Atilla
Why the fuck had Lavender called her? And why didn’t I know Solena had a kid? We weren’t exactly friends, but we’d talked here and there. I didn’t remember hearing anything about a child. Most people brought up their kids when they talked to Casey. I didn’t know why my daughter’s pregnant belly made them think she needed to hear all their stories of when their kid was a baby and stayed up all night.
It wasn’t technically club business. After all, I’d called Outlaw, who had called Wire and Lavender, to dig up dirt on Su and Mark. I needed to know why they wanted my grandbaby so badly. Or rather, why they wanted Casey to give up her daughter. If they’d run across something while looking into that couple…
“My daughter was staying with two people she called Aunt Su and Uncle Mark, even though they weren’t related. For some reason, they kept texting her, wanting her to give her baby up for adoption. Since she doesn’t live with them anymore, I thought it was strange.” My name was called, and I went to pick up my order. When I got back, I took a bite of my burger before I continued. “I called a friend who happens to be a hacker. Or he was. He then reached out to Lavender and her husband, to see if they could find anything suspicious on the couple.”
Solena paled and tensed. Interesting. Was it their names that brought on that reaction? The part about adoption? She’d mentioned a son, but again, I didn’t recall her ever talking about one. Had she given her baby up for adoption? And if so, how long ago? She’d said she was only twenty-three. Was it somewhat recent?
“Solena, you said Lavender called about your son. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
The stubborn set of her chin told me plenty. I’d hurt her by being so adamant I’d never settle down. Rebecca had been my one and only. Or so I’d thought. But if that was true, why had I woken up thinking about Solena first thing this morning? Not to mention the mere thought someone might have hurt her, or something nefarious might have happened to her boy, made me want to shelter and protect her. I’d never had that reaction to a woman. Not since Rebecca. Well, I felt that way with Casey, but she was my daughter, so it was different.
I waited to see if she’d talk to me. I wasn’t sure how much I should say about what Lavender and Wire were working on. If her boy had gotten mixed up in this somehow, then she had a right to know. And if not… it might not be club business, but it was personal. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to let her in. What would Casey think about it? I’d only recently gotten my daughter back. I didn’t know if I was ready to risk driving her away by bringing a woman home, especially one closer to her age than mine.
“When I was fifteen, my boyfriend raped me. No one believed me. They said I’d consented and changed my mind later. It’s what my boyfriend claimed happened. I don’t know why they all took his side.” Her eyes darkened and her lower lip trembled. “I got pregnant. I was still fifteen when my son was born. My parents never gave me a chance to hold him or even see his face. He was taken away immediately and put up for adoption.”
I fisted my hand on the table, wanting to find the little shit and beat the hell out of him. It didn’t matter if he’d only been a kid. He’d been old enough to know right and wrong. The thought of someone hurting her in such an awful way made me see red.
And that’s when I knew I was fucked.
It didn’t matter if I wanted to let her in, because she was already there, worming her way into my heart. I already cared. Wanted to protect her. Hold her and tell her everything would be fine.
Shit.
“Is that what you wanted?” I asked, trying to stay focused.
“No. I wanted my baby, despite everything. My parents didn’t give me a choice. My boyfriend must have agreed with them because I remember his signature on the papers they forced me to sign. I’ve never known what happened to my little boy. Last night…” She looked away.
“What about last night?” I asked.
“It was a bad day for me. That’s why I was at your clubhouse drinking. Or part of the reason. My son has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve wondered if he’s happy. If he’s even still alive. What sort of life he’s had. Lavender gave me the first hope I’ve ever had. I even know his name.” She smiled a little. “Santiago.”
“And Lavender found out about your boy while looking into Su and Mark?” I asked.
“I guess so. She said she’d been working on something for you. The fact they wanted to put Becca up for adoption, and that led to Lavender finding Santiago, makes me think they’re part of the organization who took my baby.” She pressed her lips together. “She also mentioned something about the church my parents attended when they lived here. Both my family and the church have moved. I don’t know where because I cut all ties with my family when I moved out. I just know they put their house up for sale, and I noticed the church was vacant one day when I drove past it. Of course, it could have just shut down entirely and not changed location.”
I’d file the information away about the church. Had it really been a church? Or was something deeper going on? How were Solena’s parents involved? Instead of putting the puzzle together, I seemed to only end up with more pieces I couldn’t fit together.
