by K. J. Dahlen
But Sam had something to say and now was as good a time as any to say it, “I want you to know something.”
Deke turned and stared at him without saying a word.
“The day we met, I got the biggest shock of my life,” Sam began. “I didn’t know about you before that day. Your mother never told me anything about you but the day we met, I knew you were my kid. I know I made a lot of mistakes with you and you hated me for what I did, taking you away from her but I wanted you with me.” He ran his hands through his hair and continued. “I missed so much of your life already that I didn’t want to miss anymore. You were my son, my legacy to the world. But back then, I wasn’t ready to be a father. I was too full of myself, unwilling to do what I had to do to be a father. It wasn’t until after you left, I realized what I did wrong. It never occurred to me, at the time, that you were your own person, not an extension of myself. That you had a mind of your own and were old enough to make decisions of your own. Hell boy, I had no fucking clue. Thank god Gator was there for you.”
“Yeah he was,” Deke admitted.
“I don’t know what kind of man you’ve become but I’d like to find out,” Sam told him simply. “I never meant to hurt your woman that day. I just wanted to know her. Then after you got her back, I learned more about her story. I went to Redemption House and spoke to the guys there. Every one of them has their own story, just as I do and you do but they all have one thing in common. Each and every one of those men would die to protect your woman. Little by little, I learned her story.” Sam turned to Cassie shaking his head. “Damn woman, you went through hell but instead of breaking, you became stronger.” Turning back to his son, Sam held out the backpack he’d taken from Victor. “I know this money is tainted by the blood of those kids but maybe you can use it for something that will be worthy of their sacrifice. Nobody has to know where it came from but us.”
Cassie shook her head. “You keep it, I don’t want it. You tell me I’m stronger for what Janelle did to me but I’m not. I had to find a way to survive and I did. I made someone a promise to find and return her to her family and I did that too. That’s all I did.” She reached out a hand to Peaches.
Peaches took her hand and turned to Sam. “Iceman wants to move here and open his own custom motorcycle shop.” Shaking her head she admitted, “He won’t take a loan from my family because their money is blood money of a different kind. I know your clubs are all different but you have the same creed built in. You all live by the same code of honor, maybe there is a way you all could get together and combine your talents for one common goal.”
Sam nodded. “I could get behind that.” Looking at Deke he said, “If you could tolerate my being around, I’d like to stay and get to know you and your family.”
Deke stared at him He wanted to tell his old man to take a hike then Cassie took his hand and squeezed it softly. He knew what she wanted. She had only just found her family again and to her family meant everything. Then he thought about what Raine had told him…to know his father as a man not a dad. As a dad, Sam sucked but maybe this would give them both a chance to know each other as men. They both made mistakes when he was growing up but that was the past and they both needed a fresh start. Maybe this would give them one. “I can do that or at least give it a chance. But know one thing old man, I will not tolerate disrespect from you or your men. Not for me or my family and that includes each and every member of my club.”
Sam nodded and turned to leave.
“Sam,” Cassie called out softly.
He turned and looked at her.
“Thank you for coming after me and getting me out of that house. Thank you for giving me back my life and saving my babies.”
Sam smiled and winked. “You bet. I can’t wait to meet my grandkids.” Looking at Deke he commented, “Maybe I’ll have a second chance to be to them what I should have been to their father.”
Cassie smiled then groaned as a new and harsher pain ripped through her belly. She grabbed Deke’s hand and held on tight. She peered up a Deke and cried, “Something is wrong. I can feel it.”
Deke hit the call switch.
A nurse came in. Glancing at the monitors, she ordered everyone out. Hitting a new switch, a blue flashing light came one outside the door and medical personnel came running.
Sam grabbed Deke and pulled him back out of the way.
The open door showed them nurses and doctors swarming around Cassie’s bed. Peaches stood in Iceman’s arms crying and everyone else just prayed. Soon the nurses began moving the bed Cassie was in out of the room and down the hall, finally disappearing behind the double doors down the hall.
