Jag (Black Hawk MC Book 5)

by Carson Mackenzie

  “Look at you, girly, you’re not scared of no bikes,” Coast commented, and Poppy looked at him and blew a spit bubble, which made us chuckle.

  “Why would she. She’s got my blood in her veins,” I said as the dads pulled to a stop.

  As they shut the bikes off, a truck came around the side of the building and stopped behind them with its bed loaded, one with various size boxes. I grinned when the doors opened, and Thelma and Claire jumped out. Then for further amusement, I glanced at Coast and Flirt after the two women walked toward Cruz and Romeo and each man threw an arm over the women’s shoulders.

  “What the hell is going on around here?” Coast mumbled, and I smiled wider.

  “Seems obvious to me. Your dads have beat you at finding women.” I laughed when both men’s head jerked in my direction. “Hey, just calling it like I see it.”

  “Damn, glad Tank and Bull are working today.”

  “You think they won’t approve, Coast? Who knows, maybe they already know about them,” I said, and held tighter to Poppy who was squirming and reaching for my dad as he headed for us.

  “As protective as they are of their mom, you seriously believe they wouldn’t have already said shit?” Flirt chimed in. “After Claire and my dad told Bailey, he told me she approved. Told them she already suspected they were involved, and she was thrilled. Next day, I was coming out of my house when she was headed to work. Woman cornered me and said she’d turn Romeo and me both into eunuchs if he hurt her mom.” Coast and I laughed.

  “What are you boys laughing about?” my dad asked as he reached and held his arms out to Poppy. I loosened my hold on her, and she dove into her grandpa’s arms. I smiled as I watched him adjust her in his arms, then kiss her cheek. “Has my angel been a good girl?” Poppy babbled as if answering his question. He chuckled, then looked between me, Coast, and Flirt. “Well?”

  “Nothing, we were enjoying something Flirt said,” I answered. By the look my dad gave me, he knew I was dodging. The other dads and the two women joined us.

  “What have you bunch been up to?” Flirt asked.

  “Ask him.” Romeo pointed to my dad, then continued, “Told us it was a nice day for a ride, then before the rest of us knew, we had the women following us in the truck, and we’re at some baby store at the mall. Sly bastard.”

  “Oh, stop bellyaching,” Claire said and smacked Romeo on the chest. “Flyboy needed help on what to buy. Besides, once you and the other men were in the store, Thelma and I thought the truck might not hold all the stuff you all keep saying Poppy needed.”

  “Dad, all that’s for Poppy?” I asked and frowned when I looked at the boxes sticking up in the back of the truck.

  “Yeah,” my dad said distractedly as he patted Poppy on the back and rocked back and forth while her eyes blinked sleepily.

  “Dad, I have everything she needs at my house.”

  “Bet you don’t have a motorcycle walker,” Stroker said, then laughed when I look at him.

  “Seriously, Dad. She is just starting to stand on wobbly legs.” I shook my head.

  “First, it’s cute and my right as her grandpa to introduce her to motorcycles. Second, the shit in the truck is for my place. I wanted her to have her own things at my house since she will be staying with me while you take River away for a few days. She shouldn’t have to sleep in something called a playing pack.”

  The other dads agreed with him, and l looked at Coast and Flirt who shrugged. Thelma and Claire laughed.

  “It’s called a pack and play,” Thelma corrected.

  “Don’t matter what the hell it’s called. My angel isn’t sleeping in it. She’s going to have a regular crib and all things to go with it in her room. Plus, I’ll have it for the new grandbaby, too,” my dad said and glared at me as if he expected me to argue.

  “Okay, but you didn’t have to get it all today. She would have been fine sleeping in the playpen tomorrow night, then after River and I left you could have stayed at our house with her.”

  “I want her to get used to my place. I don’t want her thinking she isn’t welcome there.”

  “Dad, she’s one. Not sure she thinks about much other than food and a dry diaper. And Shakes said she would help you while we’re gone.”

  “I don’t need help, boy. I raised you, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, and Shakes and some of the other ol’ ladies helped then. Just call her if you need a break. Okay?”