“Was there anything off about the adoption with your son?” I asked.
“The adoption agency my parents mentioned didn’t handle the case. I’ve never known who put my baby in the hands of complete strangers. It’s possible my parents did it themselves. They’re awful enough.”
“I’m sorry, Solena. It seems we have more in common than I thought. Until Casey showed up at the clubhouse, I’d thought she was dead. I’d received the news her mother, Rebecca, died before she could give birth to our daughter. No one else told me Casey was still alive or had been safely delivered. The anniversary of what I assumed to be their death always hit me hard. Oddly enough, that’s the same day Casey showed up. On her seventeenth birthday.”
“I always thought not knowing was the worst part. Now I know he’s alive, and have no idea if he’s healthy and happy, if his parents love him, or anything other than his name and he’s alive. I think it’s even worse.”
“Give me a minute. I’m going to finish this burger and fries, then I’ll see if Lavender or Wire will give me more info. I know what it’s like to need closure. Since she called you, I know you have her number. But you came to me instead of calling her back. Your reasons are your own, and I don’t need to know why you did it.” I cleared my throat. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry about what I said last night. It didn’t occur to me it might have made you feel like I was using you. I’m a guy. A biker. And admittedly, I can be an asshole. Usually, I’m only an asshole when I need to be one.”
She gave me a genuine smile that time, and I considered it a win. I finished my food, threw our trash away, and took her by the hand. The fact it felt so small in mine made my protective urges rise up even more. I didn’t know what Lavender had found, or why the fuck she’d call Solena and only give her a small piece of news about her son. She’d better have a damn good reason, because it pissed me the fuck off.
I led Solena out of the hospital and to a small courtyard I’d discovered when I’d taken a walk earlier. We sat on one of the park benches and I pulled out my phone. Even though I didn’t speak directly with Wire very often, I had his number. The phone rang three times before he answered.
“Wire speaking,” he said as the call connected.
“It’s Atilla.”
“We’re still looking into some things,” Wire said. “But we should have news for you soon. Lavender had a bit of luck earlier and it helped her connect a few pieces.”
“I’m aware.” I tried to keep the irritation from my voice. “Why the fuck did she call Solena and drop that kind of bomb on her?”
I could hear him breathing, but otherwise, the line was silent. I knew the fucker was still there. I gave him another minute, then hung up the phone. Instead of calling him back, I called Outlaw.
“Just got a text from Wire,” he said when the call connected.
“Hello to you too,” I muttered. “What did the asshole have to say for himself?”
“He wasn’t aware you knew Solena.”
I counted to ten. Then twenty. Nope. Still pissed.
“What the fuck does it matter if I know her? Why would Lavender do that to her? She’s a mom. Did she stop to think how it would have made her feel if their roles had been reversed? It was a hurtful thing to do, and I don’t fucking appreciate it.”
Outlaw whistled. “Damn. You have it bad. But noted. I’ll have a talk with him. I’m sure Lavender was in the zone and trying to tie things together. She probably didn’t stop long enough to consider how her actions would impact Solena.”
“I get it. I do, but it doesn’t make me any happier.”
“They’ve been sharing information with me as they find things. From what I’m looking at, it seemed like Solena’s family handed off her son to their local church. The pastor then placed the child in a home. It’s the same pastor who’s been in contact with Su and Mark.” I heard Outlaw’s chair creak as he sighed. “If I had to guess, we’re looking at a human trafficking ring. I can only hope the kids are all safe and are actually with loving parents, but after all the horrific things we’ve seen? I’m struggling a bit to hold on to the faith we’ll find them in good health and still alive.”
Motherfucker. I couldn’t tell Solena that. No way in fucking hell. Lavender apparently told her that Santiago was alive. At least there was some small comfort in that. If the kid was still breathing, then we just needed to get him home to her. The rest would eventually work itself out -- probably with a shit ton of therapy.
“What about Santiago?” I asked. “Did they send you anything on him?”
“Let me check.” It took a few minutes of papers shuffling before he found what he was searching for. “Got it. Santiago is… Fuck.”
“Not instilling a lot of confidence right now,” I said.
“Yeah, sorry. It’s just… he’s bounced around. A lot. But Atilla… he’s in Bryson Corners right now. I’m going to text you everything I can find on his location. You’ll need to extract him. Fast.”
