Saylor Chapter 3

Yesterday's encounter with the Warriors was nothing like I expected meeting a motorcycle club would be like. For one thing, they were way friendlier than I imagined. It was true, I had come to know Jessica and Madisen over the past few months, and they were terrific. They were friendly and always welcoming, and I knew they were married to bikers in the Warriors' club. Everyone around town knew that. I guess I assumed the women were different from the men.

Finding out Vex was part of them was another surprise. I knew him when he was Bryce, working with his family and training Freya to be a service dog rather than a scout dog. I'd heard from Mrs. Flynn that he was part of a motorcycle club the last time I'd run into her. Since moving to Hunters Creek, I hadn't been in contact with any of the Flynns. I couldn't recall if she ever mentioned the name of the club he was with.

On the ride home, he told me how he ended up in Hunters Creek. It sounded like he was happy he'd made the move, although he admitted he missed the people at the Dublin Falls chapter. In this chapter, he was able to assume more responsibility for the construction company, which was the main reason he moved. I was happy for him, and I told him that. We chatted and began catching up on what was happening for both of us for the past three years.

I'd always liked him, and he was easy to talk to. That hadn't changed. When he dropped me off at home, he reminded me he'd be by around eleven thirty to get me. He made sure I had his number in case I needed anything, and then he left. After taking Freya for a long walk to work off some of her energy and feeding us dinner, she and I settled on the couch for snuggle time while I read.

Sometimes, I'd listen to the television, but it wasn't the same when you couldn't see the pictures that went along with the dialogue. I got more out of listening to music or reading. Sometimes, I'd listen to audiobooks, but I preferred to read, so I got as many books as I could find in Braille. I had to settle for the audio route when those weren't an option.

What ruined a lot of audiobooks for me was if the voices of the narrator or narrators didn't match what I thought the characters should sound like. It dramatically lessened my enjoyment of the story. On top of that, I preferred to have both male and female narrators. Listening to a man read the woman's part and vice versa didn't do it for me.

Yeah, I knew I was picky. I couldn't help it. Reading has been one of my favorite pastimes since I was a kid. I had my preferences no matter what. It was around midnight before I was ready to go to bed and see if I could get some sleep. I never knew whether one night to the next would be a good night.

Sometimes, I couldn't fall asleep, no matter how hard I tried. I'd have to medicate myself to do it, and then I paid the next day with a dragging hangover feeling, which I hated. If I did fall asleep, there were nights all I did was dream about what happened in Afghanistan, and it would keep me from truly sleeping or resting.

Neither of those ended up being the case last night. The reason I didn't get enough sleep was the fact I kept wondering about Player. His deep voice and the way he spoke made me curious about his appearance. His name made me confident that I knew how he got that name. And if I was right, there was no need for me to be fascinated or anything else with him. Men who were out to see how many women they could sleep with weren't of interest to me. I'd had my fill of egotistical men in the Corps and personally.

Despite telling myself that over and over, I still kept thinking about him, and I wondered what he looked like. How old was he? Was he a player, as his road name suggested? I knew it was called a road name because Vex explained it when I asked him about his odd new name on the way home. He laughed and told me he had often vexed his president, Terror, in Dublin Falls. When they patched him into the club, they named him Vex. He seemed proud of it.

I was interested to find out that Terror's wife was Bull's daughter, and she had been a Marine like Bull and me. In her case, she'd been a sniper. I found that very impressive. I'd love to meet her one day and talk about her experiences in the Corps and as a sniper. When I told Vex that, he said it would likely happen. I didn't see how. It wasn't as if I'd be at their compound again, and even if I was, the odds of her being there were probably slim.

After my restless night of flopping and flipping in bed, I got up and went for a run with Freya. Some people might think I wouldn't be able to run due to my loss of sight, but they'd be wrong. With Freya at my side, there was very little I couldn't do. She was my eyes, and she was excellent at her job. The key was becoming brave enough to try things without letting the fear of failing or getting hurt overpower you.

After our run, I took a long, hot shower and then made breakfast. As soon as we finished that, I did some housecleaning chores and then a load of laundry. Before Vex was due to arrive, I changed into a different outfit. I wore a favorite pair of jeans, boots, and a pretty top. I brushed my hair out and then put it in a braid. I didn't wear much makeup anymore due to not being able to see what I was doing, but I put on tinted lip gloss, spritzed on perfume, and added some jewelry. No matter what, a woman still wanted to look her best.

