up a little in that regard. He’s coming to us as someone who can teach classes at the gun store — the sniping bit’s extra, and will be at his discretion.”
“If you were to tell me to take someone out, I wouldn’t ask questions,” said Bash.
“If it were an emergency you wouldn’t, but if there was time then you sure as shit would,” Duke countered.
“You’re the Sergeant at Arms, that’s kind of your job,” said Horse. “It isn’t a job I want. I have every one of your backs and if I have to kill to protect you I will, but I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you safe without taking a life.”
Duke looked to Dozer. “Does that resolve your issue with him?”
“Yeah. I guess it does.”
“Either it does or it doesn’t. I’m operating on the notion we want him here. If everyone present isn’t going to approve him, I need to back off.”
Dozer shook his head. “No, I’m good. Horse is right — we all come at this from different directions. His way don’t have to be my way, s’long as we all have each other’s backs.”
“Anyone else with reservations?” Duke asked. When no one spoke he asked, “Any other business?”
“Britches asked me to bite her,” I told the room. “Said she’d been bitten several times by born wolves, and was told someone who’d been turned might be able to turn her. I declined, but I’m betting she asks someone else.”
Duke looked around the room. “Anyone else been asked?”
No one said anything, and Brain said, “Normally the club doesn’t tell individuals what they can do in their personal lives. The exceptions are we can’t cozy up to LEO too much, and we have to stay away from people closely attached to our enemies. I think this is another of those cases where it might be appropriate for the club to take a vote, because biting her could cause problems with us and the Atlanta Pack, which might create friction with Randall. If you’re asked, please come to Duke or me before making any promises.”
Duke sighed. “Yeah, what Brain said. It could easily get messy with her dad in the Atlanta Pack, but let’s talk it out. Anyone have an issue with this? Do we need a vote?”
“No one’s in love with her as far as I know,” said Ghost. “If you’re gonna make her your ol’lady then we’ll back you even with the danger of pissing off the Pack. I’m not sure it’s worth it otherwise, though. We brought her in because we all like her and she need
ed a place. We know what that’s like. I say if she wants to be bitten then we find someone not in the MC to do it. Help her out without risking us.”
Duke looked at Bash. “Anyone in Angelica’s group bitten?”
“Yeah. I’ll see what she can do.”
Duke looked around the room to give everyone a chance to speak if they had something to say, and then asked, “Any other business?”
Brain said, “Gonzo will have a picture of his twins and Connie on his phone to show you all in the outer chamber. I’d like everyone to stop and take a look so you’ll know who they are Saturday. Everyone qualified to work the control room needs to have a conversation with her so she’ll recognize your voice if you have to call her. She’s the legal guardian of his children so I’d like to give her club status as the mother of his children. I’ve seen her with them and she deserves the title.”
“Any arguments?” asked Duke. No one said anything and everyone shook their head. “Okay then, Connie has status as mother of Gonzo’s children, and not the antagonistic kind. She’s one of ours now, along with the kids. Any other business?”
The room was silent and Duke finally banged the gavel and said, “Let’s ride.”
Chapter 13
Gonzo
I spent Monday planting flowers in my yard and Dawg’s yard. Until recently, I’d had a room at Dawg’s house during the rare times I didn’t sleep at the compound. Maybe it was Bash moving out, but suddenly it’d felt like I needed a house, so I’d had one built on an empty lot on our circle. The RTMC bought the property when we moved to Chattanooga, and any club member who wants to live there can buy land from the MC and build a house. We can only sell the house to another club member, though, and we have to will the house and land to the MC. Should something happen to us then the MC will allow our family to live there as long as they approve of anyone our wives might bring into the fold.
Gonzo (Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club Book 7) Page 10