Bear
Why the hell had I given her my real name? I shook my head. I knew better. Then again, I hadn’t asked anyone to call me that in decades. Hell, I’d probably been her age or younger the last time I used my real name.
I’d gotten Piper’s laptop from her and carried it over to Surge’s house. He’d made sure Spade wouldn’t be able to use it to find the girls, then gave it back to me. I hadn’t wanted to keep it from Piper any longer than necessary, although Surge had muttered something about it being a cheap piece of crap. I refrained from running out to buy a new one for Piper, even though it was tempting.
I didn’t think Faith would accept an expensive phone, so I added her to my phone plan and picked one of the free options. It was probably still nicer than what she expected. I had the tech guy set it up, then I added in my number, as well as the other club officers and a few of the old ladies. Something told me they’d be stopping by once they learned about Faith and the girls.
The doc’s car was in the driveway when I got back, and I felt the tension ease from my shoulders. I had no doubt he’d get the youngest one back on her feet, and little Faith would be able to sleep better. She might be tiny, and it was clear Spade had beaten her down, but I still saw that mama bear glint in her eyes when it came to her girls.
The house seemed a little too quiet when I went inside. I set Piper’s laptop down, as well as Faith’s new phone. A low murmur of voices drew me down the hallway and I stopped in the guest room doorway. Dr. Briar had his arms folded and a stern look on his face as he spoke with Faith. The slump of her shoulders had me fisting my hands and wanting to rush to her side. Whatever he said, it didn’t seem like he had good news.
“What’s going on?” I asked, entering the room.
Piper shot a glare at the doctor. “He’s blaming Mom for Cordelia’s condition. Basically called her an unfit mother. He has no idea what we’ve been through!”
I placed my hands on Faith’s shoulders and drew her back against me. The fact she let me told me enough. His words had hurt her, and I had a feeling she’d have crumpled if she weren’t trying to be brave for her kids. Why the fuck was Briar being such an asshole?
“I’d have to agree with Piper. It’s not like you to be so judgmental, Dr. Briar. I wouldn’t have called you if I’d thought you’d react this way.”
“The girl is malnourished. She clearly hasn’t been getting healthy meals, or enough food. Her fever is 103.4, and she needed medical attention long before now. She’s dehydrated on top of everything else.”
I kissed Faith’s temple before reaching for Dr. Briar. I fisted his lab coat in my hand and yanked him from the room, dragging him to the front of the house. When I opened the front door, I tossed him out, and followed. The sweet woman inside didn’t need this bullshit!
“Bear, what the hell?” Dr. Briar straightened his coat.
“That woman and those girls have suffered for years at the hands of another club. She ran before her ex-boyfriend could put his hands on her again and kill another of their children. The choices she made were necessary, whether you want to see it that way or not. Then you accuse her of being a bad parent? Do you have any idea how close you are right now to me knockin’ your damn teeth down your throat?”
Dr. Briar lifted a placating hand. “All I can do is treat what I see and observe. And that young girl should have seen a doctor a long time ago.”
“Fuck you! Get the hell out of here and don’t even think of coming back to this compound. We’ll find another doctor.” I took a step. Then another, drawing closer as the rage built inside me. “You dare enter my home and insult that sweet woman?”
I heard a whistle and glanced over at the house next door. Fox, Spider, and Hornet stood in the yard. The President glowered at Dr. Briar, and I knew he’d back me up.
“Dr. Briar, if you value your life, I suggest you do as he says and leave. Otherwise, I won’t stop him when he starts swinging.” Fox came over, leaving Hornet and Spider behind. We watched as the doc got into his car and sped toward the front of the compound. The Pres clapped me on the back. “So… introduce me to your new family.”
“Who said I was claimin’ them?” I asked. Fox stared me down. Unblinking. It always unnerved the fuck out of me when he did that shit. It was unnatural. “A biker hurt Faith. I think he abused the kids too.”
“Not up for the challenge?” Fox asked.
“Don’t want to traumatize them more than they already are,” I said.
“I’ll hold off for now, but I think they’re yours, Bear. Never seen you so angry on behalf of a woman before. That combined with the fact you brought them home? Yeah, those girls are yours, whether you’re ready to admit it or not.” Fox smirked.
“Would that keep Mom safe?” I spun at the sound of Piper’s voice and saw her a few feet away. “What he said about you claiming my mother… would it mean she’d be safe from my dad and his club?”
Fox cleared his throat when I didn’t respond right away. I knew he wanted me to say yes. Truthfully, it would give her an added layer of protection. The girls too, especially if I had Surge work his mojo and make them mine legally -- illegally? Whatever. Anyone who went looking would think the files were legit. That’s all that mattered.
