Roman

by K. J. Dahlen

  He glanced over at Cassie and found her looking back. She nodded at him and Sam peered down at the baby. The child opened his eyes and stared back at him. For a moment, he thought the look in the baby’s eyes was pure trust and Sam knew he’d had to work hard to keep that look there. He carefully walked over to Gator and handed the tiny baby over. “He’s as much your grandson as he is mine.”

  Gator took him and nodded.

  Sam stepped back and watched everyone for a moment then he looked at Raine.

  Raine held humor in his eyes as nodded at him but didn’t say anything.

  Dr. Peters cleared his throat. “Okay everyone, I think it’s time for you all to go home now. Mom and Dad have had a hard day and Jemmia and Sam need their down time too.”

  Gator gave Deke his son back and Paige handed Jemmia back to Cassie. She leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll be back later.”

  Cassie smiled and nodded.

  Peaches was there and hugged both her and the baby. “You are so lucky,” she whispered. “You and Deke made some beautiful babies.”

  “Just as you and Iceman will.” Cassie grinned. “I hope our kids can grow up together.”

  “They will.” Peaches beamed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  ~* * * *~

  When everyone was gone, Deke looked over at Cassie.

  “So have you forgiven your father?”

  Deke smirked. “Not by a long shot but he redeemed some of it when he brought you back.”

  “Give him time.” Cassie reached out and took his hand. “All you both need is another chance. If he fucks it up again, then turn your back and walk away but you need to give both of you another chance.”

  Deke nodded. “That’s what Raine keeps saying.”

  “Maybe he’s right.” Cassie shrugged. “Maybe Sam was too immature before to know how to treat you. You told me yourself you hated him on sight, maybe your attitude didn’t help matters either. Maybe you both were a bit hardheaded.”

  “Too much alike to get along, is that what you’re saying?”

  “Maybe.” Cassie smiled. “But everyone deserves a second chance, don’t you think?”

  Deke stared down at the blanket on the bed for a moment then looked at her. “He wants to be closer, so he can get to know his grandkids.”

  “I know.”

  “Should I let him?”

  “I think you should.”

  Deke took a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay, I’ll give him that one chance.”

  “Don’t look for excuses to let him fail,” Cassie advised. “Look for reasons to help him gain your trust. At least he’s a father willing to do whatever it takes to win you back. Maybe this was the one chance he needed to prove himself, not only to you but to himself too. He lost you way back when because he was too hardheaded to see it.”

  Deke stared at her for a moment then agreed. “Okay, I’ll try.”

  ~* * * *~

  The next morning Deke was at his office when Iceman and Sam walked in. “What’s going on?”

  Iceman shrugged. “I have no clue, he called and told me to meet him here.”

  “Sam?” Deke leaned back and stared at his father.

  “I want you both to listen for a minute before you say anything at all. I have an idea I want you both to think about before you dismiss it outright.” Sam began to pace. “I was talking to the guys last night. Thor has been talking to a couple of Iceman’s guys about their plan to move here and open a custom shop for bikers. Thor and Sabbath are ace mechanics and were hoping they could get a job in the shop.”

  Iceman frowned. “So far, the shop is only an idea. We haven’t really found a place or the money to start it up yet.”

  Sam paused his pacing and stared at them. “Well, now the money wouldn’t really be a problem.” He set the small backpack on Deke’s desk. “This is what Victor went to Janelle’s house for. I talked to Peaches and she mentioned that you didn’t want to take mob money but this is still dirty money. Peaches wanted me to offer it up as a peace offering, maybe use it for something good. I can’t think of anything better to use it for.”

  Iceman stared at the backpack for a moment then looked over at Deke.

  Deke shrugged but didn’t say anything.

  He looked back at Sam. “Won’t the cops be looking for that money?”

  Sam shook his head. “They think they got all Janelle’s money when they found the gold. Anything else would have burned in the fire Victor set. There is nothing left of Janelle’s house. The Boston police found the bench Cassie told them about and recovered the bodies of those three kids early this morning. Victor and Seymour are in jail and will remain there for the next thirty to forty years. Apparently, Victor had evidence on his uncle for insurance in case his uncle tried to frame him. Victor did tell Lance Sullivan about the money but when it couldn’t be found, Lance assumed it burned in the fire.”

  “He’s not claiming the money?”

  Sam grinned. “Nope, your man Hawk explained that he tossed the backpack back into the house. Said the money was tainted by the blood of those kids and not one of his men thought that was a bad thing.”

  Iceman nodded his head with pride in his eyes. His Sinners were like that.

  Sam began pacing again. “Your woman said something else too. She said we all three lived by pretty much the same code as we were all three members of the same club. That maybe we could all join forces and become better men because of it. Those are my words not quite hers but they mean the same thing.” Sam paused and stared at Deke. “You know I want to stick around here and get to know what being a father and a grandfather is like. I know you have a lot to forgive and I hope someday, you can forgive me for what I did to you as a kid. I want that chance.” He turned to Iceman and said, “I’m a fair man with tools and I can build a mean cycle. If you take a chance on me, I won’t let you down and neither will my boys. All I ask is that you give us a chance.”

