by Kayn, Debra
Slade sat up, kissed the side of her forehead, and left the bed to get rid of the used condom. She sat on the edge of the mattress. Prior to getting together with him, she'd watched him play with all the women who hung out on open club nights. At the time, she thought he was a slut like all the other men, but it wasn't until they'd hooked up together she noticed the difference in how he treated her versus the other women.
She'd never seen him look at them the way he did with her. If they were in the same room, his eyes were on her. They spoke to her. They caressed her.
She shook her head in pity. God, she sounded like a sixteen year old with visions of forever.
To distract her thoughts and because it was now daylight, she wandered around Slade's room, looking at his stuff. She hadn't seen a thing last night when he'd taken her into the house and directly to his bed.
Besides a beat up dresser that needed re-stained and the set of mattresses sitting on a few cinder blocks, the only thing hinting at a real bedroom were the photos tacked to the wall above the dresser. She stepped over and took a closer look.
There were many shots of Kurt riding his dirt bike, Lee sticking his tongue out for the camera and photo bombing the pictures of Slade's Harley. There were even photos of Slade smashed in between his two boys, which he must've taken with his cell phone because the top of his head was cut off in his attempt to get his family in one shot. She straightened one of the pictures, and caught sight of more photos at the MC get-togethers. She peered closer. Her chest warmed and she smiled.
Her face was in a majority of his collection, and she wasn't even the MC's property. Her association came from working at Cactus Cove.
"Hey." Slade stepped up beside her. "I left the shower on."
She pointed. "You took my picture. A lot of them."
He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and spoke into her ear. "I wanted you here in this room. Now you're here."
She melted. "That's nice of you to say."
"Truth, baby girl," he said.
"About that…" She turned in his arms. "I can't stay. The boys are coming tonight."
He kissed her lips. It wasn't the soft, sweet kiss she expected. It was passionate, intense, and possessive. And, totally confused her.
"I want my boys to see you here. I want them to know that from now on, you're mine," he said. "I need you, and Lee and Kurt need you right now."
"Okay." She agreed too eagerly.
His show of going forward was what she'd always wanted and dreamed about as she sat home waiting for him to slip in her house and spend time with her. She stepped away, needing to think about all the big changes he suggested. "I'll go shower."
She hurried into the bathroom, shut the door, and sucked in huge gulps of air. Lightheaded and caught between a total freak out and the happiest she'd ever been, she bent at the waist to take it all in.
Slade claimed her. They were out. Everyone would know about them—really know about them. Sure, all their friends and club members had guessed and speculated about what was going on between them, but it was real this time. She no longer had to refrain from touching him in public or be afraid of letting something slip.
The Bantorus MC was her family. The other women were her sisters. She covered her mouth and muffled her scream. On the other side of the door, Slade chuckled. She whirled around, cracking the door open and peeked out into the bedroom.
Slade stood there, bare chested, his Levi's unbuttoned, looking hardcore badass, except for the grin. "Get dressed, baby girl. We need to go make it official."
She nodded, shutting the door with a bang, and jumped into the shower. This was what she wanted. No longer would she have to stand outside the circle of the MC family and wish she were one of them. She scrubbed her hair, rinsed, and washed her body. Slade, the kids, the life, were finally hers.
She pulled the towel down from the shower rod and wrapped herself. Her stomach quivered, and it dawned on her that any other time she would've been shouting the news. Her smile fell away, and she stared down at her feet. It was happening too fast.
As much as she wanted to celebrate the moment, Slade's decision came after a life altering moment in his life. He'd walked out on her and their relationship four days ago.
His life had become an emotional rollercoaster, and she was along for the ride. She walked out of the bathroom. Slade was gone from the room, and she quickly dressed in the clothes she'd worn to work yesterday.
At the door of his bedroom, she entered the hallway and a house she'd never been inside before now. She had no idea where his kitchen was or if she should make herself at home.
