by Katie Ashley
“Yep. I think we’re good,” Annie said.
Once she was free of the ketchup, Willow turned her attention to Annabel. “Has Poe come by today?”
Annabel grimaced. “Shoot. I totally forgot to feed him today.”
Willow’s face lit up. “I’ll go feed him.”
“Thanks, sweetie.”
The next thing I knew, Willow had grabbed my hand. “Come on, Sam. I want you to meet Poe.”
“Okay,” I replied. Considering all the stories that Bishop had told me about Poe, I was pretty anxious to meet him. “See you guys later,” I called over my shoulder.
“We’ll let Bishop know where you are,” Alex said.
“Thanks.”
Willow dragged me down the hill at almost warp speed. I barely got a chance to take in the compound that I had read so much about. Of course, I had seen pictures in the files, but it wasn’t the same as seeing it for myself. It made everything so much more real to see it in person. It once again emphasized the fact that the Raiders were people.
When we reached the cul-de-sac, we veered off to a house on the left. Instead of going up the stairs to the front porch, Willow took me around the side of the house. The backyard ended where the woods began.
In a singsong voice, Willow called, “Poe! Come out, come out, wherever you are, Poe!”
I watched in amazement as some of the bushes at the edge of the woods began to rustle. Within a few seconds, the large rack of a deer became visible through the foliage. Willow clapped her hands. “Come on, Poe. Come and get your corn.”
She then abandoned my side to go up on the back porch. When she reappeared, she had a cupful of dried corn in her hand. “He loves this stuff.”
“He does?”
Willow nodded. “It’s funny to listen to him eat it, too. He chomps it so loud,” she said with a giggle.
I couldn’t help laughing at both her enthusiasm and the fact that I was about to meet the pet deer of hardened bikers. It was all just too bizarre. It was sure as hell not something I would’ve found in any of the files on the Raiders, nor would anyone at the bureau have believed me if I told them.
Poe started slowly out of the woods, putting one long leg in front of the other. But then, as if he sensed a stranger, he momentarily faltered. Willow shook the cup at him. “Come on, Poe. Samantha won’t hurt you.”
His love of corn overrode any remaining fear. He quickly made his way across the backyard. When he was in front of us, Willow reached over and scratched along the ridge of his nose, which he appeared to enjoy. Then she poured out the cup’s contents onto the grass in front of her. Poe immediately dipped his head and began to eat. At the loud crunching, Willow laughed. “See?”
I smiled. “Pretty funny.”
As Poe continued to chomp on the corn, Willow asked, “Wanna pet him?”
“You think he’ll let me?” I questioned.
“You won’t know unless you try.”
“True.” I reached out my hand and brushed it down Poe’s flank. “Interesting.”
“What is it?”
“He feels different than I thought he would. He’s soft but not as furry.”
“His coat is pretty thin now that it’s summertime. It’ll thicken up again in the fall,” Willow said matter-of-factly.
I grinned down at her. “My, my, aren’t you the deer expert?”
“After Aunt Annabel rescued Poe, she and Uncle Rev bought me lots of books on deer.”
“I hear Uncle Rev loves to read.”
Willow nodded. “Yeah, he loves books almost as much as my mommy and I do.” She ran her hand down Poe’s spine. “Aunt Annabel knows the most about animals because she’s in vet school, but she likes all kinds of books, too.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I got Uncle Rev a book for his birthday.”
“He’ll love it.”
“But I didn’t tell you what it was about.”
Willow gave me a little huff. “You don’t have to. He loves all books.”
“Yeah, well, what if it’s a book about doll collecting?” I countered with a smile.
Wrinkling her nose, Willow said, “No. He wouldn’t like that one very much. He would probably end up giving it to me.”
I laughed. “You don’t have to worry. I skipped the one about doll collecting and got him one about military strategies in the Revolutionary War.”
“It sounds boring, but I know Uncle Rev will love it.”
“Thank you. While I would like to take all the credit for picking it out, your uncle Bishop gave me some suggestions.”
