by Geri Glenn
I take in Bryce’s suddenly sullen form, his eyes on the pavement in front of him, alarmed by the sudden shift in mood. “What’s up?”
“I need to tell you something. I was gonna tell Mom, but I know she’ll freak out, and well… you kinda calm her down when she starts to freak, so I thought maybe I could tell you, and then you could tell her, and—”
“B, slow down. You can tell me anything. What is it?”
Bryce bites his lip and looks up at me from under his giant helmet, his eyes full of uncertainty. “I don’t want to go with my dad tomorrow.”
I kneel down in front of him, the pavement biting into my knee as I place my hands on his shoulders. “Then you won’t go. Your mom doesn’t want you to go either.”
Hope fills his features. “Really?”
“Really. She hates it. But I need to ask, why don’t you wanna go with him all of a sudden?”
“He’s just mean, and he was never mean before.”
My body tenses. If that fucker’s laid a hand on this kid, I will rip him apart. “Did he hurt you, B?”
He shakes his head. “No, he never touched me. He mostly ignored me, and when he did talk to me, he called me names and said bad stuff about Mom. I just don’t want to go back there.”
Drawing in slow and steady breaths, I do my best to hide my rage, but right now, I want nothing more than to find that son of a bitch and make him bleed. I stand from my place on the ground and squeeze Bryce’s shoulder. “He won’t get that chance again, B. I promise you that.”
Bryce nods, and I can see his tiny body tremble. He tries so hard to be tough all the time, but this kid has his own share of demons thanks to that prick, and no matter what Ellen does, and me, if I’m lucky, we won’t be able to take those away. I just hope we can teach him to quiet them.
“Let’s go home. Supper must be ready.”
“One more thing,” he blurts.
Shit. I don’t know if I can hear much more. I already want to murder the stupid fuck. I don’t know how much more I can take.
“I have a basketball game on Monday, and Mom can’t go. Do you think you could come, and maybe watch me play?”
“You kiddin’ me? You don’t even have to ask, kid. I’ll be there.”
Bryce’s grin makes the anger fade, just a little. He climbs on behind me and we head for home. I spend the entire drive plotting out exactly how this is gonna go down with Paul.
Ellen
I make it to the coffee shop a little later than expected. The bus was running fifteen minutes behind, causing me to miss my transfer bus. This is just not my day. I’d slept in this morning, spilled my coffee all over the kitchen table, and stabbed myself in the eyeball with my mascara wand, not once, but twice. I’m ready for it to be over.
Seeing Charlie and Laynie at a table on the patio, I get my coffee and danish and move outside to join them. “Hey!” Charlie says as I approach. “We were worried you weren’t going to make it.”
I smile and take a seat before turning my attention to Charlie. “So, did you have your ultrasound?”
Her face breaks out into a wide smile. “I did. I’m due May third. That makes me eight weeks tomorrow.”
The three of us squeal like a bunch of school girls. We spend the next hour talking about babies, and thinking up unique baby names that I sincerely hope she never actually considers.
“So,” Laynie prompts, changing the subject. “How are things with Jase?”
My face heats and I sputter a little as I think back to what she heard that night. “Good,” I choke out. “Great.”
Laynie’s head falls back and laughter bursts from her small frame. “What’s going on?” Charlie asks.
“I’ll let Ellen tell you,” Laynie manages to say between bursts of giggles.
“That night at the clubhouse, when you told us all about the baby, Jase and I got into a bit of a fight, as you know.” Laynie sputters and giggles some more. Charlie frowns and cocks her head at her clearly insane friend, motioning for me to continue.
“Anyways, we ended up making up…” Laynie snorts and I continue, “Against the wall, around the side of the clubhouse. Laynie was outside with Dex and heard it all.”
“Oh God,” Charlie says, trying hard to sound serious, but I don’t miss the laughter in here voice. “That’s hilarious.” The three of us burst into a wild round of laughter.
Once we’ve all settled down and are starting to catch our breaths, Charlie speaks again. “So, did you get it worked out?”