A nurse came up to the group and spoke to Deke, “Your wife is going to the OR. The babies are in distress and need to be delivered as soon as possible. Was she recently injured or has she fallen?”
Deke shrugged. “I don’t know for sure. She was on complete bed rest but earlier today she was kidnapped and taken hostage.”
The nurse nodded. “That’s would do it.”
“What can we do?” Peaches asked.
The nurse gazed at the whole group. “You can all pray.” Then she walked down the hall and disappeared behind the double doors leaving a silent group of worried people behind.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Time stood still for the group waiting to hear something of Cassie and her babies. Finally, a tired looking doctor pushed open the double doors and walked toward them.
Deke got to his feet. Staring at the man in the blue coat he whispered, “Are they all right?”
The doctor nodded. “Cassie is going to be okay. The babies are small, your daughter is only four pounds nine ounces and your son is four pounds two ounces but they seem strong enough to survive.”
“What happened to her?” Peaches asked. “She seemed fine then all of a sudden she wasn’t.”
The doctor nodded. “She told me the man that kidnapped her pushed her hard against some railing. That blow caused a small tear in the uterus and the drawing pain of her labor caused the tear to expand. We took the babies by C-section and then had to go in and repair the tear. Everything should be fine but we’ll monitor her for the next few days just to make sure.”
“I know the babies are small but are they okay?” Deke asked.
The doctor nodded. “They’ll need to stay a little longer than Cassie will but I think they’ll be just fine. We have them on oxygen right now, but they are breathing on their own for the most part.”
“When can I see Cassie?” Deke asked.
“She’ll be out of recovery in a couple of hours.”
Deke nodded and for the first time since everything went wrong, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Running his fingers through his hair, he gazed around at the friends and family surrounding him. Looking toward the man he called his father, he held out his hand. When Sam took it Deke said, “Thank you for bringing my family home safe. I have a feeling if you hadn’t been there, she and the babies would have died.”
Sam gripped his hand hard. “I hope this can be a new beginning for all of us. I hope to get to know her as well as you very soon.” He shrugged with a small grin. “The babies are a bonus.”
~* * * *~
Cassie opened her eyes and groaned. Her whole body hurt but her belly felt on fire. Her hands went to her belly and when she noted no movement within she began to panic.
Then a nurse was beside her calming her. “It’s okay, Mrs. Tory. Your babies are just fine.”
Cassie looked up at her. “They are?”
The nurse smiled. “Yes, they are. They are a wee bit on the small side but they’re doing just fine.”
Cassie closed her eyes for a moment then asked, “How small?”
“Your daughter was born first at four pounds nine ounces and your son was four pounds two ounces.”
“My daughter’s name is Jemmia Phoebe and my son’s name is Samuel Aaron.”
“That’s good to know,” the nurse replied. “Jemmia
and Sam are mostly breathing on their own but for right now, they’re both are getting a little oxygen. The doctor will taper them off the oxygen as soon as he can, He just wants to know they can breathe without a struggle. I’ll make a note of their names on their charts.” She checked the monitors behind Cassie then smiled. “Your husband is very anxious to see you. I can take you back to your room now if you like.”
Cassie nodded. As she was wheeled down the hall, she prayed her babies would be all right. When she was pushed into the room she glanced up and found everyone was there waiting for her. Deke, Deacon, Marnie, Gator and Reva, Peaches and Iceman, Paige, Max and Peggy, even Sam, Raine and Sabbath were there. But there was only one man she wanted to see and that was Deke.
When he sat down next to her on the bed she asked, “Have you seen them yet?”
Deke grinned. “Yeah, they’re small but very cute. I think Jemmia might end up with your red hair.”
“I gave the nurses their full names, I hope you don’t mind.” She glanced over at Gator briefly before looking back at Deke.
Deke frowned and asked, “What did you use for Sam’s middle name?”
