by A. Lynn
“What?”
“They asked how you were doing with the pregnancy.”
“How do they know I’m pregnant? Who else knows? I only told Sasha, Skylar, and your mom.”
“We were talking about Dub calling me and letting me know about your ex being here and Pop asked if you and the baby were okay, so now the brothers know. I don’t know how the Rippers found out, but I need to know you are safe while I figure it out.”
“Okay, can you get my luggage out of the hall closet while I get our stuff ready?” I ask as I get out of the bed and rush to my closet and start pulling stuff off the hangers.
“There is one more thing, babe.” He pauses until I turn to look over my shoulder. “Axle’s dad had a heart attack and died after seeing the pictures of Harley.”
I rush back to him and pull him into my arms, holding him tight. “I’m so sorry, love.”
After holding me for an undetermined amount of time, he kisses my neck and pulls away. “Go pack, babe. And could you call Sasha and let her know Smooth and I are on the way to get Jordan?”
“Smooth is here?”
“Yeah. Extra protection.”
“Okay. Does she need to come, too?”
“I don’t think she does.”
“Okay.”
******
“Nieto!” is called out when we walk into the clubhouse a couple of hours later.
“Nana!” Jordan calls back, dashing across the room to where she stands with Colt and Skylar.
“At least he is going to enjoy being here,” Crow says.
“Will there be any other kids here for him to play with?”
“Shadow has a little girl about his age.”
“No one else has kids?”
“No, the younger brothers are still too busy fucking anything that moves.”
“Oh… She’s not here, is she?”
“Who?”
“Cleo.”
“No, Gunner sent her to a support club in Texas.”
“Good.”
“Come on, let’s get our stuff settled in our suite.”
“You have a suite?”
“We have a suite. All the officers have them.”
“That’s cool,” I say before I work my way across the room to get Jordan.
“Hey, Rea. How are you feeling?” Skylar asks, pulling me into a hug.
“Can’t complain. How are you?”
“Could be better, considering. But I did get to meet this handsome devil,” she says and pokes J in the stomach.
“Otay! Otay, Aun’ Skywar!” He screeches. “I’s gives! Pop! Hep me’s!”
“I got you, little man,” Colt says taking him from Skylar. “I’ll teach you where she is ticklish; so you can get her back.”
“Daddy!” Skylar gasps. “Whose side are you on?”
“Sorry, angel. I’m with him.”
“Traitor,” she accuses but he just shrugs and looks at J adoringly.
“Thank you for the ultrasound picture,” Stella says, reaching out to touch my belly.
“You’re welcome.”
“That baby can’t get here fast enough. Two grandbabies!”
“I agree,” Skylar adds. “I’m going to be the coolest Aunt ever!”
I laugh and drop my hands to my still flat stomach. “I know, right! I can’t wait to meet Peanut.”
“Who’s dat?” J asks.
I sober and drop my hands. “Hey, baby, how about you and I go have a little chat?”
“Down, Pop.”
“I’ll come, too,” Crow says. “I’ll get our bags in a little bit.”
“I’ll help you carry them up now,” Colt says. “That way you guys aren’t in a hurry.”
“Sounds good,” Crow replies.
******
“Whewe I’s sweep?”
“In that room right there, little man,” Crow answers, pointing to the door on the far wall.
“And Wea?”
“We will sleep in that room there.”
“We’s havin’ a sweep over, Cwow?”
“We sure are!”
“Yay!” He cheers.
“Come here, J,” I say, patting the couch where Crow and I are sitting.
“You’s otay, Wea?” he asks with a worried look on his face.
“Yeah, baby, I’m okay. I just want to talk to you.”
“Otay,” he smiles and climbs into Crow’s lap.
“Do you remember your Moma being in the hospital?” He nods. “She was really sick. The day that you fell off the bed, I told her that I didn’t want her to see you until she was better.”
“Otay,” he sighs.
“She doesn’t want to get better, baby.”
“Why’s not?”
“I don’t know, baby.”
“She not’s comin’ back?”
“I’m sorry, baby, but no. She gave me papers that said only I was going to be your Moma.”
“Weally?” he asks, almost hopeful.
“Yeah. Is that okay with you?”
“Can I’s caw you’s Moma?”
“Of course, you can.”
“You’s wants to be my’s Moma?”
“More than anything,” I assure him. “Do you know my name, J?”
“Of couwse I’s do. You’s Wea.”
“My full name?” I ask, but she shakes his head. “My full name is Reagan Marks.”
“Hey, dats my’s name!”
“I know! That’s because I have always been your Moma.” I smile and reach for his hand, but he launches his little body at me.
“I’s wanted dat, We—Moma.”
“I did, too,” I say as tears run down my cheeks.
“You’s sad, Moma?”
“Not at all! These are happy tears.”
Crow grabs my hand and says, “Now for the other thing we wanted to talk to you about. You’re going to be a big brother!”
“I’s is?”
“Yeah, you are, little man!”
