Bear
I stared at my phone and the message I’d just sent to Fox, my club’s President. Aside from Spider, our previous President, I was the oldest living member in my chapter of the Hades Abyss MC, and I was feeling every one of my sixty-eight years. My bones creaked more often than not. My brown hair had gone silver. While I still kept in shape, I couldn’t maintain the definition I had in my younger days. Which meant it was time…
Need a new SAA. Time for me to retire.
He’d read the message two minutes ago. I still hadn’t received a reply or a phone call. I’d thought I would get at least one of those, if not both. That told me one of two things. He was either ignoring me in the hopes I’d forget about retiring, or he was just too damn busy to deal with it right now. Now that he had a family, he didn’t always drop what he was doing to answer the phone. And that was fine. Raven and their daughter, Harlow, deserved every bit of attention he could give them.
I put my helmet on the seat of my bike and went into the corner market. I’d given up cigarettes and beer, but there was one thing they’d have to pry from my cold dead fingers -- jerky! I didn’t indulge as often as I used to, but I still got a taste for it once or twice a month. Today happened to be one of those days.
The bell over the door jingled as I stepped into the cool interior. Scanning the area, I clocked a teen girl two aisles over, an older man at the back, and a young couple at the register. Making my way down the center aisle, I checked out the jerky options and grabbed a package.
The teen girl shifted from foot to foot and kept casting glances around the store. The clerk hadn’t noticed anything was wrong. Yet. I hoped she didn’t do something stupid. Then again, teens were notorious for making bad choices. Looked like this one wouldn’t be any different. The second she thought no one was watching, she shoved a few things under her shirt and made a beeline for the front door. She actually made it into the parking lot, and I shook my head.
“Just what I fucking need,” I muttered. I held up the package of jerky for the clerk to see and tossed some money onto the counter. More than enough to cover the price. “Keep the change.”
I went after the girl, keeping her in my sights. As much as I wanted to get on my bike to follow her, the Harley Davidson Freewheel wasn’t exactly a quiet bike. And yeah, I’d gotten a damn trike. The club had given me shit about it when I traded in my Street King, but I was getting too damn old for this shit. The trike put less strain on me, and I still got to ride with my club.
The girl left the parking lot and headed down the sidewalk. The longer I followed, the more I wished I’d taken my bike. When she went into a room at the local motel, I decided to give her a minute or two, then see if her parents knew she’d been shoplifting. Although, this place was a goddamn dump. There was a good chance she’d been following orders. Most people here were either drug addicts or prostitutes.
I knocked on the door and heard a hesitant, “Who is it?”
“Need to talk to the parents of the girl who just went into this room.”
I heard a thunk and a deep sigh. I wondered if the person on the other side had just banged their head on the door. The rattle of the chain let me know someone was about to open the door. I backed up a step so I wouldn’t scare whoever was on the other side. A petite woman with a gently rounded stomach opened the door. Dark circles under her eyes told me she hadn’t slept in a while. Not well, at any rate.
“Ma’am.” I gave her a nod. She blinked at me, then her gaze dropped to my cut. Her face paled, and she swayed. Figured she’d have that reaction. People either loved us or we scared the shit out of them. I held up a hand. “Easy. I’m not here to hurt you.”
“We don’t want any trouble,” she said, her fingers tightening on the door.
“The girl who just entered this room stole some stuff from a store down the street. I wanted to make sure her parents were aware of the situation.”
The woman closed her eyes and her shoulders slumped. “Piper, did you steal something? Is he telling the truth?”
Holy. Shit. This woman was her mother? No fucking way. Older sister, maybe, but mom? The girl in question appeared behind her mom, and as I looked into the room, I saw another girl on the bed. Sweat coated her little face, and her cheeks were pink. Fever?
“Everything all right, ma’am?” I asked. “The three of you in trouble of some kind?”
The teen, Piper, narrowed her eyes at me. “We’re fine. The last thing we need is another biker in our lives.”
My eyebrows shot up. Interesting. Another biker. I had so many questions and not enough answers. In fact, they hadn’t willingly told me a damn thing yet. Everything I’d learned had merely been from observation.