  “There’s one thing I have to tell you both before we go any further,” Deke interjected. “I don’t have a problem with drinking and I don’t have a problem with women selling their bodies for money. As long as they are willing to do it and not being forced, that’s their business. But I don’t like drugs. I don’t use them or deal them and nor do any of my boys. I won’t allow that in the club either. If they want to deal, they do it in another town and they aren’t associated in any way with my club.”

  “That’s one of the reasons we came here,” Iceman informed him. “Some of the Sinners wanted in on the drug trade and I wasn’t okay with that. I called Hawk and told him he was in charge of the Boston club. I spoke to our national club president and he okayed our breaking away. He gave us his blessing to start a new chapter or a new group entirely in case we wanted to blend in with you guys. I told him I’d let him know what we decided.”

  “What about you and your guys Sam?”

  “I left my VP in charge of the Bangor club when I left.” Sam shrugged. “The guys that came with me knew that and were okay with it. Bangor isn’t the same place it used to be and when the chance came to make something for ourselves here, they were all on the same page with it. None of us had families back there and if it’s all right with you guys, there might be a few more coming in with the same plan as we had.”

  “So what name are we going to go by?” Iceman asked.

  “How about Sin’s Bastards?” Deke suggested.

  “Would the Spawn MC be online with that?” Sam asked.

  “We can put it to a vote.” Deke shrugged. “We need their input anyway. If the three clubs are going to be one, we need everyone on board or it won’t work.”

  “If we agree to use the money for the shop what are we going to call it?” Iceman asked.

  “Maybe it should carry the same name as the new club, so everybody knows who we are,” Sam suggested.

  “We could do that,” Iceman agreed. He turned to Deke. “What about you? Are you in on the shop as well?”

 
; Deke shrugged. “I haven’t been asked.”

  Iceman grinned. “I know this was my idea and Sam got the money but this is still your town. Partners three ways?”

  “As long as the club gets its ten percent I’m good with that.” Deke grinned and held out his hand.

  Iceman shook it, then Sam shook it and the three men made the deal.

  ~* * * *~

  Later that night, the clubhouse was filled to capacity, as all the members of the Satan’s Spawn were present. The six members of the Bastards were there as well. Also present were the six or so members of the Boston Sinners.

  Deke called the meeting to order. When everyone was quiet, he stood up and addressed them all as a group, “Gentlemen we have some changes we’d like to bring to your attention and have a vote on. As you all know, some changes have occurred in the past few months. Some of us now have families and we have been approached by a couple of new groups. We have members of the Boston chapter of the Sinners MC and six members of the Satan’s Bastards MC with us tonight. They want to live here and work here and be a part of our club. As such, I would like to suggest to everyone here that we combine all of our groups under a new name. We can use the added strengths of everyone under a new name of Sin’s Bastards. Or you as a group can decide on another name.” He paused as murmurs went around the room. “Another item you need to know is that all three groups are going to start a new project very soon. We’re going to open a custom cycle shop. We will build new custom bikes and they will carry our new name.” Deke paused and let the information sink in.

  The hum of voices grew louder in the room.

  “If we do this we will all carry our own weight as usual. For my guys nothing will change except our name, for the new guys, if you join us you will need to know what we do. Everyone here is an equal. I have been voted in as President with Gator as Vice President. We have enforcers and SAA’s same as with any club. The club owns and operates a strip club called the Dirty Dancing and we own a couple of bars in town. We all work hard and we all play hard. Drinking is allowed but we don’t do drugs. If that’s a problem for any of you, then you’re allowed to walk away. We all hold jobs and contribute to the club. All we ask is that you keep your nose clean and out of trouble. Any questions?”

  “What about the Redemption House? Doesn’t that fall under the club’s influence?”

  “Not at the moment. Right now, that’s my woman’s dream, not the club’s,” Deke informed them. “It’s a nonprofit enterprise, so it wouldn’t make the club any money anyway.”

  “Is the shop going to make money for the club?”

  Iceman stood up to address the question. “It will. It will make the club the usual ten percent.”

  “You and Sam are officer’s in your own clubs, are you going to demand your rights here?”

  Iceman glanced over at Deke and Sam. Then he looked at the crowd of men gathered there. “If I can earn the right to bear an office in this club I will expect to get it but until I do, I’m just like you. I’ll be busy setting up the new shop for a while, so I will contribute but I won’t demand anything I haven’t earned.”

  Sam stood up and addressed them as well, “As most of you are aware Deke is my son but this isn’t my club, not yet. If you vote to allow us in, I’ll have to work for my place just as you have. I’m not here to take over and I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here because I want to get to know my son again, and his family. I’ll be working at the shop and getting to know all of you.”

  Raine stood as well. “I know you don’t know us very well but we’re here for another chance. While we were happy with our old club, times have changed for all of us. We all want something different. The Bastards is a great club but we have the chance to do something here we never had with them. I’ve been studying this town and I see a new beginning for myself. A new place to fit in and get something I never had before. A home, a place I can call my own. I’ve lived all over the place before now, but I’ve never had someplace I could call my home. I feel that place is here and I want the chance to have that.”

