Charisma
I’d thought I’d pretend to be asleep when Drifter arrived at the compound. I hadn’t realized I wouldn’t have to fake it. Exhaustion had pulled at me within an hour of eating dinner with my family. Phantom had been called away again for Church and had tried to send me back to Havoc’s house, but I refused. I just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a while. Which was exactly what I did.
When I next opened my eyes, sunlight streamed through the windows. Phantom wasn’t in bed with me, and it looked like he hadn’t been here at all. Worry ate at me. Had something gone wrong? Or had it gone right, and he wasn’t here because he’d found Mason?
I got out of bed and went to the bathroom then made my way to the kitchen. I screeched and jumped when I realized Phantom was sitting at the table with another man. Not being able to hear, with the bed being empty, I’d assumed he wasn’t home. The kids had stayed the night at Jordan and Havoc’s house, which meant I’d been alone. Or so I’d assumed. I placed a hand over my racing heart and tried to calm down.
Phantom held out a hand to me and I went to him, refusing to look at the other man. I’d seen the top of his cut and made out Reckless, which meant this was likely my father. As often as I’d wished I could meet him when I’d been growing up, I’d been through too much now to be so eager. For one, not knowing who he was before had meant I’d been dumped into a living hell. It had brought me to Phantom and given me two amazing sons and a precious daughter. For that I was grateful. It still made me angry that maybe someone would have taken up for me before I ever met Phantom if only Drifter hadn’t ditched my mom before I’d been born.
Phantom cupped my cheek. “He came a long way to meet you, Charisma. Aren’t you going to at least say hi?”
I stared at him, not wanting to do as he asked. So instead, I asked the other question I’d always wanted to know. I looked at the man who’d unwillingly been my sperm donor and tried not to flinch at how much we looked alike. Even if his cut hadn’t had Drifter on it, and Phantom hadn’t told me who he was, I’d have still known. I saw those eyes every morning when I looked in the mirror, and they were the same as little Nova’s.
“Why didn’t you want me?” I asked.
He winced and I glanced at Phantom. Was it my words or my volume? Phantom laced our fingers together and nodded at my dad. I turned to face him again and waited for his answer.
“Your husband says you can’t hear.”
I moved my hair back from my ears so he could see the damage. “My foster mother poured acid on me. One of her friends slammed my head into a wall enough times I lost my hearing permanently. If I’m shouting, I can’t tell. I didn’t speak until I met Phantom. It made me uncomfortable.”
Drifter seemed to age before my very eyes and his shoulders slumped. When he spoke next, he signed as he talked. “I’m sorry, Charisma. So fucking sorry.”
I damn near cried. I’d never anticipated my father would know sign language.
“It’s not enough. I was raped. No one believed me. They blamed me for what happened, saying I’d asked for it, then changed my mind after the fact. My foster mother liked to prey on little boys and had been eager to get her hands on my son. Except he died before he was born. I don’t know what happened to his body.
“I did whatever I could to keep the other boys in the house safe. Even if it meant letting Heather’s friends torture me. I’d take a night of pain to give those boys a reprieve. It never lasted, but it was worth it. Even one night of not being groped or forced to do something they didn’t want was better than never having any sort of peace at all.”
The corner of Drifter’s mouth lifted slightly. “Your husband is right. You’re strong and a fighter. A biker’s wife and daughter through and through.”
I straightened my back. “What?”
“I’m proud of you.” Drifter stood and came closer. I realized he towered over me and would even be several inches taller than Phantom. He engulfed me in a hug before I had a chance to back up. I tensed up, not wanting to forgive him, but… I’d longed for my dad to hug me all my life. Now that he was, it didn’t take long for me to give in. I hugged him back.
Drifter released me. “I wish I could have been there for you. Your mother… I’d thought it was just a bit of fun. Assumed we were on the same page. When she started talking about babies, I made it clear I didn’t want kids.”
I couldn’t stop myself from flinching that time. He reached out and tugged on a lock of my hair. The way he watched me, devoured me with his gaze, I realized he meant every word he’d said. He truly did regret not being there for me. Maybe he hadn’t been ready to be a dad back then. He looked to be older than Phantom, but I’d always been terrible at ages. I still didn’t think my husband looked like he was in his fifties. I knew my mom had been young when she had me. She’d be younger than Phantom if she were still alive.
