by Eve R. Hart
“You forget I was a prospect not all that long ago? I had to pick his packages up from the gate and bring them to him. I got curious. With a company name like Hug ‘em Tight, who wouldn’t,” Brand said with a slight shrug. “To be fair, they are more comfortable than you would think,” Brand said, shooting Bocca a half-smile. I doubted Brand had ever actually tried a pair, but it was his way to take some of the heat off of Bocca right then.
That was the kind of guy Brand was. He was decent and loyal. And he would have any one of our backs if we ever needed it, for whatever we may have needed.
“Alright, Alright. Back on track. I think it’s safe to say that none of us have ordered from that place,” Cal said slapping his hand on the table as he calmed his laughter. “What’s next?”
“Toss out all our phones. I’ll go through everyone’s computers and tablets, everything. And I will keep searching for who the fuck did this.”
“That’s all I got for now,” Cal said, eyeing each of us to make sure no one else needed to add anything.
“Um,” I said, my brain thinking too fast for me to really process what I wanted to say.
Truth was, I’d been thinking about it for a while and I was sitting on the fence about the whole thing. I knew Cal had pretty much set it up to where I would take his place when he stepped down or if he…well, let me not even entertain that idea. So, I needed to start thinking like a leader. And while I knew Cal was trying to push the club in a new, and more legit, direction, I kinda questioned if we would never be able to completely do that. We’d been outlaws for a long time, longer than I’d been around, and while the idea of going one hundred percent legit was nice in theory, I couldn’t help but wonder if we could maybe do some good by keeping our toes in the water.
“Yeah, son?” Cal asked after a long pause had passed.
“Okay, hear me out.” I sniffed, suddenly itching for a smoke and some more time to put together what I was about to say. As if reading my mind, Crow tossed his pack at me. I didn’t make it a habit to smoke in the clubhouse, but fuck it. “So, say we go up against Savage and wipe him and his club out. What happens to the docks?”
“Been thinkin’ ‘bout that. I have some ideas I was goin’ to bring to the table when the time came. You got somethin’ to say, we’re all ears.” Cal nodded at me to keep going.
“So, what if we took over the docks? We have grown, I know we have a bunch of good men throughout the chapters. What if we opened a chapter on the coast, set up shop, and in a sense take that shit over after we end Savage. I have a feeling that if we take him out, with as much as people want him down, I think we wouldn’t get too much of a fight from other groups.” I paused, letting the idea sink in.
I wasn’t only talking other MCs. In the bigger cities, you had more than one syndicate. On the coast, there were quite a few. The Russians, who already told us that they couldn’t help us for whatever reason. Then there were the Irish, the Italians, and a few other smaller groups that we knew about. As of right now, most of those groups got along. They had a weird dynamic where they often helped each other out, so I was pretty sure they wouldn’t fight or be so quick to go to war if we stepped up. They all seemed to have their own things they were into and didn’t want bloodshed. As long as no one tried to step on the other’s toes, things were quiet.
“Well, if we had control of the docks, we would know what was coming in and going out. We would know how much and to who it was going to. We’d also be able to make sure that nothing was coming in or out that we don’t want…” I let it hang there, hoping like hell they got what I was getting at.
“Fuckin’ skin traders,” Seven spat from the other side of the table.
“Yep,” I said, relaxing back in my seat a little. I wasn’t expecting an answer or even a pre-vote about the idea. I was simply planting the seed because I thought it would be a good move for the club.
“I think the kid’s onto somethin’,” Loch said, his eyes pinning me with a proud stare.
I looked over to Cal and he had that tight-lipped smile that I knew all too well. The one that tipped up at one side. I had seen it a few times throughout my years. He was damn beaming with pride right then and I did my best to reel myself in. I wanted nothing but to prove to him that I could do it, I could take over his role and care about this club as much as he did.
The meeting ended and Cal kept Bocca, Loch, and me behind. I knew what was coming next and I wasn’t sure if I was really ready to hear it.
