3. Teller

3

TELLER

M y heart pounds against my ribcage as I pace the beige linoleum flooring, the fluorescent lights humming overhead. The waiting room is too small, too stuffy, too silent. I can’t breathe.

Clay sits hunched in one of the plastic chairs, elbows on his knees, hands clasped tightly together as if in prayer. His eyes are fixed on some invisible point on the floor. Kip lounges beside him, long legs sprawled out, Piper in his arms.

“What’s taking so damn long?” Kip groans, moving Piper to his side so he can run a hand through his sandy hair. “We’ve been here for ages.”

Clay shoots him a sharp glance. “It’s only been half an hour. These things take time.”

“Well, time needs to hurry the hell up,” Kip grumbles.

We’re all tired and agitated. If they’re anything like me then I’m sure they didn’t get a wink of sleep last night either.

I check my watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. 10:37 AM. I resume my pacing, the soles of my shoes squeaking against the floor. Clay stands abruptly, stretching his arms overhead. “What if she’s ours? What if...what if I’m not cut out for this? Being a dad?”

Before I can respond, the door opens, and Dr. Vernon steps into the waiting room, a manila folder in his hand. I’ve never been more happy and terrified to see another man in my life. My mouth goes dry, palms slick with sweat. This is it. The moment that could change everything.

Dr. Vernon clears his throat, his expression unreadable. “Gentlemen, if you’ll follow me.”

We trail after him, a tense procession down the narrow hallway. My heart pounds against my ribs, a staccato rhythm that echoes in my ears. We file into Dr. Vernon’s office, the space suddenly too small for the weight of our collective anxiety. I perch on the edge of a chair, my knee bouncing erratically. Clay leans against the wall, arms crossed, his usual grin replaced by a tight-lipped grimace. Kip settles into the remaining chair, carefully adjusting Piper in his arms. She nuzzles into him, tiny fingers curling around the collar of his shirt.

Dr. Vernon settles behind his desk, the folder placed deliberately in front of him. He laces his fingers together, leaning forward slightly. “I know you’re all eager for the results,” he begins, his voice calm and measured. “But before we get to that, I want to commend you for stepping up in this situation. It’s not every day that three bachelor friends find themselves in the position of sudden fatherhood.”

Kip snorts, a hint of his usual humor surfacing. “Yeah, we’re regular overnight daddies.”

The quip breaks the tension momentarily, drawing a chuckle from Clay and a wry smile from me. Dr. Vernon’s eyes crinkle at the corners, his own amusement evident.

“Indeed,” he agrees, his tone turning serious once more. “Now, about the paternity test.” He opens the folder, the rustling of paper unnaturally loud in the quiet room. “The results were a bit...surprising.”

My breath catches in my throat, my fingers digging into my thighs. Beside me, Clay straightens, his posture rigid. Kip’s hold on Piper tightens imperceptibly, his jaw clenching.

Dr. Vernon looks up, his gaze meeting each of us in turn. “The blood tests showed a match with one of you. However, there was a slight mix-up with the samples, which means...” He pauses, the moment stretching,

“A mix-up?” Kip echoes, leaning forward in his chair. “What do you mean?”

Dr. Vernon sighs, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “It seems there was an error in the lab, and the samples got mislabeled. We know one of you is the father, but we can’t say for certain which one.”

Silence descends upon the room, thick and heavy. I feel like I’ve been sucker-punched, the air rushing from my lungs. This can’t be happening. We came here for answers, not more questions.

Clay is the first to speak, his voice tight with barely contained frustration. “So, what do we do now? Can we retake the tests?”

Dr. Vernon nods slowly, his expression sympathetic. “Of course, we can run the tests again. But it will take some time to get the results back with it being the weekend and then Memorial day on Monday.”

Time. The one thing we don’t have. We’re all about to explode from stress and lack of sleep.

Kip leans back in his chair, his lips pursed in thought. “What if we don’t retake the tests?” he muses, his voice quiet but firm, as he looks down at the baby in his arms.

