by K E Osborn
He nods, shrugging out of his cut and folds it up neatly placing it inside his saddlebag on his ride. “I got this, Pres. Your girl’s safe with me.”
I double take at his choice of words ‘your girl’ but choose not to say anything. Instead, I simply nod my head and place my helmet over my head. Kicking back my stand, I turn the engine over and walk my bike backward out of the park. Zane watches me the entire way and gives me a two-fingered salute as I hammer down and speed off onto S Racine Avenue to start my ten-minute ride back to the clubhouse. I fucking dig that she lives, works, and studies all within a three-mile radius of me. It settles the protector in me knowing I can get to her quickly.
But right now, I need to go deal with my family.
The ride back to the clubhouse was quick, and I made the ten-minute journey in seven. Knowing Freckles, Trax, Lala, and Surge were all having discussions without me last night is doing my head in. So I hammered down as fast as I could.
My feet hit the concrete heavy as I pound the pavement and storm through the entry to the clubhouse. It’s early, so not many of my brothers are up at nine in the morning, but a few stragglers are sitting around eating breakfast as I stride in. Sensei spots me first as he sits eating his bacon and eggs at the main table, and his eyes light up.
“Well, good morning, Mr. President. Lovely of you to grace us with your presence.” His mocking tone makes me roll my eyes.
“Shut the fuck up.”
He grins grabbing a piece of crispy bacon and shoves it in his mouth. I sit down next to him and grab a slice from his plate and shove it in mine. The crack of the bacon against my teeth sends a sliver of bliss through me. “So, heard Mom is settling in fine.”
Sensei smirks. “Hmm… Freckles is… understandably… concerned. Her need to have Neala protected is high on her priority list, and Lala is… dubious about being put on restriction.”
Slumping into my seat, I nod. “Yeah. My sister was never one for being caged in.” Letting out a long puff of air, I turn looking toward the sleeping quarters. “Are they in their rooms?”
He nods but places his hands in closed fists on the table letting me know he isn’t finished talking to me just yet. “Torque… I know your family is your business. I, of all people, know the importance of family above all. But Trax, he’s…” Sensei pauses, “… concerning me.”
My brows pull together as I look at my best friend and tilt my head. “How so?”
“His need for violence. His thirst for blood. He needs a vice, and I am not sure how we can fix that without losing him to himself.”
The muscles in my shoulders clench, and I tilt my neck to the side cracking it with the pressure of the moment. My brother, my blood brother, is suffering, and I have no idea how to help him. Exhaling, I nod.
Sensei bows his head, picking up another piece of bacon. “For now… go tend to the women in your family. We have time to find a way to deal with Trax.”
“Thank you, brother, as always I value your counsel.” Reaching out, I steal the last piece of bacon on his plate, stand up, and spin heading toward the sleeping quarters. My first instinct is to head straight for Mom, but I need to check on Lala and make sure she’s okay. I know being held here against her will is something she hates, but it’s for her own good, and I know deep down she understands that.
Walking down the hall, I step toward the rooms at the end blocked off for my family. The nicest rooms are reserved for my mom and Lala to stay in when they need them. Of course, they’re not here all the time, so often the rooms remain empty, but everyone knows these are their rooms.
Stepping up to Lala’s, I don’t bother to knock. This is my house, my rules. As I step in, I see her in bed and I half smile knowing at least she was comfortable for the night. A head pops up from beside her I instantly recognize, and my chest tightens, along with my fists as my jaw clenches tight.
Tremor looks directly at me, his bare chest with a bandage on it sitting up in her bed, his eyes are wide as he looks to me in horror while I pant heavy breaths.
“Fuck,” Tremor’s low voice murmurs as he nudges Neala beside him, and she groans turning and wraps her arm around his waist in a sleepy haze. “Lala, wake up.” His harsh tone is spoken through gritted teeth as I stand in the doorway, arms folded over my chest still trying to process what I’m seeing.
“Tremor, if you don’t have any pants on, I swear I’m gonna put a bullet right between your eyes, kid,” I grunt out.
