Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Doc

I park my bike in the lot as Jolt and Turmoil pull the van up next to me.

Dinner must've just started—I can smell the roast chicken wafting out from inside.

We walk in together and I spot Mandy sitting at our usual spot, feeding little Kash with a bottle.

His chubby hands grasp at it eagerly.

She looks up and smiles when she sees me—that smile always hits me right in the gut.

I head over, lean down and kiss her forehead. "How are my two favorite people today?"

She grins up at me. "We're great, especially now that you're here."

Fuck, what did I ever do to deserve her?

I take a seat next to her as the guys spread out, grabbing plates and joining in the rowdy conversations already in full swing.

Turmoil plops down across from us with a heaping plate.

"Where were you three off to in such a rush earlier?" Mandy asks curiously.

I squeeze her thigh reassuringly under the table. "Just had to take care of some quick business, babe. Nothing to worry about."

No way in hell am I telling her about the shit that went down with her scumbag stepfather today.

She doesn't need those images in her pretty little head.

I dig into my food, half-listening to Turmoil regale the table with another one of his crazy stories, complete with wild hand gestures.

But my mind keeps drifting back to earlier, in the desert.

The look of pure fear in that pathetic bastard's eyes as he was trying to reason with me, begging me to let him go.

He got off too easy if you ask me.

But that's done now.

I glance over at Mandy cooing softly to Kash and feel a sudden rush of fierce protectiveness.

Ain't nothing ever gonna hurt my girl or my boy, I'll make damn sure of that.

They're my whole fucking world.

As if sensing my gaze, Mandy looks up and our eyes meet.

In that moment, the rest of the clubhouse, the chatter and raucous laughter, it all just fades away.

It's just us.

Our own little family.

And I'd burn the world to ashes to keep them safe.

I drop my head, planting a tender kiss on the top of Kash's fuzzy little head before capturing Mandy's lips in a searing kiss, not giving a single fuck about the hoots and hollers from my brothers around the table.

"Later, baby," I murmur against her mouth, a dark promise.

Her cheeks flush prettily and her eyes sparkle with anticipation.

Damn, she's going to be the death of me.

Dixon, the VP, slides into the seat beside me, his expression unreadable.

Fuck. What does he know?

"Hey, what's up?" I ask casually, even as my gut clenches.

Dixon takes a swig of his beer, eyeing me intently. "Got a minute, Doc? There's something you and I need to discuss."

I exchange a quick glance with Mandy, seeing the flicker of concern in her eyes.

I give her hand a reassuring squeeze before standing up. "Sure thing. Lead the way."

As I follow Dixon to the back room, I mentally steel myself for whatever shitstorm is about to rain down on me.

Dixon shuts the door behind us with a soft click, the tension in the room so thick I could cut it with my knife.

He leans against the desk, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "You want to tell me what the hell that was all about earlier, brother? You, Jolt, and Turmoil were all gone. Van was missing, and not even a peep to any full patches or officers."

I mirror his stance, keeping my expression carefully neutral. "I apologize. There was a situation that needed immediate attention, and wasn’t thinkin’. I called on the guys to come help and they came, so if anyone's to blame for it, it's me."

Dixon's jaw clenches, his gaze hardening. "I don't care about thatbullshit, Doc. If you need help, we'll fuckin' help you. You took the van without clearing it with any officers or patches. That shit doesn't fly here and you fucking know it. If you need help, you ask for it. Club property isn’t just yours to take any damn time you feel like it."

I drag a hand down my face, exhaling heavily.

Fuck it, might as well come clean. "It was Mandy's stepfather. The scumbag ended up in Vegas and was stalking her. I had to handle it."

Dixon's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "Handle it how exactly?"

I take a deep breath, meeting Dixon's steely gaze head on. "The fucker got a job at Bernard Industrials. They set him up with a condo in the same building as Mandy's place. Too much of a coincidence, if you ask me."

There’s a knock at the door and Turmoil steps forward, drawing Dixon's attention. "I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I did come here to talk to you too. Doc's right. Bernard found the asshole affordable housing, which just happened to be where Mandy lives. Seems pretty fucking fishy."

Dixon rubs his chin, processing this new information. "Bernard Industrials...are we certain Sally Bernard owns it?"

"Oh, Sally Bernard owns it," I supply, watching the realization dawn on Dixon's face. "And we all know that vindictive bitch has had it out for the club ever since Lunatic got killed."

Dixon nods slowly, the pieces starting to fall into place. "So you think Sally planted Mandy's stepdad here to fuck with you? Get under the club's skin?"

"It adds up," Turmoil chimes in. "Sera shows up out of the blue, then this prick conveniently lands a cushy job and pad in Mandy's building? Not buying that it's a random twist of fate. Then we know Sera’s mom found her out and all that, we got Sera out of that hellhole…but I think her mother had shit in motion already, and I don’t think Mandy’s step-father will be the last of ‘em."

I clench my fists, anger simmering in my veins.

If that conniving cunt thought she could send my girl’s demons after her, she's got another thing coming.

I will never let anything bad happen to her. Her or Kash.

I'll burn her whole fucking world down for them before I let anyone lay a hand on what's mine.

Dixon must sense the fury radiating off me because he places a firm hand on my shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of this. No one fucks with the Reapers Rejects and gets away with it. Especially not some stuck-up British bitch with a score to settle. Still, don’t ever take shit from the club without clearin’ it with someone again, or you’ll have hell to pay."

