by Addison Jane
Most of the club kids either went there or had gone there before they left for school, and the day care were always sweet and caring and never judgmental toward the boys.
“She’s my fucking granddaughter!” I heard Allen yell, causing me to spin on my heel. “You stupid bitch, trying to take her from me.”
My temper shot up and before I knew it, my feet were carrying me across the parking lot.
Heavy boots trailed behind me. “Rose…” Op gave his warning, but he didn’t stop me.
“You know you’ve just destroyed any case you had regarding visitation,” I yelled as he struggled against Deacon who was clipping handcuffs around Allen’s wrists. “You’re done! It’s over!”
Op grabbed my wrist, holding me back.
“It’s not done.” Allen spat, his eyes wide. “She needs to be with us. We need her.” His voice was tense, desperate.
There was no more composure. Not like what I’d seen in that meeting room last week.
Nope.
It was gone.
This man was crazy. He’d lost it.
I looked up to Op in confusion, but he just shook his head. “We’ll talk about it later. Get your girl… we’ll take her back to the clubhouse. Blizzard will want to see the both of you when he gets back.”
“Rose?” Deacon jogged over, wiping the sweat from his forehead now that he had Allen secured in the back of the police car. “You want to make a statement?”
“She wants a restraining order… keep the nut job away from her and from Jay,” Optimus ordered.
I nodded my head. “Yes. Please.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be in touch.”
“Thanks Deacon.”
He dipped his head and hurried back to the police cruiser. Once they were gone, Penny and the boys walked over to us. Penny shook her head sadly.
“Such a shame he had to go and be an idiot. There’s no way he’s going to get rights to see her now.” She offered me a smile. “Which is good, because she’s so happy and growing every day. You should be so proud.”
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. “Thanks Penny. Hopefully, this little stunt means we can rest easy.”
Optimus snorted. “Oh, you can rest easy all right.”
Placing my hand on my hip, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did Blizzard find something?”
He chuckled and turned, walking toward his truck. “Get your girl, we’ll wait here,” he called over his shoulder, not giving me anything.
I wanted to be annoyed, but instead all I could feel was joy building in my stomach. If Blizzard had found something, along with this, maybe that means we’re going to be okay. Maybe that means we don’t have to worry anymore, and I can start enjoying my time with Jay instead of fretting over it, thinking maybe these would be the last times I would see her beautiful smile or hear her laughter.
Blizzard and Jay had come into my life so suddenly that neither he nor I had really known what we were doing to begin with. All we knew was that as long as she had everything she needed, and she had us and the club around her, that all would be okay. We could learn and we could grow, but we knew that we didn’t want to do that without her.
“Shall we go get her?” Penny asked happily.
I laughed, bouncing on my feet. “Yes. Definitely. Yes.”
“Will you stop fidgeting damn it,” Rose ordered as she straightened my tie for the tenth time.
When I snorted in response, she pulled at it harshly, in an attempt to rein in my anger. My eyes met hers, and I couldn’t help but release some of the tension I was holding in my body. Her face was serious and stern, and she wasn’t going to let me get away with acting like an asshole today.
No. Today was too important.
“Hate dressing up,” I murmured, pulling at the black suit pants I was wearing. The only bonus was that Rose had agreed that the boys and I could wear our cuts. She wanted us to look nice, but she knew how important it was for us to show up as a family, together in solidarity, and that’s exactly what our cuts expressed.
Unity.
Together we stand, together we fucking fall.
But no one would be falling today. We were going to win.
Allen had made too many mistakes, and in his greed and desperation, he’d screwed himself. At this stage, he’d be lucky if he weren’t arrested for not reporting a crime. He knew what had happened to Hayley. He was meant to protect her, to love and cherish her, and to keep the monsters at bay, but he hadn’t. He’d invited them into his home, and when they went after his daughter, he’d used it as leverage for his own fucking gain.
I wasn’t about to see Jayla left to the same fate.
I would protect her.
I would cherish her.
I would do everything he hadn’t.
“It’s time to go,” Rose murmured, drawing me from my daydream and back to the present. I looked over at her. She was stunning in a fitting red dress that hugged her body in a sexy but classy way. It fell right at her knee, revealing her tanned, firm legs that were an ode to her Italian heritage. When my eyes moved their way back to her face, a cheeky grin greeted me.
“Come on, big boy, we’ve got a little girl to claim.”
Nodding, I walked to her, slipping my hand around her waist and yanking her against me. Her hands went to my chest to stop herself from falling—not that I would ever let that happen. I’d seen Rose at her worst. The memories plagued me more often than they should, but it was a reminder that I always needed to keep my head in the game. She needed me, and so did Jay. Just as much as I needed them. I couldn’t breathe without her, just the thought of losing her had me suffocating, my lungs gasping for air.
“Jay called me Dad,” I whispered against her cheek.
Her tiny gasp had me pulling her closer. “When?”
“The night I went to meet Skins. She was sleepy, but she called me Daddy.” I could feel the emotion in my voice, it was cracking, and breaking with the intensity of just how important those words were to me.