Neala jolts awake as she bolts upright and turns to face me. Shock is written all over her face. “Ry? What the hell are you doing in my room?” Her voice is so high pitched it kind of hurt my ears as she pulls the blanket up to cover her. This only irritates me more. I move in slamming the door shut behind me and curl up my lip.
“Tremor, I don’t need to tell you what to do.” I don’t bother to look at him as his hand subtly runs down Lala’s arm, and then he scoots out of the bed, and I glance down to see he’s wearing briefs. A sense of relief floods through me as he rushes about the room frantically to get dressed.
“Ry, you can’t just come in here and kick out my guests. Trem, stay. Please.”
I scoff and glare at Tremor who looks to Neala and then to me and continues to get dressed.
Clever boy.
“I think your memory has fucked up, little sister, because this… this is my house. So I can come in and kick out whoever I damn well want. And you? You can’t have anyone in your room other than the club girls and Freckles. Understand?”
She groans as Tremor pulls on his boots and heads for the door. Lala looks at him and frowns. “Tremor, if you leave, I’m going to be really upset with you,” Neala calls out.
I turn and look at him. “Tremor, if you don’t leave, don’t expect to be gaining a patch, brother.”
Neala lets out an exacerbated groan as Tremor’s face falls. He looks from me to Neala, and he winces. He shakes his head, turns, and yanks open the door forcefully walking through it and slamming it shut behind him.
“I hate you, Rylan,” Lala calls out, picking up a pillow and throwing it at me.
With a laugh, I walk over to her bed and sit down next to her as she looks to me and folds her arms over her pulled-up knees. “I know you hate me now but being with a biker…” my brows snap together, “… you don’t want that life, Neala. I don’t want that for you. You’ve grown up in this club. You’ve seen what we do. You know what we’re capable of. You know what happens to us. You’re such a bright spark, Lala. You have so much going for you. Tremor’s a good kid, granted. He has a lot going for him. Fuck! He’d be good to you, but he’s devoted to the club first, Lala. He will always choose us first. You deserve better than that. Find a fellow interior designer, or a banker, or some other boring-as-shit guy who isn’t gonna be dangerous for you.”
She raises her brow, pursing her lips at me. “And is that what you told, Heeley? That she needs to find someone boring, too?”
Scrunching up my face, I turn away from her and slump my body as Neala sighs. “So, it’s okay for her to choose a guy who’s dangerous, and for her to be with someone who isn’t boring, but not me?”
“That’s different.”
Her eyebrow raises. “Why?”
“Because…”
“Yeah, you have no argument because Heeley shouldn’t be around you as much as I shouldn’t be around Tremor.”
“Shit.” My hand runs to the back of my neck rubbing it to try and ease the tension building in it. She’s making perfect fucking sense, and I hate every damn second of it. The problem is, I know I’m bad for Heeley. But I just can’t keep away from her.
“So, are you going to stay away from her? Or are you going to be a hypocrite and make me keep away from Tremor but lead Heeley into a world of fucking doom and chaos and eventually heartache in a life with you?”
I glance at her and raise my brow. “Wow! You’re all full of warmth and roses this morning, aren’t ya?”
She sighs. “I just thin
k you’re too hard on yourself… on your brothers… on Tremor. I know you, I know this club. Sure, you might not do things exactly by the book, but you’re not terrible human beings. You do have a moral compass, Rylan. I’ve grown up here. I know how to handle myself, and I know Tremor is good for me. Hell, you know it, too. You’re just scared to let your little sister have a decent relationship.”
“It’s a relationship now?”
She sighs. “I… I don’t know, but it could be. If you let it get that far. But he’s probably petrified of me now because of you.”
“He should be—”
“Ry!”
“Okay, shit! I just don’t want you getting hurt. The other night, when you could have been taken by Enzo’s men...” I shake my head. “The things they would have done to you, Lala. That’s on me.”
