by Addison Jane
The second I’d seen it everything made sense. Him not becoming hard during our make out session was surprising. I’d moved on to shocked when my mouth and my hand hadn’t done the job either. But the moment I’d seen that mark, everything fell into place.
“I…” he started. I could see his brain working overtime, attempting to come up with some kind of excuse or reasoning. But there wasn’t one. After about thirty seconds of silence, I watched him cave. He dropped onto the bed, the tension falling from his body like a weight had suddenly been lifted. “‘Bout four weeks.”
I hefted myself onto the bed next to him, our legs touching. “How are you feeling?”
“Like fucking shit,” he sighed.
“What kind of cancer is it?”
His body tightened again, and his fists clenched as he rested them on his knees. “Prostate.”
I lay my hand over his fist and squeezed it, but he was quickly off the bed and stepping away from me. “Don’t.”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
Slider laughed, but it was void of any kind of humor. “And how would you get it, Hadley?”
I didn’t appreciate his condescending tone. I sat a little straighter. “Because I watched my dad go through it for over a year before he died.”
His face paled. “I’m gonna die.”
I leaped off the bed and stormed right up to him. “No. You’re going to fight. And you’re going to win because your family will be at your side.”
He shook his head. “No, they won’t. Because I’m not telling them.”
My eyebrows raised in question. “What do you mean you aren’t going to tell them? They don’t know?”
He stepped away from me, rounding the bed. He was running. From me, from his brothers, his friends, and the problem.
“No, and they aren’t going to know,” he said sternly, holding my gaze.
“Slider…” I spoke slowly and cautiously. It was like trying to coax a wild animal into believing it could trust you. “You need to tell them. They can support you. They will help you to be strong.”
I remembered when my dad had found out about the cancer. He and my mom sat me down and explained what was going on. He told me that he was going to get weak and that I would need to be strong for him so that he could let his body heal. I remember always thinking he was so big, so tough.
He worked in construction his whole life so he was athletic and muscular. But once the cancer came, he wilted. It happened slowly over time, but soon he wasn’t the man he was before. He was weak, barely even able to climb out of bed some days. And every time I saw him stumble, or his hands shake, I would hold him up. I had to be strong for him when his strength withered. I needed to help his body heal by taking some of the stress from his hands.
“Let them in,” I pleaded. “Let them help.”
“No,” he snapped. “The second Op finds out I’m sick, he’ll stand me down. He won’t let me help, and he’ll take away my duties.”
“Good! You need to rest. You need to concentrate on yourself and not the club.”
“I am the club!” he yelled. He looked to the door, realizing that someone might hear him and lowered his voice. “The club is my life. This club is all I have left, Hadley. If I tell them… they’ll think I’m weak, they’ll cut me off.”
I groaned in frustration. “No, they won’t. They will help you make it through this.”
“And what if I don’t.” His voice wavered. “What if I don’t make it through this? What if this is it? Do you think I want to spend the next few months, or year or two years sitting on the sidelines? No. If this is all I’ve got left, I want to live. And if they know how sick I am, they won’t let me do that.”
His bottom lip shook. I hated seeing him like this. In so much pain, so upset.
I climbed over the bed, jumping off the other side and wrapping my arms around his waist. “You’re going to be okay,” I whispered softly.
“I just want to keep this life for a little longer before shit turns on its head.”
I nodded against his chest, the leather of his cut feeling rough against my cheek. “I get it.”
“The hormones, they’re the reason I couldn’t…” He cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed. “Usually, I’m all over the club girls, but I’ve been avoiding them like the plague. People will start to figure it out eventually.”
He was right.
They were already starting to notice the difference in his sexual escapades. But they weren’t worried. They simply thought he was making a lifestyle change. They thought he had a crush and was focusing his attention on me.
“Just keep busy. We’ll figure it out.”
“You can’t tell anyone, Hadley,” he said quietly.
I sighed, pulling back from his arms. “I won’t tell anyone.” His shoulders relaxed. “But you need to promise me something, too.”
He seemed unsure of my request. “Okay, what?”
“Talk to me,” I said simply. “I’ll go with you to your doctor visits. I’ll listen if you want to talk about how you’re feeling. You’re going to have shit days. If you just want to hang out, lay down. Come to me. I want to help.”
He considered this for a while.
I knew there was no way I was going to convince him to talk to Op. And not only did I not want to betray his trust by going to Optimus myself, but I couldn’t. I’d made a promise to keep shit about the members to myself. Part of being a club girl was not running your mouth. I didn’t want to lose Slider or the club’s trust by going behind his back. Even though in my heart I felt like that would be the right thing to do.
“Okay.” He finally agreed, and I blew out a breath of relief.
If I could keep an eye on him, maybe things would be fine. Maybe he would eventually see that surrounding himself with people who knew his struggle and cared, would lift him up and make him stronger.
I just hoped that we had time to do just that because, at this stage, I was too afraid to ask how far along the cancer had progressed. He still looked like the same Slider. So if I had to take a guess, it was only early stages. But cancer was unpredictable.
It ruined lives.
It broke down families.
