by Erin Osborne
“Hey!” Skylar says, walking in behind me. “Now, I don’t know what you think you’re doing in here. There’s nothing for you to do.”
“I can help do something, guys.”
“Nope. Your party, you’re not helping. Darcy should be here soon to give you the full treatment. So, I’d be thinking about what you want done to your hair and stuff,” Skylar tells me, continuing over to the stove.
“Well, before I leave, I need to get the kids fed. And I might need to get something too.”
Skylar tells me that I’m allowed to do that but nothing else. As I’m preparing lunch for the twins, I’m thinking about what I want to do to my hair. Blade told me before that he doesn’t ever want to see me cut my hair. Maybe a trim and then I’ll have her do something different to it. Put it up in a way I haven’t worn it before.
As soon as I have our lunch, I take the twins back to the room with the help of Ma. She helps me get them fed really quick before going back out to help the rest of the women and club girls get everything ready for the party. I sit down to finally eat just as there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in!” I call out.
“You ready to get pampered?” Darcy asks, peeking her head around the door.
“I am. We’ll just have to stay in here so I can keep an eye on the twins,” I tell her, standing up to jump in the shower. “You mind sitting with them for a few minutes?”
“Not at all.”
~~**~~
Darcy has been working on me for hours now. I’ve been massaged, had a manicure and pedicure, and now she’s doing my hair. I told her I just wanted a trim and maybe some layers put into it. Crash and Trojan are camped outside the bedroom door and I know part of it is so Wood and Darcy can’t have any more incidents like the last one I was a witness to.
“Almost done sweetheart. Am I putting it up?” she asks, not once stopping what she’s doing.
“I want you to put it up. Do something I haven’t done before. That’s not hard though considering I usually just throw it up in a messy bun or a pony tail.”
“Alright. I think I know what I want to do to it. I’ll put it half up with curls flowing down your back. How does that sound?”
“I trust you. You do what you think will look best.”
Blade comes in the room and grabs a change of clothes before heading in the bathroom to shower. I don’t know what he’s been doing, but he’s been gone all day long. There’s no reason for me not to trust him and I don’t need to know every little thing he’s out doing. If I need to know or he tells me, then he does. If not, then it’s because it’s club business and he’ll only tell me what I do need to know.
Darcy is just putting the finishing touches on my hair when Blade emerges from the bedroom. He gives me a kiss and leans down to pick Kenyon up. They’re just starting to wake up so Blade feeds Kenyon and changes him before moving on to Cory. Darcy stops what she’s doing and watches Blade for a minute. I guess she’s never seen a guy so hands-on with his children before. At least without his woman asking them for help.
“I’ll see you out there, kitten. You gonna be much longer?”
“I’m almost done with her,” Darcy answers.
“As soon as Darcy’s done, I just have to change and then I’ll be out,” I answer.
“Okay. Some of the other clubs are startin’ to show up, so I need to show my face.”
Before leaving, Blade gives me another quick kiss and makes his exit. The twins are sitting in their bouncy seats and Darcy is gabbing away about things I don’t understand. I think it’s a nervous habit she has and doesn’t even realize she’s doing it.
“Darcy, can I ask you a question?” I ask, during a pause.
“Yeah.”
“What’s going on with you and the two men stationed at the door?”
“Oh. Um…..nothing really. They just want what they can’t have.”
“I don’t think so. From what I’ve seen and heard, they’ve been chasing you for a long time. If it were really all about the chase, they would’ve given up by now.”
“No. When they get something in their mind, they won’t stop until they get between her legs. As soon as they do, it’s over and they’re moving on to the next one. I’m not dumb.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Those are two fine as fuck men. I’m a curvy, boring hairdresser. It’s all about getting in my pants so they can say they did and then moving on.”
“We’ll see. I think you’re gonna be surprised and they will end up getting what they want. Besides, even if it is just a little bit of fun, why not take it while you can?”
“Is that what Blade and you started out as?”
“It is. Even before he found out I was pregnant he said he was already getting ready to find me and bring me back here with him.”
“I don’t know if I can handle the lifestyle though.”
“I think you can. You’re already in it if you think about it. You spend time with us, I know they keep eyes on you, and you’ll have more protection if you’re with them.”
“I don’t know. Right now, there’s things going on that no one knows about and I don’t want to open up about them. To anyone.”
“They’re going to find out and then you’ll have no choice but to take what they’re offering. I’ve been watching the three of you and I see the way they look at you. The way their eyes follow your every movement. You just don’t see it because you don’t want to see it. You want to keep believing that they only want a piece of ass and nothing more.”
Darcy doesn’t say anything in response. She finishes up my hair and make-up so I can get dressed. Blade was still acting funny and I don’t know what to make of it. Before I go in the bathroom, Darcy tells me that she’s going to go make sure none of the other girls need help getting ready. I ask her if she sees Blade if she can send him in to help me.
As I walk out of the bathroom, Blade is sitting on the end of the bed holding Cory. I pause and watch father and daughter for a minute. Blade is staring at his daughter, a look of pure love shining down. Kenyon is still in his bouncy seat at Blade’s feet.
