by Harley Wylde
I wanted to ask what was wrong with his hands, but I figured it wasn’t my place. If it was general knowledge, I’d ask Wolf when we got home. Even if I didn’t have a medical degree, there might be something I could do to help. The way Elena talked, his hands caused him pain.
“Ready to go, my little angel?” Wolf asked, scooping Sienna up off the blanket. She latched onto him and started babbling.
I’d never considered having more kids since I’d thought it would just be me and Sienna forever. But seeing her with Wolf? Yeah, I kind of wanted another one. Maybe not right this second, but in the next few years. Which was a conversation we hadn’t even had yet. What if Wolf wanted kids now?
My stomach cramped at the thought, but I tried to tell myself I was being ridiculous. He’d been so kind and understanding so far. There was no reason to think he’d demand I have another baby right now. Until I finished my degree, it was better to hold off. He might say I didn’t need a job to help pay the bills, but being a nurse was my calling. I honestly didn’t care if I worked at a private practice, hospital, or just helped at the clinic the club ran. I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. The how wasn’t quite as important.
“Come on, girls,” Wolf said, holding his hand out to me. I let him pull me to my feet and followed him to the truck.
“Thanks for watching her,” I called out. Elena waved me off before focusing on her family again.
“Sienna didn’t seem to know what to make of Valeria,” Wolf said as we drove to our house.
“No, she didn’t.”
He glanced at me. “What are your thoughts of giving her a sibling or three?”
And it seemed we were having the discussion now instead of later. “I don’t mind having more kids. In fact, I want to. Would you care if we waited a little bit, though? I’d like to finish my degree. I’m almost done, but dealing with a pregnancy while stressing over everything else going on isn’t really the best idea.”
He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. “Then we’ll do our best to make sure you don’t get pregnant right now. Doesn’t matter to me if we wait a day, a week, or even a year. All I need to know is if you’re open to it at some point. If you aren’t, then I could always get a vasectomy.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“Why should you be the one responsible for the birth control? And sorry, baby, but condoms aren’t foolproof. Even if that’s what we use right now, there’s still a chance you could end up pregnant.”
“You’d do that, though? If I didn’t want kids, you’d go get a vasectomy, which if it worked, would guarantee you never had any babies?”
His brow furrowed. “But I do have one. Sienna is mine, Glory, just like you are. Doesn’t matter if I donated the sperm or not. I don’t need a kid who’s part of my DNA. The two of you are more than enough.”
This man. He floored me at every turn. Sometimes I wondered how he could possibly be real. His kindness, gentle touch, and concern for myself and my daughter made him unique, at least as far as any men I’d ever known. Wolf was one of a kind, and for whatever reason, he’d decided I was his.
You are one lucky bitch, Glory. Don’t fuck it up.
Chapter Six
Wolf
Whatever Glory was cooking for dinner smelled amazing. Sienna had gone down for a nap, and I was left to my own devices. My leg bounced up and down as I fought the urge to go help my woman in the kitchen. I knew she wouldn’t run me out of there, but I would probably be more of a hindrance than a help. I reached down to rub at the area above my prosthesis. I’d changed into shorts when we’d gotten home and swapped out my prosthetic for the one I preferred when I was around the house. It wasn’t pretty, but Glory didn’t seem to mind.
Until I’d met a woman who seemed to accept me unconditionally, I’d never realized how freeing it could be. Going from being a competent soldier to a man with a missing limb had taken its toll. I’d not only had to learn to deal with the pain, and how to walk again, but psychologically I’d taken a beating. While I had trouble admitting I might have a few limitations, I’d always been tough and locked down the pain, pushing through to finish whatever task I’d started. I refused to let my missing leg keep me from doing the things I loved, like riding my bike, so I’d had to learn how to live with my new normal. Thankfully, my missing leg was on the right side and I hadn’t had to modify my bike. It had taken Glory’s acceptance for me to realize I’d been hiding. I’d thought I’d dealt with the fact I wasn’t whole anymore, but I’d been wrong. I’d never let anyone see me like this -- less than perfect, at least physically -- until now. Until her.