  The brothers began to talk among themselves and Deke sat back to let them. Before long, they all grew quiet again. Deke stood and asked for a vote. “All in favor of combining all three clubs together?”

  Everyone to a man yelled aye.

  “All in favor of the new name, Sin’s Bastards?”

  Everyone to a man yelled aye.

  “Meeting adjourned,” Deke called out as he hit the gavel on the table. “Let’s have a drink to the new club.”

  “Deke, do you suppose we could ask Cassie to paint our logo, maybe come up with something really cool?” Iceman asked.

  “I think she could do that.” Deke grinned.

  “I really like those cats.” He motioned at the tiger and the lion on the walls.

  “Maybe she could do a white tiger,” Wylie offered as he joined them. “That would be cool.”

  “A white tiger?” Deke repeated. “I kind of like that idea. See what everyone else has to say and I can suggest it to her.”

  “You won’t let her paint over these will you?” Sam motioned at the two paintings.

  “Good lord no.” Deke shook his head. “These mean something special to her, but she can paint the new tiger on the wall on the other side.”

  “Good, I kinda like these two.” Sam nodded. “They kind of grow on a person don’t they?”

  Deke stared at the paintings on the wall. “Yeah, they kind of do. These two sorta guarded her through the tough times she had growing up. Someday, she might tell you about them.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  It was after midnight the third day after her babies were born when the door to her hospital room quietly opened. A shadow stepped inside and approached the bed slowly.

  Cassie opened her eyes and waited as the shadow drew closer. Her heart was pounding as her fists clenched in fear.

  The shadow stopped a few feet away and a voice called out softly, “I’m not here to hurt you child.”

  Cassie recognized the voice and relaxed. “How are you Leon?” she reached up and turned on the lamp at the top of her bed.

  Leon Vincinti smiled at her and stepped closer. “I wanted to come and see how you were doing. Peaches told us about your babies.”

  “I’m sure she told you about Victor as well.”

  “Yes, she did and I have to tell you that young man will never bother you again.” He brushed off a piece of lint from his suit. Then he looked her in the eye and said, “And neither will your uncle.”

  “Is my uncle still alive?”

  “Yes child, he is and now he knows the truth about his brother.”

  “How did he take that news?”

  “He was upset understandably. The Irish can be unforgiving about stuff like that but he was able to see the truth and that’s what really matters.”

  “So, he’s not going to come after me or Peaches for revenge?”

  “No, he isn’t.”

  “Good, I think he’s lost enough time in his life. Flynn certainly wasn’t worth it.”

  “No, he wasn’t,” Leon agreed. “I also wanted to see your beautiful children. They are part of our family you know. You and Peaches were very close growing up. Calderone and I want to watch your children grow along side of Peaches’ children. I hope to live long enough to watch them all grow up together.”

  “So, do we. Peaches means a great deal to me. She’s the closest person to family I have. I know I found my sister again and I love her very much but I love Peaches as well. We will always be sisters.”

  Leon smiled. “I hope you will always feel that way. She is very important to us as you are. You brought her home when no one else cared what happened to her. We owe you a blood debt.”

  Cassie shook her head. “You don’t owe me anything. I brought her back to you because it was the right thing to do, not for what I could get out of the deal.”

  “I know that child and so does my son,” Leon told her. “You’
ve made that quite clear to us by turning down any reward we offered.”

  “I only ask that you become my friend, that’s all I want.”

  “Then that is what you shall have, our friendship.” Leon grinned, as he looked proud of her. “But I hope you will allow us to spoil your children as we would our own.”

  “Spoil them with love.”

  Leon chuckled. “Oh, we shall. I have to go. I don’t want to disturb your sleep but I wanted to let you know about your uncle. And to pass along a message from him. He wanted you to know he understood what you told him was the truth and that he would never bother you again, as he promised.”

  “How did you meet my uncle?’ she asked. “The last time I saw him, he was set to killing Calderone.”

  “Ah, yes well, let’s just say he tried but my son isn’t a fool. He sat Donavan down and talked to him. He told him exactly what his brother did not only to you, but to Peaches as well. At first, he didn’t want to believe what he was hearing but my son has a way of making people believe him. It was all quite civilized and in the end, Donavan believed him. He even gave him a job.”

  “If you see him again, tell him I wish him peace. I’ll never know what kind of man my father could have been, only what he was. I hated Flynn for so long for what he did, I guess I never gave him a chance.”

  “My dear…Flynn never really gave himself a chance. He had a good woman and two beautiful children and he turned his back on of all of you. He turned his back on himself as well. Even posing as Theo I never liked the man. He was a coward right up till the end.” He hesitated then asked, “I know I don’t have the right to ask but I’m going to anyway. Please forgive Donavan. Right now, he’s feeling all alone in the world and he doesn’t know it yet, but you are his family. Maybe it’s the Italian in me but family is so important. No one should be without someone they can call their own. Donavan might not be ready for it but if you can find it in your heart to forgive him, he might become the man he could be. I see potential in him.”