Since he knew sign language, I spoke with not only my voice but my hands too. Phantom was learning but didn’t know enough to keep up if the conversation didn’t include spoken words.
“Did you know she was pregnant?” She’d made it seem like he did. Had she lied to me all these years? It would have been out of character for her, unless she’d been attempting to stop me from chasing after every man I saw in a cut. Which I’d admittedly done from the age of five until I’d turned ten. After that, I’d given up on ever meeting my dad.
“I had my suspicions. If she wasn’t, I thought she wanted to be. That wasn’t for me, so I left. I should have checked on her. I missed out on so much. And I’m a grandpa?” he asked.
I nodded. “My daughter, Nova, is nine. Phantom and I adopted two boys. Li is fifteen and Jian is twelve. They’re in danger. Will you stay and help?”
A mask slid over my father’s face, and he gave me a nod. “I’ll make sure whatever fucker is trying to hurt my family pays for even contemplating such a thing. I’d liked to stay a little while. Get to know you and the kids. Would that be all right?”
“Yeah. I think I’d like that.” I studied him, taking in more details. He had lines by his eyes and bracketing his mouth. His hair was turning more salt than pepper. Had my mom also fallen for an older man? “Why do you know ASL?”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and showed me a picture of a little girl. “A friend of mine with another club has a daughter who’s hearing impaired. A cochlear implant works for her, but at first no one could communicate with her. Their club learned sign language to make things easier on her, and I decided to take a few classes too.”
“The Devil’s Boneyard are trying to learn ASL, so I don’t have to always read their lips. Because of the damage to my eardrums, a cochlear implant won’t work for me.” I glanced at Phantom before focusing on my dad again. “One of the old ladies suggested a hearing assistance dog. I think I’ve done okay without one so I’m not sure it’s a necessary expense.”
“How long ago did you lose your hearing?” Drifter asked.
“A while. Years. At first, it was hard to adjust. Now it’s just part of my life. There are things I miss, but nothing will return my hearing.”
He hugged me again and kissed the top of my head. I wanted to cry at the gesture. How long had I waited for this very moment? I’d thought it would never come. Had even stopped looking for my dad after a while. Bikers riding past had still garnered my attention, but not because I hoped one of them might be called Drifter. I’d given up, and now here he was.
I felt his chest rumble and backed up so I could read his lips. I caught the last word… grandkids. Smiling I signed as I spoke. “They spent the night with their friends at the Sergeant-at-Arms’ home. Do you know Havoc?”
“I’ve met him a few times, but we haven’t really talked,” Drifter said.
I worried at my bottom lip, remembering the conversation I’d had with Li yesterday. I didn’t know how Drifter would handle having a grandson who was bisexual and in a relationship with both a boy and a girl. Though, after all he’d been through, I didn’t think Li was having sex. I had a hard time picturing him being willing to do that after all he’d suffered. At least not this soon. Of course, I also knew Taggart was a good kid and wouldn’t push Li for more than he wanted to give. I knew women could be the aggressors, like Heather, but Nelly didn’t seem the type to do something like that. If anything, she seemed to follow Taggart’s lead.
I cut my eyes over at Phantom. Maybe I should ask him to give them the safe sex talk. It might come better from his dad than from me. Or the doctor. But the boys needed time. Phantom had wanted to make sure they were okay physically, after all they’d been through, but neither Li nor Jian had come out of their rooms once they’d come home. It had been too much for them, emotionally and mentally.
Phantom ran a finger down the bridge of my nose, something I noticed he did a lot. I enjoyed the sign of affection. “What’s wrong, beautiful? You’re thinking hard.”
“Li.” I didn’t have to say anything else. Phantom knew exactly why I’d brought him up.
“Why don’t you call Jordan and have her send the kids home? I’m sure they’d like to shower and change here, then they can go back.”
I folded my arms. “Really? You want me to call her?”
“Good point. Either text or FaceTime her. Just let her know the kids need to come meet their grandfather. They don’t have to stay long if they don’t want to. I know they’ve pretty much settled in now, but I don’t want to overwhelm them.”