She reaches out and grabs my hands making me turn to look her in the eyes. “No, Ry, this war is on Stefano Andretti, Enzo’s father, and our father, Guinness. This war started with them. Now you’re just carrying on their grudge a generation later. This feud has been going on since the O’Shea’s landed in Chicago and started taking over. An Irish invasion was something the Italian Mafia never saw coming, and when Mom and Dad came in from Ireland and created the Chicago Defiance MC, the Andretti slash Defiance war began. This is a long-time feud, and it can’t be settled without you and Enzo taking a stand.”
A loud snort erupts from my chest, and I shake my head. “You think if Enzo and I come together, this war can be settled over a beer and a good chat? Neala, his men rape and defile women. They sell them to the highest bidder. They try to take over our stomping grounds and pilfer our clients, and that’s only touching the surface. They can’t be reasoned with.”
She sighs and shakes her head. “Everyone can be reasoned with if given the right motives, Ry. You just need to find what they’re willing to fight for. I’m sure you’ll find common ground over something. All I know is this war you two have can’t continue, it’s ruining the streets of Chicago.”
A small smile creeps up on my lips. “When did you become so smart?”
She lets out a small giggle. “I’ve always been the brains of this family. You’re the brawn, and Trax is the brute.”
“What’s Mom then?”
She smiles. “The beauty.”
“Yeah, she is, and you take after her in that department, Lala. Just promise me, if you and Tremor become a thing, you won’t flaunt it in front of me.”
Her eyes light up, and she smiles wide. “Is that your version of a blessing?”
Shaking my head, I groan out loud. “It’s my version of an ‘I won’t kill him’ if I see him with ya. But if he hurts you, I swear as God is my witness, I make no promises.”
She lets out a small squeal and rushes forward wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace. I hug her back while shaking my head. “Always use protection,” I blurt out, and she scoffs pulling back and shoves me hard in the chest making me chuckle as I stand from the bed.
“Jesus, Ry. Fucking shut up.”
I turn and head for the door. “You don’t want any unplanned pregnancies.”
“Oh my God,” she murmurs under her breath as I hear her flop back onto the bed, and I chuckle walking out of her door, softly closing it behind me with a click.
The thought of her and Tremor does my fucking head in. But at the same time, Tremor’s a good guy, and she could do a whole lot worse. Out of all the brothers in this place, he would be the one I would have chosen if she’s so hell bent on being with a damn biker.
Shaking my head, I step to the next door and decide this time I’ll fucking knock. I don’t think I could handle it if I walked in and someone was in Mom’s bed.
CHAPTER NINE
TORQUE
I knock and soon after, the door opens. Mom stands there with a smile on her face. Her auburn hair falls down around her shoulders, already brushed, looking silky and smooth. Her freckles extra prominent this morning on her glowing face as her already make-up-adorned-face smiles at me wide. I look down seeing she’s dressed too, in her usual tight-fitting top and skinny jeans. Something a mom the age of forty-nine shouldn’t be wearing. The idea that my brothers here might consider her a MILF crosses my mind, and I cringe outwardly while she furrows her brows as she gestures for me to come inside.
“Torque, honey, are you cold? You’re shudderin’,” she asks her Irish accent which seems thicker this morning.
I shake my head and walk inside. “No, I’m good, Mom. So, ah… you’re up early.”
She heads over to her dresser and picks up her cell sliding it into her back pocket. “Oh Lord, I’ve been up since the wee hours of the mornin’, my love. Just spendin’ my time sortin’ out the mess of the bathroom. It needed a spruce up.”
I let out a laugh. “You’ve been cleaning?”
She nods. “Aye. Now I’m gonna go get me some breakfast. I hear Ruby cooks a mean fry.”
I sigh. “She does cook a great meal. But Mom, let’s get down to it, I know you’re annoyed about being here. Talk to me.”
She slumps her body and looks down to the floor. “Look boyo, comin’ into the club always brings me two emotions. This club brought me a new life. A new home. When your da and I fled the homeland and came to Chicago runnin’ from the Irish mob, we set out to start a new life. One free from chaos and carnage. And we did that. We had you three beautiful children. We started this club. And it was brilliant. Until Stefano Andretti came in with his bullshite and started a war. But, you know all this. The fact is, bein’ here reminds me that this is the place I settled with your da… this is the place I made a home with Guinness… this is where we made our family.