But this family was strong. They would help him make it through.
I just hoped he realized that before it was too late.
I stood in line outside the clubhouse with my brothers as we watched the boys from Troy ride through the gates. The eight of them pulled up in a perfectly formed line in front of us and kicked out their stands.
We stood silently and waited as they climbed off their rides, but I couldn’t hide the smile on my face as Harmony bounced off the back of Kit’s bike with the widest grin.
“I’m back! Did you miss me!” She beamed. We all stood stoic, not saying anything until her smile turned to a frown. “That’s all I get?”
Kit pulled off his helmet with a smirk, his eyes on Optimus. “Congrats, you horny bastard.”
And that was it. None of us could hold it any longer. We all collided in a mess of fist bumps and man hugs, laughing and jesting each other.
There was a serious love between our clubs. We were the only Brothers by Blood in America that shared a state. The other chapters were spread across the other states. I think it made us closer, more connected.
Even more so now that Kit, Troy’s president, had claimed Harmony, who was originally one of our club girls. Both she and Chelsea had been club girls together, and now each of the girls owned two of the biggest badasses in the country.
I stepped forward and picked up Harmony so her feet left the ground. She laughed. “Hi, Leo!”
It had only been a week since I’d been down in Troy myself, so it wasn’t like I hadn’t seen these boys recently. But welcoming them onto our club grounds, I wanted to show them the same hospitality that they’d shown me.
That and Harmony had always been special to the boys here. She was one of a kind. Kit had done well to scoop her up and claim
her as fast as he did, even if at first she had resisted.
“Hey, beautiful. How was the ride?” I asked, finally placing her feet back on the ground.
“My ass hurts. But otherwise no complaints,” she answered with a smile.
A screech came from the clubhouse doors behind me. “Harmony!”
Harm stepped around me and took off running. “Babymaker!”
I chuckled.
“Hey man, how’s it going?” Kit asked, stepping in front of me. We wrapped our arms around each other and pounded our hands on the other’s back before stepping back.
“Yeah, brother, all good here.”
“Security firm is humming along already. It’s awesome. Thanks for your help,” Kit said sincerely. “A couple of the guys who applied are even considering joining the club.”
“That’s great man.”
“All right you pansies, let’s get a drink before the families come in,” Optimus ordered, pointing to the doorway.
It wasn’t long before the clubhouse was bustling with people. This was a family event. There were a few old ladies and a bunch of kids running around playing. Not many of the brothers had old ladies or families. It was mainly the old timers, and their kids had grown up a lot, and most were off at college or working their own jobs and lives.
We’d dragged the sofas from inside out onto the patio and grass where we had a fire pit set up for later when it got cold, and the kids and old ladies had gone home.
From where I sat, I could see Hadley over at the playground, running around with Macy, Jayla, Harlyn and a couple of the older kids.
Optimus had bent the rules today at Chelsea’s request.
Usually, club girls were to stay away from the club on family days. It meant we could guarantee no drama between them and the old ladies. But Chelsea had asked if they could stay. While they weren’t all the best of friends, Chelsea had still spent the last few years with these girls, and she wanted them to be able to join in celebrating their baby news.
They were there, though, under strict instructions to behave themselves. One sign of drama and they’d be out on their asses, not just for tonight but for good.
Hadley had instantly flocked to the small group of kids, happily entertaining them while the adults relaxed.
I couldn’t stop myself from watching her, though. She was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, nothing too tight or that showed skin, but still I seemed to find her fucking sexy as hell. I still hadn’t quite figured out what it was about her that pulled me in so strongly. The physical attraction was obvious. She was petite, slim but curved in all the important places, her long dark hair hung freely down her back and glistened in the sunlight. She really was stunning, magnificent even.
Her sexuality came next. She was unafraid. She didn’t shy away from my touch or my advances. She embraced them. She took everything and still wanted more. And I was aching to give her more.
Then there was the way she treated Macy. She was playful and caring, and I knew it wasn’t just because she wanted to impress me. She did it because she was genuine and her heart was huge. I can’t explain the feeling you get when someone shows your child love. Unconditional, no strings attached love. It made you appreciate them differently.
“Shooting range!” Op called as Kit followed him out onto the patio with a sly smirk on his face. “I’m gonna take back the dignity you stole last time you fucking came down here and played me on my own soil.”
Kit laughed. “You’re fighting a losing battle, brother. Doesn’t matter how long it’s been, Rifle is still a better shot than Kev, and you know it.”
Rifle was one of Kit’s boys, and I had to admit, he was a killer shot. But he should be for an ex-military sniper. Kev was an ex-police officer. He had skills with a gun, especially under pressure.
Being in the military, I knew I could shoot, and I could shoot well. But it wasn’t my forte. So I opted to leave this kinda shit to these guys.
The kids were taken inside, while we walked over to the far corner of the compound where a target was set up. Even though it was a reasonable distance away from where the kids were playing, we never took chances with that kind of shit. We weren’t going to risk one of them running over, wanting to join in and accidentally running into the path of a bullet.