I went to get the shiny new phone he’d bought me and sent a message not only to Jordan, but I sent one to Li as well. Looking down at myself, I realized I was still in my pajamas and rushed to change clothes. I couldn’t believe the first time I saw my dad I hadn’t even been wearing regular clothes. Or brushed my hair! At least I’d taken care of my morning breath.
Everything seemed to hit me at once and I sank onto the edge of the bed. I might have lost my mom, been through some horrific experiences, but I’d finally spoken to my dad, gotten a hug from him, and I’d found Phantom. My mom had always repeated that Alexander Graham Bell quote… When one door closes, another opens. I’d never really understood it, and I still wasn’t certain I did, but it felt like I’d shut the door on my past twice now. The first time when my mom died and I went into the system, then again when Phantom found me. Although, after mom died, my life definitely hadn’t improved.
I snapped out of my reverie and finished dressing. By the time I’d pulled on my clothes and made it back to the front of the house, my dad and Phantom had moved to the living room and the kids were back home. Li stood off to the side, arms folded, and attitude pouring off him. But I could see through it. He wanted Drifter to like him, to hug him like he was doing with Jian and Nova. At the same time, he probably worried he was too old to want hugs from a long-lost grandpa.
I went to Li and gave him a nudge, then signed to him. He doesn’t bite. I know you’re a cool teenager, but it’s all right to get a hug. Finding out you have a grandfather is a pretty huge deal.
His lips twitched but he refused to smile. After another nudge, he went over to Drifter. My dad held out his hand and shook Li’s, then before my son could figure out what was going on, my dad yanked him closer and hugged the hell out of him. It made me so damn happy, especially when Li relaxed and hugged him back.
Li spoke and signed after Drifter released him. “What does this mean for holidays? Do we go to where Grandpa lives, or does he come here?”
Drifter’s eyebrows rose. When he signed as well as spoke, all three kids dropped their jaws and stared at him in wonder. “Well… you’re the only family I have. Although, I do have a club I’m close to, so I don’t want to spend every holiday away from them either. What if we compromise?”
The kids shared a look and nodded. I didn’t know what the Devil’s Boneyard did for any of the holidays. With everything else going on, I hadn’t had time to talk to Phantom much about expectations and such.
“I suggest, at least for our first holidays together, you come visit me at the Reckless Kings for Thanksgiving. It will give me time to get my house set up so there will be enough beds for everyone, and a large enough table for us to sit around. Then I’ll come see you here for Christmas.” My dad winked at me before focusing on the kids again. “Can’t have Santa confused about where you’ll be.”
Nova practically glowed with excitement. “Santa will come this year?”
I saw the fierce look on Phantom’s face before his features smoothed out, and he hunkered down by Nova. “Santa didn’t want to do anything to make Heather meaner, so he stayed away. Now that you’re in a safe place, he’ll come visit you every year. We can even send him a letter to make sure he knows where you are. Deal?”
Nova hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy!”
“I need to steal your grandpa for a little while. We’re going to take care of that nasty man, Mason Reynolds. Be good for your mom. I’d prefer all of you go to Havoc’s house again. The more people around, the safer you should be. Plus his home isn’t anywhere near the fence.”
“Neither is ours,” Li pointed out.
Phantom nodded. “True. I’d still feel better with you at Havoc’s place. When you come home, your mom and I have something to discuss with you. It involves some construction on the house, which I arranged to get started today. A Prospect will be measuring our attic and coming up with some sketches for us to look over.”
“Go ahead and tell them,” I said.
“You know your mom can’t have more children. We love the three of you, but before we know it, you’ll be off living your own lives.” Phantom smiled at them. “How would you feel about us adopting one or two more siblings for you?”
“Kids who need help like we did?” Jian asked.
“Exactly. We want to give them a safe, loving home. The idea is to add two more bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. We’ll leave it to the three of you if you’d prefer to remain downstairs so all of you can be together, or if anyone wants an upstairs room, you’re welcome to change bedrooms.” Phantom ran his hands through Nova’s hair. “Would the three of you be okay with that? With us adopting more kids?”
Li nodded and I saw the happiness shining in his eyes. Jian hugged Phantom so hard I worried he might crack something, and little Nova bounced on her toes in her excitement.
“Yes! Yes, but can I have a sister?” Nova asked.
Phantom threw his head back and laughed. “We’ll see what we can do.”