“This is also the place where I had to try and keep my family together after your da died. You fell apart. Trax was numb. Neala was so young she didn’t really understand, but the whole club was hurtin’ along with me. I had to keep you all together and try not to fall apart myself. Bein’ here, Rylan, reminds me of everythin’ I lost.”
I step up and grab her hands in mine, forcing her to look at me. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t know being here hurt you. But you do understand why I need you here? Why I need Neala here, right?”
“Aye boyo, I understand. I’ve been a part of the brotherhood since I was a gearrchaile. You know this. I know how it works. There be a threat on the club, I be here waitin’ it out till she passes. I know your drill. I’ve been here many a time, and I’ve been through much worse than a family lockdown due to some Italian Mafia wannabes. The Andrettis aren’t so bad, boyo. You deal with the Irish Mob, then you know real players.”
I chuckle and nod knowing the story of how Mom and Dad had to flee their own country to get away from the Irish Mob. They had to fake their own deaths in order to escape from their tyranny so they could start anew. I still don’t know how they pulled it off, but they did, and they never looked back leaving their Irish roots behind and started a new life in America.
“Still, I’m sorry you’re here when you don’t wanna be. Just know I’m gonna try to do everything to fix this fucking mess up with Enzo. All I know is we sent his right-hand man back to him, minus his right hand… and for good measure his left one, too.” Mom raises her brow at me with a sly smirk, but says nothing as I continue, “So he’s gonna be… pissed.”
“Hmm… well, best we eat our protein and come up with a plan then, eh? Because I don’t want you or Trax goin’ into the den of a lion with only a whip to tame ‘im.”
I chuckle. “What does that even mean?”
“It means… Enzo, while he’s a caged animal right now, he only needs one thing to make him roar. You just sent him a reason to ignite, and he’s an appetite for carnage. You can bet your bippy your next on his list, boyo.”
Nodding, I let go of her hands and walk with her out of her room down toward the main area. The smell of bacon wafts through the air as we enter, and Ruby spots us from behind the bar.
“Morning, Freckles. Full Irish breakf
ast?” Ruby calls out as she stands wearing a full-length apron and holding a pair of tongs in her hands.
“Aye, but hold the puddin’, extra soda bread and swap out the tea for coffee. I’m in need of somethin’ a little stronger this mornin’, aye love.”
Ruby bounces up on her toes with a smile. “Coming right up.” She spins to head off, and I chuckle.
“Ahh, Ruby,” I call out making her spin back to face me.
“Oh shit! Sorry Torque. You want breakfast, too?”
I nod and give her a smile. She chews on her bottom lip, winking at me, and bounds away off to the kitchen in her usual peppy manner. Shaking my head, I keep walking with Mom toward the wooden tables to take a seat. Sensei is still sitting contemplating life I suppose, and now Chains, Trax, and Surge are with him eating their breakfast.
Surge looks up to see us approaching, and he looks at Mom and nods his head. “Morning, Freckles, you’re looking mighty sprightly this fine morning.”
Mom snorts shaking her head. “Surge, you old fool, your charms never did work on me. I’ve known you for far too long.”
We all laugh as Mom and I take a seat—Mom next to Surge and me next to Sensei. “So, any news on what happened when you took Alfonso back to Enzo?”
Trax looks up from his plate and takes notice of the conversation.
“No. All I know is I arrived at Enzo’s compound. Knocked on the door. Kicked Alfonso to his knees and proceeded to…” he pauses, and the smirk on his face says it all, “… leave with haste. I did not feel the need to stick around. If they saw me, who knows how many of them I would have had to fend off in response,” Sensei answers, and I nod clenching my jaw.
I have no idea whether Alfie boy is still alive or not, but he gave us what we wanted, and in return, we took Enzo’s prized possession from him. We broke his right-hand man. We made him talk. We made Alfonso betray his master. That’s about as big of a punishment as Enzo could get without taking him out himself. Which is still on my list of things to do.