She approached an open doorway and stopped. Her heart squeezed. Slade stood inside the room, holding a child's navy sweatshirt to his face. She glanced away and took in the motocross posters, the stuffed animals, the Legos scattered in the corner. She grabbed the doorframe. The sense of loss Slade was going through left her legs weak. She couldn't even imagine what was going through his head right now.
He mourned his boys.
He had a lot to work through, and even though she wasn't getting her happily ever after and she worried about what would happen when Slade's home life worked itself out, she knew she'd selfishly go along with his plan to become a family, because Slade was it for her.
Hopefully over time, he'd see her for the person she wanted to be in his life, and not an answer to fixing his world. Because even though she loved him and his boys, she was afraid there wouldn't be a place in his life for her when he discovered she couldn't fix a broken family.
Chapter Seven
Cheers spread around the bar at Cactus Cove over the announcement that Taylor was his woman. Slade laid his arm across her shoulders, and she rolled willingly against his side. He grinned nearby at Rain, Torque, and Gladys. They watched him with concerned eyes, and yet they smiled for Taylor's benefit.
Each one of them had tried to talk to him earlier about his quick decision to bring Taylor under the Bantorus MC umbrella. Whether they sensed a change in his mood or worried about him committing himself to Taylor in a time of turmoil, their attention wasn't lost on him. Hell, he didn't need them to tell him he was barely hanging on.
Announcing Taylor as his woman was the right thing to do. Bikers brought many women around the club, but few were willing to give up their freedom. Not only had he tied himself to Taylor in a way he always wanted, she could now sit on the back of his bike and be under the club's protection.
Taylor kissed him, her mouth vibrating with amusement at the catcalls she received. Pride for his woman had him bending her backward, marking his territory for all to see.
She came away laughing, and Gladys pulled her away to wrap her in a hug. He moved over and leaned against the bar beside Torque.
"Feel good, man?" Torque lifted his mug of beer.
Slade never took his gaze off Taylor, enjoying her happiness. "Yeah. She's it for me, brother."
"Good to hear." Torque swiveled on the barstool and lowered his voice. "I wanted to talk to you. Raul came in this morning, said Los Li are in Southern Cali, heading this way. Lagsturns are on a run out of state and don't have enough men back at the club to hold the assholes back from coming up into Oregon. They'll be arriving in Washington earlier than we expected."
Slade glanced at him. "Any word yet on why they're heading this way?"
"Nope." Torque put down his glass. "But there's nothing stopping them from hitting Pitnam hard. They've always respected the boundaries, but it looks like they're coming straight up and bringing a shitstorm with them."
"Fuck," he muttered, unease creeping into his thoughts.
Torque ran his hand along his jaw. "What are you thinking?"
He glanced away from Taylor and looked Torque in the eyes. "Something goes down, I want my kids with me and protected. I can't do that when they're with Jodie."
Rain approached Slade and quietly asked, "Torque fill you in?"
"Yeah," Slade said. "Need my boys home before
Los Li arrive."
"Whether they're with you or they're not, they're protected. You know that. We're not letting anything or anyone touch our families. Not even the God damn mafia." Rain glanced over at Tori talking to Taylor. "Family first."
That security and protection Rain claimed was the reason Slade pledged his life to Bantorus MC. He wanted his family raised within the boundaries of Pitnam and the club, but with his kids living with Jodie and Ray, certain things were out of his control, and he hated it. "Right."
Rain reached behind his back and laid two pistols on the counter of the bar. Slade recognized them as the ones Rain confiscated last week. He took the three-eighty, shoved the weapon in the ankle strap above his boot, and put the forty-caliber pistol in the back of his waistband on his jeans. A sense of solidarity and competence had him lifting his chin to Rain. "Thanks."
"Don't make me regret giving them back. You feel out of control, put them down. I don't care if you bring them in, give them to Taylor, or toss them in the Columbia River; you do not pick one up if your heads in a bad place. I even get a hint that you're messed up, and you'll be running nomad," Rain said.
