by Erin Osborne
Looking down at my phone, I love the image I’ve managed to capture. Without a doubt this picture will be hanging on the wall of our new home no matter where we go. Anywhere Blood and Colt are is home to me. I’m not going to lie and say this shit has been easy for the last three years between us, it’s been anything except easy, but I will stand by my man for as long as he wants us in his life. No matter what, I don’t give up easily. If I did, I wouldn’t be here with Blood now. I’d be back home with my parents, living the life of luxury. I’d rather take hard work, dedication, and love, over that shit any day.
“What’s goin’ on, baby?” Blood asks me as Colt rides his bike toward me, the smile still on his adorable face.
“I found a house,” I respond, my own smile firmly in place.
“Where at?”
“In a small town about forty miles from here, called Cullfield. I still have the house up on the laptop. I’m in love with it, Axel. The area is a newer developed area in the town with not a ton of homes there,” I inform him as Colt gets off his bike and places his helmet on the handlebars.
He rushes in the house, as I look up at Blood in confusion.
“Had to go to the bathroom. Show me the house while he’s inside,” he replies, placing a soft kiss on my lips before resting his hand on my lower back.
We walk directly to the laptop I left open on the counter, out of Colt’s reach if he got in there before us. Swiping across the pad on the bottom, the screen comes to life. On it is the home with all the specs Blood will want to see that I have no clue about. He looks over everything before looking through the pictures I’ve already seen. While he’s looking through everything, Colt rushes back into the room with an exuberance only a two-year-old has. He’s begging for something to drink so I pull out a juice box and put the straw in it before handing it over. While he’s drinking his juice, I step up behind Blood to hear him on the phone. He’s already talking to the realtor about the house.
Trying to hide my giddiness, I make my way to the laundry room so I can switch the clothes over to the dryer. By the time I’m done, Blood is at my back, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me close to him. He nuzzles my neck as I tilt my head out of the way for him.
“The realtor is puttin’ in my offer. We should know if it’s ours by the end of the day. For now, what do you say we get out of here?” he asks me, placing a kiss on my neck before backing up.
“What did you have in mind?”
“We’ll take a drive out of town. Stop somewhere to eat lunch, and then maybe spend some time at the lake. How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” I respond, kissing him. “I’ll get Colt ready then change into my suit and a pair of shorts.”
Blood smacks my ass as I walk by him while I squeak out in shock. It’s been a long time since I saw the playful side of him. A side I’ve missed greatly. I’m glad it’s coming back and making an appearance because this is a part of him that I love more than his other sides. More than the hard, unfeeling man trying to pick up the slack of a bunch of addicts who expect him to do all their work for them and offer him nothing in return.
After getting ready, we all head out. Colt is excited to spend the day with his dad. To him, it doesn’t matter what we do or where we go as long as Blood is here with him. I only pray this lasts long enough for us to get the hell out of here and adjust to our new version of life. At least until we have to move back. One phone call is all it’s going to take, and I’m not dumb enough to believe it won’t come when we least expect it.
Chapter Three
Blood
TONYA, COLT, AND I have moved to Cullfield. We’ve been here for about three days. The house is almost completely unpacked. When I haven’t been helping Tonya or playing with Colt, I’ve been out searching for a job. There’s a garage I’m going to today on the outskirts of town. Most places aren’t going to be okay with me leaving for almost a week at a time. However, I don’t have a choice if I want to protect my family. See, blood ties mean nothing to my father. Him saying he’ll put my family to ground isn’t an idle threat, it’s a damn promise. He’ll make me suffer for betraying him by watching Tonya and Colt suffer before he finally kills me. I’m not stupid enough to underestimate him; I never will be.
“Baby, where you at?” I call out, walking through the house.
“In Colt’s room.”
Walking into our son’s room, I see my woman picking up his toys then placing them on the shelf I built this morning. She’s bent over with her ass in the air. I walk up behind her, place my hands on her hips before grinding my hard cock against her ass. Tonya pushes back into me slightly until I pull her up so her back is flush against my front.
“None of that. Colt’s awake,” she lectures me softly as I turn her head for a kiss.
“I know. Couldn’t help myself with your ass up in the air like that though,” I reply, after breaking the deep kiss. “I’m gonna head out. I want to talk to the owner of the garage; I know he usually leaves at noon for the day.”
“Okay. Be careful,” she states, knowing I’m always careful when I’m on my bike.
“Always. Got a lot to live for and I’m done missin’ a minute with you. What are your plans for the day?” I question her, backing away from her.
“I’m going to finish unpacking before heading outside to do some yard work,” she responds, placing one more kiss on my lips.
“Okay. I’ll help when I get back. Hopefully, I get this job, so we don’t have to rely on the money from the club. The less we spend of it, the better I’ll feel right now,” I inform her.
It’s not that my money from the club is tainted. I’ve made sure to put it through one of our businesses. Plus, I’ve made some investments with that money, I’ve done good with it. So, any money we spend is free and clear. No one will be coming to question us about anything we do with it. The rest of the guys aren’t as fucking smart about their shit, since they only use it for drugs, they really don’t give a fuck about making sure it’s clean. One of these days, it’s going to get them in hot water. Hopefully, by that time I’ll be far away when it happens. It’s not like I’ll be going to the clubhouse on a regular basis. I’m only there once a month, long enough to drop money off for those who get a cut of the profits.