“Is you’s the daddy, Cwow?”
“I am.”
“Is you’s my daddy, too, Cwow?” he asks, making me gasp.
“If you will let me.”
“I’s will.”
“Great! And when me and your Moma get married we will give you my name, too. Then you will be Jordan Eric Marks Greene.”
“Or just Jordan Eric Greene,” I suggest, not giving too much of a reaction to Crow’s declaration.
“When is you’s getting mawied?”
“I don’t kn—”
“As soon as she says yes,” Crow interrupts.
“Well, no one has asked, yet.”
“I did, too.”
I glare at him. “That doesn’t count.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Of course, I am. What was said after that proposal negated every word before it.”
“I’m sorry, babe,” he says, bringing my hand to his mouth. “I will make it right. I promise.”
“I know you will,” I say, bringing his mouth to mine for a brief kiss.
“Ew, stop,” Jordan says, pushing our faces apart.
I chuckle. “Sorry, baby.”
“Dats otay, Moma,” he says and my heart soars. “Am I getting a bwothew or sistew?
“We don’t know yet. We won’t be able to find out for a few more months. I got a picture, though. You want to see?” Crow asks and pulls out his wallet.
He nods. “Whas dat? Dat is not’s a baby. Wooks wike a jewee bean.”
I laugh too hard to reply, so Crow does. “It does, doesn’t it? That’s why your Moma and I were calling it Peanut.”
“Dats weiwd.”
“It will start to look more like a baby soon. It has to grow into it,” I say once I catch my breath.
Jordan climbs from my lap to Crow’s and puts both of his little hands on his cheeks to get his undivided attention. “Now’s, Cwow, can I’s call you’s daddy?”
“Nothing would make me happier, little man.”
“Yes, you do,” I say with fresh tears running down my cheeks, watching as my world completes itself.
Crow notices me staring and reaches for my hand, pulling me to join their embrace. “Thank you, baby.”
“For what?”
“My life. I love you, so much.”
“I’s woves you’s, Daddy. You’s, too, Moma.”
“I love you, J.”
Crow has to clear his throat before he can respond. “I love you, too, little man.” His phone must vibrate in his pocket because he pulls back to pull it out. “I got to go, baby. Church.”
“Okay.”
“Give me your keys, that way Dub can let the contractor in the house.”
“Who is Dub and why would I give him access to my house?”
“Dub—or Diego, I think he said he introduced himself as—works for the construction company.”
“And we trust him enough to have access to my house?”
“I do. He has been prospecting for more than a year now, almost ready for his top rocker. I trust him as much as any of them.”
“Then why did you put JJ on me before?”
“Because Dub has a day job. Motherfu—”
“JJ,” I interrupt.
“Right,” he smiles. “JJ doesn’t have a day job.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. You need to get used to little man being around foul language, you are shacked up with bikers.”
“I’m only shacked up with you, not multiple bikers,” I point out.
“Touche. But the point remains the same.”
“I know. Do you have an extra key to the suite? I don’t want Jordan to be locked up in here all the time.”
“You can take mine and I will get a copy cut today. And I need your keys.”
I grab them and my phone out of my purse, noticing a missed call from Mary-Anne from Rotti-Protect. I make a mental note to call her back after I put J down for a nap. “I’ll text Asher and let him know that Diego will have my keys to let him in to finish the work. I do need to go over there on Sunday and sign off on all the work, though.”
“I’ll work it out.”
“Thanks.”
“You don’t need to thank me, baby. You aren’t a prisoner here. You will just be heavily protected when you leave.”
“What about work? Can I go back to work?”
“I don’t see why not. Ma won’t close the shop, it will just be something like appointments only. Absolutely no walk-ins. And some brothers will be there.”
“What about J? Can he go to school?”
“If we can work it out where a brother or prospect can be there with him. I want all our bases covered when it comes to him because he is going to be on his own there otherwise.”
“I agree. I will call Apple Core and see if I can set something up. I will need to give them a name and some info on whoever it is.”
“Let me talk it over with Gunner at Church before you call them, though, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I have to run. Love you.”
“Love you.”
“Wove you’s, Daddy,” Jordan slurs, passing out on his lap.
“Love you, little man,” Crow smiles. “Let me take him to his bed before I go.”
“Okay.”
“Text Asher and let him know Dub will have your house keys, then try to get some rest; you look exhausted.”
“Look at you, sweet talker! Such glowing accolades.” I give him the finger.
“I didn’t mean it like that and you know it,” he defends coming out of J’s room, pulling his door to.
“I know, honey, just giving you shit,” I say as he pulls me into his arms and drops his lips to my neck. “As it happens, I am exhausted.”
“You’re a pain in the ass, do you know that?”
“You like it.”
“I love it,” he amends. “Little man handled that discussion better than I could have imagined.”
“You know you can’t leave him now, right? Regardless of what transpires between the two of us?”