I couldn’t have been prouder of the kids. They could have gotten upset, wanting to keep us to themselves a while longer. It wasn’t like they’d had a happy homelife all this time. As excited as I was about possibly having another girl or boy come be part of our family, I made myself a promise to give the kids we already had a lot of extra attention. While they didn’t seem to mind adding onto our family and taking in another child or two, I didn’t want them to feel like they were being replaced either.
Drifter and Phantom hugged all of us again before heading to the front door. My husband stopped and tossed the Jeep keys to me. It looked like I’d be driving it even if I didn’t feel prepared. At least we weren’t going far.
* * *
Phantom
Drifter followed me to the clubhouse on his bike and we parked next to one another. The man’s shoulders stooped a little, like a heavy weight had settled on top of him. I understood a little about how he felt. No, I hadn’t discovered a daughter and grandkids, but hearing what Charisma and the kids had been through was enough to rip out your heart.
“You good?” I asked. “We can stay outside for a minute. Take a smoke break if that’s your thing.”
He shook his head. “Quit a few years ago. Heard that shit will kill you.”
“Lots of things will. But at least if you die doing something you like, you might go with a smile on your face.”
He grinned. “You’re not wrong. Listen, before we go in there and deal with this shit, I have something I need to say. What you’ve done for Charisma and the kids is really fucking amazing. And I know you love her. Hell, anyone with eyes can see it. You were there for them when I couldn’t be, and I’ll never forget it. If you hadn’t gone after that poisonous bitch, I would have never known I had a daughter or grandkids.”
I didn’t want to risk getting punched in the face, but there was one thing I needed to know. Ever since he’d told me his side of the story, something had bothered me. “If you had even considered you might have left that woman pregnant, why didn’t you ever go back and find out?”
“Because I’m a coward.” His lips twisted. “I was too fucked up in the head to be a dad back then. As the years passed and I got my shit together, I guess I figured if there was a kid out there somewhere, they were better off without me. It’s a kick to the gut finding out how fucking wrong I was. If I’d manned the hell up, I could have saved my daughter from all she’s suffered. I’m a shit father, and I know it. There’s a lot to make up for, and I know it might be an impossible task. I’m just glad she’s willing to give me a chance.”
“Charisma is like that. Her life could have made her hard and jaded. Instead, she’s warm and loving. I already know I’m a lucky bastard to get to call her mine. I’ll treasure her and the kids for the rest of my life.” I clapped him on the back. “It probably doesn’t seem fair you find your daughter and can’t take her home with you.”
“It’s clear she’s in good hands. All I want is for her to be happy. As much as it would have sucked, I’d have walked away if she hadn’t wanted anything to do with me.”
“Come on. Let’s see what the club has figured out about Mason. While I’d gladly get my hands dirty taking this fucker out, if they have an easier solution, I’ll take it. The most important thing is keeping my family safe. But if the club gets Mason, if I’m given the opportunity to face him, then I will have my pound of flesh.”
We entered the clubhouse and the first thing I noticed was how damn quiet the place was. No club whores out front. Not even a Prospect behind the bar. We made our way to Church and when I pushed open the doors, I realized why the place looked deserted. It had been. A piece of paper lay in the center of the table.
“What’s going on?” Drifter asked.
“My cousin is trying to be all noble and shit.” I shook my head. “No fucking way I’m letting him do this, or the others.”
Drifter read it over my shoulder.
Phantom,
We know you want Mason’s blood, and you have every right. But you also have a wife and three kids who need you. You took out Heather on your own. It’s our turn. You’ve given a lot to the club over the years, and you never ask for anything. Although, Charming just said you did ask for Charisma and the kids -- or demanded they be yours. Like we’d ever tell you no.
Cherish your family, cousin. Because of you, I have an amazing woman and two children I adore. You gave me the kick in the ass I needed. I can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me, even before I became part of this club. Handling Mason makes me feel like I’m paying you back, at least a little.
Samurai
“Did he seriously talk the club into going after this asshole without you?” Drifter asked. “And they thought you’d be okay with that?”
“I can’t let them do this,” I said.
“Fuck no, you can’t! And neither can I. How do we find them?”
I shot off a text to Shade. Where the hell are y’all?