By the time he arrived, I was ready. I had Freya in her halter, and her doggie bag, as I called it, was packed. It held her food, a few favorite toys, and her snacks. She was at the door eagerly waiting for me to open it when he knocked. Not taking chances, in case I was wrong, I called out through the door when the knock came.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Vex."

Recognizing his voice, I unlocked and then swung open the door. Freya gave a single bark. It was the one she gave when she wanted me to know she recognized the person and they were someone she knew to be a friend. She remembered him from her training days, which went a long way toward her being so at ease with him and signaling him as such. She had different barks for different things, as well as physical things she'd do to alert me to concerns. What she knew as a dog was amazing. I swore she was more intelligent than a ton of people I'd met over the years.

"Are you ladies ready to go?" he asked cheerfully.

"We are. I just need to grab that bag and my purse, and we can go," I told him, pointing to where I had them staged.

"I'll get them. Hold on." I felt him walk by me. When he came back past me, he touched my arm. "Let me put these in the truck, and then I'll be back to get you."

"I can meet you out there. I need to lock the door. Go. We'll be right behind you."

"Okay, if you insist."

Closing the door behind us, I made sure it was locked. Holding Freya's leash, I let her lead me to the truck. When she got me there, she indicated I needed to step up. I could see the dark outline of the vehicle enough that it helped, but nothing was detailed. It was mainly extremely fuzzy areas of dark and light, but it was better than complete darkness. I knew that I was lucky to have that added help compared to many. Freya jumped in ahead of me once she knew I was ready to get in. I knew she'd be sitting proudly in the middle of the seat.

"I've got the door," Vex told me before shutting it behind me.

I fumbled just a little, getting my seatbelt latched. The engine came to life after Vex got in the driver's seat. As he took off, I decided to question him a little about the club. I'd refrained from doing it yesterday on the ride home. Today, I wanted to know more. It would help with walking into a crowd of strangers.

"Tell me, how many people should I expect to meet today? And how far away is the club?"

"There'll be a decent number. Just under half the club is made up of single guys. The rest have old ladies like Jessica and Madisen and kids. The oldest kid is Easton. He's almost nine, and the youngest is Logan, who's only two weeks old. The clubhouse is outside of town on a large piece of property Bull found and bought years ago. It's surrounded by a tall wall. The actual clubhouse was a mini-mansion back in the day. I was told the family who owned it ran a successful funeral home in town. For those who don't live in the clubhouse, the rest live in houses they've built on the compound. There are a few townhomes for visitors or if they're needed for someone to stay in long term."

"Wow, it sounds much more complex than I pictured. Like a small community."

"It is. With the wall and the only way to access it is through one of the gates, which you either need a passcode to get in or someone to open for you, it makes it very secure for families. They don't need to worry about letting the kids outside to run and play."

"There are a lot of parents in the world who would give anything to be able to do that with their children or even their pets," I mused.

"You got that right."

"How many members are there? And why did you call Madisen and Jessica old ladies? Nothing about them struck me as if they were old. They have small children," I protested.

He laughed. He laughed for so long that I was about to smack him when he stopped. "What's so funny?" I grumbled.

"It's just I forget not everyone is up on biker lingo. You should've seen it when Talia and our parents were learning it. Hell, me too, for that matter. I knew some but not everything when I became a prospect. So, let's start with that word. A prospect is what they call someone who wants to join the club. You have to do an apprenticeship or gophership, which I guess is a good way to describe it, for around a year, sometimes more. If they see you have what it takes to be one of them, you get voted in and made a member or a brother, as we call it, and your road name is issued. Those who don't make the cut are let go, or some figure it out themselves and leave."

"So calling them old ladies isn't an insult."

"It's not. They consider it a badge of honor just like the property cuts they wear."

"Property cuts?"

"Okay, that's the next term. You recall in the past seeing bikers with a leather vest on, right?"

"Yes."

"That's called a cut when a member wears it. When his old lady or old man, in either case, wears one, it's called a property cut. It designates the person as the property of a member. For example, if you were my old lady, you're cut would read Property of Vex with your nickname, designated by me, on the front over your heart. Madisen's property cut reads Property of Rebel, and her nickname is Firecracker. That's what he calls her."

I giggled. "I can see her being called that. She can be rather fiery. What's Jessica called?"