“What?”
“Whatever it was you were fighting about? It was that girl, wasn’t it? The one from the bar that night.”
I nod. “We worked it out. We’re good now, actually. He’s been coming over a lot, and even spending some quality time with my son, so that’s good. Different for all of us, but good.” I polish off the rest of my coffee and place my cup back on the table. “Can I ask you ladies something?”
They both nod.
“Is being an old lady hard?” I ask.
Laynie is the first to speak. “It’s got its moments. Your man can’t tell you everything all the time. Sometimes, he has to do things that go against everyone’s moral code, including his own, and that’s not fun. Sometimes, they do things that are dangerous, but you may never even know about.”
“On the other hand,” Charlie continues, “you will never find a man as fierce and loyal, more loving, or more protective than these men. They love their ladies, and they love them hard.”
“What about the whores?” I blurt out. It’s why I asked in the first place.
“They’re just that—whores. They’re there to keep the men happy, and are all hoping to land the title of old lady someday.”
“And you’re okay with that? With them keeping your man happy?” Maybe I can’t handle this as well as I thought.
Charlie laughs. “God, no. When Ryker and I first got together, they tried to get rid of me. One of them gave it her best shot, but I ignored her and held on tight. Besides, I find creative ways of my own to keep him happy.”
We all laugh, getting disapproving looks from the old lady a few tables over. “That girl, the one that tried to get rid of you, you ignored her?”
Laynie raises her hand. “I didn’t ignore her. That bitch gave me a hard time too. I broke her nose.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
“You won’t have to.”
Charlie’s phone alerts her of a text, and we all wait while she checks it. Her hand covers her mouth and she sits up straight in her chair. “Oh my God,” she says breathlessly. “Sarah’s in labour!”
“She is!” Laynie cries, reaching for her purse.
“Yes! Ryker just texted me. He said she texted Bosco, looking for a ride. He’s staying with her until you get there.”
Laynie grabs Dexter’s harness, commanding him to get up. “Who’s Sarah?” I ask, feeling out of the loop.
“You met her a few months ago,” Charlie says. “At the bar? She was there with Mouse. She’s Mouse’s wife.”
Mouse. I remember Charlie taking some time off last year when he died. She’d been devastated.
“I hate to run, ladies, but I’m her labour coach. I got a baby on the way!” she squeals, then rushes out onto the sidewalk.
I check my watch and realize that I really should go too. Bryce will be home from school soon, and I have to prepare myself to deal with Paul.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Jase
I check my watch and realize it’s almost three o’clock. I place the hammer on the new customer service desk I’ve been building and call out to the guys, “I’ve gotta get outta here.”
“Where’s the fire?” Reaper calls from his spot on the ladder. He’s been working on the install of the new security system, and still has a lot to do.
“I need to get to Ellen’s before that cocksucker does. He’s coming to pick up Bryce, and Bryce doesn’t wanna go,” I explain as I pull my cut back on and move t
owards the door.
Reaper takes a step down the ladder, his eyes on mine. I notice we’ve got the other guys’ attention too. “You need backup?”
The truth is, I don’t know. I don’t know how I’m gonna deal with this asshole when he shows up. Ellen had tried to get a hold of him, but he hadn’t answered his phone. I can’t kick this guy’s ass with Ellen and the kid standing right there. Maybe having a couple of the guys there will scare him off.
“Actually, that might be kinda perfect. As much as I want to beat this prick into the ground, Ellen and Bryce are already tweaked enough. It would scare the shit out of them. But the guy’s a pussy, hiding behind the law. A little intimidation might be just what he needs.”
“Whatever you say, man,” Reaper says with a smirk and climbs down off the ladder.
Tease, Bosco, and Hulk put down their tools and follow me out to our bikes. We make the drive in record time, pulling up in front of the house just as Paul’s getting out of his truck. I step off my bike; my eyes pinned on him where he stands, seemingly frozen on the spot.
“Your lead, VP,” Reaper says low enough that Paul can’t hear.