“Aaron.”
Deke glanced at Gator then chuckled. “He’s gonna be so pissed but I love it.”
Cassie raised a hand to his chest. “I don’t care if he does get mad, he means a lot to you and he should be honored by it.”
“You know my father is gonna think the baby was named after him.”
“You share his name, so we could always say he was named after you.” Cassie grinned.
“You know what? I don’t even care anymore. He made up for a lot of my childhood just by going after you and bringing you home safely.”
Doctor Peters came into the room with a smile. “Hello there. You were supposed to wait at least another week before you had those babies.”
Cassie smiled. “Yeah, well life is funny sometimes. Did you see them? Are they gonna be okay?”
Dr. Peters grinned. “Oh, I think they’ll be just fine. Would you care to see them?” He half turned and motioned with his hand. A nurse came in pushing a plastic bassinet with two tiny babies sleeping inside.
“Oh, my…” Cassie whispered.
The nurse picked up the little pink bundle and handed it to Cassie. Then she picked up the little blue bundle and handed it to Deke.
Everyone else crowded around them to see the babies.
Cassie cradled her daughter to her chest and swiped her finger down the baby’s cheek. Little Jemmia curled herself into her mother’s shoulder and slept the sleep of the innocent. Tears ran down her face as she watched her children.
“They can’t stay too long but we wanted you to see them,” Dr. Peters said.
Cassie and Deke looked up.
“Thank you for this.” Cassie whispered. She glanced over at Peaches and saw the longing on her best friend’s face. Holding the baby out she asked, “Do you want to hold her?”
Peaches stepped forward and carefully took the baby from her. As she gazed down at the infant’s face while tears ran down her own cheeks. “Hello there baby girl, boy do I have some stories for you when you get bigger. I’m gonna tell you all about your mom and all the trouble she got us into.” She leaned forward and kissed her little cheek. She looked up at the man she loved and whispered, “Soon, we’ll have one of these. I hope we’re ready for it.”
Iceman stepped over to her and folded her into his arms. “We will be.”
Deke got to his feet and walked over to Gator. “Hey man, I’d like you to meet your godson, Samuel Aaron Tory.”
Gator glared at Deke for a moment then grinned. “You’re a little shithead but I guess I can live with that.”
Deke turned to his father. “You, me and Cassie’s grandfather share his first name. Is that gonna be a problem for you?”
Sam shook his head. “Nope, is it gonna be a problem for you?”
“I can live with it.” Deke shrugged. “Would you like to hold him?”
Sam’s face lit up. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
Deke passed the baby over to his father and stepped back.
~* * * *~
Sam cradled his grandson to his chest. This was what he missed with Deke, what he never thought he’d ever get to see and feel and suddenly there it was. The feeling of pride and fatherhood, a generation delayed but it filled him.
He glanced over at Cassie and found her looking back. She nodded at him and Sam peered down at the baby. The child opened his eyes and stared back at him. For a moment, he thought the look in the baby’s eyes was pure trust and Sam knew he’d had to work hard to keep that look there. He carefully walked over to Gator and handed the tiny baby over. “He’s as much your grandson as he is mine.”
Gator took him and nodded.
Sam stepped back and watched everyone for a moment then he looked at Raine.
Raine held humor in his eyes as nodded at him but didn’t say anything.
Dr. Peters cleared his throat. “Okay everyone, I think it’s time for you all to go home now. Mom and Dad have had a hard day and Jemmia and Sam need their down time too.”
Gator gave Deke his son back and Paige handed Jemmia back to Cassie. She leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll be back later.”
Cassie smiled and nodded.
Peaches was there and hugged both her and the baby. “You are so lucky,” she whispered. “You and Deke made some beautiful babies.”
“Just as you and Iceman will.” Cassie grinned. “I hope our kids can grow up together.”
“They will.” Peaches beamed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
~* * * *~
When everyone was gone, Deke looked over at Cassie.
