Chapter 1

One

Present Day

"That's a good boy. Come on, Glenn," I coo and keep the bright smile on my face. My knees hurt from being in this crouched position too long, but I'll stay this way as long as I have to, to give my little boy a chance to conquer this milestone.

Glenn wobbles on his little legs and throws his hands out to balance himself, but his little feet don't take even a single step in my direction.

"Come on, little man, you can do it!" Treble whispers from where he's sitting in the chair, Riot on his lap.

There's a thick tension in the air; no one wants to make any big noises and scare Glenn on his big boy journey.

"Come on, come to momma," I coo again, and Glenn gives me a big smile. Even with only four little teeth in his mouth, it's still the best smile I've ever seen. His expression makes my heart want to explode. If I wasn't trying to teach him how to walk, I'd rush right over to him and pick him up into my arms.

I suck in a breath and hold it when he lifts his foot up tentatively and puts it down in front of him.

He moves forward, and I hear everyone else suck in a deep breath as well.

In days past, the rest of the club would be off somewhere, either on a run or having a good time. Tonight, though, everyone is sitting around watching my son take his first steps. If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were just as invested in my little tyke as I am. Of course, I know it's not true. No one can love this little boy as much as I do.

Glenn takes another step in my direction, and my chest squeezes when he wobbles a little harder. In a split second, I scan the area around him just to make sure that there's nothing in the near vicinity that he can hurt himself on if he were to fall over. I'm sure he'd be okay, but I never want him to hurt. Ever.

Glenn doesn't even recognize my growing anxiety; instead, he just continues smiling at me and takes another step in my direction.

I should be recording this. No, I can't move. Is he too young to be trying to walk?

A million doubts rush through my mind in between my little boy's small steps. I never thought I'd be a parent, and now that I am, I'm never sure if I'm doing the right thing for him. The last thing I want to do is mess him up in some way.

"You got it! You got it!" Bumblebee cheers Glenn on from where she's standing on the opposite side of the room but doesn't move so she doesn't distract Glenn.

The smile on his face falters a little as he stares at my outstretched arms. He's trying so hard to make it to me.

"Come on, baby," I coo again, and it's like that's all the battery he needs to get his legs moving again. Another step, and then another.

Before I realize it, Glenn has taken a full seven steps before he nearly throws himself into my arms.

The entire clubhouse explodes in cheers and applause.

"Yeah! Good job, Glenn!" Vexx claps from where she's at. Out of my peripheral vision, I see her smiling wide.

She's happy; they all are sharing in this small moment with me and my son.

"Oh, you're such a big boy. I love you so much. You did so good, Glenn!" I pick him up and cradle him against my chest, kissing and smoothing the hair back from his face. I'd do anything for this little boy. He's my one reason for living a better life, or trying to, at least.

Slowly, the entire group starts to disperse, and I find myself just holding my son and peering down into his gorgeous gray eyes.

I could find the answers to all my problems in those little eyes if I tried. I do on a regular basis.

"Baby, you know what happens next, right?" I turn my head to see Riot standing at the door. I'm not sure when she came back.

"Huh? What?"

I know it's ridiculous, but for some reason, I'm scared of what's going to come out of her mouth next. What if this was the one thing the club was waiting on to put me out? Once they felt confident that Glenn was progressing, they could make us leave. After all, I'm only a prospect. So far, all they've been doing is providing for us. I've brought nothing to the table worth anything.

"What?" I ask, my words slightly shaky.

"Babyproofing." Riot laughs loud, throwing her head back and letting her bright green boy-cut hair flop from side to side.

My shoulders slump hard, and I instantly feel solace from her kind words. She stops laughing and peers into my face. "Wah gwan?"

"Nothing, that's just not what I thought you were going to say." I smirk at her before my attention goes back down to Glenn, who is practicing his bubbles.

If I saw anyone else doing something like that, I'd be disgusted, but on this little boy, it's adorable.

"What do you mean that's not what you thought I was going to say? Did you think I was going to have bad news or something?" Riot comes to sit next to me and Glenn, immediately taking the little boy out of my arms so she can get some auntie time.

"Not bad... I mean, I don't know. I'm just always waiting for you guys to get enough of me. Waiting for the day to come when you say enough is enough and want to have us out of here."

If looks could kill, I'd be a dead woman right now. Riot nearly sneers at me.

"Are you kidding right now, Baby? You're our family. We never give up on our family. I'd have thought you'd realize that by now."

"Family or not, I'm not really bringing much to the table. It seems like I'm more of a burden than anything."

With a sigh, she places a soft kiss on Glenn's head before giving him back over to me.

"I know this is all leftover trauma from what you went through with that bastard Hollister, so I'm going to let it slide this time. But I never want to hear you talking like this again. Hollister is gone."

I giggle and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to will my mind not to think back on that time. More specifically, the time Riot pulled Hollister into the backyard and tortured him for his part in destroying her life. Hollister is way gone. We even have his balls in a jar in Vexx's private office as a reminder.

"I know he's gone, but..."

"But nothing, Addison. You belong here with us. We're never going to let anyone hurt you or this baby ever again. You're doing good on your prospect ride. Soon you'll be a full-fledged member of the Eve's Fury MC, and then you can worry about trying to pull your weight. Right now, all you need to worry about is being a good mother to this little boy. Not that you need any tips; you're amazing."

I let my gaze drop down to Glenn and watch as his eyelids slowly start to fall. After my upbringing, I'd never thought I'd be a good mother, but every day I surprise myself.

"Thank you, Riot, seriously, for everything that you've done for us and for the crap I'm sure you're going to have to deal with in the future."

"Ah, man, don't get mushy on me. And there's no need to thank me. You're one of us. We all take care of our own. Now get this big boy to bed." She gently hands Glenn back to me, and I get up feeling lighter for some reason, as if all my problems have magically just floated away.

Something about knowing that my place here is solidified puts me at ease. I have Glenn's crib in the corner of my room, and as I place him down in the safety of the small bed, I stare down into his face and feel my heart swell yet again.

Nothing and no one is ever going to keep me from loving this kid. It just feels a little better to know I have the club's support.

As Glenn sleeps, I watch as he pushes his bottom lip out while he dreams. The face makes me laugh. It's an expression I never do, but he seems to have been born with it.

It's not lost on me that it takes two to make a child, and in the back of my mind, I wonder if Glenn's father even knows he's alive. And if he does, does he think about him?