I flick my eyes up to the house and see Bryce watching from the living room window, his mother trying to pull him away. He doesn’t budge. I can feel the weight of his stare as I walk towards his father, my boys right behind me.
“Window,” Tease warns.
“I see him.”
I can physically see Paul’s Adam’s apple slide up and down as he swallows, his eyes flicking from me to the others. His face is ashen, but he stands up a little straighter, his fists balled at his sides.
“Paul, glad I caught ya,” I say as I step between him and the front door.
“I’m just here to pick up my kid, man.”
I purse my lips and tilt my head to the side. “Yeah, about that. Your kid tells me that he doesn’t wanna go.”
Paul’s face twists with anger. “I’ve got a court order—”
“Court orders don’t mean shit,” Tease sneers over my shoulder.
Paul looks to me and I shrug. “He’s right. Bryce tells me you weren’t all that nice to him on his last visit, Paul.” I take a step forward. “You care to explain that?”
“Fuck that,” he spits. “The kid’s full of shit.”
I take another step forward, and can feel the angry energy radiating off the guys behind me. “He also informs me that you called him a pussy. Does that sound like bullshit to you too, Paul?”
Paul throws his arms up and shakes his head. “Jesus Christ. What the fuck is it to you how I talk to my kid? Let me have my son, or I’m calling the police to report Ellen for breaching a court order.”
Another step puts me right in his personal space. “Not gonna happen, Paul.” Every time I say his name, I say it like a curse, and I smile inside when I see his anger go up another notch. “See, Bryce means something to me, and if he feels like he doesn’t want to see you anymore, then he’s not gonna see you anymore. You can call the cops if you’d like, but I gotta warn ya,” I motion to the angry group of men behind me. “We don’t like cops very much.”
Paul’s angry glare moves from me to over my shoulder, and I’m not sure exactly what he sees, but if Tease’s shoulder bumping up against mine is any indication, I’m willing to bet he doesn’t look too happy with Paul right now, and that’s enough to scare anybody. Paul’s face pales even more, and I can practically see the moment his balls crawl back up inside of him.
“I’ll tell you what, Paul.” I reach out and clamp my hand down on his shoulder, squeezing it until I see him flinch. “If Bryce changes his mind, I’ll be sure to let you know, but in the meantime, you need to disappear. Yeah?”
Paul’s eyes drift over my shoulder and up towards the house, and I know he’s looking at Bryce. “Eyes off the kid,” Tease growls, pressing against my back.
“Let me tell you what you’re gonna do,” I say. “You’re gonna climb back into your fancy truck, and you’re gonna get the hell out of my sight. You’re not gonna call the cops, Paul, and you know why?”
He gulps loudly.
“‘Cause even if they cart me off, these guys here won’t like that either. There are about twenty-five more of us back at the clubhouse that wouldn’t like it either.” I point my finger and press it into his chest. “Now disappear.”
Paul turns and hurries back to his truck, glancing back several times to make sure we’re not following him. Once inside, he starts it up and peels out of the driveway. He’s gone in an instant.
I look up at the house and see Ellen standing there, her hand on Bryce’s shoulder. She smiles at me, but it’s Bryce I’m looking at. His face is solemn as he stares back, and simply nods before moving away from the window.
Poor kid.
Ellen
I watch from the window as Jase says goodbye to the others and wait for him to come inside. When I hear the front door open, I hurry to it and jump into his arms.
“Thank you,” I whisper, emotion overwhelming me. Since this whole court thing started, Paul’s behaviour has been unpredictable and terrifying. I’d been worried that this whole situation would end up being a grizzly news story on the eleven o’clock news.
Jase grasps my face in his hands, and presses a kiss to my lips. “No need to thank me, baby. Just glad he’s gone.” He looks around. “Where’s B?”
“He went to his room after Paul left. I think he was upset.”
“Of course he was.”
I look at Jase in shock. “El, the kid’s dad is a total douche. His mother’s boyfriend just sent him packin’ before his eyes, and the guy left without a word, making him a douche and a pussy. That kid’s head is all kinds of confused right now.”