“So have you forgiven your father?”
Deke smirked. “Not by a long shot but he redeemed some of it when he brought you back.”
“Give him time.” Cassie reached out and took his hand. “All you both need is another chance. If he fucks it up again, then turn your back and walk away but you need to give both of you another chance.”
Deke nodded. “That’s what Raine keeps saying.”
“Maybe he’s right.” Cassie shrugged. “Maybe Sam was too immature before to know how to treat you. You told me yourself you hated him on sight, maybe your attitude didn’t help matters either. Maybe you both were a bit hardheaded.”
“Too much alike to get along, is that what you’re saying?”
“Maybe.” Cassie smiled. “But everyone deserves a second chance, don’t you think?”
Deke stared down at the blanket on the bed for a moment then looked at her. “He wants to be closer, so he can get to know his grandkids.”
“I know.”
“Should I let him?”
“I think you should.”
Deke took a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay, I’ll give him that one chance.”
“Don’t look for excuses to let him fail,” Cassie advised. “Look for reasons to help him gain your trust. At least he’s a father willing to do whatever it takes to win you back. Maybe this was the one chance he needed to prove himself, not only to you but to himself too. He lost you way back when because he was too hardheaded to see it.”
Deke stared at her for a moment then agreed. “Okay, I’ll try.”
~* * * *~
The next morning Deke was at his office when Iceman and Sam walked in. “What’s going on?”
Iceman shrugged. “I have no clue, he called and told me to meet him here.”
“Sam?” Deke leaned back and stared at his father.
“I want you both to listen for a minute before you say anything at all. I have an idea I want you both to think about before you dismiss it outright.” Sam began to pace. “I was talking to the guys last night. Thor has been talking to a couple of Iceman’s guys about their plan to move here and open a custom shop for bikers. Thor and Sabbath are ace mechanics and were hoping they could get a job in the shop.”
Iceman frowned. “So fa
r, the shop is only an idea. We haven’t really found a place or the money to start it up yet.”
Sam paused his pacing and stared at them. “Well, now the money wouldn’t really be a problem.” He set the small backpack on Deke’s desk. “This is what Victor went to Janelle’s house for. I talked to Peaches and she mentioned that you didn’t want to take mob money but this is still dirty money. Peaches wanted me to offer it up as a peace offering, maybe use it for something good. I can’t think of anything better to use it for.”
Iceman stared at the backpack for a moment then looked over at Deke.
Deke shrugged but didn’t say anything.
He looked back at Sam. “Won’t the cops be looking for that money?”
Sam shook his head. “They think they got all Janelle’s money when they found the gold. Anything else would have burned in the fire Victor set. There is nothing left of Janelle’s house. The Boston police found the bench Cassie told them about and recovered the bodies of those three kids early this morning. Victor and Seymour are in jail and will remain there for the next thirty to forty years. Apparently, Victor had evidence on his uncle for insurance in case his uncle tried to frame him. Victor did tell Lance Sullivan about the money but when it couldn’t be found, Lance assumed it burned in the fire.”
“He’s not claiming the money?”
Sam grinned. “Nope, your man Hawk explained that he tossed the backpack back into the house. Said the money was tainted by the blood of those kids and not one of his men thought that was a bad thing.”
Iceman nodded his head with pride in his eyes. His Sinners were like that.
Sam began pacing again. “Your woman said something else too. She said we all three lived by pretty much the same code as we were all three members of the same club. That maybe we could all join forces and become better men because of it. Those are my words not quite hers but they mean the same thing.” Sam paused and stared at Deke. “You know I want to stick around here and get to know what being a father and a grandfather is like. I know you have a lot to forgive and I hope someday, you can forgive me for what I did to you as a kid. I want that chance.” He turned to Iceman and said, “I’m a fair man with tools and I can build a mean cycle. If you take a chance on me, I won’t let you down and neither will my boys. All I ask is that you give us a chance.”