I nod, jaw tight. "I’m sorry about that, Dixon, truly." I turn to Turmoil. "Thanks for having my back today, man. I owe you one."

Turmoil waves me off. "Nah, you'd do the same for any of us. That's what brothers are for." He flashes me a grin. "Plus, I can't wait to see the look on Sally’s face when she realizes her little scheme blew up in her plastic ass."

A short bark of laughter escapes me.

Leave it to Turmoil to find the humor in this fucked up situation.

But he's not wrong.

When the club is done with her, that stone cold bitch will wish she never set foot in Vegas.

I give Dixon a stern look, but my seriousness overweighs everything else. "I don't want Mandy knowing what we did to her stepfather," I mutter under my breath.

Dixon eyes me curiously, taking a final drag from his cigarette before flicking it in the ashtray "What did you do?"

I meet his gaze directly. "What I had to do. He's out in the desert now where the scorpions, coyotes, or wild dogs will take care of him."

Understanding dawns in Dixon's eyes and he gives a curt nod of approval. He claps me on the back. "All right boys, enough business talk for now. Let's get our asses to the dinner table before the girls come looking for us and bust our hides. You know how Indra gets when her food starts getting cold."

We all share a knowing chuckle.

Dixon’s ol' lady may be small, but she's got a fiery temper to match that fiery hair of hers.

And ain't nobody wants to be on the receiving end of it.

As we make our way into the main area of the clubhouse, the mouthwatering aroma of roasted chicken and garlic bread wraps around us like a warm hug.

My stomach lets out an appreciative growl, reminding me I haven't eaten a damn thing since breakfast.

We all head back out to the main area and I return to my seat beside Mandy.

She arches a brow, “What was that about?”

I shrug, “Nothing too important, baby.”

My fingers trail absently over Kash's peach fuzz hair as he suckles eagerly at the bottle, tiny hands pawing at the sides.

The kid's got a healthy appetite, just like his old man.

Mandy watches us with a soft smile, love shining in her eyes. "He's been fussy today, fighting sleep. I think he was waiting up for you."

"That so, little man?" I stroke a finger down Kash's round cheek. "Keeping your mama on her toes already. Atta boy."

Mandy rolls her eyes playfully, bumping her shoulder into mine. "Like father, like son. You're both determined to run me ragged."

A wicked grin tugs at my mouth. "Don't pretend you don't love every second of it, sweetheart. Besides, I can think of far more fun ways to wear you out..."

Color blooms on Mandy's cheeks and she ducks her head, peeking at me through long lashes. "Behave, Doc. There are children present."

Chuckling, I loop an arm around her shoulders and tug her close, relishing her warm curves pressed against my side. "Never been much good at behavin', baby. You know that."

We sit like that as the chatter swirls around us, I take Kash from her arms.

Mandy's head is tucked into the crook of my neck while Kash dozes off in wonderland.

For the first time all day, the restless itch under my skin settles.

We settle in to eat, Mandy urges me to give Kash back to her.

I know better than to argue with her, so I hand him back.

Mandy deftly juggles Kash and her own plate with the skill of a mother who's learned to multitask like a pro.

The conversation flows easily around us, the usual loud bullshitting and crazy stories.

Jolt regales us with the story of this crazy bitch he hooked up with last week, complete with wild hand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions that has the table roaring.

Spark chimes in with his own exploits, him and Zoe sharing heated looks that tell me they'll be tearing up a room later.

For the first time in days, I feel myself relax, the tension bleeding from my muscles.

This is what I need—my brothers, my family, the familiar pulse and energy of the clubhouse wrapped around me like a worn leather cut.

Everything else—the shit with Mandy's stepdad, worrying about Ma, club business—it all fades to background noise for a little while as I let myself just live in this moment with my favorite girl and our beautiful boy in my arms and my chosen family surrounding me.

After dinner, Mandy and I retreat to the trailer we share with Shiver, Kash snugly tucked into my arms.

The rest of the club are down in the clubhouse, getting their fill of booze and bullshit, but tonight I just want to be with my family.

Our trailer is a sanctuary away from the chaos of club life.

It’s simple and clean, a big bed taking up most of the space with a small crib set up in the corner for Kash.

We finally traded in that bassinet for something a little more permanent.

I settle Kash in his crib, watching as his little chest rises and falls with peaceful slumber.

There’s something powerful about being a father, something primal that kicks in when you see your own blood sleeping peacefully under your protection.

I turn around to find Mandy already changed into a comfy oversized shirt of mine that barely reaches her mid-thighs.

My heart skips a beat at the sight of her looking so casually sexy.

Her eyes meet mine across the dimly lit room, her hazel eyes glowing softly under the moonlight that peeks in through the window. “Daddy, I just wanna sleep in your arms tonight.”

My chest tightens at the vulnerability in her voice, the raw need to be held.

"C’mere, sugar," I tell her as I pull back the worn cotton quilt on our bed.

She crawls in beside me, tucking her head under my chin and draping a leg over mine.

My arms wrap around her naturally, pulling her close against my chest.

As she snuggles into my warmth, I bury my nose into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her vanilla shampoo.

It's a comforting smell, familiar and homey.

"I love you," she whispers, her breath tickling the hairs on my chest.

My heart thumps hard in response.

These three words never fail to send a thrill down my spine, no matter how many times we say it.

"I love you too," I reply, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

The world outside our door could go up in flames and I wouldn't give a damn, all that matters to me is these two: my girl and my little man.