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Rebel
I sent Truth home about an hour ago. I’m still sitting in the office pouring over Grim’s phone records. He’s made a lot of calls to Daytona recently. Truth ran the number, and it comes back to Manny Martinez, president of Crow’s Rebels, an MC we deal with from time to time. Been awhile since we’ve had any arrangements with them.
I’m missing something. I go over his internet history again. Seems he looked up the phone number for a garage in Miami, Willard And Sons Customs.
It’s too late to put in a call tonight. I’ll find out what he wanted and who he wanted it from tomorrow. I shut off Truth’s computer and lock it in the bottom drawer of the desk.
I flip off the lights and lock the door. I trudge up the stairs about too damn tired to make the drive home, but I can’t sleep anywhere but in my own bed next to my wife.
I see my little brother’s truck in the parking lot out front. He’s made his choice.
I smile. He’s a good kid, just needs some guidance.
I’m gonna be the brother to JT that I wasn’t to Striker.
However, JT isn't a stand in or a replacement for the brother I lost.
I know I done wrong.
And if I find out Striker is alive, I’m going to find him and repair what I broke between us.
As I’m driving home, I can't help but think about life.
Just when you think you finally have it all figured out you hit a bump and bam, everything is thrown off kilter. Everything you thought you knew doesn’t mean a damn thing.
What’s it all been for? The lies, the hurt, the deaths? What did it all accomplish in the end? I think back on everything I have been through up to this point in my life.
I can’t think back on it all and not think of Striker and Baby—Sarah.
Sarah, I try not to think of her often. It sounds funny but thinking of her makes me feel as though I am cheating on Chelle. My wife would laugh; she knows I was married before her. Hell, I cheated on my wife at the time with her. And yet she knows I’d never do the same to her.
Sarah though...damn she didn’t deserve what happened to her. Grim told me about Betty and her part in it all, how she hired a man to kill Sunshine. He took the wrong life, not that I would want Sunshine dead, but if it would bring back Sarah, I wouldn’t think twice. I know Grim killed her for it, but what I wouldn’t give to have been able to make her pay.
Her actions cost us all a lot.
Her actions set a lot in motion.
I never would have fired that gun.
I never would have hurt my brother, my best friend.
So what did we suffer through all this hell for?
When I get home and pull up to my house, the house I built for Chelle and the kids I have my answer—family.
At the end of the day it all comes back to family.
I step up on the porch and unlock the door. Walking inside, I see my gorgeous Chelle Belle asleep on the couch waiting for me.
After removing my shoes, I go over and wipe her hair from her face. She stirs a little smacking my hand away.
I kiss her cheek. “Go get in the bed.”
“It’s about time you rolled in. Everything okay?” She wipes her eyes and yawns. Sitting up she pulls a Hot Wheel from under her ass.
“Yeah, I think it will be,” I tell her.
She yawns again. “Did you eat?”
I shake my head, and she is already padding across the floor to the kitchen quiet as a mouse trying not to wake the kids.
I sit at the table while she heats up my food.
“I’m going on the road soon. I don’t know for how long. I don’t know where the road will lead me.” I watch my wife, not sure of the response I am going to get.
Most women would probably throw the plate at my head but not Chelle.
She sits my plate down in front of me then takes the seat next to me.
Her lack of communication is alarming. She’s silent and that’s more serious than any threat she could ever make. Chelle isn’t a quiet woman. When she’s pissed she lets me know it.
When I take a bite of my food, I know why she’s quiet, but I won’t give her the satisfaction of a reaction. I chew slowly pretending I don’t taste the heap of garlic she put on my spaghetti. At first glance it looks like parmesan cheese.
A coy smile tugs at the corners of her mouth, she wants to laugh, her lips twitch, but she would rather die first, she still wants to be mad.
I wipe my mouth and take a drink of my beer that tastes like hot piss. I almost ask if it is piss, but she wouldn’t be that spiteful. Well...I don’t think she would.
“This trip is important. I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t.”
“I know that.” She gets up from the table and returns with a different plate. “Here.” She slams it down in front of me and it nearly breaks.
“What, this one have hot sauce?”
“No! That was for missing supper.” She smirks so pleased with herself.