“Hello there,” a voice called behind us.
I whirled around to come face-to-face with Bishop’s mother, Elizabeth Malloy. After reading about her in the bureau’s files, I couldn’t help being intrigued by her. As a child and teenager, she had been the epitome of a Goody Two-shoes. Just as she graduated with honors from high school, she had met John Malloy at church. It was an unlikely match, considering that she was one of the deacons’ daughters, and John was fresh out of prison for armed robbery. Of course, by the time they met, John had rehabilitated himself from a former biker hood to become a born-again Christian. Later he would become a preacher and start his own church, Soul Harbor. But then, thirteen years into their marriage, John seemed to snap one day. He went from loving husband, father, and minister back to outlaw biker. While they had never officially divorced, he and Elizabeth, or Beth as she was known, never lived together again.
I had learned most of the information from the files, but Bishop had also talked to me some about his parents. We both could commiserate on the loss of our fathers. While I had to fudge some of the details about my dad, I was pretty honest with Bishop. After I’d kept my feelings buried for many years, it felt good to talk about my dad to someone outside my family.
In her arms, Beth held baby Wyatt. Beth glanced from Willow to me. Without missing a beat, she extended her hand to me. “I’m Beth Malloy.”
“Samantha Vargas,” I said as I shook her hand.
“Samantha is Uncle B’s girlfriend,” Willow added.
Beth’s blue eyes, the ones Bishop had inherited, widened to the size of dinner plates. “Oh, is that right?”
“Actually, we’re just friends.”
Like the other women, Beth appeared tempted to call bullshit on the “just friends” argument. But instead, she plastered on a welcoming smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Samantha. I’m glad you’ve come out to celebrate Nathaniel’s birthday with us.”
“Me, too. I can tell how much Bishop loves his brothers from the way he talks about them.”
A loving expression came over Beth’s face. “Although they have their fights and arguments, it’s such a blessing how much they love each other.”
“You must be very proud of them,” I said.
Beth laughed. “I am. They’ve given me far too many gray hairs trying to be the death of me, but I love them with all my heart and soul.”
I tried for a moment to imagine what it must be like to be the mother of three MC men. I was sure they did give her gray hair from worrying with the type of shit they were involved in. I wondered just how much she knew about their illegal dealings. A part of me figured she wasn’t the type to turn a blind eye, but rather just not to ask too many questions.
“Hey there,” Bishop called as he jogged up to us. I could barely hide my surprise when he gave me a quick hug. Although we often exchanged hugs at the end of our dinners, it felt different here on his home turf, so to speak. Not to mention that it happened in front of his mother.
“Sorry I wasn’t able to meet you,” he said.
“That’s okay. Willow has been a wonderful hostess.”
Bishop grinned. “I figured as much.”
“Your meeting go okay?” I asked.
A dark look flashed in his eyes before he quickly covered it up. “Yep. And now we’re ready to have some fun.” He bent down to tickle Willow. “Are you ready to party?”
&n
bsp; Bouncing up and down, Willow replied, “Yes!”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Turning to me, he asked, “Sam?”
I laughed. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
He nodded and then turned to his mother. “Mama Beth, are you ready to put on your party hat and dancing shoes?”
She swatted his arm playfully. “I don’t know about dancing, but yes, I’m ready to celebrate Nathaniel’s birthday.”
Bishop groaned good-naturedly. “Don’t be an old party pooper. You can break it down with the best of them.”
Beth chuckled. “If I tried to ‘break it down,’ as you say, I would end up with a broken hip at best.”
Bishop and I laughed along with her. It was nice seeing the easy rapport between the two. After my father had died, my relationship with my mother became stronger, but it wasn’t the same as it had been. I couldn’t help wondering if Bishop and Beth’s relationship had changed after his father’s death.
“Will you carry me up the hill, Uncle B?” Willow requested.
“Don’t you think you’re getting too big for that?” Bishop asked teasingly.
