Forged: A Devil's Spawn MC Novel

by Thomas, Natasha

  “She’s a pain in the ass, I get it, but you don’t want to do that, man.”

  Brandt assesses the man I thought was a stranger to him, and goes from wanting to kill his sister to hugging Rob in the blink of an eye.

  “Fuck, it’s good to see you, brother. You look good,” he says taking a step back to take him in. “Aside from the busted nose and black eyes that is.”

  And with that the mood in the room is lifted, and the undercurrent of anger obliterated. Deciding it’s now or never, I ask,

  “Would everyone mind giving me a minute with, Alysia, alone?”

  I didn’t expect they would relent as easily as they do, but I’m met with chin lifts and sympathetic pats on the arm as they file out the door. Brookes stops in front of me giving me a critical once over before giving me some measure of reassurance.

  “My sister doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to, sweetheart. Bear that in mind when you say what you think you have to. As hard as that woman pretends to be,” he says gesturing at the bed, “she’s as soft as the next woman when it comes down to it, yeah?”

  I smile and nod my head watching him follow his brothers and Tobias into the hallway. Tobias grins at me and shuts the door, leaving me alone with the woman I owe my peace of mind to.

  I don’t turn around until she calls my name and asks me to pull up a seat beside her. I’m still unsure of what to say, but I do as she asks.

  “I don’t bite, Tallulah. Well, actually that’s a lie, I do but you’re not my type, so sit your ass down, take a deep breath, then do it again and keep doing it until you’ve calmed down, okay?”

  Six deep breaths later I admit,

  “I don’t know how to thank you, and I’m not the sort of person that feels comfortable not repaying a favor, let alone one this huge.”

  “Meathead one already told you I don’t do anything I don’t want to, and he wasn’t wrong. Let it go, Tallulah. Let it all go and be happy. That’s the best repayment you could give me,” she replies without hesitation.

  “But that’s not enough. Me being happy doesn’t make up for the pain you’re in, or the suffering you’ll go through during your recovery. There has to be something I can do for you,” I implore.

  Winking at me she shares a part of herself with me that I doubt she shares with many. I can recognize she’s only doing it in hopes that I’ll understand her position and accept it, but that doesn’t make it any less of a sweet gesture. Pulling up the sheet and blanket covering her lower body all the way to her waist on one side, she exposes her left leg and hip. Gasping at what she’s revealed, my eyes travel over the extensive scar tissue marring what I can only assume was perfect skin before her accident.

  Large raised sections of skin, puckered, and faded to silvery white cover her from ankle to mid-way up her rib cage, spanning the majority of her left side. I can tell she’s had skin grafts, some that were more effective than others, seeing as a few areas look a lot smoother and better healed than others. When my perusal reaches her face I expect to see disappointment at my reaction, anger about her injury, or embarrassment, but all I see is acceptance. This woman truly is amazing.

  “Look, Tallulah. I could have curled up in a ball and let life pass me by after this happened, but I made the choice to live. We all have our imperfections and scars. Some of us carry them on the outside, some on the inside, and a lucky few of us like you and me carry them in both places. But that doesn’t make us flawed, it makes us stronger than the rest of them. We live with constant reminders of the tragedies we’ve faced, and while we’d love to go back and change things, make it so they never happened, we’d never be who we are or where we are if we did that, would we?”

  Shaking my head, I agree with her. I absolutely agree. Alysia sighs reclining against her pillow and taking my hand in hers.

  “I hate what happened to you, and I hate what happened to me. I wasn’t in a position to do anything about my accident, but I could do something to change your future. I’m not sorry that the outcome of tonight ended in his death, and I’m even less sorry it was me that got to pull the trigger and rid the world of another sick fuck that could have gone on to hurt more innocent women,” she states seriously. “You deserve freedom, and if putting two bullets between his eyes gave you that then all I can say is, good riddance to bad memories.”

  Squeezing my hand she finishes with,

  “You’ll never forget what he did. You’ll never be able to completely erase the nightmares either, but you’re in the unique position where you can make a choice. You can let it continue to haunt you, or you can let it go and move on with the beautiful life you’re destined to have if you allow yourself to. It’s up to you, babe. No one can make that choice for you, but I hope for your sake and the sake of your family you make the right one.” Alysia winks at me patting my hand before she closes her eyes. “Now, go find that sexy beast of a man you call your husband and go home. Fuck his brains out and remind yourself you’re alive, because you are. You didn’t die with that asshole tonight, you were reborn, Tallulah, so go and live.”

  Hugging her tightly but being cautious that I don’t reinjure her, I stand up and wipe the tears from my face whispering,

  “You don’t want thanks, and I get that, but just know if there’s ever anything I can do for you, any way I can ever help you, all you need to do is ask. Thank you, Alysia. Thank you for giving me my life back.”

  I don’t wait for her to reply, instead I turn and head out into the hallway straight into the arms of my husband and hold on tight. His scent embraces me as do his arms. The comfort he gives me from just holding me to him like he never wants to let go makes me realize every word Alysia spoke is true. I have the chance to set myself free and I’m going to take it. I’m going to embrace it like I am Tobias, and never let go. This is my fresh start and I refuse to waste another minute thinking about the man that won’t get another chance to jeopardize my future.