“This girl, you got anything else outta her?” Cal asked and I hung my head as I shook it. “Bocca?”
“Yeah. So before all the shit went down I was onto something. It’s going to take me a good part of the day to get up and running again, but I’ll go ahead and tell you what I was able to find,” Bocca started and by his pinched brows, you could tell it just wasn’t his day.
Bocca, you could have said, was usually the life of the party. He was a flirt and could charm his way out of—and into—just about any situation.
However, when he couldn’t do the club proud he took it hard on himself. He had a huge need to be useful and when he failed at that, well, he tended to retreat. But I knew it would be alright. He would be back up and running in no time.
Although, I knew the past year had been difficult for him. He hated when he couldn’t find stuff and figure things out. I had a feeling in my gut that it was just a matter of time before things broke and luck would head our way, but trying to get him to see that, well, wasn’t so easy.
“So, Callahan turned up nothing. Neiryn, the boy’s name, didn’t turn up anything either. No medical records or birth certificate that would match up with his age. Then after I found out what she had told you, I started digging into missing person’s reports. I got a hit out of Vermont for seven years ago.” He paused and looked around like he was looking for his trusty tablet to show us exactly what it was he found.
Realizing that he couldn’t use his tablet and that it wasn’t even in the room with us, he let out an aggravated sigh as he pulled his hair down. His fingers ran through his blonde strands with a forceful purpose.
“Fuck! Okay. The reports were hard to find like someone was trying to cover them up. Allison Whittemore was reported missing by her mother, Nancy, seven years ago. According to the mother, she came home on Allison’s seventeenth birthday to find her gone. The husband, a, uh.” Bocca closed his eyes as if he was trying to see the information like it was in front of him.
“Not important,” I said. “Keep going.”
“Right. Husband said she never came home from school. The husband kept insinuating that she ran away, stating that she had been sad over some boy and depressed. But the mother’s story was completely different.” His teeth raked over his bottom lip for a moment and he seemed lost in thought. “The police interviewed her best friend Lu—”
“Cal!” Came Diesel’s voice from the other side of the door.
“What the fuck?” Cal roared.
The door opened and Diesel stepped in.
“Loch,” Diesel said and his usually hard face held a bit of fear. “It’s Ethel. Something happened. Reagan called Jessica when she couldn’t get us on any of our phones. She’s in an ambulance and on her way to county. Reagan’s already on her way there.”
“Fuck!” Loch yelled as he shot out of his seat.
“Go, we’ll be right behind you,” Cal said as we all took to our feet.
Loch was out the door a second later.
“Bocca, make it quick then we need to get up there. Reagan and Loch need us.” Cal didn’t sit as he waved his hand at Bocca.
“Callahan, her friend’s last name. That must have been where she got it. I’m pretty fucking sure that it’s your girl. It isn’t much, but at least it collaborates her story. Oh, there was a witness that said they saw an unusual SUV parked in the driveway sometime after dark. The windows were tinted almost black. That is all I have. When I get things going again, I’ll keep digging.” Bocca bowed his
head as if he had somehow disappointed us.
Not that I had any doubts, but I knew now she wasn’t lying. That didn’t mean that she wasn’t withholding some of the truth.
“Bocca, you stay here. Take care of whatever the fuck it is that you gotta take care of. Axe, go back to the girl. I’m goin’ to the hospital to find out what’s goin’ on.” Cal waited until Bocca and I moved out of the room before he followed.
Without another word, and completely worried about the old bat, I headed back to the house to check on Allison. I had this weird feeling in my gut and my skin felt itchy. I hoped Ethel was fucking alright. I was worried that whatever happened to her wasn’t good and I dreaded that it might be club related.
The house was quiet by the time I got back home. The lights were out and the boxes were still strewn all over the floor just where I’d left them. It seemed she hadn’t touched anything since I’d left.