“Got it.”
“And, Atilla? Don’t tell the mom what’s going on yet. Now isn’t the time.”
Outlaw ended the call, and I stared at Solena, wondering what the hell I was going to do. Once I had the information from Outlaw, I’d know a little more. Either way, it didn’t sound like the kid was in a good place.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
How the hell could I look her in the eye and lie to her face? I couldn’t. Outlaw said not to tell her anything yet, but I could at least give her a little hope, right? I knew how much she’d missed her boy. If I could get him back for her… I thought over the years I’d had without Casey. I’d have given anything for someone to tell my daughter was alive.
“Well, I don’t know for certain yet, but… how would you like to have your son back?” Tears gathered in her eyes, her lips trembled, and then she threw herself into my arms. I held her as she sobbed against my chest, and I knew I’d do whatever it took to bring her kid to her. “It’s going to be okay, Solena. I’ll get him back for you. Just promise me something.”
“Anything,” she said.
“Get him whatever help he may need. I have no idea what the kid has been through. Outlaw is going to tell me how to find him, but he said your boy has been bounced around some different homes.”
“He’s only eight,” she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
“What do you need for him?” I asked.
“Everything.” She smiled. “I never thought I’d get to see him, much less hug him. Now you’re telling me he can live with me?”
I nodded. “I’ll make sure it happens. Whatever it takes.”
“I don’t know what size he wears or anything. What if I get something that doesn’t fit? Or toys he doesn’t like?”
I felt her trembling and knew she was both excited and scared. As much as I wanted to go back up to be with Casey and Becca, I knew they had plenty of people in their corner. Solena didn’t seem to have anyone. Who stood beside her during hard times? Who lent a hand when she was floundering?
“Come on. Let’s go see the baby, and I’ll make sure Spade stays with Casey. Then you and I can go make sure you have the basics for your boy.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I’m positive.” I stood and held out my hand. She slid her palm against mine. I closed my fingers around hers and led her back into the hospital.
The fact my heart was slamming against my ribs wasn’t something I’d admit to anyone. It was like the first time I’d seen Rebecca. Excitement hummed in my veins, and her hand felt incredibly right in mine. I had too much going on and felt like I needed to be in twenty places at once. But knowing my daughter and granddaughter were in good hands gave a small measure of comfort.
I didn’t know what would happen with Solena, if anything. Maybe I’d get her kid back, and I wouldn’t see her again unless it was at the café. But I suddenly wondered what it would be like to have more with her. Casey was seventeen, and she was getting her life figured out. She had a kid of her own. One day, she’d move out.
“I know what I said before, but once you have your son back, I’d like to talk some more and maybe re-evaluate things.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“Us. I thought I was too old to find someone. I had Rebecca, but she’s been gone seventeen years. There will never be a day I don’t love her. I guess I always felt like letting someone else in would be the same as me trying to replace her.”
She squeezed my hand. “Atilla, I would never presume to take her place. Not in your life or Casey’s. Honestly, I’m jealous as hell. She’s been gone all this time and still has your love and devotion. I can’t even imagine what that’s like. When I heard the baby’s name, it felt like someone stabbed me in the heart.”
“That was Casey’s idea,” I said. “I didn’t name my granddaughter.”
“I know. Even if you had, it’s petty of me to be upset over something like that. The two of you had a life together. You knew her long before I came into the picture. I was only six years old when she died and gave birth to Casey. And yes, I know the age difference between us freaks you out a little. I can’t say it didn’t give me pause, but in the end, I don’t care what anyone else thinks. We have a right to be happy.”
“I know.” I stopped her and leaned down to press my lips to hers in a brief kiss. “I can’t make a lot of promises right now. Your life is about to change when Santiago comes home, and I’m still figuring out how to be a dad. Now I’m a grandpa too. Let’s just take it one day at a time and see where things go. Are you all right with that?”
She smiled up at me. “Yeah. I can live with that.”
For all I knew, this would blow up in my face, but for the first time in seventeen years, I’d met a woman who made me want something more. I owed it to myself, and to Rebecca’s memory, to see where this went. I knew she wouldn’t have wanted me to be alone for the rest of my life. That wasn’t the sort of woman she’d been. So I’d honor her by doing whatever it took to be happy.