Walking back through the house, I find Colt watching a cartoon. He’s sitting on the floor in front of the couch with his sippy cup in his hands. As I walk in the living room, he looks up at me. Colt’s eyes widen because he knows I’m leaving, as if he’s not going to see me again for a while. I don’t blame him; it’s going to take a while for him to realize I’m not going to disappear on him like before. I’ve put this fear into him by putting the club first so many times over his short life. That won’t ever happen again. I’m done with all the bullshit, especially because I don’t want to see this look on my son’s face ever again.
“I’ll be back soon, buddy,” I assure him. “I’m gonna go out to try to find a job.”
Colt nods his head as if he understands what I’m talking about before turning his attention back to the TV. Walking over, I give him a kiss on top of his head before turning and walking out of the door. My bike is parked in the driveway, I straddle my baby while looking around the neighborhood. There are only five other homes besides ours, so where we live is quiet. Not something I’m used to, but it’s what I’ve been craving after the loudness at the clubhouse of the last few years. It’s going to be an adjustment for sure, but one I’m looking forward to. Starting my bike, I don’t hesitate as I pull from the driveway, making my way to the outskirts of town.
It takes me about fifteen minutes to get to the garage. It’s got three bays, all of which are open. Loud rock music blasts from the garage as I park my bike.. Taking off my helmet, I place it on the handlebars before getting off it, heading toward the garage.
“Can I help you?” an older man asks me, walking from the first bay while wiping his grease stained hands on a rag.
“Yeah. My name’s
Axel. I came here to see if you’re lookin’ for help,” I state, holding my hand out to shake his.
“I can always use an extra set of hands here. It’s just my boy, Ashton, and me working. My name’s Tom. You got any experience?” Tom questions me, looking at my club cut.
“Yes, sir. Not in a traditional garage, but the club owns one,” I respond. “Gettin’ away from that life. The only thing is, I do have to leave town for about a week every month. Other than that, I’m here whenever you need me.”
“A week every month?” he questions.
“Yes, sir. Prior obligations. I won’t bring any trouble here, plus I’m a hard worker. My wife and I just moved here with our young son. She’s pregnant again, so it’s time to move on,” I inform him honestly.
“Don’t got no problem with any of that,” he says, turning and walking back to his bay. “You’ll be in bay three. There’s a car already in there. Won’t start. You figure it out and the job is yours.”
“Thank you, sir,” I state, heading for the garage.
“Just call me Tom. We’re not big on formality and shit here,” he responds with a chuckle.
“Got it,” I say, smiling back at him.
Pulling my cut from my shoulders, I lay it over the work bench next to me. For an older garage, the place shines with new tools, no grease covering every surface, and everything is put in its place. Each bay has its own lift with plenty of room to work around any cars, trucks, or other vehicles they get in here. Opening the door of the car in my bay, I try to start it so I can see what kind of noise, if any, it’s making. There is absolutely no sound whatsoever as I turn the key. Well, that could mean a shit ton of different problems with a car. Popping the hood, I get out before making my way around to the hood of the car. It’s going to take me a while to get this piece of shit started. But I’ll do it just so I can prove I’m worthy of working with Tom and his son, Ashton.
It’s taken me all afternoon to figure out what’s wrong with the car. Not only was the starter shot, the alternator was done, and the battery was also a goner. Tom sent me to the auto parts store with some cash so I could get the necessary parts I needed. He also asked me to stop for lunch at the diner in town. While he called in an order, I placed my own call. I needed to let Tonya know where I was and what was going on. She’s excited as hell for me, told me to take my time, that she’ll make sure dinner is ready when I get home. That’s not what I want from her either. I have no problem helping her take care of the house and making my family dinner. But I want a partnership with Tonya not one of us doing everything, while the other one doesn’t work as hard in the house or with our children.
When we’re both off our phones, I accept the money from Tom. Getting in one of the garage’s cars, since I can’t carry parts and lunch back on my bike, I then make my way through town. The parts store is only about ten minutes from the garage. Riding through town, I have on a new song by multiple artists called Maybe It’s Time. I turn the radio up while the windows are down. I’m not even wearing my cut since I’m in a cage. I never wear my cut in a cage. It’s always left at the clubhouse or on the seat next to me.
Once I have the parts from the store, after a ton of questions since I’m new in a small town, I finally manage to leave after saying I’m working for Tom. I then head a few doors down to the diner to grab our lunch, after that I make my way back to the cage so I can get back to work. The sooner I’m back there and done, the sooner I can get home to my family. While I may not have put a ton of hours in at the clubhouse’s garage over the last year or so, the knowledge never goes away. I love working with my hands. I’d rather put in an honest day’s work busting my ass in this garage than playing fucking babysitter to a bunch of grown ass men. This is what’s going to have Tonya and our children proud of me, not fucking around trying to run that club on my own. I’d rather have them proud of me than split my family apart over something I don’t agree with.