I felt like such a dick. Remembering the softness in her tone had me choking back my feelings. My head looked towards the stairs, and without even realizing it, my feet were caring me forward.
The bedroom door was left open. Allison was asleep in the bed, only taking up the far side. Her arm was outstretched in the empty spot beside her and in my mind, I wished that it was because she was reaching for me, hoping that I was there to fill that space.
I was going out of my mind. As much as I wanted to fill that vacant side, I knew I never could. I had to keep my feelings in check, all of them. The crazy thing was, I had so many of them. My emotions were all over the damn place when it came to that woman. And I wouldn’t even get started on Lil man. That cute as fuck kid about did me in.
I knew in my heart that I would do anything to protect them. Despite the fact that I knew she was still keeping things from me, all I wanted to do was see her safe and happy.
With a heavy exhale, I turned and walked back down the stairs.
I knew I wouldn’t get any sleep. We didn’t have enough burner phones at the club to supply all of us with one. I wished like hell I’d stepped up and said I needed one, though. I was in the dark with no way for Cal or anyone to tell me what the fuck was going on. I felt on edge and antsy.
Looking at the mess that currently took up the space behind the couch, I shook my head. I knelt down and started going through the boxes, putting things in the rooms where they belonged. I figured once I got everything sorted, I could begin to organize it all.
I dragged all of the things for Neiryn’s room upstairs as quietly as I could, which, given that I’d spent my whole life trying to step as lightly as possible and go unnoticed, didn’t take much effort. Then, I decided to just go ahead and build the damn crib. I knew I’d have to do it at some point and the thought of him waking up to see his very own room put together left no doubt in my mind that it was what I was going to do next.
Unboxing the crib, I spread out all the pieces so they would be easy to grab and find.
That was the point that Neiryn chose to let out a small whimper and I knew it would soon be followed by a cry. The poor little guy didn’t sleep worth shit and I hoped that his new space would help with that.
Jumping to my feet, I dashed down the hall and into their room. For a second my steps faltered and I wondered if I was overstepping. But I knew she was tired. I could see the dark circles under her eyes. I had heard her up with him sometimes five times a night. So, if I could give her just a few more hours of calm sleep, then it was what needed to be done.
I leaned over his kid jail and saw his eyes were open and shining with wetness.
“Hey, Lil man,” I said, my voice a soft whisper.
He smiled up at me and his hands reached out like he wanted me to pick him up. So I did, turning to see if Allison was awake once I had him in my arms.
“Let’s let mommy sleep a bit longer, alright?” I asked not really expecting an answer. “Hey, you wanna help me with somethin’?”
To that, he nodded and his hands clapped together wildly. I winced and turned my attention back to Allison. She stirred, her hips and shoulders wiggled a little, but then she settled back down and I headed out of the room.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Axe
“Fuck!” I whispered harshly.
Putting together baby furniture was fucking hard and the damn directions didn’t make a lick of sense.
I tossed the stupid tiny Allen wrench that came with the fucking thing down into the bag of miscellaneous screws. Lil man beside me giggled at the clinking sound made from the collision. With a heavy sigh, I threw my arm around him and tucked his little body under my arm.
“Again,” he squealed as he clapped his hands with absolutely no sort of rhythm.
He looked up at me with a huge smile on his face like it was the most entertaining thing ever. I couldn’t help but laugh at how cute that damn kid was. Never before had I envisioned myself having kids, but being around this little guy suddenly had me thinking that maybe they weren’t so bad.
What is happening to me?
Here I am in the middle of the fucking night, putting together a crib for a baby that isn’t even mine, that belongs to a woman that isn’t even mine.
I had a strong urge to reach down and make sure my balls were still there.
“Fix,” Neiryn said, pulling me back to reality as he pointed to the half-built crib. Again, I had to laugh. I nodded at him, doing the best I could to keep us both quiet.