“Babe, what’s going on?” I ask, sitting next to him.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been acting weird. It’s like you’re changing your mind and I don’t know what I can do to fix whatever changed for you,” I tell him.
“Nothin’ changed, kitten. I’m actin’ weird because I’m nervous as fuck.”
“What are you nervous about?”
“We’re already married. Married couples get divorced all the time. I have somethin’ for you, but it’s different than bein’ married. It’s for life and I don’t know if you’re goin’ to change your mind about bein’ with me.”
“What do you mean? You’re not making sense to me, Blade.”
“I want you as my old lady. I know the other old ladies already consider you mine, but today I am goin’ to make it official,” Blade says, standing up and going over to the closet. “I was goin’ to do this at the party, but maybe we need to do this in private. Especially with the other two clubs comin’ in.”
Blade hands me the box and I sit there with it in my lap for a minute. He’s just watching me, a nervous expression on his face. I can’t make him wait any longer, so I pull the ribbon from the box and lift the lid. There’s tissue paper inside and I lift it up to reveal a rag just like Blade’s. I take it out and hold it up. The back is facing me so I open it all the way up and read what it says; Property of Blade. Their patch is in the middle and the words are surrounding the words like Blade’s.
Looking up to Blade, I see the hesitation on his face and I know he’s waiting for me to say something. I’m just so stunned that I don’t know what to say.
“If you don’t want, or like it, you don’t have to wear it,” Blade tells me.
“It’s not that babe. I’d be proud to wear it. I just wasn’t expecting this and I don’t know what to say.”
&n
bsp; “Are you sure?”
“Baby, did I marry you? Am I staying with you when everything in me is telling me to leave and never return before you get the chance to move on? I want everyone to know that you’re my man and I want to wear this rag.”
I see Blade visibly relax as I put it on. The hesitation leaves his face and the smile he saves just for me shines through. Blade sets Cory back in her seat and wraps his arms around me, pulling me as close as I can possibly get to him. I wind my arms up around his neck and pull his face to mine, kissing him like my life depends on it. I can’t believe that he was so unsure of himself because of this. He should’ve known better.
“We better get to the party since it’s for us,” he tells me, breaking the kiss. “If we don’t go now, we’re not leavin’ this room for a very long time.”
“I wish we didn’t have to leave the room. That I could show you how much I love you and how honored I am to wear your rag.”
Blade
We’ve been at the party for a few hours. I can’t believe I was so nervous about what Keira would say when I gave her my rag. She’s sitting at a table with the twins and I constantly have her in my line of sight. My girl is talking and laughing with everyone. Not just the other old ladies that she knows, but old ladies from other chapters, brothers from other chapters, and the guys from Slim’s club. Keira is in her element and if she’s nervous about being around everyone she’s not letting it show.
“You made a good choice,” Pops tells me, coming to stand next to me.
“She’s the best woman I know. I didn’t stand a chance against her and she didn’t do anythin’ special to try to get me.”
“The best ones don’t have to do anythin’ special. They’re themselves and they don’t pretend to be someone they’re not. That girl loves you more than anythin’ other than your babies. Keep her close and don’t ever let her go.”
“I don’t plan on it. Those three are my world and I don’t know where I’d be if anythin’ were to happen to any of them.”
“Blade, I think you might want to go get your girl,” Bailey tells me.
“Why is that?” I ask, setting my beer down on the closest table.
“You’re goin’ to dance with her. We’re celebrating your wedding and what’s a wedding without a bride and groom dance? Hurry up, Grim’s getting ready to announce it.”
I walk over to Keira as Pops and Ma make their way over to her. Apparently, they already knew this was coming. They take the twins and I hear Grim calling for everyone’s attention.
“Everyone is here to celebrate the marriage between Blade and Keira. They didn’t want anyone to cause a scene or make a big deal of it, but we all know our old ladies aren’t like that. Now, for the first time, I’m goin’ to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Branch as they enjoy their first dance.”
Everyone starts clapping and whistling as I lead Keira to the make-shift dance floor. Keira is blushing and I know this is hard for her. She hates calling attention to herself. We no sooner get to the middle and I wrap my arms around her when Tangled Up In You by Aaron Lewis comes on. Keira smiles up at me before laying her head against my chest.
We sway to the music as everyone surrounds the dance floor. I look at Cage and make a motion with my head for him to bring Skylar out to dance with us. Keira has her eyes closed so she doesn’t have to look at everyone watching us and I know this will make it easier for her. It’s still our song, our dance, we’re just going to be joined by our family.
Slowly other couples make their way to dance with us. The members from my club are the ones that surround us though. Even Irish manages to get Caydence on the dance floor with us. She finally made an appearance a few minutes ago. Keira opens her eyes and sees everyone surrounding us.
“Thank you,” she tells me.
“I got you. I’ve always got your back kitten,” I tell her, leaning down for a kiss.
After our dance, I see Pops making his way over to us. I’m not sure what’s going on now, but I hope it’s something good and not one of the twins. He waits until he has Keira’s attention before he holds out his hand to her.
