I felt weird, finding out I had a sister had been a shock. I’d been angry. But the feeling that I needed to protect her was instant. She was my blood and no matter what my mom had done, it wasn’t her fault.
“We need to get out of here soon. You gonna be okay here by yourself?” Op asked, placing a strong hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah. I ain’t leaving her now,” I told him, my conviction strong.
I wasn’t leaving her now, or ever.
“Call me later.”
I watched as he gathered my brothers and had words to Skins, who ended up leaving with them. My brothers all lifted their chins as they walked out the doors—a sign of support. A sign that they’d be
there for me, and for Rose, no matter fucking what.
It was my brotherhood. It was what kept us strong when a normal man would fall and crumble to his knees. We didn’t hold a grudge when a brother was in need. We didn’t make them feel stupid for asking for help. We didn’t look down on each other when someone broke. We helped them to stand, and forced ourselves under them and held them up if they couldn’t do it on their own. We found a way to support our brothers. No matter what was at stake.
It made me relax a little, knowing that they would be there when I called. And that no matter what happened with Rose, my family—our family—would have our back.
Ham jogged in a second later and tossed me my cell phone. He’d been left at the house in case something had gone wrong. I dropped myself into a chair, a little away from the rest of the men and women who were still milling around, waiting for more news on Lane, but still close enough to catch the doctor when she came out.
I turned my phone on and a couple of messages popped up, both from Chelsea. Everyone knew we were off the grid so I was surprised. I opened it up, there was a small video so I pushed play.
Chelsea’s face appeared with a broad smile. “I know you’re busy, but this one wouldn’t go to bed until she sent you something.” I frowned, confused. That was until Jayla’s face popped onto the screen. “Go ahead, sweetie,” Chelsea prompted.
Jayla screwed her nose up and her eyes wandered like she was searching for words. “Miss you.” Her quiet little voice sent tingles through me and my heart leaped. The attachment that I’d formed with her was hard to explain, but it seemed to be getting stronger. Especially since she’d met Rose. She sat quietly for a moment before I noticed her little lip begin to quiver. “Home soon?”
“Aw, Jay.” Chelsea wrapped her arm around Jayla and turned the camera so it faced her. “She needs you. Be safe.” She blew a kiss and then she was gone.
It seemed Rose hadn’t been the only one able to dig her way beneath my skin because this little girl had burrowed in right next to her.
The other message was just a picture. Jayla and Harlyn flipping through my collection of bike magazines that I kept stacked on the shelves in my room. Chelsea sent a message with it saying ‘They’ve already picked out the one they want.’
I had to laugh, catching the attention of everyone in the room. I didn’t care, though. This kid made me happy. Rose made me happy. And I was sick of fighting against shit because I was scared of getting hurt again. People got hurt, it was time to move on and just let myself live for the moment.
“Rosalie?” I heard the doctor call.
I shot up out of my seat, dropping my cell phone. I picked it up and practically ran to the doctor.
“She all right?”
“She’s had a lot of trauma—”
“Just tell me if she’s going to be okay?” I snapped. I just wanted to know, that was all. Anything else we could deal with in the long run, but I needed to know if she was okay.
The doctor smiled softly. “Yes, she’ll be okay.”
I wanted to drop to the floor, but I forced myself to stay upright, hoping the doctor’s next words would be that I could see her. She must have read my mind, or I was talking out loud. I didn’t care.
She held out her arm. “This way.”
I stood in the doorway and smiled.
Rose sat on my bed, Jayla tucked up under her arm as they read a book.
The sight made my heart soar.
Rose was still hurting, but we were back at the clubhouse, back home. Neither of us could wait any longer to get back, and Rose had braved the nearly four-hour car ride with the side effects of a concussion, ten stitches and bruising to her ribs and various other places.
She’d got off lightly as far as I was concerned. It could have been so much worse, but I had blocked those thoughts out, thankful she made it out alive.