“That’s a conversation I’d need to have with your mother first, then you girls.”
“Who’s he?” Piper asked, jerking her chin toward Fox. I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. The move reminded me too much of just about every damn brother here. Yeah, a biker raised her. No getting around that. I just hoped she hadn’t picked up all of her dad’s bad habits as well.
“My name’s Fox, and I’m the President of the Hades Abyss. The two men behind me are Spider and Hornet. Spider was the President before me, but he retired to spend more time with his family. And you are?”
“Piper.” She lifted her chin, cast me a quick glance, then focused on Fox again before pointing at me. “And I’m his daughter.”
And on that note, she left me slack-jawed as she turned and went back into the house. Fox nearly busted a gut, laughing so hard he doubled over. When he straightened, he wiped tears from his eyes.
“You’re going to have your hands full with that one. Looks to me like you have a family, Papa Bear.”
“Shut it, Pres. You go spoutin’ that bullshit, and then everyone will start callin’ me that.”
“I’ll get your woman a property cut. No sense taking this one to Church. Seems your kid has spoken.” Fox snickered again. “I have a feeling things are about to get interesting around here.”
“Did you just jinx the club?” I asked.
He sobered. “No. But if you’re concerned about their sperm donor, I’ll have Surge look into him and his club. Maybe we’ll call in the other hackers too. We won’t leave any stone unturned, and we’ll make sure your girls are safe.”
“Thanks, Pres.”
Spider came over, a grin on his face. “Heard all that. Can’t wait to meet them, officially. For now, how about I have a doctor come by?”
“You’re sending Dread over, aren’t you?” I asked.
“I am.” Spider smiled. “No worries. He won’t scare them. I’m sure that’s why you didn’t call him to begin with.”
I shook my head and went inside. Faith stood in the hallway, her brow furrowed. I wondered if Piper had come in and told her about my discussion with Fox. This wasn’t the way I’d wanted to handle this. I’d planned to build trust with her, keep her safe, eliminate the threat to her and the girls… and then I’d have asked her to stay with me permanently. It seemed Piper had other ideas.
“Piper just told Cordelia their dad would make sure Spade never hurt us again. I’m more than a little confused right now.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, then motioned for her to sit on the couch. “We need to talk.”
Then I spent the next fifteen minutes telling her what happened outside and giving her the new phone. She hadn’t said a word, and I worried what it might mean. The Pres seemed set on her being mine. If she asked to leave, I’d let her. Then my club would look at me like I was a fucking idiot who couldn’t hold on to his woman. But so be it. I’d always put Faith and the girls first.
“What does it mean to be yours?” she asked softly.
“You’d be my old lady. Do the Raging Demons have any?”
“I don’t really know,” she said. “Spade kept me away from the club. I know we weren’t exclusive. At least, not on his part. If I’d have been with anyone else, he’d likely have killed me, but I know he slept with the women at the clubhouse. Most nights, he didn’t bother coming home. When he did, he smelled like cheap perfume and cigarettes. More often than not, he’d have lipstick smeared on him somewhere, or around his…”
She stopped mid-sentence, her cheeks flushing, and I filled in the rest. Ring around the cock. I snorted. Classy. I wondered if he’d done it on purpose. Was it another way for him to tear down Faith? Make her feel useless and unworthy of his attention? I wanted to beat the shit out of the asshole.
“Around here, it means you’d be mine. I’d be faithful to you and expect the same in return. It’s like a marriage, but without all the paperwork. It also means you couldn’t leave. In this club, when a man claims a woman, it’s forever. No divorce or changin’ your mind later. I’m afraid my President took that choice from you.”
“Because of what Piper said?” she asked.
“Partly.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “You’re the first woman I’ve brought to this house. The fact I have you and the girls here is rather tellin’ to my club. Not to mention I let you use my real name.”
“That’s something only an old lady would do?” she asked.
“Or a wife, but yeah.”
Her cheeks warmed again, and she glanced away. “Does that mean we’ll be sharing your bed after all?”
I reached and gripped her chin lightly, turning her to face me again. “If you want time to get to know me better, just say the word. I’ll sleep on the couch and let you have the bed as originally planned.”
“I’m… I’m not sure what I want,” she said.
A knock sounded at the door, and I went to let Dread in. I introduced him to Faith, then held her hand as he checked on Cordelia. I felt a slight tremor in her hand, and knew it made her nervous to have another biker in the house. She’d learn to trust us. Our conversation would have to continue later. Right now, we had more important things going on. Like making sure our little girl would be okay.