I flipped through the stations on the TV, finally stopping on Journey to the Center of the Earth. I’d always been a Jules Verne fan. My middle school librarian had introduced me to his adventure books, and I’d been hooked on reading ever since. Not that anyone could tell by looking at my house. These days I kept everything digital and preferred to read on my phone. Being a geek didn’t mesh with the tough biker persona I wore with pride. Or at least, I’d always thought it didn’t. Maybe it was time to make a few adjustments in my life, and definitely to my perception of not only myself but others. I needed to stop hiding. From me.
I heard the clang of a pan hitting the counter or floor and got up to check on Glory. Sienna, thankfully, slept through the noise. I didn’t hear a sound from her bedroom. My leg ached more than usual, and my steps were a little slower. Glory held her hand under the running faucet.
“Baby, what happened?” I asked, trying to hurry closer to her.
“I didn’t pay attention and burned my hand. It’s not bad.”
I reached for her hand, inspecting the pale pink mark. Since she was the one studying nursing, I’d take her word for it on the severity. I reached up into the cabinet to the right and pulled down one of the med kits I kept in the house. I took out the burn ointment and a bandage, then helped Glory dry her hand and applied both. I lifted her hand, kissing it.
“Maybe you should let me finish dinner tonight.”
She pushed her hair from her face and sighed. I could tell she felt like she’d disappointed me, or maybe she’d just let herself down. “I wanted to cook for you our first night in the house.”
I gathered her in my arms. “Glory, you’ve made several meals for me already. Let me take care of you tonight. Go watch TV, read, or just close your eyes and relax.”
She nodded, her shoulders slumping a bit. “Okay. I didn’t get far with dinner anyway. I was warming the skillet to brown some meat when I accidentally burned my finger. I did make a pie that’s already cooling.”
“Spaghetti all right?” I asked. “Won’t be gourmet, but I can cook the beef you set out, season it up a bit, and add it to a jar of sauce.”
“I don’t expect ‘gourmet,’” she said. “Anything I don’t have to cook sounds amazing. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“I’m positive. Now scoot.” She turned and I swatted her ass. Glory gave a squeak and tossed a mock-glare over her shoulder. I found myself smiling as I picked the skillet up off the floor. I placed it in the sink and pulled a clean one from the cabinet by the stove. While it warmed, I opened the package of ground beef and dug through the meager spices I owned. Now that I had a family to care for, I needed to stock my kitchen better. And maybe look up healthier things for us to eat.
It wasn’t long before I had the meat sizzling in the skillet, the noodles boiling on the back burner, and the sauce warming in a pot. I added a little minced garlic, oregano, and basil to the sauce since I’d opted for a plain marinara the last time I’d shopped. Thankfully, I liked garlic and always kept a few cloves on hand. It would come in handy tonight, otherwise dinner would have been rather bland. We certainly could use more spices. Hopefully Glory knew more about them than I did.
I drained the pasta, then the meat. I stirred the beef into the sauce and made sure I’d shut off all the burners. Before I could get the plates, I heard raised voices and the hair on
my nape prickled. Glory’s voice came through loud and clear, the tension putting me into motion. I cleared the doorway and froze.
“Franny, what the hell are you doing here?” I asked.
“I came home,” she said, arms folded with a glare in Glory’s direction. “What the hell is this puta doing here?”
I bristled and ground my teeth together. “Don’t call her that! And for the record, this was never your home, Fran. Why the hell would you think you’d show up and suddenly move in?”
Sienna started crying down the hall and Glory rushed off to get her. She came back with our daughter clutched in her arms, tears streaming down Sienna’s chubby cheeks. Glory pressed against my side and I placed my hand at her hip, tugging her even closer. I didn’t know why my ex had dropped by out of the blue, especially when she was supposedly in another state and with another man, but I didn’t like the way she was treating Glory. Still, I knew Franny had been on the fragile side and I didn’t want to cause her pain.
Franny’s eyes went wide. “What’s going on, Wolf?”
“Why are you here, Fran? You left. Moved out of state. Last I heard from you, you’d picked up a new boyfriend.”
She dropped her gaze, then grimaced when she saw my leg. She waved a hand at it. “Can’t you put something else on?”