  “Fine.”

  “Well, since that’s settle. How about we go inside and see if they’re close to finishing,” Preacher said, and didn’t wait for any of us to reply. He and Stroker were already headed for the door. The rest of us turned to follow, and I walked beside my dad.

  “You want help putting that stuff together?” I asked as I held the door open for him and Poppy.

  “Yeah, that would be good if you got the time.”

  “Always for you, Dad. After I get River settled at Luna and Ghost’s place, Poppy and I will come hang out with you.”

  “Bring what she needs and stay at my place. I’ll throw us some food together, then after we get her room set up, we can eat and drink a few beers to celebrate the last night of you being single.”

  “Sounds good,” I said as I walked behind my dad into the clubhouse. It was time to search out my woman. Staying at my dad’s place wouldn’t be so bad. It beat Poppy and I going back to the house without River being there. After tomorrow, I wouldn’t have to worry about it again.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  River

  The sound of the door being opened and closed had me patting under my eyes. I hadn’t wanted to explain the few tears that escaped, but as soon as the sound of the footsteps reached me, I knew who it was, and I wasn’t going to get out of it.

  “There you are. Why’re you standing out here? It’s almost time.”

  “Just needed a few minutes to myself, Dad.” I forced a smile when he stepped in front of me and hoped my mascara wasn’t smeared to give me away.

  “Hey, what’s wrong, baby?”

  I should’ve known there would be no getting around him; the man was too observant.

  “Nothing, Dad. Please don’t make a big deal of it.”

  “If you’re having second thou—”

  “No... No. I’m not.”

  “Damn fucking straight you’re not.” I jumped and whipped around at the voice, and if my dad hadn’t grabbed my arm, I would have fallen when my heel got caught in the grass.

  “For fuck’s sake, would it kill you men to make a damn sound instead of sneaking up on people and scaring the living the crap out of them. I swear I’m going to sew bells on all your clothes. No, I’m going to sew a bell on your cut because you never go anywhere without it!”

  Dom’s lips twitched, and he looked at my dad. When I glanced over my shoulder, he was fighting not to laugh, too.

  “I’m glad you both find humor in the fact I almost fell.”

  “Told you not to wear those ‘fuck me’ shoes, sweetheart. Not that I don’t appreciate them or plan to take advan—”

  “Stop right there! I know we’ve had this discussion and if we haven’t, well let’s clear it up right now.” It was my turn to grin. “Don’t you laugh, little girl. I mean it. I don’t want, nor do I need, to hear about your sex life. Ever.”

  “She’s carrying my kid. I know you aren’t so old you’ve forgotten how they’re made,” Dom said, and I elbowed him.

  “Christ, son. I swear I’m going to end up shooting you next. And damn, I just got cleared from one investigation for shooting that piece of shit weasel. If I put a bullet in the soon-to-be son-in-law, I’m sure they will take the badge. Once, you can write off as a fluke. Twice, I’m sure would be considered premeditated. Plus, I don’t need the whole club after me. So maybe the two of you can give an old man a break.”

  “Dad, eventually you are going to have to get over the whole,” I waved my hand around, “my daughter has sex phobia. I’m a grown woman.” At
Dad’s glare, Dom lost the hold on his laughter. “Oh, come on, I’m going to be pushing a cantaloupe out of my hoo-haw. How are you going to handle that?”

  “That’s it, I’m going inside. Young people haven’t a bit of damn respect for their elders. And I will handle the birth of my grandchild like I handled your birth—in the waiting area.”

  I laughed as my dad headed for the door.

  “And, River, nice try deflecting away from the tears you had in your eyes when I came out.”

  I glared at my dad’s back as he opened the door.

  “Enjoy your payback—maybe you’ll explain to Dom why you had them in the first place. And for Christ’s sake be careful in those shoes, my grandbaby doesn’t need to be jostled around because of the stilts,” he said, then let the door close behind him.

  “Between your dad and mine with the kids, we might have to fight to spend time with our own children.”

  When I faced Dom, he was staring at me, and the expression on his face said he was waiting for an explanation. Which I had every intention of avoiding.