“Did you steal something?” her mom asked, sounding exhausted.
“Cordy needs soup. The kind we can microwave. You said our money would be gone after tomorrow.” Piper folded her arms. “If we’re about to be living out of the car, I wanted to make sure she had something to eat first.”
Motherfucker. I couldn’t walk away and leave these girls in a dire situation. My club would kick my ass if I did. Hell, I’d kick my own ass.
“I know we’re strangers, but I’d like to help. My name is Bear and I’m part of the Hades Abyss MC here in town. We’re kind of known for helping women and children in need. You can ask around if you’d like.”
“In need.” Piper rolled her eyes. “That’s one way of putting it. So you expect us to believe you’d help us out of the goodness of your heart? Nothing in this life is free.”
Seemed like the girls had a bad experience with another club. Or maybe… I eyed the pregnant one again. “Your man around?”
I hadn’t thought it was possible, but she paled even more. Yep. That cinched it. Whatever trouble these three had found, it had to do with a biker. I fucking hated the assholes who gave the rest of us a bad name.
“No, he’s not,” Piper said, inching closer. “Why? You going to call him? Tell him where we are? Because we’re not going back! I won’t let him kill another of my brothers, or beat the hell out of my mom ever again!”
The girl was screaming by the time she’d finished, and the mother looked like she wanted to run as far as she could. I pulled out my phone and called Fox. At least the fucker answered this time.
“I don’t want to hear about retirement,” Fox mumbled.
“Not callin’ for that. There’s a woman and her two daughters who need some help. Need permission to bring them back with me.”
“Fine, but I don’t have a place to put them right now. So if you bring them here, they’re bunking with you.” Fox hung up before I got a chance to respond.
“The younger one is sick?” I asked.
“Yes,” the mother answered, glancing at her daughter on the bed. “I thought I’d have enough money to get her to the doctor, but the motel is going to eat up all our funds. I’m sorry Piper shoplifted. As soon as I figure out our finances, I promise to pay the store back for the soup she took.”
“No need. I’ll pay them when I go back for my bike. Right now, I need you to load up into your car and drive me back to my bike. Then you’re going to follow me to the compound.”
“Why would we do that?” Piper asked. “What if you’re just trying to lure us there to be used as club whores?”
I blinked and stared at her for a moment. “One, I won’t lie and say we don’t have those because we do. Two, I don’t ever want to hear you talk about them again. It’s not a topic meant for someone your age. Those women are there of their own free will. No one forces them to show up. So don’t go talkin’ about things you don’t understand.”
“Mom, we can’t trust him,” Piper said. “We can’t trust any of them. What if they’re like Dad?”
So their daddy was the biker they were running from. Just what kind of shithead had the little woman hooked up with? And why the hell had she stayed with him for so long? Unless…
“You his old lady?” I asked.
Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head. “No. We were never married, and he kept us away from his club.”
“Which club?” I asked.
“Raging Demons.” She licked her lips. “My ex-boyfriend’s name is Spade. And my daughter is right. He hurt me, killed my babies before they could be born, and we won’t go back to him. I refuse.”
I forced myself not to tense up. Raging Demons? How the hell had this little thing gotten involved with them? Thankfully, they didn’t have a chapter in the state of Missouri. Seemed this crew had been on the run long enough to at least cross the state line. Didn’t mean the fucker wouldn’t come looking for them.
“Honey, I’m not going to make you go back. But I do want you and the girls to get in your car, take me to my bike, and we’re going to figure out your situation. You can’t stay here. Not if you’re about to run out of money. And that little one needs medical attention.”
“You’ll take her to the doctor?” Piper asked.
“Even better. I’ll have him to come to us. I’m sure Dr. Briar can be persuaded to make a house call.”
“We should go, Mom,” Piper said. “Cordy needs medicine.”
Seemed like it hadn’t taken much to change her tune. She’d been ready to fight to keep me away from her family. Something told me she was a good kid. If they hadn’t been desperate, I didn’t think she’d have stolen the soup.
The mom stared at me. “My name is Faith. My daughters are Piper and Cordelia, and if you’re willing to help us, then I’ll trust you. For now.”
