Bear
It had been easy enough to spread the word about the potluck, and the ladies were all excited to meet Faith and the girls. Even my brothers seemed curious about my family. Faith baked more cookies, as well as a peach pie. When she’d tried to do more, I’d put my foot down. This event was for her and the girls. The last thing I wanted was for her to work hard tonight.
I’d piled everyone into the truck and drove to the clubhouse. Faith held the pie in her lap and entrusted the cookies to the girls. By the time we arrived, it looked like everyone else was already present. The parking lot was overflowing.
“Remember, these people are your family now. No one in this club will hurt you,” I said. “They wouldn’t fucking dare.”
“Because you’d hurt them back?” Cordy asked.
“Exactly. No one touches my girls and lives to talk about it.” Faith elbowed me, and I realized I might have gone a little too far with that last bit. The girls both smiled though, so I figured it was all right. “Who did the two of you meet earlier?”
Piper crossed her arms and huffed, which told me plenty. Someone inside had pissed her off. I almost felt sorry for them.
“The Prospect called Joe, Hornet, Cotton, and Breaker,” Piper said.
“I liked Breaker,” Cordy said. “I don’t know why Piper got so mad. He was only being nice.”
Piper growled and I knew I’d have to find out what happened. Later. Clearly, she’d rubbed someone the wrong way, or vice versa. Even as my daughter, there were some people she didn’t need to mouth off to. “Everyone out. And, Piper, be nice. You insult the wrong person, and even I can’t save you.”
“Fine.” She threw open the door and got out, with Cordy following in her wake. They carried the cookies inside, leaving me and Faith alone in the truck.
“Who’s Breaker?” she asked.
“He was a good kid. All grown up now and older than you by a few years. Risked his life to save Spider’s woman, helped Rocket pull his head out of his ass and claim Violeta. If there’s anyone here I trust with the girls, it would be Breaker.” I reached for Faith’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “You ready?”
She nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
We went inside and I took the pie from Faith, handing it off to a Prospect. Carlos took it and carried it over to the tables of food. I held Faith’s hand as I introduced her to everyone. I could see how overwhelmed she felt and gave a subtle look to the old ladies. I needed them to take her under their wing. Make her feel accepted.
I led her over to a table and kissed her temple. “I’ll bring you a drink and a plate of food.”
Raven and Luciana came over and sat beside my wife. I felt good leaving her with the two of them. Since Raven was the old lady of the current President, and Luciana was with Spider, they were both excellent sources of information for Faith. They’d answer all her questions and set her mind at ease. Something told me they’d both share their stories with her, so she’d know she wasn’t the only one to suffer at a man’s hands.
Fox clapped me on the back. “The girls seem to be doing well.”
I looked around the room and spotted Cordy with Luka, Zoe, and Marianna. Piper stood nearby, watching over her little sister. It sucked she didn’t have anyone here closer to her age. I saw Carlos carry a drink to her and wondered if I’d have to warn him away. He spoke to her a few minutes, then walked off.
“Easy, Papa Bear,” Fox said. “No one is making a move on your daughter.”
I flipped him off, and knew he was going to make that damn name stick. I’d be kicking asses for the next several months to keep that shit from spreading like wildfire. Fox chuckled, and the smirk on his face made me want to hit him. I held back, not wanting to upset his wife, or mine.
“Jackal and Scratch both have boys closer to Piper’s age,” Fox said.
“Are you tryin’ to marry off my daughter already?”
“Just making a comment. Never know what might happen in the future. Wouldn’t be a bad thing to have ties with another club. We’re already tied to the Dixie Reapers through Sofia.”
I narrowed my gaze at Fox. “You’re not usin’ my kids as a bargainin’ chip to have a deeper connection with the other clubs. Fuck off, Pres.”
“Worked for the Reapers and Devil’s Fury. Could work for us too.”
“Fine.” I folded my arms and stared him down. “In fourteen years, use Harlow.”
He scowled at me. Yeah, take that, motherfucker! Doesn’t feel so great when it’s your kid being offered up, does it? He stormed off, but I’d made my point. That was good enough for now. It wasn’t that I opposed the thought of Piper being with a club I trusted. However, I wouldn’t push her to do anything. If she met any of those boys and fell in love, that was different. She’d have my support. I wanted her to be happy. Same for Cordelia. When she was old enough, she could date. As long as I approved of the guy she wanted to see. Like Luka for instance.
I caught Faith’s gaze and she flashed me a smile. She seemed more relaxed. In addition to Raven and Luciana, she now had Violeta, Vasha, and Colette at the table. They’d pulled chairs over and barely fit around the small round table. This was the best idea I’d had in a while. I could tell it was precisely what my family needed.