She huffed out a frustrated breath. “No, I’m not!”
“Fine, fine.” He turned around to where his back was facing her. “Okay, rug rat, jump up.”
Willow jumped onto Bishop’s back, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. “Come on, let’s go! I’m hungry!” she exclaimed.
“You’re so bossy,” Bishop grumbled as he started up the hillside.
Beth and I fell in step beside him. “What do you want to eat, Willow?” Beth asked.
“I want a giant piece of cake with lots of icing.”
“Not until you eat your dinner.”
“Okay, then, I want a hot dog.”
“What else?”
“Just a hot dog.”
“Not some of your mom’s delicious chili?” Bishop asked. He then cut his eyes over to me. “You need to make sure you try some. It’s amazing.”
“I certainly will,” I replied with a smile.
“I just want a hot dog . . . and some cake and ice cream.”
“Ah, just the sweets, huh?” Bishop asked.
“Yep.”
“No cake until you’ve eaten a good dinner, Willow,” Beth instructed.
When Willow began to pout, Bishop leaned back to whisper in her ear, “Don’t worry, rug rat. I’ll hook you up with some cake and ice cream.”
She giggled. “Thanks, Uncle B!”
As Bishop and Willow started ahead of us to make a beeline for the food table, Beth grunted next to me. “Willow’s uncles love to spoil her.”
I laughed. “I can see that.”
“And it’s not just them. Most of the men in the club and even their wives are complete pushovers when it comes to her. By the way they act, you would think she’s the only little girl running around.”
“It doesn’t seem to be going to her head. She seems like such a sweet child.”
“She is. In spite of all the spoiling, she is still well-mannered. Sometimes I think the spoiling doesn’t affect her because of the hard start she had in life.”
I knew all about Willow’s “hard start” from reading her file. Her former life with a drug-addicted mother had been hard to read about, especially the part where her mother had been murdered in front of Willow by the now-deceased leader of the Nordic Knights.
Bishop brought me out of my thoughts. He had put Willow down, and now he beckoned us with his hand. “I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I started before you two.”
Beth gave him a sly smile. “My, you must really be someone special, Samantha, if Bishop is letting us go first. Usually, he’s elbowing people out of the way to eat.”
I couldn’t help laughing, especially when Bishop scowled at his mother. “Well, if it is a side he’s showing just for me, I guess I’ll appreciate it.”
“Women,” Bishop grumbled before thrusting a plate into my hands.
THIRTEEN
BISHOP
I had to admit it felt pretty fucking surreal sitting next to Samantha surrounded by my family. Even though we were only eating hamburgers and hot dogs and drinking cheap beer, it felt significant. Of course, I couldn’t help thinking that the last time she had been here at the compound, it had been with Marley, and now she was here with me.
As my date. Well, sort of.
No matter how many times I repeated that in my mind, I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around it. Sure, there were still too many gray areas between us to think of this as a date. I had even said as much to Sam on the phone. But deep down, I couldn’t help feeling as though we had finally turned a corner in whatever it was that we were doing. I wanted more with her, and I was willing to wait as long as I had to. As though maybe if enough time went by, I wouldn’t feel so bad about her being Marley’s girlfriend.
Even though my brothers had given me shit about Samantha, I was glad I had talked to them. It was good to know I had their blessing. From the way she was getting along with Mama Beth and Alexandra and Annabel, I knew she would get their stamp of approval as well. Although in the end, I wouldn’t have let their opinion change my mind about her.
The screech of a microphone sounded, followed by Kim’s ear-splitting whistle. I turned around to see Breakneck was taking the stage with his guitar. Immediately, it felt as if I’d been punched in the chest by the memories flickering through my mind.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked.
With a nod, I replied, “Just kinda overwhelmed at the moment. Breakneck hasn’t sung or played the guitar at a party since my dad died.”
Sam gave me a sympathetic look. “Oh. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m glad to see him back up there. We used to have some crazy times singing along with him.”