We’d only spent one night in Arkansas before making the trip home to Athens. The local news over there had reported signs of a gang war, with multiple deaths.
The police came to question Judge and his boys, saying a neighbor had spotted men in motorcycle club vests, but there were more than enough witnesses who verified seeing Satan’s Sanctuary members in town during the time it all went down.
They claimed they would be in touch, but they seemed uninterested in hunting down the culprits. After what the Vicious Vultures had done to terrorize the town, I didn’t blame them for turning a blind eye.
The fuckers were gone, that was all that mattered.
We weren’t sure what the blowback would be from it all. I didn’t want to underestimate the enemy, but as far as they knew, the Vultures didn’t have a huge support base behind them. Edge had confirmed that himself during his time with Rose.
Judge had brothers coming into town from another chapter, just in case something happened, and he had us on speed dial. He seemed pretty confident that they could hold their own from here on out, though, and from what I’d seen he knew what he was doing.
“I talked to your mom,” Rose said, smiling at me from the bed. Jayla grinned next to her and I couldn’t help but laugh.
I walked over and sat on the edge next to them. “Yeah?”
She nodded. “Just wanted to check to see how Lane and Light were.”
“And?”
She sighed, and I didn’t miss it when she pulled Jay a little closer to her. “They are heartbroken. Lane was further along than they thought. It’s so sad.”
Jayla patted Rose on the leg and looked up at her with a smile. “Need a hug?”
Rose giggled. “I would never say no to a hug from you, little one.”
Jay scooted up and wrapped her tiny arms around Rose’s neck. She was gentle, though, knowing she had to treat Rose with soft touches while she was still healing.
I stood up and held my arms out. “How about we let Rose rest a little, and I take you to find Harlyn?”
She gave Rose a quick peck on the cheek and turned, launching herself into my waiting arms. I caught her with ease, shifting her to my hip. “I’ll come back.”
“She be okay?” Jay inquired, her little eyebrows pinched in the middle. I’d never heard the little girl talk as much as she had since Rose had arrived. She was more confident too, asking questions and laughing with people.
I brushed her hair back from her face. “Yeah, squirt. Rose will be okay.”
She relaxed a little, her faith in me and what I told her was obvious.
We still hadn’t quite figured out what had happened to Jayla. There hadn’t been any more nightmares or little comments that hinted at a tormented past like that day at the lake. I knew there was something, but as long as Jay was happy and healthy, my instincts told me not to go looking for trouble.
Lucy was MIA. Kat had assured us that she’d spoken to her and she was okay, but wouldn’t be returning anytime soon. So she’d suggested they find her a replacement at X-Rated.
I’d already made the decision to keep Jay with me.
The clubhouse may not be the best place to have a child. But Leo and Op did it every day, and as far as I was concerned the more people around to love and care for this little girl the better. There was another court date coming up in a few months and I would be fighting with every fiber in my body to claim
custody of her. I hadn’t talked to Rose about it yet, but I wanted a house, and I wanted her and Jay to live there with me.
It was non-negotiable.
I’d fucked around for long enough. It was time to start looking into the future, and from where I was standing it looked fucking bright.
I let Jay wriggle from my arms and she hit the floor running as soon as she spotted Harlyn standing across the room with Sugar. The second I saw the look on Sugar’s face and tears streaking Harlyn’s cheeks, I raced after Jay.
“We’re taking her out of that damn school,” Op stated like it was the final word in the conversation.
“It’s the best school in Athens, and one of the best in the state. She needs to be there,” Sugar protested.
Op stared at her as if she’d suddenly grown two heads. “Did you not hear what your daughter just told you? She’s being bullied, not only by the kids but by the fucking teacher.”
“So we’ll go back and talk to the school. See what we need to do to help her.”
“Because that seemed to work so damn well the last few times you went down and talked to them, huh?” I interjected. “Go down there, have a chat, the school promises to help Har so you’ll keep paying them a shitload of money, and the next day nothing is different.”