I glance down the hall at Bryce’s closed door, and rake my fingers through my hair. “God, I hate this! Raising a kid is hard enough, but there’s no rule book on how to handle this kind of situation. I’m so afraid I’m messing this up.”
“Not possible,” he declares. “You love that kid, and he knows it. That’s why he can afford to be such a miserable little prick to you sometimes, but he’ll figure it out. He has you to help him, and me if he needs it.”
“You know an awful lot about kids, and how to get through to them.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead. “That’s ‘cause up until a few weeks ago, I think I was still one myself.”
Jase turns, and I watch as he walks down the hall and taps a knuckle against Bryce’s bedroom door. “Hey, B. Can we talk?”
Bryce’s muffled voice carries down the hall, then Jase steps inside, closing the door behind him. I slowly walk down the hall, but I don’t hear anything coming from the room. I consider approaching and listening from outside, but somehow that just feels wrong right now. Somehow, with barely knowing him, Jase seems to be more in tune with my kid than I do, and instead of making me feel jealous, I feel grateful. I trust that whatever Jase is saying in there is exactly what Bryce needs to hear.
I wander into the kitchen, my ears straining to hear Bryce’s door open. I pull out the vegetables, cutting them up to make the salad, then move on to prepping the chicken to go into the oven. Finally, I hear the door creak open, and after a few seconds, Jase and Bryce are standing in the doorway.
“Hey, babe. Just grabbin’ a beer, then B and I are gonna play a little Call of Duty. That okay?”
My heart soars when I see the way Bryce is looking up at him. The admiration I see in his eyes in something I’ve never seen from him. “Yeah,” I choke out, trying to fight back the tears I feel creeping out. I’m just so glad that my boy is okay.
“Hey, Bud. Why don’t you go get it set up? I need to talk to your mom for a second, okay?”
Bryce nods and runs out, no doubt jumping over the back of the couch, excited to be playing his favorite game.
“You okay, El?” Jase asks, his face full of concern.
I smile and pull a beer out of the fridge. “Fine.”
He frowns
and approaches me, pulling me into his body. “You sure?”
I nod and swallow back the lump in my throat. “He’s not comin’ back, babe. That fucker is gonna be having nightmares about Tease’s ugly mug for months. He’s not gonna risk pissin’ any of us off, especially Tease.”
I mentally picture Paul running from Tease in fear. “Well, you’ll have to thank Tease for me.”
He snags his beer from my hand. “You good?”
“I’m good.”
“Good.”
I watch his back until he’s almost out of the kitchen, and call out, “Jase?”
“Yeah babe?”
“Thank you for taking care of my son.”
“Always, babe. For both of you.” With that, he turns and goes to play a video game with my son, who adores him, leaving me there to beat back the overwhelming emotion of realizing that I’m not falling in love with Jase Matthews—I already am.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jase
I look around at the new garage and can’t help but smile. This place is everything I’ve ever wanted, and in just a few weeks, it’ll be up and fully operational. I’ve even got a few interviews set up next week for new mechanics. We’ll be pumping out custom choppers like nobody’s ever seen before.
The guys and I had spent the entire day here again today, working on the showroom and moving in all the equipment from the old place back at the compound. It’s all coming together.
My phone alerts me to an incoming text.
Ellen: Hey you.
Me: Hey, baby. How’s work?
Ellen: Good. On my break right now. Just wanted to tell you that Bryce is really excited you’re coming to his game.
I grin. What can I say? The kid loves me.
Me: Me too. Just getting ready to go now.
Ellen: I was thinking that maybe you could spend the night tonight? That is, if you want to ;)
I swear my dick does a happy dance. Since all that shit with Paul went down the other night, Bryce hasn’t left my side. We’d spent the entire weekend together, just the three of us. Well, I spent most of my time playing video games with Bryce. He went to bed at a decent time, but Ellen was terrified that he’d catch us in the act, and she wasn’t ready for me to spend the night when he was home, so I’d been out the door by midnight, without getting any action at all.