“I would’ve liked to see that.”
I chuckled. “No. You probably wouldn’t have. None of us Malloy boys can really sing. We just think we can when we’ve had too much alcohol.”
Throwing her head back with a laugh, Samantha said, “I think the same thing happens to me. I pity anyone within a mile radius of me at a karaoke bar. I never would have stepped foot in one if Gavin hadn’t liked them. I used to tell him the things he could get me to do for love.”
My brow furrowed in confusion. “Who’s Gavin?”
Samantha’s face flushed. “Oh, just an old boyfriend.”
The mention of Samantha’s old loves had my fists clenching at my sides and I wanted to punch the wall. I hated that just the mention of an old boyfriend could turn me into a raging idiot. Samantha’s past was none of my business, and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to have to discuss mine with her.
Breakneck’s tapping on the mic interrupted me. “Evening, everybody. I wanted to come up here and do a song for Rev’s birthday. It’s been a while since I’ve done this song. Haven’t done it since I lost two of the best friends I’ve ever had, Preacher Man and Case. But I think it’s time to bring this one out of retirement, since it was both men’s favorite song.” The crowd erupted into whistles and clapping, which caused Breakneck to grin. “Before I get started, I’m going to ask Deacon, Rev, and Bishop to come up here and help me like they used to.”
While Deacon shot off the bench, Rev furiously shook his head back and forth. “Oh, hell no,” he said.
“Oh, go on, honey,” Annabel urged beside him.
Rev opened his mouth to argue, but Deacon interrupted him by grabbing his arm and dragging him up off his seat. “Come on, B. Help me get his ass up there.”
With a chuckle, I got up and took Rev’s free arm. “Asshole,” Rev muttered as we pulled him through the crowd and onto the stage riser. Breakneck motioned to the microphone stand beside him so we could do the harmony on the chorus.
Once we were assembled, Breakneck lifted his gaze to the sky. “This one’s for you guys—Preacher Man and Case.” He then gazed back out into the crowd. “Here’s ‘The Weight.’”
Break
neck started strumming the opening of the song I knew so well. Closing my eyes for a moment, I could see myself riding on the back of Preacher Man’s bike, my arms wrapped tight around him as “The Weight” blared out of the radio speakers. I could always feel him humming along when I rested my head on his back.
“‘I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling ’bout half past dead,’” Breakneck began in his smooth voice. So much had happened since the last time I heard him sing. We’d all faced our own personal tragedies. We’d lost a father, Kim lost a husband, and Breakneck lost a daughter, all to the violence of the MC world. It was then that I was first able to really feel thankful that we were changing the vision of the club. Even with the threat of Eddy and the Diablos hanging over us, I knew we had made the right decision. I couldn’t help thinking that my old man and Case would approve of what we were doing.
When it came time for the chorus, Deacon, Rev, and I leaned in around the microphone and sang our hearts out. Once the song ended, we received thunderous applause and whistles. I smacked Deacon and Rev on the back. “Felt good to do that again.”
Deacon grinned. “It sure as hell did.”
“Yeah. It did,” Rev said, smiling.
After I hopped down off the stage, I headed straight for Samantha. She jumped up off the bench and threw her arms around my neck to give me a hug. “That was awesome!”
I chuckled at her enthusiasm. “I think you’re just a little bit prejudiced,” I said as she pulled away.
“Nope. I just call it as I see it.”
Deacon and Rev appeared beside us then. “We still got it, huh?” Deacon asked with a smirk.
Alex grinned at him. “Oh yeah. You do.” As she rose off the bench, she handed Wyatt to Beth. “Now I think you owe me a dance or two.”
“I think I can oblige you with that one,” Deacon said.
As they headed over to the dance floor, Rev went over to Annabel and pulled her up. “Will you honor me with a dance, Mrs. Malloy?”
A dreamy expression filled Annabel’s face. “Of course I will. But they’re not playing a slow song.”
“I’ll make them play one. It is my birthday,” Rev said.