Meredith
“Do you need anything?” Ridley asked. “I don’t just mean right this second, but in general?”
Her kindness threw me off a little. I’d walked in the door expecting open hostility. Well, maybe not from Ridley. She’d never given me a reason to think she wouldn’t like me. Her daughters, on the other hand, had most likely been badmouthing me up to this point. It’s pretty much what the entire Devil’s Fury had done. Even my sisters weren’t the same when we spoke.
“I wouldn’t mind something to drink, for right now. As to the other, I think I’ll be okay. I have Lynx, after all.” He gave me a slight squeeze in acknowledgment. “And my dad.”
“The Devil’s Fury are your family too,” Demon said. “I admit we didn’t act much like it the last time you saw us. There’s plenty of blame to pass around. I’m sorry for whatever part I played. All I can do is ask for your forgiveness, and hope you’ll give me another chance to prove I’m worthy of being your family.”
I hadn’t expected such a thing from Demon. As the Sergeant-at-Arms, he was one of the toughest men in the club. To hear him ask for me to forgive him -- that was huge. It wasn’t that I disliked anyone at the Devil’s Fury. But I also didn’t feel welcome there anymore. I’d had a nice talk with my dad. Things between us were back to normal, or as much as it would ever be.
I’d made my peace with him. Since I knew he wouldn’t live forever, it was important for us to remain as close as possible. Even if I couldn’t go to the Devil’s Fury to visit him, I’d continue to call him frequently. And now that he could use FaceTime, I’d get to see him, even if it wasn’t in person.
“Farrah and I will take a walk,” Demon said. He forced Farrah to stand, then took her hand and led her from the room. I hated feeling as if I’d chased Ridley’s daughter from her home. Mariah squirmed in her seat before standing as well.
“I don’t have anything against you, Meredith, but I don’t want my presence to make you uncomfortable. I’d love to hear from you sometime. Maybe we can call each other every now and then?”
I nodded, not knowing what else to say. She left, leaving the rest of us sitting in silence. Neither Venom nor Ridley seemed upset by this turn of events. I’d thought they’d be angry I’d made their kids leave. Instead, they were offering me their support. My throat felt tight and my eyes burned with unshed tears.
So far, I’d cried several times since losing the baby. Never about the baby, though. Logically, I knew I’d lost my child. Since I’d only recently discovered the pregnancy and hadn’t had a chance to really accept the fact I was going to be a mom, it made it feel less real.
“I love my girls,” Venom said. “Doesn’t mean I always agree with them. I think the two of them leaving right now was the best thing for them to do. This is your first time meeting all of us as part of the family. If they can’t behave, then they have no right to sit here with us.”
“You aren’t angry with me?” I asked.
Venom smiled. “No. If I were, you’d know it. You have my woman’s seal of approval. Good enough for me. Besides. Lynx seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He wouldn’t have claimed you if you were as rotten as they say.”
“Oh, I was pretty bad,” I said.
My dad reached over and patted my arm. I knew he was telling me everything was all right. I didn’t know if my life would ever be what most considered normal, but at least I knew I had the support of some wonderful people. Lynx. My dad. Now Ridley and Venom. I’d met Rocky and Mara right before coming here, and they were really nice. I’d liked Mara right away.
“I don’t have any idea what happened,” Mara said. “What I do know is that I’m a pretty good judge of character. I liked you from the start, Meredith. If you’re open to it, I’d like to be friends. I know there’s an age difference between us, but…”
I waved her off. “Lynx is older than me. My dad always told us age was just a number. I’ve found women my age tend to cause a lot of drama.”
Ridley smiled. “She’s not wrong. Welcome to the family, Meredith. If the Savage Raptors give you any trouble, you’re welcome here anytime.”
Venom growled softly. “Woman, I’m not the VP here anymore. You can’t go saying shit like that without discussing it with Savior and Saint at the very least.”
“It’s the thought that counts,” I said. “And I appreciate it. You’ve made me feel welcome.”
“More than my fucking club did,” my dad said. “If my other daughters and the grandkids weren’t at the Devil’s Fury, I’d ask to spend my last days with the Savage Raptors so I could stay close to Meredith.”
And now I couldn’t hold back the tears. I looked at my dad. Really looked. The first moment I’d seen him in person, I’d known he wasn’t doing well. It hadn’t hit me until now exactly how soon I might lose him.
“Last days?” Rocky asked.
“Heart failure,” Dad said. “Not much time left. I haven’t told everyone, but last visit to the doctor, they said I had a month or less. It’s why I wanted to see Meredith one last time.”
I pressed a hand to my mouth to hold back my sobs. Lynx turned me so my face was against his chest, and he ran his hand up and down my back. I’d only recently gotten my dad back, and I was going to lose him for good this time. It didn’t seem fair.
“You’ve been with your other family all this time, right?” Mara asked.
“I have. They’ve known my days were numbered, but I haven’t told them the latest. If I had, they’d have done everything they could to keep me home. Then I’d have missed out on seeing Meredith again. I needed to hug my daughter and hold her in my arms one more time.”
“Damn, Grizzly.” Venom shook his head. “This is all kinds of fucked-up. You can’t go with Meredith without feeling like you chose her over the others. And she can’t go with you because your club still has their heads up their asses.”
“Exactly.”