I couldn’t help but smile. The woman knew when to let someone help her, but she wasn’t going into this completely blind either. For now, she’d see what happened. If I put so much as a toe out of line, I had a feeling I’d see her inner mama bear come roaring out. I’d take them home and get them settled. The girls could share a room, and the mom could take my bed. I’d sleep on the couch until I could clear out the other bedrooms and get some more beds. It wasn’t like I ever had company.
I’d be willing to bet they all needed food and sleep.
I didn’t know much about the Raging Demons, except they had a horrible reputation. I hoped someone in the club would be able to tell me more. Whoever this Spade was, I needed to make sure he never got his hands on this family again. They’d suffered enough. What the hell kind of man killed his own children and beat his pregnant girlfriend? A coward, bully, and all-around dickhead who needed his ass kicked. That’s who.
If that motherfucker ever showed his face in this town, I’d make sure he drew his last breath. These girls didn’t need to live their lives looking over their shoulders. I wanted them to find peace. To be happy.
Shit. Something told me I’d just fallen prey to the same curse that took down Spider, Rocket, Slider, and Fox. A damsel in distress. My club’s fucking kryptonite.
I was so fucking screwed right now.
Faith
We dropped the biker off at the store, and I watched as he went inside. My cheeks burned when I’d recalled saying something about paying for the soup Piper stole. My debt to him would grow with every passing day, but I couldn’t say no to the chance for Cordy to see a doctor.
He came back out and got on his bike. We followed behind him to the Hades Abyss compound. While I didn’t know if we should trust him, I didn’t see what other choice we had. Little Cordelia needed medical attention and time to rest, and I was out of money. The motel might be falling apart, but they’d still charged me over one hundred per night. I hadn’t had much to begin with. Between the gas to reach this town, and our first night here, half my money had been gone.
I hadn’t been able to get Cordelia to a clinic, as everyone I called wanted payment up front. I could understand. They didn’t want to provide treatment without knowing they’d get paid. It made sense, even if it meant my little girl had to suffer. I could have gone to the ER, but I knew that the bill would be even higher. Not to mention, I didn’t like the idea of leaving a paper trail for Spade to follow.
As much as I wanted to scold Piper for stealing the soup, it had brought Bear to our door, and we needed him right now. I didn’t like the idea of owing him anything, and I wasn’t sure I could trust a biker. I just didn’t have any other options right now.
“I’m sorry I stole stuff,” Piper muttered.
“Just don’t do it again, all right?”
“You really think he’s any different from Dad?”
I nodded. Even though he’d scared me at first, the more I’d looked at him, I realized he wasn’t anything like my ex. I’d seen kindness and concern in his eyes. He hadn’t raised his voice even once, and when he’d helped me to the car, his touch had been gentler than Spade’s ever had. I couldn’t guess his age, but I knew he was a lot older than me. His hair and beard were completely silver.
At the same time, I knew he could also be faking it. There was a slight chance he was acting nice so he could lure us in. I’d try to stay on my guard. Fatigue pulled at me, and I didn’t know how much longer I’d remain upright. I hadn’t had more than an hour or two of sleep before Spade came home, then we’d been on the run. The two nights we’d stayed at the motel, I’d slept with one eye open after seeing the sort of people who stayed there. I’d even noticed a drug deal going down in broad daylight.
We pulled through the gates behind Bear, and he rode down the winding road. We were quite a way from the clubhouse, which I appreciated once he stopped. I tried to hide my surprise when he parked in front of a rather ordinary-looking house. Gray brick with dark red shutters and a matching door. It didn’t seem to fit the tough-looking biker at all. The house was… cute. He even had some shrubs out front that gave the place a homey feel.
Bear came over to the car and opened the back door, lifting Cordelia into his arms. He carried her as if she weighed nothing at all, even though I knew her to be quite heavy. Piper and I followed him. When he pushed open the door and stepped into the house, my breath caught. I’d never lived in a place as nice as this one, and I envied him just then.
Exposed beams ran across the ceiling of the living room. The hardwood floors were clean and well-kept. Even his furniture looked like it cost more than any place I’d ever lived. Piper shut the door behind us, and I saw the awe in her eyes. I wasn’t the only one impressed.