“You are her dad.” She sniffed. “Sometimes life hands us the short straw when it comes to parents. Some people just aren’t meant to hold that role, but you are. You’re meant to be a father. With Jay, you went from walking to sprinting but you never wobbled or stumbled, you just did whatever you had to in order to keep up and I admire that.”
“Fuck,” I hissed, pressing my lips to the underside of her jaw. She held me tighter, so tight it felt as though our bodies were becoming one.
It was almost funny.
Neither of us had a good father figure in our lives. We’d both suffered abuse at the hands of the men who were meant to care for us, but we didn’t let that eat us up inside. It made us stronger, made us want to do better and be better. We knew what it felt like to be let down and disappointed, and now we’d been given this chance. A chance to be there for someone who could have been victim to the same fate.
My hand drifted around her body and I pressed my palm against her belly button. “Jay will always be our first child, our baby girl. But I don’t want to stop there. I want more…” I pulled back, looking into her eyes before adding, “… when you’ve finished school.”
A giggle escaped her lips, and her hand came down over mine. “I like that plan. I’m all in, Blizzard.”
“That means no toys for a while, ‘cause all you’ll be taking is my cock,” I warned with a smirk on my face.
Her eyes lit up. Rose liked to play. After everything that happened, we found it was something that helped us to build our trust together again. Now, though, it had become more.
“Oh, I think I might be okay with that.”
A growl escaped from deep in my throat, and I pressed my lips against hers. The kiss was so passionate that she stumbled back a few steps, her back hitting the wall with a thud.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, don’t make me get the hose.” Rose started to laugh against my lips as Chelsea tapped her foot impatiently in the doorway to our bed
room. “Optimus! Tell your brother to stop groping his woman so we can get this done. My feet hurt in these heels.”
I rolled my eyes as I pulled away and Rose straightened her dress. “You didn’t have to wear heels, princess,” I chuckled.
Her lips pursed and she folded her arms across her chest, resting them conveniently on her oversized belly. “It’s hard to look good when you’re the size of a whale, Blizzard. You just don’t understand!” The baby-doll style dress she had on was tightly stretched over her growing breasts, but flowed freely down to her mid-thigh and accentuated her bump.
A rough hand reached around her and cradled her stomach. “Baby, come on. You’re gonna stress the twins out.” He rubbed his hand in circles as though he was trying to soothe his unborn children as well as placate his woman. He lifted his chin at me over her shoulder. “You ready?”
“Fuck yeah.”
Rose’s slim fingers slipped through mine, interlocking us together as we headed for the front door. Stepping outside, I inhaled a deep breath, the sight in front of me one that never seemed to get old. My brothers, all dressed in their Sunday fucking best, lined up at the curb on their bikes. The chrome was sparkling and bright, freshly polished up and ready to make an impact.
I noticed Ham looked a little worse for wear as he leaned against his bike, but I didn’t blame him. We’d patched him in two days ago and since then he seems to have drunk himself stupid. We all did it, I understood. I had to give the kid credit, he was still here, despite looking like he needed sleep and a good vomit.
Each of my brothers nodded their heads in a show of silent support, flying their colors proudly over top of the button up shirts that we usually save especially for court dates. This was different though. This wasn’t us supporting a brother who might be looking at doing time or being charged for something. This was us taking a stand on something that wasn’t right. This was them showing me that even though I believed Jay was mine, they held a claim to her too.
She was part of our family.
Whether I’d stepped up for her or not, Hayley was ours, and now Jay is too.
Rose brushed her lips against my cheek. “I’ll see you there.”
I nodded in agreement, as I watched her walk over to Leo’s truck and climb in with Hadley, Chelsea and Skylar. Jayla wouldn’t be coming with us to court. There was no order for her to be there, and as far as I was concerned, this shit was wrapped up. There was no way they were getting out of this.
Throwing my leg over my bike, I felt that sudden comfort and ease that riding gave me. It was freedom, and adrenaline, but as I looked to all the men who sat beside me, it was more. It was a brotherhood.
Sure, we could have all been friends outside of the club if our paths had crossed. But would they have? The Brothers by Blood were the reason I had these men beside me. We all found a connection through our passion for brotherhood and bikes. We were strong because of the rules we lived by, the laws that were founded before us and passed down. They forced us to believe in one another, to trust in one another with our lives and our futures.
That isn’t something that every man can say about his friends.
Because I don’t have friends.
I have brothers.
“Let’s go, I’m fucking chafing in this shit,” Optimus grumbled, followed by the harsh roar of his engine. The usually barren street was soon alive with the sound of Harleys, growling like ferocious lions with their eyes set on their prey. The ground shook as my president pulled out, each of us following in line behind him, falling into perfect sync.
I couldn’t help but grin as I realized I was about to finally get what I’d been fighting so long for.
My baby girl.
Our baby girl.
My family.
People stared as we pulled into the courthouse.
I understood though.
When the Brothers by Blood traveled together, they drew attention from everyone. They’re such a tight unit, it’s almost like watching animals travel in a pack, the way they move together so fluid and mesmerizing.
