Chapter Eighteen

"W hat do you have planned for today?" I ask Kaitlyn as I put on my cut.

"I'm going to meet up with Natalie and show her around town. Maybe get some lunch."

"Nice. You two seemed to hit it off."

Kaitlyn nods. "We did. She's really sweet."

"I'm glad. Well, make sure that Fang is with you when you leave."

Kaitlyn rolls her eyes. "I know, Spence. Don't worry, I won't try and ditch my bodyguard."

I walk over to Kaitlyn and pull her into a kiss. When she starts to melt into me, I break the kiss.

"Watch that attitude," I murmur against her lips.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll be forced to fuck it out of you."

Kaitlyn hums. "Promises, promises."

"I'll see you when I get home."

"Okay, have a good day."

"You too." I kiss her one more time before I head for the door.

Instantly, I spot Fang and wave when I see that he's on the phone. He tips his chin toward me, letting me know he knows that I'm leaving.

The ride to the warehouse that has become our headquarters goes by much too soon.

Shit, it's been too long since I've gone for a ride that's longer than twenty minutes. My hands are starting to get itchy with the need to hit the open road for an hour.

"Morning," Reaper says when I walk into the warehouse.

"Morning."

"I just put on a fresh pot of coffee. How's my girl doing?" Killer asks as he takes a seat at the table.

"She's good, your grandson too," I tell him as I grab a cup.

I make my way back to the table and sit down with the guys.

"Anything happen last night?" I ask.

Killer shakes his head. "Morgue was at the clubhouse, drunk as a skunk. He ended up passing out with his head on the bar. A couple brothers carried him back to his room around midnight."

"Is that typical? Him drinking that much?" I ask as I take a drink.

Killer moves his head from side to side. "Yes and no. The man has been known to drink too much, but usually he gets back to his room on his own before passing out."

"Interesting," Reaper says as he drums his fingers on the table.

"What about you guys?" I ask, nodding toward my brothers.

"I sat on Kite and watched him crash and burn," Reaper says.

"What the hell does that mean?" Killer asks.

The corners of Reaper's lips twitch. "What I mean is I watched him go on a first date with a woman who was so far out of his league it wasn't even funny. You could tell she didn't want to be there within three minutes, and it was obvious that she stayed for the drinks she was tossing back."

The guys and I chuckle, shaking our heads.

"And I thought sitting on Tiny was bad," Midnight muses.

"What was he up to?" I ask.

"His night was filled with a whole lot of glitter, tassels, and stripper poles," Midnight tells us.

"Come on, are you telling me that you didn't enjoy it in the slightest as a single guy?" Wrath teases.

Midnight glares. "Not in the slightest. What about you?"

"I sat on Brazz and watched him play video games all night," Wrath tells us.

"Fang was on Natalie, so his night was quiet too. So we have a whole lot of nothing." I sigh, rubbing my face.

"We'll catch a break. We have to. It just might take a while," Killer says with confidence I wish I felt.

"I hope so," Reaper says, reading my thoughts.

Killer slaps the table and stands. "If that's all, I'm going to head out. I don't want to be gone long enough to raise suspicion."

"Thanks for coming," I tell him.

"Give my daughter and grandson a kiss for me," he says before heading for the door.

When the door clicks shut, announcing his exit, Wrath groans. "I fucking hate Texas."

"Me fucking too." I chuckle.

Reaper leans back in his chair. "Does that mean you're coming home?"

I shake my head. "I don't know yet. I want to, but it's not just up to me now."

"Well, we're here either way, but for the record, we would hate to see you go," he tells me.

I shake my head and push down the emotion that boils up.

Reaper and I didn't have the smoothest of starts. My father brokered a deal with him to have me transfer and be groomed to be Reaper's VP. He wasn't overly happy about it since he always wanted Wrath as his VP. As time went on, though, we seemed to come to an understanding. I'm the man who will push against him, whereas his best friend is the one who will almost always agree with him. We provide him balance.

Yet when shit went down with his old lady, he still suspected me. It hurt knowing that he suspected me so easily, but not his best friend, Wrath, but I was being secretive. By then, I knew about Kaitlyn and the baby. I wasn't ready to share that with the world yet.

When they cleared me and learned of her, they were all in, right along with me. They were willing to do anything for me and Kaitlyn.

Motherfucker, I don't want to leave my brothers, but if I have to, I will. I'd do anything to make Kaitlyn happy.

She thinks I will choose my club over her, but that will never be true. She and Kolby are my top priority, even if it will kill me to leave my family.

"Tell me, what have I missed?" I ask, needing the comfort of home.

Reaper's jaw clenches as Wrath's fists flex on the table, and Midnight avoids eye contact.