  “Don’t you think? I mean, he is looking forward to the baby.”

  Dom cocked his brow, and I knew I didn’t have a chance of getting away without talking about the tears my dad witnessed.

  “Nuh uh, don’t try to distract me with the baby. Give it up, River.”

  “It’s nothing. Really, Dom.”

  “Well, good. Then you shouldn’t have a problem explaining.”

  “Fine. I came out to get a few minutes alone, and it struck me while I stood here that my mother controlled my first wedding and made it into some fairytale—” Dom’s frown made me pause. “What?”

  “I know the clubhouse isn’t what you’re used to, but you could have said something when I mentioned it. Instead of agreeing, then crying when the day arrives—”

  “Shut up, Dom!”

  Dom instantly grew quiet, which for anyone else would be a good thing, but with him, not so much. It usually meant he was gearing up for an explosion. I moved to stand closer to him and reached up and cupped his face between my hands. The muscles in his jaws tightened under my hands as proof he clenched his teeth.

  “Let me finish before you jump to a hundred conclusions, wrong ones at that. I imagine I had a wedding most little girls dream of having, but it wasn’t my dream. The wedding was what my mother wanted. It had been just another thing that proved she never knew me, not really. The difference between my parents always makes me wonder how they’d gotten together in the first place. Anyway, when I told my dad I was moving here, he was excited and asked me what he could do to help. No questions, no demanding why, and he sure didn’t try to take over.

  “I made the move for a fresh start, to build a different life for myself. From day one, this place has felt more like home, more like me. Getting to be closer to my dad, and essentially getting to know him better, instead of the man who took his vacation once a year to visit and spend time with me. It’s been enlightening to say the least. Everyone has been welcoming and nice. The women, God, they accepted me into their fold like they’d known me my whole life. I thought I had friends before, but once the divorce was in place, I learned quickly who they were loyal to. It sure wasn’t me.

  “But the biggest surprise, and one I wasn’t even looking for—was you.” I caressed his cheeks with my thumbs and was glad the tightness in his jaws subsided. “The last thing I needed was to get involved. Then there you were in front of me, and I didn’t like the feelings you brought on. I fought those feelings, but you just kept showing up. Dom, you didn’t just remove the veneer I covered myself in—you ripped it down. You told me once, plans change. And were you ever right.”

  “Ah, sweetheart—” Dom said, cupped my face in his hands and wiped away the couple of tears that escaped my eyes.

  “You know, little girls are misguided into believing the beauty of their wedding day is in the flowers, the perfect gown, twinkling lights, or whatever else they want to make the day special for them. When in actuality, only one thing matters—the man who is waiting for you at the end of the aisle. It doesn’t matter if he is wearing a tux or jeans and a cut.” I smiled and moved one of my hands and placed it on his cut over his heart.

  “You’re what makes this day special to me. Not decorations or even where we are getting married. And the best part will be tomorrow, then the next day, and every single day after that I get to spend with you. I love you so much, Dom. Thank you for being the man I had no clue I needed.”

  “Fuck me, you don’t ever have to thank me, River. The first day I saw you, you were mine. It may have taken me a bit to realize it, but it doesn’t change it. And that’s all I give a shit about.” Dom wiped more tears that ran down my cheeks, then wrapped me in his arms and bent his head until our lips touched. As the ability to think was about to leave me, I thought every woman deserved their own tattooed, overbearing the majority of the time, arrogant, and yes, often rude biker. And I was glad this one had been earmarked for me.

  The clearing of a throat ended the kiss, and I dropped my hands away from Dom and turned around in his loosened arms.

  “Though I can’t say that I’ve attended a bunch of weddings, I do know the kiss comes last to seal the deal.”

  “Screw off, Flirt, we’re coming,” Dom said, then dropped one of his arms and kept the other around my waist to help me on the uneven ground. I was grateful for the support.

  “If I’d been a few minutes later, I probably would have seen you two doing just that.”

  Dom laughed, and I felt the heat on my face as the blush formed.