  Gripping Tobias's large hand in mine I tug him toward the lifts not bothering to say goodbye to the men surrounding us.

  “Take me home, Tobi.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Tobias

  “Don’t bother me. I’m living my happily ever after.”

  - Rotten eCard

  What a difference three months can make. I used to think the saying, ‘Time heals all wounds’ was a crock of shit, but it turns out that was just another thing in a long line of things I was wrong about.

  Since leaving the hospital that day after her talk with Alysia, Tilly has been a whole new woman. I don’t know how much of that is due to Demon no longer being alive to act as a silent but very real threat, or how much is to do with what Alysia said to her, but whatever the reason it doesn’t matter. Tilly’s happy, and in my eyes that’s all that counts.

  She smiles all the time now, and I don’t mean the type that are forced. Real smiles that light up her whole face and the room around her. She’s relaxed and less anxious, and has come out of her self-imposed shell with a vengeance. Some days it feels like I’m married to a completely different person, and I fucking love it. Not because I didn’t love her before, but this Tilly, the real Tallulah, is fucking magnificent. And I’ve been honored to be able to witness her transformation.

  It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses after Demon’s death, but it’s been damn close. I still had to deal with Tucker and getting him to accept Dagger as his dad, which was harder than I’d expected. Stacey still made the occasional attempt at getting us to talk about our issues, ones in my eyes we didn’t have, but that aside, everything was perfect.

  My girls were settled. They readily embraced me being home for good, and Dakota had even begun making strides to approach me without being prompted to. Tilly stopped working part-time at the library, taking on the job of Lexi’s PA seeing as Lexi was run off her feet with the twins and her tight publishing schedule. My wife loves her best friend and she loves books, so the opportunity to combine the two is a match made in heaven fo
r her, and I couldn’t be happier that she’s thriving doing what she loves.

  The job offer couldn’t have come at a better time either, because a week after Tilly had finished at the library she came home, dropped the girls off with her parents, cooked us an amazing dinner for two, and gave me a gift I’m still having trouble getting my head around.

  Opening the long, black rectangular box sitting beside my plate I look inside and then at my wife. Dropping my gaze back to the contents of the box taking out the gift inside, I stand up abruptly knocking my chair over pulling Tilly out of her seat and into my arms.

  “You telling me what I think you are, babe?” Nodding she kisses my chest over my shirt without saying a word. “You’re carrying my baby? We’re going to have another baby, yeah?”

  I sound like a fucking idiot repeating the same thing over and over again, but I could care less what I sound like right now. I need her to confirm it. I need the words from her. Tipping her chin I tilt her head until her eyes lock with mine. Eyes that are filled with tears, bright and glassy. But along with her tears I see an emotion that’s laid dormant in my wife for more years than I can count, joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.

  “Mmhmm,” she murmurs. “Your super swimmers have indeed done their job for the fourth time. The doctor says I’m already four and a half months, but with everything that’s gone on it’s not surprising I hadn’t noticed I missed my period until now.” Looking at me warily now she asks, “Are you happy about this, Tobi? I mean, I know it’s a shock. It was to me too, but I’m really excited about this baby, and I want you to be too.”

  As if she needs to ask. I understand shit has been crazy the past few months, but I hate that she’d doubt my happiness at the news she’s carrying another one of my babies. Tightening my arms around her waist, and locking my wrists behind her back, I tip my head down and take her mouth in a hungry kiss that should drive every thought of me not being thrilled about this from her head.

  Plunging my tongue between her parted lips with little to no finesse, stroking, exploring, and making love to her mouth I mimic what I’d like to be doing to her with my cock. Breaking the kiss only when we’re both panting, I finally give her an answer.

  “Nothing could be more perfect, babe. This is one of the five bests gift you’ve ever fucking given me, don’t doubt that, ever.”

  “Five?” She questions curiously.

  Chuckling at her expression I right my chair and pull her into my lap more firmly trying to ignore the painful hard on confined by my rapidly tightening jeans.

  “First came you agreeing to marry my sorry ass, then came the three gorgeous little girls you’ve given me over the years. Now you’re giving me a chance to do be a dad all over again, but this time without all the secrets and bullshit that came with the life we had before. There couldn’t be a better way to celebrate our new life, or our fresh start than this, babe. And believe me when I say, we could have a dozen kids, and every single time you told me you were carrying my baby I’d be over the fucking moon.”

  Slapping my chest Tilly gapes at me before snapping her mouth closed and pressing a sweet, yet chaste kiss to my lips.

  “Uh, if you think I’m pushing out a dozen of your humongous children you can think again, buddy, because that is not going to happen. Four is more than enough. Plenty in fact.”

  I can’t say I disagree, but I wouldn’t be opposed to having as many kids as she could give me either.