“There’s only two bedrooms set up right now,” Bear said. “The girls can have the spare room. You can have my bed.”
Piper sputtered behind me. “You expect her to sleep with you in exchange for your help? I should have known better! You’re just like the others.”
Bear stopped mid-step and looked at her over his shoulder. He arched an eyebrow. “I don’t recall saying I’d be in the bed with her. I think you and I need to have a talk. The lack of respect you show your elders is appalling.”
Piper’s cheeks flushed, and so did mine. As her mother, I should have stopped her before she got carried away. She’d gotten so used to saying what she wanted whenever her dad wasn’t around. I hoped she didn’t pay the price for it. At least he hadn’t kicked us out right then and there. I wouldn’t have blamed him.
Bear went into a bedroom on the right and eased Cordelia down onto the bed. He took a quilt out of the closet and settled it over her. Tears pricked my eyes when I realized my daughter’s father had never done such a thing for her. Who was this man? Did he really not expect anything in return? I hadn’t realized men like him existed in this world, especially one who was a biker.
“Should we call the doctor now?” I asked.
“I did it already.”
My brow furrowed. “When? I haven’t seen you use the phone.”
A slight smile curved his lips. “Bluetooth. I’m old, but I’m not a fossil. Called on the way here.”
I placed my hand over my mouth to stifle the snort of my laughter. Sure, he was an older guy, but I’d have never accused him of living when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. He was too sexy for that.
Why did I think he was sexy? My eyes widened, and I pressed my lips together. I couldn’t recall when I’d last found a man attractive. Probably Spade, before I’d gotten pregnant. Once I’d seen his true colors, I’d found him to be downright hideous. Not once had I felt a spark for anyone else. Until now.
“We should get our stuff from the car if we’re staying here,” Piper said. “What about the motel? We didn’t check out.”
“I’ll have someone handle it,” Bear said.
“So, what are we supposed to do now?” Piper asked.
Bear pointed to the living room. “You go sit. We’re going to have a chat about your attitude, the shoplifting, and set a few ground rules.”
I leaned down to kiss Cordelia on the forehead, then followed Piper from the room. When Bear placed his hand on my lower back to guide me over to the couch, my heart skipped a beat. Why did his touch make me feel weird? Butterflies swooped around in my stomach, and my hands trembled. Not once had Spade ever made me feel like this. No one had, for that matter.
I sank onto the couch and Piper took the spot next to me. Bear folded his arms and stood in front of us, staring down at my daughter. She fidgeted, and I fought back the urge to defend her. She’d been a good girl, and I knew she’d only taken the soup because she’d been worried about her sister. I’d failed as their mom, more than once. What if the clerk caught her? She could have gone to jail, or maybe things would have gone horribly wrong and she’d ended up dead.
“While you’re living here, there will be rules,” Bear said.
“What kind of rules?” Piper asked, tipping her chin up at a stubborn angle.
“First, respect your elders. Me, your mother, and anyone else here more than a few years older than you.”
Piper leaned back against the cushions. “Fine. I can do that.”
“Second, stay away from the clubhouse unless I’ve mentioned it’s a family day. If there’s a party going on, I don’t want you anywhere near the place. Got it?”
She snorted. “Don’t worry. I respect myself too much to become a club whore.”
He pointed a finger at her. “And that right there is rule number three. You watch your mouth. You’re not an adult yet, so don’t go around actin’ like one.”
“Got it,” she said, her posture relaxing even more.
I’d expected her to balk, but Piper surprised me. If anything, I thought she almost liked the man giving her orders. Had she craved more discipline from me all this time? Maybe I’d treated her too much like a grown-up the last year or two. I’d relied on her heavily, when she should have had time to hang out with friends and be a kid.
Great. Now I felt like the worst mother on the planet.
“I appreciate you helping us,” I said, standing. “Piper normally wouldn’t do something like shoplift. She’s a good girl. They both are, and I’m not just saying that because I’m their mom.”
Bear’s gaze softened as he looked at me. “When you opened the door, I figured you were her older sister. Don’t look old enough to be a mom to those two.”