Joe came to me and leaned in close, lowering his voice so only I could hear him. “Got word from my friend. Those women are pushing the timeline. It’s going to happen in the next few days. She’s trying to stall them, so we have time to properly prepare.”
“All right. Wait until the families head home, then tell Fox and the other officers.”
“You got it, Bear. And congratulations on your family. Your wife and daughters are beautiful.”
I glanced at him and noticed he seemed riveted on Piper. That girl would chew him up and spit him out. I didn’t even have to warn him away. She’d take care of him on her own, of that I had no doubt. Unless she fell for him… I eyed him again, wondering if he might be her type. There was an age difference. Wouldn’t matter in a few years, but right now? Yeah, I had a problem with it.
“Think of her as your sister,” I said.
Joe startled. “Bear, I…”
I held up my hand. “Save it. I saw the look in your eyes. You like my girl, and when she’s old enough, it will be up to her if she returns those feelings. For the next two years, she’s off-limits. You can be her friend. Give her your support if she needs it or asks, but that’s it. I find out you took things any further, and you and I will have an issue. Understood?”
“Got it.” His cheeks turned pink. “But when she’s eighteen, then…”
I laughed. “Then may God have mercy on your soul because that girl is going to tear you apart, unless you’re lucky enough she loves you. You’re also assumin’ you’ll still be here. If you don’t have a patch, you aren’t goin’ after her.”
“I can accept all of that,” Joe said, a smile curving his lips as he stared at Piper again. “I know she’s underage, but I’ve never met a sixteen-year-old like her before. She’s strong. Bold. If someone hadn’t told me her age, I’d have thought she was eighteen or nineteen at the very least.”
“Piper is one in a million.” I noticed the way she twitched whenever someone got too close. She didn’t do that at home, which meant all these strangers had her on edge. “Take her a drink, Joe, and maybe one of her mom’s cookies. Just don’t blame me if you end up wearin’ it.”
He grabbed a soda and cookie, then approached Piper. She scowled at him for a few seconds before accepting the offerings. As she bit into the cookie, I watched the tension drain from her body. The girl wasn’t dealing with all this as well as she pretended. I’d have to keep an eye on her. Yeah, she was strong and bold like he’d said, but she was fragile too. I didn’t think anyone realized how easily she’d break.
Rocket stepped up beside me, sipping on a beer. “It seems our girls have become fast friends. Violeta wanted to invite Cordelia over to spend the night, but she didn’t know if you’d approve.”
“I’m fine with it, and her mom probably will be too. Now that she’s met your wife, she won’t be quite so jumpy about the girls being out of her sight. Piper on the other hand… she may have a fit over Cordelia not bein’ home.”
Rocket shrugged. “Let her come too. Hell, I’ll ask Spider if Marianna can join them. They can all camp out in the living room and do girly shit all night.”
“If you can get the girls to agree, it’s fine by me. I’ll talk to Faith and let her know what’s up.”
“Think Violeta already mentioned it,” he said. “Luka isn’t too happy about being left out. Wish we had a boy closer to his age. Poor little guy.”
“Give him a few years and he’ll be delighted to be surrounded by girls.”
Rocket shook his head. “Poor Slider. He’s not going to have it easy.”
“Nope. Not even a little.” I watched Marianna and the other kids. She was still a little slower than the rest, but with a lot of hard work, she’d come a long way. She took classes in the special education building at school, and I knew she got teased for it outside the compound. Everyone here loved her. “Spider and I aren’t getting any younger. Never thought I’d be leavin’ a family behind when it’s my time to go. Think he worries about his daughter?”
“I know he does,” Rocket said softly. “He wants her to experience everything the other girls will. Including falling in love. I’ve told him the right guy won’t care that she had to take remedial classes and got held back. She’s a sweetie and some guy will take notice one day.”
“And if they don’t?” I asked.
“Then everyone here will take care of her.” Rocket shrugged. “Can’t force someone to fall in love.”
No, you couldn’t. As I watched my family and the other kids, I realized something. Spider and I had taken a long time to find our special person, which meant our kids weren’t as old as, say, Torch’s or Venom’s. Although, Torch’s youngest was closer in age to our kids. Would I still be alive when my girls fell in love? Would Spider get a chance to approve of whomever fell for Marianna?
“Rocket, do me a favor,” I said.
“Anything, Bear. Just name it.”
“You’re about fifteen years younger than me. If I’m not around when my girls get married, will you make sure they don’t end up with some shithead who’s goin’ to hurt them?”
Rocket faced me fully. “What the fuck kind of question is that?”
“The realistic kind,” I said. “I’m nearly seventy. I’ve lived a hard life, and I don’t delude myself into thinkin’ I’ll be here another twenty years. Hell, I could end up with a bullet in me any day. We may have toned things down, but it’s not like we run from danger.”