Fuck. Something went down, and I wasn't there. The guilt starts to eat at me. I should have been there for them. Hell, I should have been calling more. I've been so caught up in my shit, I didn't think about what might be happening back home. It's almost as if I thought the world back there stood still, waiting for me to come back.

What a reality check.

"Come on guys, spit it out," I demand.

"Well, you know, Wrath made Tara his old lady. There was some shit going on there. She was being stalked for a while and shit, but that's taken care of. Nothing for you to worry about now. Then there's the thing with Honk, but that alone is a shit show."

My heart clenches when I think about my friend and what he's going through. "Has there been no improvement?"

Wrath shakes his head. "No, and it's not looking promising. Honk is a fuckin' mess, and Harlee isn't helping."

Harlee is Honk and Elenore's teenage daughter, she's always been a bit of a wild child, so I'm not surprised she's wreaking havoc right now.

"Was it a hit? Was it something we did?" I ask, referring to the club.

Midnight shakes his head. "No, from what we can tell, it was an accident. Nothing nefarious."

I shake my head. "Fuck, that sucks, man. I can't imagine."

"Me either," Reaper says.

"Same," Wrath chimes in.

"What else? Any new prospects?" I ask, needing to change the subject.

The thought of something happening to Kaitlyn the way it did Elenore is causing my chest to hurt.

Reaper shakes his head. "Not right now. We've had some interest, but we've been too busy to start courting anyone."

"Makes sense."

"Did I see Savage is home?" Wrath asks.

"Yeah, he said he just got into town," I tell him.

"Do you think that's suspicious?" Midnight asks.

"What do you mean?"

Midnight shrugs. "It might be nothing, but isn't it a little odd that he shows up right when shit hits the fan?"

"Fuck man, I don't even want to think about him being dirty." I groan, rubbing my face. "He joined the club before he left for basic. My father wanted him as a fully patched member before he left so there was no question when he came back. You really think he would come back and murder him?"

"He could. Maybe someone got to him overseas?" Midnight suggests.

"Fuck. That would be messed up," I say.

"Still, it might be smart to have Trigger run him," Wrath points out.

"You're right. I know you're right."

Reaper's phone rings, and he pulls it out of his pocket. "Were your ears burning?" Reaper asks as he puts the phone on speaker, setting it on the table.

"No, why?" Trigger asks.

"We were just talking about you," Wrath says.

"We need you to run a check on my cousin, Savage. He claims he just got out of the military but the timing is convenient," I tell him.

"I'll get on it, but I have something."

I take a deep breath as we all lean forward.

"Lay it on us," Reaper says.

"I'm so excited to try Texas barbecue," Natalie says as she slides into the booth.

"I'll deny this if you ever tell anyone, but it's not my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, but I have a soft spot for Kansas City barbecue," I tell her as I set down Kolby's car seat before sliding into my seat.

My mouth waters as I think about the last time my father and I took our yearly father-daughter trip out to Kansas City. Father always went for business with the chapter there, but he let me ride on the back of his bike the entire way. It's been several years since we've done it, though. I miss those days.

"You know, I'll be honest, barbecue is barbecue to me. It all tastes the same. I just know that people get excited over the different kinds and have preferences," she tells me as she looks at the menu.

Laughing, I shake my head. "Don't say that too loudly, or you might piss some people off."

The server comes over and takes our drink and food order before walking away.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today. It was nice to get out of the house for a while," I tell her.

"Of course. I had a blast. I don't remember the last time I went to a zoo."

When Natalie offered to hang out today and asked if I wanted to actually do something, I wasn't sure what I could show her. There's not a lot to do in this area. At least, not to a local who has done it all. After looking at activities in the area that are kid-friendly, we settled on the zoo. It was a good choice.

"I think Kolby liked it too."

"He went crazy over the monkeys," she says with a soft smile.

"He did, didn't he?" I laugh.

Kolby loved everything about the zoo, and I loved watching him bounce in his stroller as he took everything in with a smile on his face. I'll have to take him back, and maybe Colt can come too.

Suddenly, the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up, making me feel like someone is watching me. Frowning, I look out the window and scan the street. Most of the people are lost in their own worlds as they head toward their destination. There's a small group of people stopped outside the restaurant waiting to cross at the light, but nobody is staring at us.

Yet I have that nagging feeling that I am being watched right now. Glancing around the restaurant, I try to study everyone, but I can't figure out who it could be.

Am I going crazy?

It's been this way all day. At the zoo, I chalked it up to Fang trailing behind us, but the feeling is stronger now. My gut is telling me something is wrong.

Yet, I can't figure out what it is.

Taking a deep breath, I try and calm myself.

"Are you okay?" Natalie asks suddenly.

I nod. "I just have a weird feeling. I'm sure it will go away."

Natalie's phone goes off, and she digs it out of her bag. "Sorry."

"It's all good. I get it."