“I do. And the only things that are going to transpire between us is we are going to get married and have another baby… and maybe a few more after that,” he smiles lasciviously, making my panties wet.
“How many do you want?”
“I don’t know… three or four.”
“Total or in addition to J?”
“Total.”
My eyes widen in shock. “We’re going to need a bigger house.”
“Yes we are,” he says before he walks out the door.
I sit on the couch reeling from what has happened over the last hour or so. Shit certainly just got real.
Me: Hey, Asher, it’s Reagan Marks. I am not going to be at the house for the rest of the renovations. Diego—or Dub, I don’t know what you call him—will have my house keys to let you in.
Asher: Is everything okay?
Me: I can’t go into details, but the people who attacked me have made some more threats and Crow wants me with him.
Asher: Damn, Reagan, that sucks.
Me: Tell me about it.
Asher: I have to say that I agree with Crow on this. I can appreciate a man protecting his woman.
Asher: But Diego, though?
Me: He is a Prospect for Crow’s club.”
Asher: Okay. What would you like me to set the code for the alarm to? It has to be 8 digits.
Me: 71024190
Me: How much would you charge me to put that alarm system in my son’s MiMi’s house?
Asher: How soon do you want it done?
Me: After you are done at my house. I need to tell her about it first. She lives like 6 houses down from my house.
Asher: $4,000
Me: Okay, I will send a check with Diego tomorrow.
Asher: Sounds good.
I pull up Nicole’s contact information and fire off a text.
Me: How was your date with Asher?
Nicole: A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.
Me: Lady? Where?
Nicole: *gives the finger* bitch.
Me: LMMFAO!
Me: But really, how did it go?
Nicole: Really great. We are going to get together tonight after he is finished at your house.
Me: I’m so glad. You looked cute together. Maybe we can double date soon.
Me: But for right now I need you to stay away from my house
Nicole: What? Why?
Me: I can’t get into it, but some threats have been made from the people who introduced us.
Nicole: Nobody introduced us.
Nicole: Oh! Are you serious?
Me: I am serious... I need you to be safe. Farther away from me is best for you.
Nicole: Okay, I’ll stay away. Where are you? Surely you aren’t staying in that house alone.
Me: Crow picked us up and brought us to the clubhouse. We are all on lockdown apparently.
Nicole: You’re with Crow? Is that wise?
Me: I love him, Coco.
Nicole: Are you back together?
Me: Yes.
Nicole: If you’re sure about it, congrats, I guess.
Me: Thank you.
Nicole: *smiles* talk soon.
Me: Definitely.
And now to tell Sasha that Asher will be putting the system from my house into hers. This should be fun.
Me: I know you are upset with me right now, but Asher (the contractor) is going to be putting the alarm system from my house into yours.
Sasha: Do you think that’s necessary?
Me: I need to know that J is safe when he is there.
Sasha: Ok, Rea.
Me: Thank you! *sighs* *wipes sweaty forehead*
Me: I wish you had come here with us.
Sasha: I will not be run out of my house.
Me: Is that what your reaction was really about?
Sasha: What else would i
t be about?
Me: Maybe a sexy-as-fuck biker that goes by Smooth? *bouncing eyebrows*
Sasha: Bye, Reagan.
Me: Bahahaha!
Chapter 7
Crow
“I’s woves you’s, Daddy,” is playing on a continuous loop in my head. I’m a daddy. Me. Nothing in this world could remove the smile gracing my face now.
“I take it the talk with little man went well?” Pop asks.
“Better than I thought it would. I thought that he would be sad about Ryan’s stupid-ass, but he was just happy that Reagan is his mom.”
“Did you guys get to the Peanut part of the conversation?”
I laugh out loud, making Pop smile. “He thinks it looks like a jelly bean.”
“He’s not wrong.”
“He asked if I was his daddy, too. About broke my heart, Pop.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That nothing would make me happier.”
He slaps me on the back and pulls me into a hug. “I am so proud of you, Crow. You have grown into the man that I always knew you would be.”
“Thanks, Pop.”
“What’s with all the mushy shit going on right now?” Tex asks, shattering the moment.
“Little man called me daddy.”
“Better you than me, man.”
“Why would he call you daddy, Tex?”
“You know what the fuck I meant! No kids for me.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
“Fuck you, Colt!”
“Alright, men, let’s get started,” Gunner says, calling the room to order. “I know it is a given, but I’m going to say it anyway. When Gauge’s body is released to a funeral home, he will be buried in the King’s Cemetery here on the property. And the King’s will pay for it.”
“That’s all he’s ever wanted. He breathed for this club,” Trigger says quietly, drawing a heavy sigh from Axle. “The only things he loved more, Ax, were you, your mom, and Harley.”
“Not his bike?” Colt throws out with a chuckle. “Pretty sure he loved that more than he loved anything.”
“Who could blame him? It’s magnificent,” Axle says sadly as the brothers pound on the table in agreement.
“I’ll get the old ladies to put some food together, too. So we can send him off in style,” Trigger adds.