Fuck me. Our little girl.
I’d analyze the way I felt later, but my heart warmed, and I wanted to smile at the mere thought of these girls being mine. I’d have to thank Piper for being so brash. It seemed she’d done me a huge favor by telling the Pres I was her daddy. Now I’d have what I really wanted -- a family. My family.
Faith
The club’s doctor, Dread, wrote a prescription for Cordelia, and Piper took the car to pick it up at the local pharmacy. Bear called ahead and told them to put it on his account and he’d pay the next time he was in. I couldn’t begin to describe the relief I felt over Cordy getting the care she’d needed. Thankfully, it was just an infection making the rounds. Some antibiotics and she’d be good as new. Until her fever broke, Dread said to keep giving her Ibuprofen, or to switch between that and Tylenol.
For dinner, we’d had pizza delivered, and I’d managed to get some chicken broth into Cordy. Now I lay in Bear’s bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been one hell of a day, and exhaustion pulled at me. So why was I awake? Because I felt guilty. The man said he’d claimed us, after my daughter told his club President Bear was her father, and I’d asked him to sleep on the couch. I felt awful about it.
A quick glance at the bedside clock showed it was nearly midnight. Piper went to bed hours ago, and Cordy slept peacefully. I’d come in here three hours ago, intent on going to sleep. And here I lay, wide awake.
I knew what I needed to do.
I threw off the blankets and padded down the hallway. The living room remained silent. I crept over to the couch and peered down at Bear. His eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell in deep, even breaths. Had he managed to fall asleep out here?
“Stop staring,” he said softly. “Go to bed, Faith.”
“You’re awake?”
He opened his eyes. “Yes. The question is, why are you?”
I glanced away before holding his gaze again. “Um. The bed is really big.”
“California King. I’m not exactly short. Needed the extra length.”
“I think you, me, and both girls would fit in there with room to spare. My point is… we can share the bed.”
“Told Piper I wouldn’t touch you unless you were ready.”
I gasped, and my cheeks burned. “I didn’t say I was ready now! Why can’t we sleep in the same bed without sex being involved?”
“So you’re inviting me to sleep in the same bed,” he said. “No touching.”
“Right.”
“Fine. But if Piper has a fit in the morning, make sure she knows I’m in there by your invitation. I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with the girls.”
“She likes you too much for that,” I said. Bear stood and followed me down the hall, back to the bedroom. I lay down in the bed, pulling the covers over me, and shut my eyes. The other side of the mattress dipped when he got in, and I felt my body relax.
Why did I suddenly feel safer with him so close? We were strangers, and after my experience with Spade, I should have given any bikers a wide berth. Yet this one seemed different. I hoped I was right, because it seemed as if I was his. Forever. I still couldn’t quite wrap my brain around what it meant to be his old lady.
Oh, God! I’d told him I couldn’t have more kids. What if he decided he wanted one of his own?
“Woman, what the hell are you worrying about over there?” Bear mumbled.
“Nothing.” He grunted, then rolled so he was facing me. I could tell he didn’t believe me, and knew I’d need to say something. “I have two daughters and a son on the way. This is my last baby because of everything I suffered at Spade’s hands. What if you want children of your own?”
He sighed and reached for me, tugging me closer. I went willingly and let him hold me. I had to admit, I loved the feel of his arms around me. For an older man, he’d kept in shape. He had more muscle than Spade ever had, and yet, his touch remained gentle. I didn’t fear for my life like I had several times with Spade.
“These kids aren’t just yours anymore. They’re mine. And when this little one is born, I’m having my name put on the birth certificate. No one will ever question whether or not I’m the father of our children.”
“But the girls…”
“Did Spade claim them?” he asked. “Is he listed as their dad?”
“No. I don’t even know Spade’s real name. He never told me in the eighteen years we were together. I thought it was just part of him being a biker until you shared your name with me.”
“Then I’ll ask Surge to hack into the vital records for your home state and add me to the birth certificates on both girls. They’ll have my name. New social security cards too, and a driver’s license for Piper.” He hugged me closer. “And while I’m at it, I’ll tell him to marry us. All four of you will have my last name. No one will ever take you from me. Understood?”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Yes, Charlie.”
He kissed my forehead. “Good girl. Now get some sleep. I left the door partially open, so we’d hear the girls. I’ll get up if Cordelia needs anything. Since Piper is with her, she shouldn’t be too scared the first time she opens her eyes. You need to rest.”