Kev lined up his shot first. They were using a bolt action hunting rifle with a scope. It meant that it provided an evener playing field, given it was neither of their gun of choice.
He fired the shot and Ham ran down to the target to mark his place. Once he was back and out of the way, Rifle took his shot and this time we all walked down. Kev’s shot was marked with an X and was just on the side of the center circle. Rifle hadn’t hit the center, but it was obvious that his was closer in.
Kit laughed loudly. “Pay up, bro.”
“Two outta three?” Op asked on a groan as we walked back to the shooting line.
Kev held up his hands in surrender. “I’m out man. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
Rifle patted him on the back. “No worries.”
“I’ll give it a go.” We all looked to our left where Hadley was wandering over with Rose.
Optimus and Kit looked at each other. Kit shrugged. “You wanna rest your rep on a club girl, be my guest.”
Op thought for a moment before turning his attention back to Hadley. “You shoot?”
She shrugged. “I’ve shot a gun before.” Kit covered a laugh, but she ignored him. “I get to pick what kind, though.”
She looked at Rifle, who smirked. “Be my guest.”
She smiled, it was sweet but what the others didn’t see was the confidence behind it. She had something up her sleeve. “Anyone got a 9mm?”
I was surprised by the request. “Ham, run and get a 9mil,” I said, not taking my eyes of Hadley.
Ham was back in a few minutes. Kit had spent that time counting the money gleefully that Op had handed him. “How ‘bout double or nothing?” Kit offered, still unable to squash the smile on his face.
Op groaned. He looked over his shoulder to Hadley, who gave him a broad smile. “Fine. Double or nothing.”
“He goes first,” Hadley said, pointing to Rifle.
Rifle shrugged and took the handgun from Ham. He let off his shot, and Ham ran down to mark it. Even I could tell from here that it was pretty close to the center. Rifle handed the gun to Hadley. “Be careful.” She narrowed her eyes at his mocking tone before stepping up to the mark.
“How many bullets in this clip?” she asked as she lined up her shot. Her stance was perfect, and I think the boys were starting to realize she wasn’t as clueless as she seemed.
Rifle answered her. “There’s fourteen left, but you only get one—” The boom of the gun cut him off. She squeezed the trigger over and over, firing consecutive shots until the clip ran out. “—shot,” Rifle finished, staring at her in shock.
“Maybe we should have explained the rules a little better,” Kit commented as we all walked down to the target.
As I got closer, I started to laugh. “Holy shit.”
We could all see it now. Fourteen bullet holes. But they weren’t in the center of the target. Far from it actually. They were framing the center circle in the shape of a fucking heart.
Hadley’s voiced hummed behind us. The tune non-other than the song, All You Need Is Love.
We all stood in a group and looked at each other, stunned, no one saying anything.
“I’m going to say she wins this round,” Rifle commented, still staring at the target in awe. “I think I’m turned on.”
“Fuck me,” Kit muttered as he handed back Op’s cash. Hadley and Rose were already skipping happily back toward the compound. “You know the girl could shoot?”
Op shook his head. “No fucking idea.”
“I need a drink.” Kev adjusted the front of his pants as he watched Hadley disappear inside the compound. Even I had to admit. A girl who could hold her own like that was sexy a
s fucking hell.
When we got back to the patio, Harmony and Chelsea stepped outside holding two trays of beer. “Hadley mentioned you’d probably want these.” Chelsea laughed.
We all took a drink and dropped into the sofas and chairs that formed a kind of circle. Harmony stood by Kit with her hand on his shoulder and Chelsea fell onto Op’s lap.
Blizzard joined us soon after, along with Kit’s VP, Tally and his brother Tie.
“So what’s the girl’s story,” Rifle asked as he sipped at his drink.
I knew Kit knew some of what had gone down with Rose and Blizzard’s mom’s club, but so far we’d kept it pretty quiet.
“Her husband, from what we know, is the Bureau. Undercover,” Op explained. Tally and Tie both looked surprised. Optimus continued, explaining in short terms where Hadley had come from and why she was here. There was no need for the Brothers by Blood to be concerned with regards to Blizzard’s mom’s club, Satan’s Sanctuary. They weren’t after us. While we dabbled here and there in illegal business, the majority of our shit was aboveboard.
But we still needed to keep shit on the down low because of the risk to their lives if other clubs were to find out who they really were. But that was the thing about the kind of family we had. I knew without a doubt that I could trust my brothers with anything, and it wouldn’t go any further.
“Her husband know she’s here?” Tally asked.
Blizzard shook his head. “No, and we need to keep it that way. If he really is dirty like they say, shit could turn ugly very fast.”
“She’s hot,” Tie said matter-of-factly.
Kev snorted. “Brother, you have no idea.”
I wasn’t sure why, but that one comment made me twitch. He was right. Hadley was sexy as hell, but thinking about my brothers touching her made me want to punch them in the face.
“She’s also super sweet,” Chelsea cut in. “She’s in there helping Ham entertain the kids while the other girls sit on their asses and do their nails.”
Chelsea liked Hadley. It was completely obvious. I think it was possibly because she reminded Chelsea of herself.