"Ajax calls her Nymph. Typically, they go by their actual name with everyone else. Bull's old lady, Jocelyn, is Duchess to him. Anyway, calling them your old lady or old man isn't an insult."

"Good to know. How many members are there?"

"We have nineteen members and three prospects. Seven of us are single. That means there are twelve old ladies and eighteen kids."

"Eighteen kids! Well, Freya will be in heaven, won't you, girl? All those kids and babies. She loves meeting people. That's a huge club."

"It is by a lot of standards, but if you compare us to Dublin Falls, we're still a smaller one. They're at twenty-six members with the intention to stay at no more than thirty and have over fifty kids and twenty-two old ladies. The thing you'll find about our clubs is you don't have to be in a male-female relationship to be accepted. A few of them have two guys to one woman, and in Bandit and Coyote's case, two men together. That's unusual for most clubs. Same with them accepting people who aren't straight up all of one ethnicity. We do. Lots of clubs don't." His tone indicated his disgust with that narrow-mindedness. I didn't blame him. It had never set well with me, either.

"As bad as it is, there are still a lot of segments of the population who don't accept people in alternate couplings or ethnicities, not just motorcycle clubs," I added.

"True. It was probably more acceptable for some of us on the ethnicity front because several were in the military. However, I know there are still many people in the service who are just as bigoted," he agreed.

As we continued on our way, he gave me more insight into the inner workings of an MC. I found myself growing more excited to meet everyone and to experience the whole club atmosphere. Outside of my time at the VA and some of its functions, I didn't spend much time socializing. I loved Freya. She was a great companion, but it did get lonely at times.

It didn't feel like it took us long to get there. When he slowed down to a crawl, he informed me we were waiting for the gate to their compound to open wide enough to admit us. After he sped up, we didn't drive far before he brought us to a stop. As he shut off the truck, he explained what he wanted me to do.

"Let me get your door. I'm going to take you into the clubhouse. Most of the club will probably be in there. It's cooler today. We'll likely be outside since the kids will want to play on their jungle gym. Firepits are scattered around for warmth, so no one will freeze if we move things outside for a bit. If it were summer, they'd be in the pool. Be prepared for it to be loud. Freya will help you navigate the surroundings and the bodies. Don't worry. No one will leave you alone. If I'm not with you, someone will be. I'll make sure of it."

He got out and came around to open my door. When he did, I made sure he knew he didn't need to worry about me. "Vex, don't feel you have to stay glued to my side the whole time. As long as I have Freya, I'll be good. She won't let me go wrong."

"I know, but it's still mostly a bunch of strangers to you. I'd hate for you to feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed. I know you're used to dealing with new environments, but it doesn't hurt to have help."

His hand grasped mine. I allowed him to help me out of the truck. I was more than capable of doing it, but it was nice to have a man be a gentleman. I missed that. I think most women, no matter how independent and feminist they were, enjoyed a man being one every once in a while.

When I was firmly on the ground, he let go of my hand and switched it to me, resting mine on his crooked arm. This helped me to walk. Freya took up position next to me on my opposite side. She kept her body lightly pressed to my leg, making it easier for me to feel her signals. She would alert me to potential hazards. In most cases, she'd guide me around obstacles and things she saw as potentially dangerous.

The surface we were walking on was slightly rough and hard, so we had to be in a parking lot on asphalt. We didn't walk far before we stopped again. I could hear the muffled sound of a lot of voices. We must be outside the clubhouse.

"Ready?" he asked. There was a trace of humor in his voice.

"Oorah, bring it on. I can take it," I joked.

He laughed, and then the noise rose several decibels. I let him lead me into what could possibly be the lion's den. We didn't get more than a few steps before the voices quieted some. I felt eyes on me, even if I couldn't see them. I made sure a smile was on my face. Suddenly, my name was called out by a voice I knew. My smile grew.

"Saylor, it's about time you got here. Come with me. I'll introduce you to the other ladies and the kids. Vex, you're free to go if you want," Madisen said.

"Mad, I think I'll stick with Saylor for a while. It's been ages since we've seen each other. Plus, I want to be sure you and the other old ladies behave yourselves." You could hear the teasing in his tone.

"Us behave! It's you single guys that need to be watched. No trying to charm her out of her panties," she said back.