“As for me wanting kids of my own… the girls and this little one are a blessing. I can’t have children. No one knows about it. The doctors say there’s no way to know if my exposure to Agent Orange in the military could have caused it. The VA has a list of illnesses they consider common for those exposed during the Vietnam and Korean wars, but infertility isn’t on the list.”
“But you weren’t infertile before the military?” I asked.
“Don’t really know. Never came up.”
“I’m not sure I want to know why it came up later.” I had no reason to feel jealous. He’d had a life before meeting me. For that matter, I’d only been alive about half as long as him.
“Got drunk and careless. Thought for sure I’d ended up getting the woman pregnant. When nothing came of it, I thought I’d dodged a bullet. Until I did the same damn thing a year later. Decided to get checked by the doctor. Found out I’m shooting blanks.”
“I’m so sorry.” I snuggled into him. “I love my girls and this baby. I can’t imagine living my life without children.”
“And I’m going to love them too. I’ll make sure they have everything they need, and I’ll guide them the best I can. I won’t promise to never fuck up, but I can admit when I’m wrong.”
“You’ve already done more for them than Spade ever has. He paid the rent and left us money for food. What he never gave them was love and attention. That’s what they need most.”
His hold on me tightened again. “I can promise they’ll be loved, Faith.”
“I know you said we need to go to sleep, but I’m not tired anymore.”
“All right. How about a hot cup of tea? We can sit in the kitchen for a little while.”
“Decaf?” I asked.
“I’m sure I have some. Not really a tea drinker myself, but I keep it on hand in case any of the women stop by. I keep ginger or peppermint for the pregnant ones. It seems to help with their morning sickness. I probably have some that’s caffeine free as well.”
“Will I get to meet them soon?” I asked. I couldn’t remember the last time I had friends. Spade had made sure I didn’t have anyone who could help me. I hadn’t questioned it until he’d started beating me. Then I’d realized he’d kept me isolated on purpose.
“I’m sure the President’s old lady, Raven, will set somethin’ up soon. Most of the men here are still single, but there’s a handful of old ladies you can meet, and quite a few kids.”
“Any close to the ages of the girls?” I asked.
“Piper is the oldest. Two are slightly older than Cordelia, and there’s a boy her age. I’m afraid Piper will have to make friends at school. Speakin’ of which, we’ll get them both enrolled once Cordelia is back on her feet. No sense rushin’ things.”
He put on the kettle, and I sat at the table. I hadn’t even thought about their school records. What if their schools called the house? I didn’t know what Spade would tell them. Was he even looking for us?
“You’re frownin’ again,” he said.
“Just wondering if my ex is searching for me and the girls. He’ll either be incredibly angry I left him, or he’ll be relieved and won’t care that we ran off.”
Bear grunted. “Guy like that? He’ll need to look so he can save face. His club will give him shit for three girls runnin’ out on him.”
He made a good point. I didn’t think I’d left a trail, but what if I was wrong? Piper had her laptop. I hadn’t realized it at the time. Bear took it to someone, and supposedly, there wasn’t a way for Spade to find us through it. Had he been able to before then?
Bear set a steaming cup of tea in front of me. “Decaf, like you asked for.”
I blew across the surface before taking a small sip. Lemon burst across my tongue, and I greedily swallowed more.
“What can you tell me about Piper and Cordelia?” he asked. “Anythin’ in particular they both like?”
“We never had the money for extracurricular stuff at school. Even though public school is technically free, all that stuff costs more. Cheer. Dance. Sports teams. Even the clubs have fees.”
“What do they like doin’ at home?” he asked.
“Piper usually helps me around the house. She didn’t have a lot of friends, so she didn’t go to many places on her own. Cordelia likes to read and do puzzles. Give her a stack of puzzle books and she’s a happy girl.”
“I’ll remember that. Did she bring any with her?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. Piper packed their things. I had a small bag ready with two changes of clothes each, cash, and the keys to the car we drove here. I tried to keep it simple.”
“All right. After we’ve gotten some sleep, I’ll show you around town and we can pick up some things. You and the girls will need more clothes and shoes, and we can get anythin’ else they may want or need. Like puzzle books.”
“You don’t have to spoil them,” I said.
He smiled faintly. “Yeah. I kinda do. Think all of you need a bit of spoilin’.”
I had a feeling I was going to lose every argument tomorrow. Whatever he thought he should buy for us would end up coming home, whether I liked it or not. As much as I wanted to be angry about it, I couldn’t. He was right. The girls deserved so much more than I’d ever been able to give them. If Bear wanted to do that for them, I couldn’t say no.
Within reason.