I felt Glory tense next to me. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Franny jerked her gaze up to meet Glory’s. “What?”
“You were dating Wolf, and you can’t stand to look at him without his pants on? What the hell is wrong with you?” Glory shoved Sienna into my arms and advanced on my ex, fire in her eyes and fury rolling off her in waves. God, but she was sexy as fuck right now. Glory jammed her finger in Franny’s chest. “You have the audacity to show up unannounced, question my presence in this house, and tell Wolf to go put pants on? He’s in his own damn home, and there’s not a fucking thing wrong with the way he’s dressed.”
“How can you look at it?” Franny asked, doing her best to not drop her gaze to my missing limb.
“You’re a bitch,” Glory said.
Franny flinched, and I knew I should step in, but honestly, I liked having my woman stand up for me. Maybe some would consider it weak to let Glory fight this battle, but I knew she needed to do this. My brothers had my back, and I knew they’d die for me. Having Glory face off with Franny was different. And hot as fuck. I shifted as my cock started to stiffen.
“He lost his leg fighting for this country. Instead of grimacing and making him feel like shit over something he can’t control, try thanking him for his service! Why the hell were you with him if you can’t accept Wolf as he is?” Glory demanded.
I saw something flicker in Franny’s eyes and it made me wonder how much of her previous sweetness had been an act. She’d never been an outright bitch before. Had she played me and I’d overlooked it, or made excuses for her? I didn’t know if it was having spent so much time with Glory that made me see things differently, or if it was the space I’d had from Franny.
“Can you honestly say it doesn’t disgust you?” Franny asked.
Glory’s face flushed a deep red and I feared for Franny’s safety. My woman gripped Franny’s arm and hauled her over to the front door. Opening it, she shoved Franny out of the house and slammed the door in her face.
“That woman!” Glory growled and stared at the door.
“Easy there, tiger. She didn’t mean anything by it.” Glory whirled on me and looked like she might attack. I held up a hand to placate her. “You have no idea how much I appreciate you standing up for me, Glory. But Franny is… damaged. She was part of a human trafficking ring. They lured her here with promises of bringing her family over. She didn’t mean to be offensive.”
At least, I’d always thought she hadn’t meant it. It was possible I’d been wrong. About a lot of things.
“Don’t make excuses for her. She can either be a victim the rest of her life, or she can try to build something new. You coddled her, didn’t you? That’s why she’s back. She wanted you to take care of her.”
She wasn’t entirely wrong. I’d thought Franny was independent, until I’d met Glory. The two were as different as night and day. To be honest, when Franny had left, I hadn’t exactly been brokenhearted. More disappointed than anything. She wasn’t the woman meant for me, and some part of me had known it. I’d tried to make things work with her, and we could have been happy. I just wouldn’t have felt even half the passion I had with Glory.
A fist pounded on the door and I walked over to yank it open. Franny still stood there, arms crossed and looking fragile. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she curled in on herself. Glory was right. She was playing the part of the victim. How had I never noticed? Dagger stood next to her, his eyes narrowed and his jaw tight.
“Why the fuck did you leave her out here on the porch?” Dagger asked. “She has nowhere to go. We all know you’ve been mooning after Glory, but shit, Wolf. What the hell are you thinking?”
Glory came up beside me. “She can’t stay here.”
Dagger’s eyes widened a fraction as he took in Glory, then seemed to realize I was holding a baby. He rocked back on his heels. “What the hell is going on?”
Glory threw her hands up in the air. “Does no one around here communicate?”
“Apparently not,” I said. “I told Steel I was claiming Glory. She and Sienna have moved in. He was supposed to spread the word. It’s why I didn’t stop by the clinic when we first found out about the break-in.”
Dagger scratched at the beard along his jaw and looked from Glory to Franny, then to me. “So you didn’t invite Franny back?”
“No.” I glanced at Franny who was still crying. There was a part of me that wanted to help her. We’d been together for over a year. But I had to think about Glory and Sienna. I wouldn’t ask my woman to accept my ex into our house, and I’d be damned if I let the club railroad me into it. Besides, now that Glory had brought it to my attention, I could see Franny was playing a part.