A smile crosses her face as she reads the message.

"Let me guess, Reaper?" I tease when she slips her phone back into her bag.

"Yeah, he was just checking in."

"You two seem happy."

She nods with a dreamy look on her face. "Honestly, I never knew I could be this happy."

"I love that for you," I tell her honestly.

"What about you and Colt?" she asks, turning the tables on me.

"We're good. It's a little hard to be happy right now with everything going on, but we're good. We are working toward a future together. We just aren't sure what it will look like."

"I get that. Hell, I lived it. No one ever warns you what it's like falling in love after coming out of an abusive relationship. Especially when your ex is bound and determined to get you back."

Natalie has talked more and more about what she experienced as we have gotten to know one another. She went through something horrific, and yet she is still standing here. Not only that, but she can talk about it and not break down. It shows her strength.

I shake my head. "I can't imagine. Truly. Your strength makes me envious."

"It's not just my strength. When I came to the Lotus, I was broken. Every single person in the club helped build me up. Wrath spent time training me so I wouldn't be defenseless. Reaper was a picture of patience and understanding as he helped me through my shit. Evelyn was the friend I needed by my side, while Tara gave me kindness and love. Eleanor." She starts to tear up. "She was the mother I never truly had. It really does take a village. My therapist told me that we all have our own stories, it's how we react that defines us."

Hearing how instrumental the club was in her journey has me wondering if I have them pegged all wrong. The more I learn about them, the more they sound like a club I wouldn't mind being part of.

Then I think of my father, and I wonder how I could leave him and everything I know. It's scary to leave the place you have lived your whole life.

"I like that," I tell her. "That's a good thing to remember."

The server brings our food, interrupting the heaviness. I'm grateful for it as we each dig in.

"How is it?" I ask as I pop a fry into my mouth.

Natalie smiles. "It's pulled pork."

I laugh, shaking my head. "It all does taste the same, doesn't it?"

"I told you!"

Once again, I feel eyes on me and I scan the street, coming up short. I look down and see that Kolby is awake, chewing on his fist.

"Hey there, little guy. You hungry?" I ask as I set my sandwich down and wipe off my hands.

"Is it okay if I breastfeed him here?" I ask as I pull him out of the car seat.

"You do you. I don't have a problem with it, and if the little guy is hungry, why not?" She shrugs.

I pull the diaper bag closer and pull out the cover I keep with me, slipping it over my head. Once it's in place, I get Kolby situated. While he eats, I continue to do the same.

Once we're all done and the bill is paid, we walk back out to the car with a to-go bag for Fang.

"You ready?" I ask as I buckle my seat belt.

"Yep. Let's ditch this popsicle stand."

"Are you sure you want to go to my place?"

"As long as it's okay with you. I rather not hang out at the hotel if I don't have to."

"I'm more than okay with it," I tell her as I pull out into traffic.

In the rearview mirror, I see Fang pull out behind me and relax. As we take off from the third stoplight, someone cuts in between us.

"Asshole. Doesn't everyone know you don't cut off a bike?" Natalie says, reading my thoughts.

"Yeah, well, we both know some people just don't care," I tell her.

When the traffic clears, I notice the car is still behind me, only now they are riding my ass.

"Seriously, what the fuck is this guy's problem?" I mumble under my breath as they get closer, riding my ass.

"Is this normal?" Natalie asks with worry in her voice.

"Nope," I tell her as I white-knuckle the steering wheel.

There's a car coming toward us in the other lane. My breath catches when they rev the engine, getting even closer.

Shit, there's no place to go.

The next few seconds feel like minutes. The car coming toward me passes, and the car behind me just barely misses clipping the back of my car as they pull out around me.

I slam on the brakes, slowing down, and pull over to the side of the road.

"Are you okay?" I ask as I struggle to catch my breath.

"Yeah, you?" Natalie asks with her hand on her chest.

A knock on my window has us both screaming. Turning, I see Fang standing there.

"Open the door," he demands.

With shaky hands, I hit the unlock button, and as soon as it disengages, he opens the door. "Are you okay?" he asks, getting down to my level.

"I'm fine."

"What the hell was that guy's problem?" Fang hisses. "I couldn't get around him. I'm sorry."

I shake my head before he even finishes his sentence. "Don't be. Honestly, that could have ended up so much worse if it had been you in front of him."

"Are you ready to get back on the road?" he asks.

"Let me check on Kolby first."

With my hands a little steadier, I unbuckle my seat belt and get out of the car. Opening the back door, I slide in and look down at my boy.

He's okay. I take a deep breath. He's okay.

"That person needs their license taken away," Natalie says, and Fang quickly agrees.

While they're right, something in my gut tells me what just happened wasn't someone being a dick, but something so much worse.

Like someone who wanted to scare the shit out of us and possibly run us off the road.