  “We’ll talk about that shit later, because right now I want to take my wife upstairs and enjoy the shit out of her body while we’re still kid free.” Biting down lightly on her ear lobe I add, “Because, baby, I intend to make you come at least a dozen times before the nights over, and I want to hear you scream my name each and every time.”

  Scooping her into my arms I head up the stairs to make good on my promise, which I’ll have you know I did. Just not a dozen times. It was thirteen, and fuck yes, I counted.

  With Tilly busy with Lexi most days from nine to four, Kota and Avery in school, and Nevie with Tilly or Tilly’s mom, Sally, the days she can’t take her, I found myself at loose ends during the day. Until recently that is.

  I don’t regret giving my position as First Rider up and I don’t begrudge it being handed over to Dagger, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t an adjustment. I was used to being gone for days at a time constantly having something to do, so sitting around with my thumb up my ass got old real quick.

  Luckily I’d proved myself good with numbers in the past, so when Priss approached Priest and told him she was too busy to do the books for the clubs’ businesses anymore I was more than happy to take over for her. It isn’t hard work, it barely registers as a job most days it’s that easy, but it’s something I can do from home which means I can keep Nevie with me three days a week now. That alone is worth its weight in gold, seeing as how she’s changed from being a momma’s girl, to a straight up, tantrum throwing daddy’s girl if someone tells her she’s not spending the day with me.

  I never thought we’d get here. Not just Nevie and I, all of us. Tilly healing and letting go a little more each day. Dakota coming out of her shell and trying new things without needing the push from her mom or Cody. Avery starting to calm down now that she feels more settled with our home life, and me being happy to be a paper pushing biker that stays home with his kids more often than not. It’s fucking surreal. And while it’s so far removed from the life we had, the one I thought I wanted, it only took a few secrets, a healthy dose of lies, one man trying to steal my wife out from under me, a psychotic bitch more than happy to destroy a family, and a fucking nightmare from the past to get us here, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Not one single fucking thing, because as Alysia said to Tilly that day, if we went back and erased the pain and suffering, removed the heartache and struggles we’d faced, we wouldn’t be us, and that means we wouldn’t be where we are today. Wise woman that one.

  And speaking of Alysia…

  She still makes trips to, Blackwater to see us. Not often, but she does it regularly. The woman has an uncanny knack of knowing when Tilly needs her. Within a day of Tilly uttering her name, be it in passing or because she’s said it would be nice to see her, Alysia is standing on our doorstep, backpack in tow telling me to move my ass and take her shit to her room. Or should I say, the room she claimed as hers, which mind you has now been converted to a nursery making her shit out of luck, and will see her bunking down on the couch the next time she’s in town. Not that she’ll care, I think Alysia just like pissing me off by bossing me around and giving me orders. It seems to entertain her and her sick sense of humor so I let it go, but that doesn’t mean I don’t give it right back when I’ve reached maximum overload. Something she strives for me to hit within twenty-four hours of her arriving most of the time.

  Alysia was discharged from hospital, against medical advice, (her choice), three days after being admitted. She claimed she had shit to do, and better places to be than be cooped up in a room where the nurses do nothing but poke and prod her until she’s climbing the walls. She signed the necessary paperwork and went back to the house she was leasing in Blackwater under strict instructions to take it easy. Lucky me that it just happened to be right next door, so over the two weeks following her escape, she became a regular interloper at our family dinners and at the most inopportune times possible.

  I swear the woman had a gift for knowing when I planned on fucking my wife. She showed up and interrupted what promised to be a phenomenal lunch time quickie more times than I could count, and she couldn’t have been less sorry either. I love Alysia for what she’d done for my family, more so what she did for Tilly, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t breathe a huge sigh of relief when she announced she was heading home to, Dallas. There’s only so much of her kind of high energy and sense of humor that I can take, and by the start of week three of her recovery I was all but done.

  Better yet, Rob went with her. He wasn’t staying next door while she healed, he kn
ew better than to think I’d forgiven him for what he’d tried to do. In all honesty I probably never would, so him choosing to stay put in the apartment Alysia leased outside, Boulder until it was time to leave was a wise choice. According to Brookes, who only hung around long enough to see his sister safely out of hospital without her taking out a nurse for the hell of it, Rob was an old friend of the family. They’d all been as close as brothers before he left without a word, and now that they’d reconnected he’d be taken back into the fold like no time had passed at all.

  I was envious the Patricks’ had it in them to be so forgiving, but that shit wasn’t me. I couldn’t just forget the underhanded play he’d made toward my wife when she was at her most vulnerable. Him leaving, putting distance between us and the memory wouldn’t hurt, but I doubted it would do anything to heal the permanent rift he’d created either. I liked the guy prior to that shit. He was solid, a standup guy, or so I thought. Glock tried talking to me to explain some of his history, not in detail only enough to give me food for thought, but it didn’t put a dent in the anger I still held toward him.

  It wasn’t until one stubborn as hell, determined, pit bull of a woman had a conversation with me over the phone last week that I started to put the pieces that had previously been jumbled together right. I’d had a hard time making what I’d seen and what I’d heard fit with what I knew about Rob from my own dealings with him, but after talking to Alysia it all made perfect sense.