"Firecracker," a man's voice groaned. I recognized it as Rebel's. I'd heard him use it with her a few times at the bakery. Usually, he said it when she said something he thought was outrageous. I didn't believe he was offended, just concerned others would be. I wasn't that much of a snowflake.

"Rebel, there's no need for Madisen to censor herself because of me. I've heard far worse, believe me. And Madisen, no worries, I can take care of myself. Although you may have to watch me and make sure I don't charm the guys out of their underwear," I said with a wink.

"Oh my God, I love her already!" a woman's voice I didn't know said loudly.

I heard movement as if someone had moved closer. Freya pressed closer to me. " Freund, friend," I quietly reminded her. She relaxed.

"Oops, I'm sorry. I got excited. Let me introduce myself. I'm Zara. My old man is Demon. Um, is there something special we need to do in order for your dog not to bite us?"

I held out my hand in front of me. I saw too many dark shapes to determine which one was her. I knew more people had come to surround us. A hand enclosed mine and shook it. I was pleased to note she did it firmly, not one of those limp-wristed things I hated, whether it was from a man or a woman.

"Zara, it's nice to meet you. As for Freya, she won't bite unless I command her to do it. She is slightly tense with all these new people around us. However, you're fine. She's delightful as long as no one threatens me. Just introduce yourself to me first, and she'll see you're a freund ." I directed this to Freya and pointed to where I knew Zara was now. Freya shifted. I knew she was greeting her.

"Just hold out your hand and let her sniff you. Once she presses her nose to your hand, you can freely pet her."

"She's beautiful. What kind of dog is she? Her coat is gorgeous," Zara said.

"She's a short-haired Dutch Shepherd, which is a cousin to the German Shepherd. Her coat gives it away that she's not one of those. Dutch Shepherds tend to be smaller and more compact than their cousins. Her coat is called a silver brindle. She has those darker blue-gray stripes against the silver ones. She's actually rare. This coat is hard to find without them being mostly a whitish-silver." I was rubbing her hindquarters.

"Well, she's just a beauty. Wait until our son Alex sees you. He's dog crazy," she said.

"She adores kids."

"Can I interrupt? I'm Demon, Zara's other half. It's nice to meet you, Saylor. Bull and the others told us about all your ideas for the remodel. We can't thank you enough for doing that," Demon jumped in to add.

This was the signal, I guess, to be introduced to the entire club. One after another, I was told names and who was who in relation to their old lady or old man. My hand was shaken repeatedly. They all became a blur. I knew after a couple of conversations, I'd begin to catalog them by their voices, and sometimes, people's cologne or perfume helped me to identify them.

I had no idea how long we were at it before I got a break. They were hospitable during it. After meeting Demon and Zara, who I discovered was a doctor, I was offered a drink and moved to a table so I could sit as I met everyone.

Now that the crush was over, I sat with Jessica, Madisen, Ilara, Devyn, and Jocelyn. They were talking more about their backgrounds and their kids. I was shocked to discover that Jocelyn, Bull's lady, had almost four-year-old twins, Caeden and Corinne, yet Devyn was her daughter. Devyn was in her twenties and had a son, Hayden, who was turning four in a few days. But it was nothing compared to finding out Bull's oldest daughter Harlow with his first wife was in her early thirties and had three kids.

Their stories were incredible and had me entranced listening to them tell theirs. Ilara's, in particular, was heartbreaking. Her four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Hope, was up running and having a ball. They assured me she was cancer-free, and the doctors were extremely hopeful she'd stay that way. While I was remarking about Jocelyn and Bull's age range on their kids, Ilara told me that Tarin was Bear's daughter, whom he had no idea existed until she was grown and came looking for him. It was that which brought her and Outlaw together.

"You all have such amazing and, in some cases, heartbreaking stories. Wow. I'm in awe of all of you," I informed them.

"You're in awe of us? Look at you. You were a Marine, and we heard yesterday how you were a hero. You lost your sight serving your country. You could've given up and said the hell with life, but you didn't. You're independent and work with others to help them. That's awe-inspiring," Jocelyn said.

I waved her compliment away. "I really was only doing my job. Freya was the true hero that day. I do thank you for saying that, but it's really nothing. As for working with others, I enjoy it. I was depressed after it happened. My whole life was turned upside down in more ways than you know. I might've wallowed in my misery if it weren't for Freya, but she wouldn't let me. She got me out of bed every day. She's the one the vets love at the VA. I'm just her companion and transport partner," I joked.