He clamped his teeth together. Nobody had to tell him what he had to lose, but no one—not even Rain—could stop him from putting a bullet in the motherfucker who had his kids if he got the chance.
"Honey?" The uncertainty in Taylor's voice had him turning around.
She held her phone out in front of her. Her complexion paled and she looked from him to the phone, frowning. Two strides and he stood in front of her, taking the phone out of her hand. He read the message. Then started over and read it again, because he couldn't believe what Jodie had done this time.
"Stay here." He turned to Rain. "Do not let her out of your sight."
"Done." Rain moved around the counter and joined him in front of Taylor. "What's up?"
"Kyle texted Taylor's phone. His mom put a block on the cell I bought him, so he can't call me. I had him memorize Taylor's phone number in case of an emergency." He hooked Taylor's neck and pulled her closer. "Never thought he'd need it, but knew I'd hear about it if he needed help."
"That's okay." Taylor leaned against him. "Do you know where the boys are?"
"Yeah," he said, gritting his teeth.
"What did Kurt say?" Gladys pressed against the other side of Taylor and put her arm around his woman. "The boys are okay, right?"
"Jodie dropped them off at the gas station on the corner. Told them to wait two hours and then walk to the bar. I'm supposed to have them from tonight until Sunday afternoon. Bitch couldn't face me, so she left them alone." He kissed Taylor's forehead. "Stay here. I'm going to pick them up and then we'll come back and get you."
She grabbed his arm. "Wait. You need my keys. We came in my car."
He took the keys and hit the door. Damn Jodie.
This wasn't the first time his ex pulled this kind of shit before with the kids. If she wasn't leaving them alone, she had motherfucker Ray with her, and it was all he could do to get his boys out of a negligible situation before finally beating the shit out of their stepfather.
He jumped into Taylor's car, revved out of the parking lot, and never stopped until he pulled into the gas station. He pushed back his stocking cap, his forehead perspiring. His kids were too young to drop off like a sack of recycled beer cans.
He scanned the station and found his boys beside the front door, sitting on the ground, their heads together. Kurt had his arm looped around Lee's shoulders. Slade's heart hammered. They were okay, for now.
He shoved the gearshift into park, and was outside with his kids in his arms before he said a word. He let Lee sob against his shoulder, because the kid deserved that much. Hell, he felt like bawling himself.
Kurt pulled back first, his young face hardened with anger. Slade palmed the back of his head and looked him in the eye. "Proud of you. You made the right choice, watched your brother, and took care of business. Real proud, son."
Kurt's chin quivered and he nodded. There was nothing he could do to change Kurt's opinion about the situation. His kids deserved to be pissed off at the world and scared out of their mind. Kurt handled the situation better than Slade would've done. His son had a right to believe his dad failed him, because he had.
He picked up Lee, even though he was too big to have his dad carry him, and took his kids to the car. He opened the back seat, tossed Lee inside, and squeezed Kurt's neck as he passed by him and sat down.
"Buckle up." He closed the door and walked around the front of the car.
Inside the car, he gazed in the rearview mirror. Kurt sat solemnly looking out the side window and Lee rubbed his nose against the knee of his jeans. He started the car, and drove back to Cactus Cove slower than he had when he'd left to find his sons. When they parked, he shifted in the driver's seat and gazed at the boys. "I know things are rough, and they'll probably get worse before I can make things better."
"I want to live with you," Lee said.
He nodded. "I know, son, and you have to give me enough time to make that happen. In the meantime, you're with me every other weekend. Let's take it for what it's worth and own it, huh?"
Lee nodded, kicking his feet on the back of the driver's seat. Slade inhaled deeply. One down, one to go.
"Kurt? You with us?" Slade gave him time because unlike Lee, Kurt understood more than anyone was telling him.
His oldest son was a splitting image of Slade. Surly, quiet, and a deep thinker. That worried him because as he knew, it would eventually get Kurt in trouble. If he put too much gas in a bottle, any sort of spark or fire would make an explosion.