Easing myself out of the truck, I moved to open Chelsea’s door, offering her my hand. She smiled gratefully, allowing me to take some of the pressure off her as she climbed down. Hadley and Skylar walked with us as we made our way to the front doors of the courthouse, waiting patiently as the brothers parked their bikes, and Optimus seemed to huddle them together for a pep talk before they made their way toward us.
“Swooning right now,” Hadley whispered, making Skylar giggle softly.
“It’s quite a sight to see isn’t it,” Skylar agreed as they strutted across the carpark.
“Rose?” I spun at the mention of my name, just in time to see Amy Shaw walking down the front steps. Moving away from the girls, I met her half way. “It’s good to see you.”
My eyes took notice of the briefcase in her hand and the keys dangling from her finger. “Are you leaving?”
She cringed inwardly as she swallowed past an obvious lump in her throat, almost as though it pained her to answer. “I am. I suggested the Sanders find other representation for today.”
“In other words, you know we’re going to win,” Blizzard said harshly, stepping up behind me and placing his hand on my hip.
Amy didn’t flinch. Instead, she forced her shoulders back and met Blizzard’s intense glare head on like she had nothing to lose. “I have morals and beliefs. This case conflicted with those, so I stepped back.” Amy was strong, I had to admire that in her, and she obviously had her head screwed on right. She cleared her throat and lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “I wish you all the luck, but I’m almost positive you won’t need it.”
Her gaze wandered, in obvious awe of the scene in front of her. A smile seemed to quirk at the corner of her mouth as if she was almost happy that her clients had lost. It was reassuring. Until she froze completely, her breath seeming to catch. She gripped her keys a little tighter, the sharp edges no doubt cutting into her skin.
I peeked over my shoulder to see Skins staring directly back at her, his face showing no emotion and his eyes hidden by dark glasses. He had his fresh prospect cut on, one Optimus had only just handed him yesterday, a day after Ham had fully patched in. With a short-sleeved shirt on, his tattoos were displayed proudly to the world, not one inch of skin left uncolored and undecorated. Finally, he took a step forward, away from the group, but this only forced Amy backward.
That’s when it all made sense.
Skins got his cut because of the information he found for us to use on our case and the information he found, he got from Amy. It was evident that before today, she had no idea of his affiliation with the club, and that’s exactly why Blizzard’s plan had worked so well.
“G-Good luck,” Amy finally forced out, refusing to make eye contact with anyone as she fled.
My heart sunk and I took a step forward before spinning and forcing my steely gaze on the men. I loved these boys, I loved that they had taken me in even when I’d hurt them so badly. I loved how they cared for their women and their families. I loved how they stood up for what was right. But in that moment, I didn’t like them much.
“You used her,” I stated, seeking clarification. Blizzard simply stared back at me, his face unreadable. I knew better than this. It wasn’t my place to challenge him in front of his brothers. That shit was kept on lock down. It was disrespectful and stupid.
But they knew my history.
They knew what I had been through. So no, this time, I wouldn’t hold my tongue.
“You manipulated her, lied to her, and you used her?” I accused, none of them looking away from me, but not giving me a reaction either.
“We did what we had to do in order to get Jay,” Blizzard confirmed finally, his voice tense and obviously upset. “Now, can we go inside this fucking building and finally get those damn papers that say she belongs to us?”
“You should have found another way,” I countered, feeling my eyes well. After years of
being treated like shit and told lie after lie by my father so I would do his bidding, I couldn’t stand to see it happen to others. There could have been another way. We’d all met Amy, and we knew she was only doing her job, we could all see the real person that she was. She stepped away from the case when she knew that she couldn’t, in good mind, fight for those people. She didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Used and thrown away.
“Rose!” Blizzard admonished, stepping forward. “This isn’t about the past, this is about our future. I’ll be damned if I was going to let anyone stand in the way of that future involving Jayla.” He gripped my face between his hands. “I fucking love you. You want to yell and scream at me later for being a fucking asshole, that’s fine. But right now, I don’t give a flying fuck about her. I want the rights to that girl, and I want reassurance that no mother-fucker from now on, can try to take her from us. Are you with me?”
I stared into the eyes of the man I loved. He was everything.
This is what we’d spent so long fighting for. This is what had kept me up every night worrying. I needed to ride today out and appreciate the family I had standing around me, the family who had fought for us to have this day.
“I’m with you,” I echoed as I huffed out a short breath. “But don’t think I won’t take you up on that yelling and screaming stuff.”
He smirked before pressing his lips to my forehead. “I wouldn’t expect any less.”
“All right, move it, people.” Chelsea walked around us, ushering us in the direction of the door. “Daughter now, fighting later.”
I rolled my eyes but took Blizzard’s hand as we climbed the stairs and walked toward our destiny, once again a united front.
With a smile permanently etched on my face, we walked out of the courthouse.
When we reached the bottom step, I launched myself at Blizzard who caught me with ease, swinging me around in circles. “She’s ours…” he laughed in my ear, “… she’s finally ours.” When he placed me back on my feet and stepped back, I could see the tears shining in his eyes. He’d held it together in there as the judge had gone through every point, every detail, every single thing that she could have in order to make the right decision.