I grabbed both Jay and Harlyn’s hands and pulled them toward me. Harlyn was confused and crying as she looked between two parents that usually had a great relationship. I tucked her into my side and she clutched my leg, Jay doing the same on the opposite side.
“This doesn’t involve you, Blizzard,” she sneered.
I was taken aback by the tone in her voice. We’d always gotten along just fine, better than fine actually. She was like a sister to me.
This was new.
“Every man and woman in this club cares about Harlyn, Sugar,” Op’s tone had calmed now, but his words were just as deadly. “If Har is being hurt, not one of us is going to sit idly by and let that happen. She’s your fucking daughter. How can you stand by and let those snobs down at the school do that shit and get away with it?”
Her face sunk. “It’s because of the club that she’s getting bullied. Always… the fucking club.”
Op’s face mirrored my own, both our eyes bulging at her comment. I saw her gaze flick to the doorway where Wrench stood, leaning against the frame, seemingly unsurprised by her outburst.
I knew then this was more than just problems at the school. Something had gone sour and she was looking for a reason to dump on the club. I silently shook my head, Sugar was usually so smart, so down to earth. But since she’d been back, things had started to change. She was making stupid decisions and not considering the consequences. I wondered what could possibly be going on in her head for her to be losing it so badly.
It couldn’t just be Wrench.
“Get out,” Optimus ordered. His voice was deep and emotionless.
Even Sugar was surprised by his words, but she nodded. Tears falling from her eyes as she reached out her hand to Harlyn.
“Harlyn’s staying here until you get your head fucking sorted and realize you need to do what’s best for your daughter and not what’s best for yourself.” Optimus crouched down and held his arms open. Har looked between both her parents before running to her dad and sobbing softly into his shoulder.
It broke my heart to watch the little girl who was usually so strong, break down.
Sugar placed her hand over her mouth, the tears flowing like a stream now. But she nodded and walked away, slipping past Wrench, who made no effort to move as she squeezed by him and out the door.
I knew how much it must have crushed her to have to walk away and leave her daughter here. But it was best for everyone and I think she knew that. She couldn’t help Harlyn until she helped herself. I just hoped that she came to us before whatever she had going on buried her too deep that she couldn’t find her way out.
Wrench’s eyes met mine and I narrowed my gaze. He shook his head once and headed for the stairs, his shoulder sagged slightly and I knew through all this shit, he was hurting too.
Optimus stood up, cuddling Harlyn close to his chest and rocking her from side to side. “It’s gonna be all good, kiddo.” I saw her nod. She believed in him and she knew he would do whatever it took to figure this all out.
“How’s Har doing?”
I looked at Wrench out of the corner of my eye before turning back to my bike, using the rag in my hand to polish the tank. The tell-tale flick of a lighter filled the quiet space as he lit a smoke.
“Not good,” I answered blandly.
He sighed and walked around in front of me, obviously understanding that I was going to continue to give him my back. Wrench was my brother, I would protect him with my life no matter what happened, but I couldn’t protect him from his own shitty judgment.
“Sugar’s going downhill fast and I don’t know what to do to help her,” he spoke quietly, his head hanging slightly, the bill of his cap shielding his eyes from me. Wrench was usually a quiet guy. He kept to himself a lot of the time, was serious and stern, and with the amount of tats that covered his body he was intimidating as hell. But when he spoke, he spoke with sincerity and purpose.
Straightening and tossing my rag onto my bike, I folded my arms across my chest. “And what makes you think it’s up to you to rescue her?”
He inhaled deeply, releasing a plume of smoke that swirled in the air. “You telling me you wouldn’t do whatever it took to keep her safe? She means something to this club—to all of us.”
“The difference being that I don’t have an ulterior motive,” I snapped under my breath. “Yeah, I hate to fucking see her like this, and I hate what it’s doing to Harlyn, but I ain’t looking to get in her fucking pants.”