"Yeah," Kurt muttered.
"Good. Now, I got a surprise for you," he said.
"What?" Dual replies had his heart smiling. Underneath the attitude and hurt, they were still boys, believing in adults and hoping for a better change.
"Taylor's going to be staying at the house and helping us out when you guys are home with me." Slade pushed on. "I expect you to respect her, but know that if you need anything or feel like talking to her, she's there for you. I'd really appreciate it if you made her feel welcome."
"Did Aunt Taylor get taken away from her dad too?" Lee chewed his lip.
Kurt elbowed his brother. "Don't be an ass. She's an adult, and doesn't live with her dad cause she's old."
"Watch your mouth." Slade changed the subject. "I've been seeing Taylor on the weekends you two have been at your mom's. We've spent a lot of time together, and decided we're going to make things permanent."
"She's your girlfriend?" Lee giggled.
"Yeah, you nut." Slade grinned. "That's what adults do and when you're older, you'll have a girlfriend. A lot of them if you're lucky."
Kurt's eyes narrowed. "Are you marrying her?"
"She's my woman, so yeah, just like your mom was my woman for a time. Except things didn't work out the way we'd planned between your mom and me." Slade waited for Kurt to bring his eyes back on him. "A man doesn't claim a woman, unless he expects it to last forever. Sometimes sh-stuff happens that's out of our control and as a man, it's up to us to do whatever it takes to keep that relationship alive. You getting me?"
"I don't like girls." Lee wrinkled his nose. "'Cept Aunt Taylor's nice. Where's she gonna sleep?"
Kurt's gaze never left Slade, and the silent accusations rolled off his son. Slade chose to ignore Kurt's complaints and answer Lee honestly. "She'll bunk in my room."
Lee laughed, and Slade took that opportunity to take the boys into the bar and pick up Taylor. In the long run, his boys would see they were better off with Taylor in their lives. Maybe she could bring some normalcy, where he continued to fail.
Chapter Eight
Kurt and Lee wrestled with Slade in the living room loud enough the whole block probably heard the challenges and bragging rights they were throwing at each other. Taylor escaped to the kitchen and dumped the rest of the coffee in the sink. After two days with the boys, she was ready to kill Slade
's ex-wife.
From day one, she knew Slade came with baggage. She leaned against the sink, fury making her want to break something. How was she supposed to let those boys go home to a selfish bitch of a mother?
The boys clammed up when Slade asked them questions that pertained to life at their moms, but it didn't stop them from dropping little hints when Slade and her were least expecting it. She pressed her hand to her forehead in an attempt to staunch the headache growing.
The boys weren't the only thing bothering her, but right now it was the most tangible thing she could hold onto, and stay strong. She inhaled and blew out her breath. Once the kids went back to their mom's house, she was going to talk to Slade. He had to do something about the situation, and if he thought having her around was going to fix the way Jodie neglected the boys, he was wrong.
Hands settled on her hips and turned her around. She gazed up into Slade's face. His brows lowered and the tension from this morning remained in his eyes.
"You okay?" he asked.
"No." She leaned in closer and whispered, "They eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. Peanut butter. Every single night."
Slade closed his eyes momentarily, whether to hide from the truth or push away the pain, she didn't know. "Kids survive on much less."
She snorted, because all she wanted to do was cry for the travesty put on two young kids. "That's not the point."
"I know that." Slade moved his head to the side, popping his neck. "Kills me, baby girl."
"Then let me help you find another lawyer." She placed her hands on his chest. "A better one. I have money in my savings and I can take out a loan. I have good credit."
"No." He framed her head with his hands and the mask he frequently wore hardened his face. "I'm going to take care of this. Trust me."
"What are you going to do?" she said.
"All you need to know is I'll do it." He turned, spotted Kurt, and stepped away from Taylor. "What's up, son?"
"We picked up our rooms and put our clothes in the closet." Kurt glanced between him and Taylor, and then thrust a piece of paper out to her. "Lee wanted me to give this to you."