I turn to him, my eyebrows raised in surprise. “What do you mean?”

Kip shrugs, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I mean, does it really matter which one of us is the biological father? It’s not like we all won’t do our part anyways.”

Clay nods slowly, his gaze dropping to Piper’s peaceful face. “Kip’s right,” he murmurs, his voice rough with emotion. “We all may as well be her dads anyway.”

I feel a lump rise in my throat. They’re right. Piper is ours, and we’re hers. That’s all that matters. “We all might as well reap what we sowed.”

Kip nods, his agreement swift and certain. “Damn right. Piper’s ours, end of story. It’s better she stays with us than…”

I can feel the resentment radiating off of Kip. He’s upset with Sydney for just ‘abandoning’ her child, but I think it comes from his own abandonment issues. Honestly, I don’t feel the same way.

I’d rather the mother realize she was unfit, even if it meant turning our lives upside down.

“We’re all her dads,” I say, my voice rough with conviction. “Biology doesn’t change that.”

Dr. Vernon smiles with a warm, genuine expression. “I couldn’t agree more. Piper is a lucky little girl to have three fathers. Have you thought about tracking down her mother?”

Kip’s jaw clenches, his grip on Piper tightening almost imperceptibly. “Why would we do that, Doc?” he asks, his voice low and guarded.

Dr. Vernon leans forward, his elbows resting on his desk. “You don’t have to.” He shrugs. “But what if the girl is allergic to something? What if she’s on medication for an underlying health issue? These are things you don’t know the answers to.”

“Yeah, her crackpot mom probably doesn’t either,” Kip growls. “We appreciate your help with the tests, Dr. Vernon, but we don’t need Sydney’s help. We’ll figure it out on our own.”

When we step out into the bright sunlight, the weight of the moment starts to sink in. I blink, adjusting to the glare, my mind still reeling from the news. Kip claps me on the shoulder, his grin wide and infectious.

“Well, boys, looks like we’re officially on diaper duty,” he quips, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “Who’d have thought we’d end up changing diapers instead of carburetors?”

Clay chuckles, the sound deep and warm. “Speak for yourself, Kip. I’ve always been good with my hands.”

I snort, shaking my head at their banter. “You’re both ridiculous,” I mutter, but I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips.

We make our way to the parking lot. The roar of engines fills the air as fellow club members arrive. A perk of being a part of a motorcycle club is definitely having an ‘in house’ doctor who we could see whenever we wanted…and who practiced discretion.

I catch sight of Rusty, his weathered face creased with concern.

“Everything alright, boys?” he asks, his gaze flickering to Piper.

Does he know? Kip is constantly running his mouth. Everyone probably knows by now.

Clay nods, his expression serious. “She belongs to us.”

Rusty’s eyes widen, but he nods slowly, understanding dawning. “You’re a brave bunch,” he says gruffly. “Fatherhood ain’t for the faint of heart.”

Kip laughs, the sound cutting through the tension. “Good thing we’re tough as nails, then,” he jokes, flexing his bicep for emphasis.

I roll my eyes, but I can’t deny the truth in his words. We’ve faced our share of challenges, both on and off the road. This is just another obstacle to overcome.

Fatherhood. The word still sounds foreign in our minds.

We part ways with Rusty, who promises to see us soon. The drive back to the clubhouse is quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I stare out the window, watching the city streets blur past, my mind racing with the implications of our new reality.

“You okay, man?” Clay asks from the driver’s seat, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

I run a hand over my face, suddenly exhausted. “Yeah, I just... I never thought I’d be a dad, you know? It’s a lot to take in.”

Kip twists around from the passenger seat, his eyes sympathetic. “I hear you, brother. But we got this.”

I nod, trying to muster a smile, but the uncertainty still gnaws at me. What do I know about raising a kid? What if I screw it up?

As if sensing my inner turmoil, Piper starts to fuss in her car seat, her little face scrunching up in distress. Instinctively, I reach out and place my hand on her belly, rubbing gentle circles until she settles, finding joy in playing with my fingers.