My cheeks burned. “I was eighteen when I had Piper.”
“And she was sixteen when my dad knocked her up the first time.” Piper narrowed her eyes at Bear again. I had a feeling those two were going to butt heads often, or my protective girl was going to get us all kicked out of here. “Asshole found out she was having a boy and threw her down a flight of stairs.”
“I’ll let your language slide that time, because I’d have to agree… any man who’d do something like that is an asshole.” Bear came closer, and I flinched when he reached up to tuck my hair behind my ear. Then I felt bad. He didn’t deserve that reaction. “Sweetheart, it’s clear you’ve been through hell. You and your girls. You stay as long as you need to, and I’ll help however I can. You’ll be safe here.”
“If you really want to help, you can make sure my dad can’t ever get his hands on us again.” Piper stood. “I’m going back to the room with Cordy.”
I cleared my throat after she left and shifted on my feet. My daughter kept putting me in an awkward position with this man, and we’d just met him. “Piper had to grow up fast. We never knew when Spade would stop by, or how long he’d stay. He provided the house for us, and money for food. She learned early on, he wasn’t good for much else. I don’t remember him hugging her, tucking her into bed, or doing anything a father should do.”
“You stayed out of fear,” he said.
I nodded. “Until now. I found out this baby is a boy. Spade killed every one of our sons before they were born. I couldn’t live through that again, especially since the doctor said this will probably be my last pregnancy. He’d recommended I not have more kids after the last miscarriage.”
“Birth control failed?”
I didn’t know how he’d guessed. I liked that he didn’t assume I’d gotten pregnant on purpose, despite what the doctor said. People had accused me, more than once, of getting pregnant so many times so I could get a check from the government. Except I didn’t get a dime from Uncle Sam. If Spade’s money couldn’t pay for what we needed, we went without. I made sure the girls had food and clean clothes. Everything else sorted itself out. Since Spade did come home from time to time, he made sure we had cable and Internet. The only nice thing he’d done for Piper was give her a laptop he’d gotten on sale last Christmas.
“I got sick. The antibiotics made the pill useless. It was one of the times Spade decided to come home, and I found out four weeks later I was pregnant.”
“I meant what I said to your daughter. I want you to have my room. You’re pregnant and need a decent night’s sleep. You won’t get that sleepin’ on the couch.” He moved in even closer, and I breathed in his spicy scent. Whatever cologne he wore, I wanted to close my eyes and lose myself in it. “You’re safe now, Faith. I won’t let your ex get his hands on any of you.”
“Thank you.” I wondered if he knew exactly how much all this meant to me. To us. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt like I didn’t need to sleep with one eye open. Probably before I moved in with Spade. As much as I didn’t want to kick the man out of his bed, I was grateful for a place to sleep. One where I could really rest and not worry about the girls.
I’d find a way to pay him back. Whatever it took.
“Piper’s right about one thing. We need to make sure your ex doesn’t come for you. Is there any way he could track you here?” Bear asked.
“I don’t think so. I didn’t bring my cell phone with me. Piper’s never had one. The car isn’t even in my name. A nurse paid cash for it and let me have it as a way to escape from Spade.”
“No other electronics?” he asked. I hesitated a moment. I honestly didn’t know if Piper had brought her laptop or not. It was about the only thing of value she had, so it was possible she’d grabbed it. “You’re not sure. What could he use to track you?”
“My daughter has a laptop, but I don’t know if she packed it. Piper got it for Christmas last year.”
“I’ll ask her. Then I’m going to get you a phone, and don’t argue. It’s not safe for you to run around while you’re pregnant and not have a way to reach out to anyone if you run into trouble.”
“Thank you, Bear. I can’t tell how much all this means to me.”
He hesitated a moment, a strange look crossing his face. “Call me Charlie.”
“Charlie?” I asked.
“It’s my name. Well, technically it’s Charles. When the rest of the club is around, I’m Bear. But here at home? You can call me Charlie.”
My cheeks warmed again. “All right. Charlie.”
Spade had never told me his real name. He’d refused to sign the birth certificates for our daughters. How sad was it I’d lived with a man for eighteen years and never known his real name? What the hell was wrong with me?