He responded immediately. Are you trying to get me killed? They left you behind for a reason.
“Except they didn’t just leave you behind,” Drifter said. “I have a lot to make up for. Protecting Charisma and the kids from this Mason guy would be a good place to start.”
I typed another message to Shade. Drifter is pissed he’s not there. I’m not too happy about it either.
The fucker sent back a string of damn emojis that made me want to gouge out my eyes. What the hell was up with him and those damn things? If he had something to say, he needed to use his words.
I finally got something that made sense from him. We’re at the barn where we took care of Grey’s problem.
I shouldn’t be surprised. The club had decided to purchase that property. Even though the house remained empty, the barn had been getting some use. Although… I had an idea for the home sitting vacant. I’d just have to run it by Charming first.
“I know where they are. Let’s go.”
We rode through the gates, and I turned off down the two-lane road, then curved back around behind the Devil’s Boneyard land. I saw the line of bikes and a few trucks outside the barn and pulled down at the end. Drifter stopped next to me, and we shut off our bikes. I could hear Mason’s screams and wondered if we could soundproof the damn structure. Thankfully, there weren’t other homes in the area, but if anyone wandered by, the cops could get called out here.
I pushed my way inside and a few of my brothers started cursing.
“Who the hell told you where we were?” Charming demanded.
Shade cleared his throat. “I did. As nice as our gesture was, Phantom needed to be here for this, and Drifter wants a chance to defend his daughter.”
“We’ll talk later,” Charming said, casting a glare at Shade.
Drifter and I approached Mason Reynolds IV. The club had strung him up from the barn rafters, his toes barely brushing the ground. Someone had worked him over pretty good. Bruises were already forming along his ribs. His nose and lip were bleeding. They’d stripped him completely and the asshole had a puddle of piss under him. Looked like he could dish it out but couldn’t take it.
I walked up to him and stopped far enough away he couldn’t try to kick me or spit on me. Seemed like the sort of thing the pussy would do.
“Know who I am?” I asked.
“The filthy biker who took my precious boy.”
Samurai stepped up next to me and I could feel the rage coming off him. Stripes strolled up beside Mason’s dangling form. “Wrong answer.”
“Tie his feet,” I said.
One of my brothers brought some coarse rope over and bound Mason’s ankles. He wiggled like a fish on a damn hook and whined like a fucking girl. No, not like a girl. I doubted my Charisma had ever made such a pathetic sound, even when this bastard hurt her. He was more like a mewling kitten.
“I need two things,” I said. “Acid. If it was good enough to hurt Charisma, then he can get a sample. He might not have thrown it on her, but he probably would have if he’d thought of it.”
“And the second?” Charming asked.
“I need my kit. It’s in my saddlebags.”
I stepped back and took off my cut, handing it to Stripes, then yanked my shirt over my head. He took that for me as well. When Cinder handed me a glove, which I pulled on, before taking the glass container of clear liquid. I arched my eyebrow. He also had a glove on while handling the glass beaker.
“Figured you’d want the fucker to suffer this way. I made sure we were prepared.” I wasn’t going to ask where he’d gotten the acid. Some things were better left unsaid.
“If I do this, he won’t last long. Drifter, I had them bring the kit in for you. Use whatever you want in there. I’ll wait.”
He got to work, yanking Mason’s toenails out, slicing him open in a half dozen places, and even took off one of the man’s ears. The crazed look in Drifter’s eyes told me he could do this all fucking night. Except, now that I was here, face-to-face with the slimy weasel who’d hurt my son and wife, all I wanted was to get back home to them. I needed this to be over and behind us.
“You done?” I asked.
He growled and gave a slight nod. “I’ll finish him off after you’ve done your part. That was my daughter you made deaf! My grandson that you touched. Death is too good for you, but I refuse to leave you breathing. They deserve some closure.”
He took a few steps back and my brothers cleared the area around Mason. Last thing I wanted was any of this stuff getting on them. I flung the liquid at him, aiming for the bits dangling between his legs. He screamed as the acid hit his cock and balls. I eyed the empty container.
“You know, I think I like this stuff,” I said.
Cinder snorted. “You would.”
Charming cocked his head and watched the fight slowly drain from Mason. “I think we can arrange to keep some of that on hand. Soon as I research how to store it properly.”