“See?” Clay grins at me. “You’re a natural.”

I let out a shaky laugh, some of the tension easing from my shoulders. Maybe he’s right. Maybe we can do this.

“Let’s see if everyone else at the clubhouse thinks so,” Kip laughs.

“You didn’t have to tell everyone about her…” I narrow my eyes at Kip.

He shrugs. “I don’t keep secrets.”

We pull up to the clubhouse, and I take a deep breath before climbing out of the car. As Clay lifts Piper from her seat, cradling her against his broad chest, I can’t help but marvel at how right it looks. Like she was always meant to be here, with us.

We step into the clubhouse, and the reality of our situation hits me like a freight train. Baby bottles, diapers, and tiny onesies are scattered across the bar, a stark contrast to the usual shot glasses, empty beer bottles, and cigarette buds.

“We didn’t know her size,” Manny, a middle aged member of the club, drawls from his perch on the barstool. “But we’d figure this stuff would do.”

“You figured right.” I laughed. The motorcycle club has always been family.

“What’s her name?”

Clay holds her up. “Meet the newest member of the Black Wolves - Piper.”

A chorus of cheers erupts from the gathered club members, and I feel a swell of pride in my chest. These men are more than just my brothers in arms - they’re my family. And now, Piper is a part of that family too.

As the initial excitement dies down, the questions start flying. “How’re you gonna feed her?” “You boys ever changed a diaper before?”

“We’ll learn,” Clay says firmly, his gaze sweeping the room. “We’ll do whatever it takes to give Piper the best life possible.”

Kip nods, his grin never wavering. “And we’ve got the best support system in the world right here. You boys are gonna be uncles before you know it.”

A ripple of laughter goes through the room, and I feel some of the weight lift from my shoulders. They’re right. We’re not alone in this. We have each other, and we have the club.

As if on cue, Piper lets out a soft cry, her tiny face scrunching up in displeasure. Clay looks down at her, his brow furrowing in concern. “I think she’s hungry.”

I nod, already moving towards the kitchen. “I’ll heat up a bottle.”

As I measure out the formula with shaking hands, I can hear Clay and Kip discussing diaper changing techniques in the other room. Their voices are light, joking, but beneath the humor is a current of determination.

When I return with the bottle, Clay is gently bouncing Piper in his arms, his face softening as he looks down at her. Kip hovers nearby, his eyes wide with wonder as he reaches out to stroke her downy hair.

I pass the bottle to Clay, and he cradles Piper expertly, guiding the nipple to her eager mouth. She latches on immediately, her tiny hands curling against the sides of the bottle as she suckles contentedly.

Clay’s eyes are soft as he watches her, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “She’s got a good appetite,” he murmurs, and I can hear the pride in his voice.

“Just like her daddy,” Kip jokes, elbowing me in the ribs. “Remember when Teller ate three of those large pizzas by himself?”

I roll my eyes, but I can’t help grinning at the memory. “That was one time, and I was starving.”

“Sure, sure,” Kip smirks, but there’s affection in his gaze as he looks at me.

This isn’t going to be easy. We’re three single guys with dangerous jobs and no idea how to raise a kid. But we all want this. We all want her. So all the what-ifs and doubts aren’t going to stop us. We will take it one day at a time.

Clay glances up, catching my eye, and I see my own determination reflected back at me. “We’ve got this,” he says quietly, and it’s not a question.

I nod, my throat tightening with emotion. “Yeah, we do.”

Clay looks back at Piper, her little eyes blinking as I know she’s going to fall asleep after she finishes her bottle. “She’s perfect,” he breathes, and I feel a lump form in my throat.

Because she is. She’s absolutely perfect, and she’s ours. Our little girl, our responsibility. And as I watch my brothers fawn over her, their faces alight with love and fierce protectiveness, I know that we’re going to be okay.

We’re the Black Wolves, after all. We’ve faced down rival gangs, crooked cops, and everything in between. Raising a baby? That’s just another adventure.