Even though it’s only been a few days since moving here, I’m already finding the adjustment to life away from the club hard. I’m so used to being gone for hours upon hours at a time doing one thing or another for all the club’s businesses. Now, I’ll be going to the same garage on a daily basis while doing the same work each day. While the club’s businesses don’t typically change, something new always seems to pop up. There always seemed to be one problem after another. Here, I’m not going to have that. I’ll basically be doing the same thing every day for the rest of my life. While I know it’s supposed to be this way, so I can provide for my family, it’s not the same thing.
Yeah, the guys in the club are nothing more than addicts and fuckups. But there was always someone around. If I wanted to have a beer or two after a long day, I wouldn’t be alone. There’s no way in hell I’d ever burden Tonya with my thoughts or shit going on, that’s where the guys came in. A few of them would actually stay sober long enough to carry on a conversation with. They were mainly the prospects, but that can’t be helped. It was still other men to talk to, so I didn’t feel so alone. Even in a messed-up way, there was a sense of brotherhood on occasion. That’s what I miss; the brotherhood I had with a few of the guys. Now, I’ll only see them once a month for as long as it takes us to do the run so I can turn in the money to the club, then head back to my family.
Pulling back into the garage parking lot, I get out and see another guy with Tom. They’re standing there talking with their eyes on me. This must be Ashton, Tom’s son. Setting my thoughts aside for the time being, I forget the club and how I need to adjust to my life’s needs now. Grabbing our lunch and two of the boxes of parts, I make my way into Tom’s open bay. Setting everything down on the workbench, I turn so I can meet his son.
“Axel, this is my son, Ashton. He’ll be here the rest of the day with you,” Tom makes the introductions. “Thanks for picking up lunch.”
“Anytime. Ashton, it’s good to meet you,” I reply, holding my hand out to him.
“That your bike?” he questions, ignoring my outstretched hand.
“Yeah. My cut is over there too. Part of Kings Vengeance MC,” I answer honestly, folding my arms over my chest.
“Don’t want or need any trouble here,” Ashton growls out.
“Listen here, boy,” Tom scolds, putting his burger down as I turn to get my own food. “This is my damn shop and I’m giving him a chance. Knew he was part of the club when he came in, he told me about it. He ain’t hiding nothing from me, you’re just gonna have to fucking deal. Now, get to work.”
Nodding my head at Tom to show him my appreciation, I look to Ashton and say, “Look, man, I get that you are just looking out for your father and his place of business, but I’m not looking for any trouble. I’m looking to restart my life here with my family. Seriously, nothing but respect.”
After saying my piece, I grab my food along with the two boxes I’ve already brought in before making my way to the third bay. After quickly eating, I run out for the third box so I can get to work on the car. Tom won’t be here when I’m done since Ashton is now here. I want the car done with when he shows up tomorrow to prove to him that I’ll do the work and know what the hell I’m doing with cars.
I’ve gotten the alternator in along with the new battery when Tom comes over to me. I stop working and wipe my hands on the rag he tosses in my direction. Looking at him, I wonder what he’s going to say about my work. Or if Ashton has gotten to him because he doesn’t like the fact that I’m a member of a motorcycle club. He obviously has a problem with them, I just don’t know why.
“You’ve done good today. Come back tomorrow morning at eight o’clock,” he states before turning on his heel and walking away. “The starter can wait until tomorrow. Go spend the night with your family and share the good news.”
“Thank you, Tom,” I smile at him. “I appreciate it.”
Putting up the tools I’ve used today, I make sure they’re clean and back where they belong before wiping everything else down that I’ve touched t
oday. Once I’m done cleaning up my area, I scrub my hands, dry them off, and grab my cut off the workbench. Sliding my arms in the holes, I take a deep breath once it’s resting once more on my back. In a way, I feel different when the cut is on my back. I’m not sure how to describe the way I feel when I’m wearing it, I don’t think anyone can understand if they’ve never earned one.
I shut down my bay before walking toward my bike. Ashton doesn’t turn in my direction after his father walked out of the garage to head home. Straddling my bike, I fire it up before putting my helmet on. Once I’m ready, I pull out of the parking lot. Instead of going straight home, I take a ride just to clear my head. Tonya doesn’t deserve me going home in a weird mood because I’m missing something I’ve never really experienced to begin with. I mean, how fucked up is that, right? Hopefully, the ride will help clear my head some so I can enjoy my family for the rest of the night.
Chapter Four
Tonya
THE LAST TWO weeks have flown by. Blood and I are finally in a routine. We go to work during the day while Colt goes across the street to our neighbor. Martha and Maddox Wilkes are young newlyweds. We’re all about the same age, we hang out whenever we can. Even though it’s only been a few weeks, I can honestly say Martha is my best friend in the world. I’ve never had a friend as close to me as she already is. Yeah, I had friends back home, but they all went their own way, they forgot I even existed when I chose to stay by Blood’s side. Those aren’t true friends if you ask me. But Martha, she accepts Blood and me for who we are, just as her husband does.