“You gonna help me, Lil man?” I asked, picking up the instructions and placing them on his lap.
I knew it was a bad idea but it wasn’t like I was getting any help from that stupid fucking piece of paper anyway. He wasted no time balling his fists up in the middle of the paper and then waved it in the air.
“Help,” he giggled.
I took in a deep breath, preparing myself to go back in. I was fucking determined to finish this damn thing. As I reached over to grab what I was hoping was the next piece I needed, something caught my eye in the doorway.
My eyes slowly roamed over bare feet, up perfectly shapely legs, over short, loose sleeping bottoms that were a light shade of pink. The drawstring of the shorts was tied into a perfect bow. My eyes lingered on the small sliver of exposed skin that was peeking out between her shorts and shirt.
I could have sworn that my breath caught for just a moment as I stared at her creamy skin, wishing more than anything I could run my fingers over it.
Forcing myself to keep going, my eyes roamed over her loose shirt, finding her arms folded over her chest and plumping up those nice tits.
As I scanned her face and met her eyes, I saw a flash of something soft. I was pretty sure it was the same thing I had seen on her face when she caught me laying with the boy on the couch a week ago. Right after the fear fled her eyes, that was.
There was something about the way that she was looking at me that should have made me uncomfortable. I should have some kind of panic shoot through my veins that had my feet caring me as fast as possible for the hills.
However, the only thing I felt was some sort of weird warmth spreading throughout me.
“Hi,” I said, my voice sounding strangely raw. And for some reason, a smile fucking spread across my face.
“Hi,” she mimicked, as she cocked her brow at me.
She was sexy as hell when she got a little sassy.
“Sorry if we woke you. I blame this guy, it was all his idea,” I said, ruffling Neiryn’s hair.
Her head shook as a small smile teased her lips. She lowered herself to sit on the floor next to me but kept her body facing in my direction. Her knee was almost touching mine and I could feel the electricity crackling in the vacant space between us. I had a strong urge to pull her onto my lap just to have her closer to me.
“What is all this?” she asked as she picked up a piece of wood.
I felt Lil man settling down next to me, his head lowered and he rested it on my leg. I reached down and rubbed his back as his eyes started to get heavy.
“Sweep,” he said as his eyes fluttered closed.
“I had one of the brother’s old ladies order a bunch of stuff for you guys,” I said like she didn’t know that the shit-ton of boxes downstairs weren’t meant for her. “I made sure she got a crib. I should have stayed and put it together today. Anyway, I figured it would be better for him to have an actual bed to sleep in. Maybe it will make him feel more secure.” I cleared my throat. I was thoroughly thrown off by all the emotions that I was feeling at that moment.
“Thank you,” she simply said and it was the sweetest thing I’d heard her say to me.
I was just fucking over the moon and relieved that she didn’t fight me on it. Maybe we were getting somewhere or it could have been that I was just being overly hopeful.
“I hope you don’t mind me setting it up in here. Thought this way you could have your own space,” I whispered as our bodies leaned closer to one another so we could continue to talk in hushed tones.
“Yeah, this is good. He used to have his own room. He also used to sleep through the night…maybe this will help.”
Her eyes twinkled and I couldn’t seem to look away from her. Our faces were inches apart and I recognized that look that clouded her eyes.
One, I’d seen it in other women, many times before.
And two, I was thinking the exact same thing right then.
I reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Touching her only seemed to strengthen the feelings I had brewing inside. Her eyes half closed as my fingers brushed the sensitive skin behind her ear.
Her sweet smell invaded my nose. Her breaths came out in pants and it tickled against my lips. I wanted her, there was no denying that. I wanted to kiss those plump lips. Fuck that, I wanted to devour them, and then the rest of her. I wanted to slide my hand up those creamy thighs and find out how wet I could make her.
There were so many reasons why this was fucking wrong. One of them was currently passed out on my leg at the moment. The weight of his little body brought me back to reality.