“You’re both fucking crazy,” Cinder muttered.
“Did you forget how you earned your name, old man?” Charming asked.
Drifter rubbed his hands together before going back to the kit and selecting another weapon. The guy was like a kid at Christmas. It only took Mason another ten minutes before he breathed his last. Drifter was covered in the man’s blood and would need a shower before the kids saw him. His daughter could probably handle it, as long as she knew where the blood came from.
Charming pointed to two Prospects standing near the barn doors. “You two. Clean this shit up. Drifter, use the bathroom at the clubhouse. Clean up before you see your daughter and grandkids. You look like you starred in a slasher film.”
“Not the first blood my cut has worn. Doubt it will be the last.”
“We sure no one else is coming here?” I asked. “No more like this fucker, or anyone searching for him when he goes missing?”
“Already arranged for it to look like Mason found what he wanted and left the country. Wire is on it. He was happy to help. As to the other thing we discussed before… we found some of the boys, and a little extra.” Shade scrolled through something on his phone before showing me. I blinked, trying to figure out what the hell he meant. “One of Mason’s friends seems to like both girls and boys, as long as they don’t hit puberty. The little girl you see in the photo is four years old. He’d recently purchased her so he could groom her.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Drifter muttered.
“Me too.” I looked at the picture again. “She needs a home.”
“Exactly!” Shade grinned like a damn lunatic. “Think Nova will share her room while we work on your attic space?”
“She’s mine?” I asked. “I don’t understand. Did someone already rescue her?”
“She was closer to the Broken Bastards. Someone is on their way here with her. The others we rescued are pretty damaged, not just physically. Mentally. I’m not sure they’ll ever live normal lives.” Darkness entered Shade’s eyes a moment. “The man who had them has been punished and sent straight to hell. Although the devil may not claim him either. The other kids are going to a special place where they can get the care they need.”
“It’s not just Shade searching now,” Charming said. “Wire, Lavender, Wizard, and Outlaw are all doing their part. We’ll find as many of the kids as we can. For now, that little princess needs your love and attention. I heard Nova wanted a sister. It seems the man upstairs was listening.”
“How the fuck did you hear that already?” I asked.
Charming grinned. “Because your girl called her friends immediately, who told their moms, and my phone started blowing up with requests to put out a search for a sister for Nova. Like I can just go pick one up somewhere. Then this little angel fell into our laps. Seems like it’s meant to be.”
Drifter growled. “Isn’t someone going to show me? She’s my granddaughter, damnit!”
I laughed and watched his expression soften when he saw her. “Let’s go back and tell the kids. I think Nova will be excited.”
“Send Janessa a list of what you need,” Irish said. “I’ll stay with our kids.”
“The daybed in Nova’s room has another piece. We just didn’t include it,” Scratch said. “It’s stored at the compound. The bed came with a trundle. One of those things that slides under the bed with another mattress? Maybe your new little one can sleep there. I’m sure Nova would like having a sleepover.”
“I’ll bring it by,” Havoc said.
My throat was a little tight as I looked at my brothers, Drifter, and thought about all I had waiting for me at home. Family. I’d always wanted one and hadn’t realized I already had one. It might not have included a wife and kids, but my brothers had always been there for me. You couldn’t always choose who carried the same DNA as you, but you could damn sure pick your family… and I’d found the best one.
“I’ll meet you at the house,” Drifter said. “I’ll bring your kit with me. Need to clean it, and myself.”
“I’ll hold off on telling them about the new addition to our family. You should be there.”
Drifter slapped my back and went outside. I pulled my shirt and cut back on before heading back to my house. Like I’d promised, I didn’t say a word about the little girl until he’d joined us. Although, I’d let him first tell Charisma that Mason Reynolds would never bother any of them again. He’d earned it. Thankfully he kept the details tame enough to not give the younger ones nightmares.
If I’d thought Nova squealed about the possibility of having a sister, it had paled compared to the eardrum shattering sound she made when she knew she had a sister arriving soon. I didn’t even have to worry about her reaction to sharing her new room. She’d immediately run off to put away everything a four-year-old shouldn’t have, and then spent the rest of the night singing and dancing.
Even Momo joined in. It was complete chaos… and I was loving every second.