“I won’t be fully healed for four to six weeks,” I said. I felt Lynx tense and realized I hadn’t told him the entire truth. I’d only said no sex for that long. It should have been in the hospital papers, but maybe it hadn’t been. I hadn’t bothered to read them. “When we leave here, I need to go home. I have an appointment next week, and I’ll need to find a doctor in town so I can have a follow-up from my D&C.”
“If you’d told me…” Lynx trailed off, but I knew what he was going to say. If I’d said I wouldn’t be fully healed until possibly six weeks, he’d have kept me home. Then I’d have lost the chance to ever see my dad again.
“I needed this,” I said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything.”
“I’m not sure this trip gave either of you the closure you needed,” Rocky said. “I, for one, vote that you can stay as long as you want. I know the plan was only for a few days, but maybe you could stay until you have to return for your appointment.”
“We won’t be imposing?” Lynx asked.
“Not at all,” Venom assured us. “If Demon, Savage, and their families can’t stay that long, then someone here will make sure Grizzly gets back home.”
“What do you say?” Grizzly asked, looking at Lynx. “Can you and my girl stay here a while longer?”
I leaned into Lynx. “Can we call and change my appointment? I know it’s important, but so is this.”
Ridley cleared her throat. “Actually, if you don’t mind seeing someone different, the club knows a good psychiatrist. He helped treat Janessa and Kalani when Tex found them. His name is Dr. Sykes.”
“Would you mind calling him?” Lynx asked. “If he can meet with Merry while we’re here, then I’ll call Atilla and ask about extending our stay.”
“The apartment has one of those stacking washers and dryers,” Venom said. “You’ll be able to wash clothes if you didn’t bring enough. Plus, there are plenty of stores nearby.”
“You don’t need to run this by your club officers?” Lynx asked.
Venom shook his head. “They know what’s going on and why the lot of you are here. I have no doubt they’ll be fine with a longer visit. If they have an issue with it, I’ll take the heat for it.”
Ridley huffed. “Like they’d dare say anything to you. Everyone knows you stepped down voluntarily. It’s not like anyone wanted you to leave your position as VP.”
“So, are we in agreement?” Grizzly asked. “We’ll stay longer?”
I nodded. Even if Lynx hadn’t wanted to stay, I’d have fought to have more time with my dad. Knowing I could meet with a doctor while I was here just made everything better. If the Dixie Reapers trusted the man, then so would I. The fact he’d treated their women before meant I wouldn’t have to be so secretive about being part of a club. Or rather, having partially grown up in one. It wasn’t something easy to explain, and I knew only giving half-truths wouldn’t be helpful.
“I’ll call Dr. Sykes tonight and see when he’s free,” Ridley said.
“I’ll let the officers know about the change of plans.” Venom smiled. “It will be nice having more time with you, Meredith. I hope you’ll stop by often while you’re here.”
“If Mariah is here, why didn’t Savage come to the house with her?” I asked.
Everyone went silent, which was answer enough. The fact he hadn’t come with her tonight told me plenty. He still didn’t like me, and probably hadn’t wanted to see me. It drove home the fact that once Dad was gone, I wouldn’t have a single ally with the Devil’s Fury. Demon might have apologized, but he wouldn’t be able to sway the opinions of the entire club. I no longer felt welcome there. Sad how the Dixie Reapers had been so welcoming, yet the people I’d lived with didn’t want anything to do with me.
“I’m going to ask them to return home without me,” Grizzly said. “I’ll call Adalia and Badger when I leave here. They won’t be happy with my decision, but they’ll have no choice but to deal with it.”
“Are you sure, Dad?” I asked.
He nodded. “I’ve let the Devil’s Fury keep the two of us apart long enough. Not anymore.”
My heart warmed at his words. But I also knew if he died before he got back home, I’d never forgive myself for robbing my sisters and their children of getting to tell him bye. At the same time, I wanted to be selfish and spend his last days with him.
“Love you, Daddy,” I said.
He stood slowly and leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “Love you too, girl. I’m going to head back to the apartment. I’ll make my calls on the way. You stay here longer.”
“You’re welcome to keep sharing the apartment with us,” Lynx said. “Even when the others leave.”
He shook his head. “I appreciate the gesture, but I’ll move to one of the empty ones. The two of you still need time to bond, and Meredith is healing. She’ll want some quiet time to herself sometimes.”
“Whatever you think is best,” Lynx said.
I wanted to tell my dad to stay with us, except he was right. I would want some time alone to process my thoughts and feelings, and I knew I needed time alone with Lynx. I wasn’t the only one who’d lost the baby. He’d been so ready to accept the child. This had to be hard on him too.
“Well, if everyone is going to stick around for a bit, why don’t we order pizza or something?” Ridley asked.
My stomach had been iffy that first night, but pizza sounded pretty damn good right now. I nodded my agreement and made myself comfortable in one of the now empty chairs. Lynx hadn’t uttered a single complaint about me sitting on him, but I wasn’t exactly light. I had to be putting his legs to sleep.
I’d lost my family with the Devil’s Fury, but it seemed like I’d gained so much more. For the first time in forever, I felt accepted. Wanted, even. Until now, Lynx was the only one who’d made me feel this way since the day I left the Devil’s Fury. Now I had so many more people in my corner. It felt really amazing.