“Everyone deserves a father-daughter dance.” He says. “I don’t know your situation, but I walked you down the aisle and I’d be honored if you would let me share that dance with you.”
Keira has tears in her eyes as she looks over to Bailey. Bailey just smiles and nods her head. She knows how Pops is and that this is something that he would do for anyone. Seeing that it’s okay with Bailey, Keira takes his hand and lets him dance with her. I don’t know who chose the song, but my girl has tears cascading down her face as I Loved Her First by Heartland plays.
Even though the song doesn’t fit the relationship between my girl and Pops, the girls are trying to give her a traditional reception. If that means dancing to this song with Pops, then that’s what they’re going to do for her. Since they’ve all moved to stand together, I look over at the old ladies and smile. They’re all crying and watching as Keira finally realizes that she’s a part of our family.
~~**~~
We’ve eaten, danced, talked, and just relaxed throughout the day. The guys are starting to light the bonfires around the party area and we’re getting ready to send the kids in with a few of the old ladies. Not many, but a few of the club girls are going to be showing up for the brothers that are single, but this is still a party for Keira and I. Only certain club girls are going to be allowed here. Summer was given the job to choose the best ones, ones that won’t cause any drama or problems.
“You want to take the kids inside, or stay out here?” I ask Keira, pulling her in my lap.
“I’ll take them in. I love you so much,” she tells me.
“I love you too. Will until after I take my last breath.”
I stand up with her and help her get the kids inside. She packed a bag so that everything they would need was already together and we didn’t have go looking for anything. Ma, Pops, and Summer are in with the kids tonight. Ever since we lost Storm, Summer hasn’t been big on the parties like she used to be. Honestly, I don’t even know when the last time I saw her with a brother was.
Keira hugs and kisses our kids before handing them over to Ma and Summer. We turn around and make our way through the back door of the clubhouse. Just as we go to sit with Grim, Slim, Wood, Killer, and Tank, all hell breaks loose.
We hear one explosion from out front of the clubhouse and all of the brothers begin to run that way. Before I can get too far, there’s another explosion at the very back of the property. One by one there’s explosions starting to come from every direction. I grab Keira and pull her with me to get to the clubhouse. People are screaming and yelling, trying to rush to wherever they think it’s going to be safe for them to wait out the explosions and fires that are starting to burn rapidly.
Before we can get inside the clubhouse, there’s an explosion at the front side of the building. Keira screams louder than I’ve heard anyone else. All of the kids are inside along with Ma, Pops, Summer, and Glen. I know the thoughts running through my wife’s head because they’re running through mine right now.
Grim doesn’t let anyone get near the building though. He’s directing everyone to find cover and stay together as much as possible. Meanwhile, he’s running around trying to find people that are too scared to move or do anything. Bailey is screaming for him to take cover and before anyone can do much it seems like there’s multiple explosions at one time. They’re in no certain places, just all over the place. I can see that one of the explosions catches Caydence who actually came out for the first time in months. This is not going to end well for anyone.
After covering Keira for what seems like an eternity, the explosions stop. There’s dead silence surrounding us with no one daring to move in case more start going off. Grim is standing in the middle of the yard and he’s looking around cautiously. Looking up, I see that at least two walls of the clubhouse are completely caved in, letting me see right up to the front gate. Ther
e’s nothing left to the garage we store our bikes in and most of the bikes and other vehicles in the parking lot are completely destroyed.
Panic is starting to set in after seeing the walls caved in. The kids, Ma and Pops, and Summer are in there. I can’t even tell you if anyone else had made their way in there. Keira looks up at me and I can see the tears in her eyes knowing that our kids are in that building right along with the rest of the kids. Jumping up, I run as fast as my legs can carry me towards the clubhouse. Cage, Joker, Tank, and Glock are also running that way. Grim is the closest one there so he makes it to what used to be the doorway first.
“We need to tread carefully. Where did Ma and Pops have the kids?” Grim asks.
“They were in the back room closest to the door,” I answer. “I don’t think they would’ve moved them once the explosions started. Unless they took them to the panic room that just got finished.”
Not that long ago, we all decided that we would turn the back section into a panic room. Grim hired a contractor from out of state to ensure our privacy and paid them extra to keep their mouth shut about it. If there was any way they could get there, I know Pops would have made sure that’s where they were.
Once we enter what used to be the back door, we see that there is no hallway left. It’s completely caved in and there’s no doors or anything left standing. My heart is in my throat as we start moving debris trying to make our way to the area of the panic room. We can see that it’s still standing, but we have no clue who’s in there or if any of them made it there.
After what seems like forever, we move the last piece of wall that’s blocking the door. Grim punches in the code and after a minute the door unlocks. As soon as he pushes it open he’s greeted by Pops pointing a gun right in his face. Pops slowly lowers the gun as he realizes that it’s us and not some threat. Shock is evident on his face and I glance around the room to see all of the kids in one piece. They’re crying and in shock but they’re all whole. Summer is holding Kenyon and Cory in the corner and I feel like I can take my first real breath since this all started. Upon further inspection though, I don’t see Ma. She’s nowhere in the room and I don’t know where the hell she would be. Unless.