“You’re going to die in your bed, an old, feeble man, with your family surrounding you. Faith and those girls just found you. They need you, Bear. So whatever bug crawled up your ass to bring this shit up, you better deal with it. Don’t let them hear you talking like this.”
I nodded, knowing he was right. Getting old just sucked big-ass donkey balls.
Faith
When the women first came over, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had friends, or had a woman to talk to at all. Spade kept me so isolated, I’d not had anyone in my life other than him and the girls. Now it seemed all that would change. I had no doubt Bear arranged for them to come meet me. I knew he’d set up this entire night. Just thinking about him, and how kind he was, warmed my heart.
“You doing okay?” Raven asked.
I nodded. “I think so. It’s a lot to take in. Even though my ex was a biker, his club wasn’t anything like this one.”
“Fox saved me. I’d been raped. Abused. I’d learned not to trust anyone.” Raven took a swallow of her drink. “I’d never met someone like him before. The moment I set eyes on him, I felt safe. Like if I could just stay by his side, everything would be okay.”
I knew how she felt. Bear made me feel the same. Even though Piper trusted Bear, I could tell she didn’t feel the same about the rest of the Hades Abyss. Not yet. I didn’t blame her. Having this many men surround me, had me a bit on edge too.
“My father sent me here,” Luciana said. “Told me to treat the men right and give them whatever they wanted. He’d been whoring me out for a while. I offered myself to Spider that first day. Stripped in his kitchen. I’ll never forget the look on his face. It devastated him, realizing what I’d been through. These are good men here. Not an evil bone in their bodies.”
“Surge and Aidan protected me,” Colette said. “Aidan nearly lost his life because of me.”
“I’m Luciana’s sister.” Violeta smiled. “I tried to seduce Rocket that first day. He ran from me, a look of horror on his face. I’d never had someone react that way before. He was so gentle with me. So caring. I fell for him almost instantly.”
“My story is a bit different,” Vasha said. “Surge saved me by bringing me here from Russia and gifted me to Slider. Even married us. I didn’t realize until I arrived he didn’t know anything about me, nor had he wanted me.”
I gasped and reached out to place my hand over hers. “How awful! You must have been terrified. New country. No family here, I’m assuming.”
Vasha nodded. “Correct. I ran, thinking he didn’t want me. In the end, things worked out for the best. We love each other, and our children are a blessing. I love Luka and Anya. In fact, we’ll be having a third child before too long.”
I smiled. “Maybe our babies will grow up to be the best of friends.”
Colette’s cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t want to say anything just yet, since it’s still rather early, but we’re pregnant too. Only seven weeks.”
Raven looked around the room, spotted Fox, then quickly looked away. I wondered about her reaction, until she leaned in and whispered to me.
“I’m pregnant too, but I haven’t told Fox yet. He’s going to lock me away to keep me safe. I’m only four weeks, so I’m trying to hold off another month before I say anything. Will you keep my secret?” Raven asked.
I nodded. I didn’t know why she’d confided in me of all people, but I vowed I’d keep her secret. It seemed we were all pregnant, except Violeta and Luciana. The look of longing on Luciana’s face made me wonder if she couldn’t have more children.
Violeta caught Rocket’s eye and motioned him over. After whispering in his ear, he smiled and took her hand, helping her stand.
“Everyone, Violeta and I would like to make an announcement.” Rocket waited until the room went quiet. “Spider, could you come over here with your wife?”
The older man stood behind Luciana and placed his hands on her shoulders. She reached up to cover one of his with her palm. Were they about to announce another pregnancy? No. That didn’t seem right. Why would Spider and Luciana be involved, even if the two women were sisters?
“As most of the club knows, if not everyone, Luciana was unable to have more children. We all know how much the two adore Marianna, but the little one deserves a sibling or two.” Rocket smiled widely. “Which is why, with Spider’s permission, Violeta and I took a little trip recently. Luciana, sometime in the next week, you’ll be welcoming a new member to your family.”
She stood so abruptly, she slammed her chair back into Spider, making him grunt from the impact. “What? What are you talking about?”
“You’ve both done such a wonderful job with Marianna. Through all the ups and downs, doctor appointments, seeing specialists… that girl couldn’t have had two better parents. Which is why Spider agreed to help a little boy who’s in need.”
She spun to face her husband. “You did? When? Why didn’t you discuss this with me? We needed to prepare Marianna for something like this.”
Spider lifted a hand to calm her down. “Honey, I already talked to Marianna. She’s excited. I know I should have asked you, but I’ve seen the way you eye the women here when they have a baby. I know you wanted more children. I can’t promise to be around in another ten or fifteen years. You may end up raising the kids on your own, but I think this little boy is meant to be ours.”