He lifted his head, pushing his chin up in defiance. “That’s not what this is fucking about, Blizzard. I give a shit about that woman, yeah, probably more than I should given she is Op’s ex and his kid’s mom. But I’m not just out to fuck her, damn it.”
“You want her?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, I fucking want her. I want all of her.”
“Then be a fucking man and own it. Stop God damn running around behind your president’s back.” I glowered at him. “We are brothers. We’re honest and fucking loyal to each other and that’s the reason our club is so damn strong. You keep up this charade of crap and you’re going to end up causing every man here to re-think who they can trust, because if they can’t trust their brothers, we fall to fucking pieces.”
He lifted his cap and scrubbed at his short hair before placing it back onto his head. “I wanted to tell him. Fuck, I didn’t care if he beat the shit out of me. I thought I was worth it—she was worth it.” He shook his head as if to say he’d been wrong. “Doesn’t matter now anyway. She’s made it clear that I’m to stay away.”
I laughed, causing Wrench to hit me with an unamused glare. “Obviously, you don’t give that much of a shit about her if you’re gonna let her tell you to get fucked and just walk away.”
We stared at each other for a long minute before he finally took a breath, tossing his smoke on the ground and not even bothering to stomp it out as he headed for his Harley.
I shook my head as I watched him peel out of the compound, the tail of his bike flicking out as he hit the asphalt.
“What was that about?” Chelsea asked as she rounded the building, Macy hooked onto her hip.
“Nothing, princess,” I muttered. “How you feeling?”
She smiled softly, shifting Macy to the other side of her body and tickling her under the chin. “I’m okay. Been sick more this morning than I have ever in my life. My head hurts. My body aches… but it’s so worth it all.”
Grinning, I walked over and pressed my lips to her forehead. “You’re gonna be an amazing mama.”
Happiness twinkled in her eyes. “And you’re gonna be an amazing dad.”
I stepped back, my eyes wide.
She choked on a
laugh and Macy joined her, even though she didn’t know what was so funny. The kid just loved to laugh. “I meant Jayla. Geez Blizzard, calm down.”
My heart rate began to slow and I blew out a slow breath. “Don’t do that ever again, princess. Fuck me.”
She raised her eyebrow even with the smug smirk still present on her face. “Would it really be so bad if Rose was pregnant?”
Yes, it would be. With the drugs that had gone through her system and how sick they had made her… I shuddered, thinking about how that could affect a child growing inside her.
“No,” I answered honestly. “But now is not the right time.”
Seeing an understanding in Chelsea’s eyes, I smiled.
“Blizzard,” Op’s loud voice came around the building followed by his face stern. “Let’s go.”
I rolled my eyes. “Where? You wanna have a heart to heart, too? Because it seems like it’s the day for it.”
He passed Chelsea with a kiss on her temple and a whisper in her ear.
She nodded. “Be safe.”
Watching Optimus stomp past me and throw his leg over his bike caused me to frown suspiciously. “Where are we going, Op?”
A chorus of footsteps caused me to look around. Leo, Slider, Kev, and Camo all walked by and mounted their bikes, clipping their helmets on their heads and looking to our president.
“Just got a phone call. We have a meeting in town. Prepare yourself and keep your head straight.” Op’s cryptic words sunk my stomach and he started his ride before I had the chance to question him.
I snatched my helmet off the handle bars and tossed it on. Following Op out of the compound, with my brothers at my back and our bikes rumbling together like a symphony.
The ride to town seemed like it dragged for hours, anticipation flooding my body. If Optimus was scared I was going to lose my shit, I knew that this was going to be about Rose. The weight of my gun tucked under my cut in its holster gave me comfort. I would use it without a second thought if I felt that whoever we were meeting were any kind of threat to Rose. No one was about to take away our opportunity at a future after we’d fought through hell at just the chance to see where things may lead.
Blizzard: (The Brotherhood Journals Book One) Page 24