“I came back to be with Wolf,” Franny said, another tear sliding down her cheek. “I should have never left him.”
Glory rolled her eyes and huffed. “Oh, please. Are you suddenly madly in love with him?”
Franny nodded eagerly. She clearly didn’t sense the trap Glory had just laid. I had a feeling my woman was about to shred her. While a part of me still felt inclined to shield Franny, I knew it would be the wrong move, and would likely drive a wedge between me and Glory.
“Really?” Glory asked, folding her arms. “So you’d not have any problem with him walking around the house just the way he is now? You’d help rub his leg when he overdoes it?”
Franny flinched and took a step back. Yep, and there was the answer plain as day. She’d never been able to handle my missing leg, and I knew she never would. The day she’d left had been a blessing. As much as I’d cared about her, I’d always felt like I couldn’t relax in my own home when she was here. The blinders had come off. I no longer saw Franny as a sweet, helpless woman who needed me. She’d used me and I’d been a dumbass and let her.
“What the fuck is going on?” Dagger asked.
“Franny can’t handle Wolf’s leg not being whole. She told him to go put pants on to cover it up,” Glory said. She pointed a finger at Franny and snarled like a rabid animal. “That bitch isn’t coming in this house.”
Dagger held up his hands. “I’ll take her over to Slash’s place. Maybe the VP can figure something out. I didn’t have the entire story when I knocked on the door.”
The tension eased from Glory and I pulled her against my side, wrapping my arm around her waist to anchor her just in case she decided to go after Franny. I only wanted the best for Fran, even though I knew we were wrong for each other. I hoped she found happiness and acceptance.
“I’m sorry, Fran,” I said. “Even if you’d stayed, I don’t think we’d have remained together. The moment I met Glory, I knew she was the one for me. And I’m not s
aying that to hurt you. There’s a lucky guy out there who’s perfect for you. But it’s not me.”
“Come on,” Dagger said, reaching to gently take her arm. “Let’s go see Slash. Maybe he’ll let you stay in one of the duplexes until you get shit figured out.”
Glory tried to take a step closer to the door, but I held on tight. “In case you didn’t get the message, you aren’t welcome in this house. Don’t come back.”
Before I could react, Glory slammed the door and twisted the lock.
“I can’t believe her!” Glory tore herself from my grasp and stomped into the kitchen. I followed in her wake, a half-smile on my lips as I watched her bang things around and fix our plates. “The nerve! Showing up uninvited! Did she think you would just sit around pining for her?”
Knowing Franny, she’d probably never considered I wouldn’t be sitting at home alone. Before her, I’d had my share of the club whores, but I’d been faithful to Franny, even when we weren’t having sex. She hadn’t seen the other side of me. Then again, Glory hadn’t either, but she watched everyone around her, and she’d known the Dixie Reapers before coming here. She had to have some idea we were a bunch of horny bastards who had plenty of options.
I put Sienna in her high chair and buckled her in. Since she’d just woken up, I knew she’d be hungry. While Glory put the pasta into two large bowls, I got a few jars of baby food down from the cabinet and fed Sienna. I wondered when Glory had last taken her to the doctor and when she’d get to move on to something more solid. We hadn’t really discussed it much.
“Does she have a pediatrician in the area?” I asked.
“No. I meant to ask Zoe and Elena who they use, but then I get sidetracked by something and forget.”
“I’ll get the name and number. Wouldn’t hurt to set up an appointment and get another opinion on our girl here. Maybe things have changed since her last visit,” I said.
Glory came over and ran her hand through Sienna’s short hair. “I wish that were true. I haven’t seen any difference in her, other than she smiles and laughs a lot now. She’s happy here. Even though I knew the Dixie Reapers, I didn’t hang around them much. I’d considered Tank’s woman, Emmie, to be a friend, as well as a few of the other old ladies. I wouldn’t have said we were close, though. Still, they were the only friends I’d had in a while. Sienna and I were largely on our own back in Alabama. To be surrounded by a community like this is different for both of us, and I think she’s thriving with so much attention.”