My throat tightened and I blinked back tears. I looked from Spider to Bear and wondered if he felt the same way. They were both older, having gone completely silver. Did he worry that he wouldn’t be around to watch our youngest grow up? He winked at me, but I saw the sadness in his eyes and knew I’d guessed correctly. The thought of him not being by my side one day made me want to cry and scream at how unfair life was. I tried to focus on the two couples again.
“Corvin is sixteen,” Spider said. “Rocket had some help finding him. He’s currently undergoing medical care at a hospital in Texas. Corvin, along with three other children, were saved from a trafficking ring. They’ve all been abused in various ways, drugged, and some are scarred for life both physically and mentally. Corvin is one of those.”
Rocket pulled out his phone and turned it so we could all see the teen boy on the screen. They’d shaved his head and his scalp was a mass of stitches and bruising. His eyes were swollen shut. More stitches were in his lip and in various places on his face. What the hell had that sweet baby been through?
“Once he’s healed and released from the hospital, you can bring him home,” Rocket said. “Wire found him, so he handled the paperwork. The other children have been claimed, or will be placed in psychiatric facilities where they can stay until their minds have healed. We made sure they weren’t corrupt places, so no one will go through the same thing as Raven.”
Piper inched closer, her eyes riveted to the screen. I wondered if she felt a kinship to him. While Spade had never hurt her that badly, he’d sent me to the hospital multiple times. Something told me she’d befriend Corvin whenever he came to live with Spider and Luciana.
“Sneaky fucker,” Bear muttered.
Rocket grinned. “Sorry. I didn’t think we’d be saying something this soon, but it seemed Violeta felt it was time.”
“We were all talking about babies,” Violeta said. “I saw the look in my sister’s eyes and knew she needed to hear about Corvin now. I know he’s not a baby, but he’ll still be your son.”
“And I love him already,” Luciana said.
Just what the heck had Bear and Rocket been discussing earlier? The comment didn’t make any sense to me, but Rocket had known immediately what Bear meant. It made my mind circle back to my earlier question… did Bear fear he wouldn’t be around to see the kids grow up?
Well, the occasion turned somber rather quickly. I cleared my throat and smiled at my new friends. “I’m so happy for you, Luciana! And for everyone’s who is expecting right now.”
“The club is growing,” Fox said, as he joined us.
More than he realized. Raven winked at me before smiling up at her husband. I wondered how Fox would take the news when he found out. Would he really lock her up in the house like she feared? Considering everything the women here had been through, I could understand why he’d be overprotective. I’d be willing to bet all the men were the same way.
“Is he going to be all right?” Piper asked, still staring at the picture.
Rocket’s eyebrows rose and he smirked, but it was Spider who answered.
“The kid is a fighter. He’ll pull through.” Spider walked away from Luciana and approached Piper. “He’s going to need friends. Even when his hair grows back, he’ll have scars from head to toe. He may never want to discuss what he’s been through, and emotionally, it may take a long time for him to heal. If he ever does.”
Piper nodded, her jaw hardening. “I’ll be his friend.”
I looked up at Bear and saw the calculating gleam in his eyes. It seemed he’d taken notice of her fascination with the boy as well. I had no doubt she’d befriend him. But knowing my daughter as well as I did, I thought she probably wanted more than that from Corvin.
Bear looked from Piper to the Prospect he’d called Joe. The man’s expression shuttered as he stared at Piper, and I knew I was missing something. Bear came back and leaned down to kiss my cheek, whispering to me as he did. “I’ll explain later.”
“Everyone grab some dessert, get a drink, and have fun,” Fox yelled. “This is a party. Act like it!”
The noise level increased again, and for a while, I could pretend my life wasn’t in danger. I enjoyed the company of the women and got to know their men a little better. All the while, I kept an eye on my girls. Cordelia sat at a table with Luka, Marianna, and Zoe playing a board game. Piper stood nearby keeping watch, as if she were afraid her sister might vanish if she didn’t stick close.
Every time someone approached, she flinched a little before smiling. All except one person. Joe would bring her things, and she’d take them. Not once did she shy away from him, which meant he’d gained her trust. How long before she felt the same about everyone else here?
Maybe she’d been so fascinated with Corvin because she realized he might be as broken as she was. To the world, she came across as brash and fearless. I knew different. She’d come across as strong because she had no choice. Inside, she was just as scared as I was.
Did Bear realize how broken we really were? I hoped he knew what he’d gotten himself into. Because now that I’d experienced his touch, had his arms around me, and knew what it was to have a man care… I knew I’d never willingly walk away from him. He was stuck with me from now until forever.