  “You make it sound like a bad thing, brother,” Dom said, and Flirt chuckled when I elbowed Dom.

  “Come on, everyone is getting restless, and Claire has already threatened the men that she better not find a finger swipe in the icing of the wedding cake or they would be missing more than their fingers,” Flirt said as we walked in the door.

  “They better not, I’ve got plans for the extra icing,” I said and winked at Dom when he frowned.

  “What do want icing for? Are you having one of those weird cravings pregnant women get?”

  “Well...no, I just thought,” I lowered my voice, “licking icing off each one of my husband’s tattoos would be fun.”

  Flirt groaned, which told me I didn’t quite lower my voice enough. But thankfully he continued walking without a word. Dom, on the other hand, stopped us in front of Crusher’s office door. I’d used the room to get dressed in, and it was where I had left the other women when I stepped outside.

  “Go inside, you have five minutes and this thing is starting. Once everything is over, I hope you don’t expect to stay and celebrate all night. I’m holding you to the icing remark, too. And, sweetheart, you know I have a lot of tattoos for you to lick.” Dom winked, and his eyes reflected just what kind of wedding night I was going to have. Then he opened the door and gave me a small nudge. I was through the door, and it was closed before I had the chance to respond.

  “Thanks for that visual,” Carly said and chuckled while Sami, Luna, and Bailey smiled at me. The old River would have been mortified if anyone had overheard, the new River with friends could have cared less. And it felt great.

  “I aim to please,” I said and moved to grab the hand mirror I’d brought with me to check my mascara. As I looked in the mirror, I hardly recognized the woman who looked back. My eyes were bright, and even I knew it had nothing to do with the make-up and everything to do with being beyond happy.

  “I think that is what Jag’s counting on,” Luna said as she moved beside me.

  “Uncle Jag won’t really eat all the icing, will he?” Ally asked, and her face held a look of despair.

  Luna started touching up my make-up while she and I just grinned at each other. Sometimes it was best to let things go unanswered. But when no one replied, Ally continued.

  “If there were cupcakes, he wouldn’t get all the icing.”

  “Stop worrying about t
he icing and the cake. I’m sure there will be enough for everyone. Now, let me fix your hair and then you need to change your shoes.” Sami sat in a chair and pulled Ally between her legs and started working on the hair that had escaped Ally’s ponytail.

  “But I don’t like those shoes,” Ally huffed.

  “I likes my shoes and my dress. They’re pretty, right, Bailey?” Neely asked.

  “Yes, sweetheart, they are,” Bailey answered and smiled when Neely spun while Ally glared at her.

  “Geez, I pray these two are boys,” Luna whispered in my ear and rubbed her hand over her baby bump.

  I chuckled, then whispered back, “I hope this one is, too. Poppy is a handful now, I can’t imagine what she’ll be like in a couple years.”

  “At least by the time you have this one, Poppy will be walking good. Probably well on to being potty-trained. Unlike me who will have two the same age,” Luna said and set the make-up brush aside.

  “You’re going to be a great mom, Luna.”

  “Little late to worry about that now anyway, don’t you think?” Carly said, then snorted when Luna lifted her hand preparing to flip her off, then remembered the little girls in the room and dropped her arm.

  “Ally Weston, stop it right now, we discussed this. You are not wearing biker boots with your dress. You wanted to be a flower girl, so there you go,” Sami said and reached for the bag that sat on the chair beside her.

  “But Daddy gets to wear his and jeans!” Ally said and crossed her arms over her chest. A move I witnessed from the men in the club somewhat regularly when dealing with them.

  “Yes, he does. And when you get your daddy into a dress, you can wear biker boots with jeans to a wedding.” The room filled with laughter at Sami’s response. Even Ally smiled and reached for the dress shoes her mom had dug out of the bag.

  We turned toward the door when the knock sounded, then watched as my dad walked in.

  “Well that’s our cue,” Carly said and stood. Each of my new friends kissed my cheek, and I had to work to hold the tears back. Hormones sucked. I knew the women would be seated by their men once they reached the room, but I was grateful they stayed with me while I dressed. It had kept most of my nervous energy away.