I can only laugh. She’s bat shit crazy, but she’s mine.
“I found something.” I pause to make sure she is paying attention. She takes her seat and I grab her hand. “I think my brother is alive. Baby and Colt too.”
My wife squeezes my hand. “And you want to go find him, all of them?”
“I have to—I have to know.”
“I understand, if it were my sorry ass brothers, I’d want to know if they were out there. When are you leaving?” Her eyes fall, I know she isn’t happy with me.
I can see she’s trying not to cry; she is always so strong for me.
“I haven’t decided but soon. Not sure if I want to wait for Grim to get back or just go.”
“What do you want to do? Where do you think he is?”
“If I didn’t have you and the kids, I’d already be gone.” She winces. I didn’t mean it as an insult, but I think she knows that. “He’s in Florida. At least, I think that’s where he is.”
“Why don’t you just fly down? It’d be a lot faster,” she suggests.
“You sure?”
“If you fly, you’ll be back sooner.” She smiles faintly, and I kiss her knuckles. “You call and get your ticket squared away, and I’ll pack you a bag.”
“No funny business,” I warn. “I don’t want to get down there and only have one of your bras or some shit to wear.”
She laughs. “Now why would you go and give me an idea like that.”
“Woman!”
She blows me a kiss and disappears to our bedroom.
Chelle knows me hitting the road at any time has always been a possibility, but this is the first time I’ve really gone. All the other times I found a way to get out of traveling. I would send someone in my place, but this is something I have to do myself.
I call the closest airport, it’s about an hour drive away. They have a flight to Orlando early in the morning, and I can get a rental car to make the drive to Miami once I land.
I send a quick text to Truth and Stone, telling them they have the club until Grim returns.
I go to each of my children’s rooms and watch them sleep, making sure to kiss them all.
I’m going to miss them. I’ve not gone one day without seeing them.
I take a minute to leave Miracle a note. I don’t want her to think I have deserted her too. She isn’t good with goodbyes. Even though she’s ten years old now, she hasn’t lost her attachment to me.
––––––––
Miracle,
Baby girl, daddy had to go on a trip, but I’ll be home soon. Mind your momma and take care of your brothers and your sister.
All my love,
Daddy
In my bedroom, I find my bag packed and my wife sitting on the edge of the bed. When she sees me she wipes her tears away quickly.
“Hey.” I go down on my knees in front of her taking her hands in mine. “I’ll be back before you have a chance to miss me.”
“Probably, I don’t know why you don’t go on the road more often. I can’t wait for you to go so my boyfriend can come over,” she teases, and I growl.
I barrel her onto the bed and cage her under my arms peppering kisses down her throat. Her legs circle around my waist, and I undo my zipper needing to have her before I go.
She eases my jeans over my hips, and I lift her nightshirt up over her stomach to find she isn’t wearing any panties.
Goddamn, I have the sexiest wife ever.
I slide into her with ease and she tightens around me. After three kids and all these years, she’s still the only woman I want to lose myself in.
Chelle has shown me what it really means to love.
I look her into her eyes and say, “I wish I didn’t have to go.” If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t.
“I know,” she whispers arching up off the bed urging me to go deeper.
I spread my hands over her torso loving every inch of her.
Just when I am about to get off a tiny knock sounds at the door.
I cap my hand over Chelle’s mouth hoping if we don’t answer, whichever kid it is will go away, and I can finish making love to my wife.
I pull out and push back in. I’m so close, so fucking close.
“Knock.”
Thrust.
“Knock.”
Thrust.
“Daddy, open the door.”
Fuck.
“In a minute, princess, Daddy is changing clothes.”
Chelle giggles as I try like hell to get off.
Then I hear, “Why is mommy laughing?”
Damn it to hell. I pull my jeans up, and Chelle scoots under the covers.
I stomp over to the door pissed the hell off and sling it open.
Little Miss Harley is standing with her hands on her hips. “Took long enough.” She shoves past me and goes straight to Chelle curling up in the bed next her momma.
I shake my head and go to the bathroom for a quick shower. I need to get to the airport any damn way.
Ten minutes later, when I am toweling off, Chelle slips into the bathroom and drops to her knees to take care of me, before I go.