This made them laugh. As the conversation continued, I tried to pay attention, but something kept bugging and distracting me. Out of all the introductions, where I was reintroduced to Bull, Tank, and Stalker, there was one glaring absence. I hadn't heard Player's voice. No one mentioned him, which made me wonder why he wasn't here. He said nothing yesterday about missing it. I found I was disappointed. I'd been looking forward to getting to know him. He intrigued me, meaning, it was probably a good thing he wasn't here. A guy named Player only had one thing on his mind, and while it would more than likely be fun to play with him, it wasn't what I was looking for. I'd had my fill of players.

I had to admit, as the hours flew by, I had more fun than I could recall having in ages. I laughed and joked. I got to hold babies and snuggle. The bigger kids were fun, and they loved Freya, who was in heaven with all the attention. We did end up outside for a while. She ran wild with them. What I loved was the kids took my blindness in stride. When they saw me using Freya to go to the bathroom or move around, they asked why. I explained, and the bigger ones, like Easton and Hope, asked why I couldn't see. Their parents tried to stop them at first, but I didn't want them to be afraid to ask.

"It's okay. I don't mind them asking. I can't see because my eyes were hurt when I was in the military. Do you know what that is?"

"My daddy was a soldier," Easton piped up.

"Mine too," Hope said.

"Well, I was like them. Something blew up and hit my face." I pointed to my scarring. "That's why I can't see, but Freya is my eyes. She helps me do so many things and get to places."

They found it fascinating and soon asked me what else she could do. I put her through a few commands so they could see. When she was done, they were clamoring for a dog like her. I had to laugh and explain they were only for people like me.

When it was ready, the food was tremendous, and there were more than just hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. The ladies had done a lot of work to prepare a feast, which I praised. I was enjoying myself so much that time flew by.

The next thing I knew, I was drinking alcohol, which wasn't something I'd done in ages. I didn't like to be impaired around others. The vulnerability was too much. I was already technically vulnerable due to my lack of sight. Who wanted to add more? However, something about the Warriors made me feel comfortable letting it all hang out. The only thing marring my time was the absence of Player. I began to wonder if he was absent due to me. Had I said or done something to offend him the day before?

I tried to think back to see if I had, but nothing came to mind. My disappointment and worry over him had me drinking more than I had in years. The guys, especially, were encouraging me to have drinks with them. I found them to be a load of fun. Many shared their stories of their time in the service, and I shared mine. The single guys were flirty but not overly so. I had fun flirting back with them. I hadn't felt like an attractive woman in ages. They were good for my ego.

It was late when I got up to go to the bathroom and almost fell. I groaned. My head was hurting, and the world felt off-kilter. God, I had overdone it. A hand on my arm made me jump.

"Sorry, it's just me, Vex. Where are you headed?"

"I need to use the bathroom."

"Here, come with me. I'll show you another one."

I let him guide me and Freya. It was a bit further than we had been going. We entered a room and then went into another. As I used it, I kept feeling worse. I groaned.

"Are you alright?" he called through the closed door.

"I'm okay, just drunk and feeling it. My head is killing me. I haven't drunk like this in years," I admitted.

"Listen, it's late, and you don't look too steady. I have a suggestion. I'd feel better if you stayed here. You said you haven't been this drunk in a long time. I don't like the thought of you going home alone. And before you say you have Freya, she can't do everything."

"Vex, I appreciate the offer, but it isn't necessary. I'll be fine at home," I assured him. I washed my hands, then staggered out. I felt lightheaded. He grabbed my hand, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting on something soft. Patting it, I discovered it was a bed.

"Here, lie down and rest. Saylor, I really think you should stay. You can take this room."

"I don't want to put anyone out," I mumbled as I stretched out on the bed. I groaned again, but this time, it was because the bed felt so good.

"You won't be. This is my room. I can sleep in an empty one. In fact, there's one right next to this one, and it has a connecting door. I'll stay there. That way, if you need anything during the night, you can call out."

"A connecting door?"

He chuckled. "Yes, but I swear on my family's honor, you'll be safe. I won't take advantage of you while you're drunk. Now, if you want me to when you're sober, we can talk about it," he teased. Or I thought it was teasing.

"If you try anything, Freya will take care of you, so I'm not worried. Flirt with me when I'm sober. My head hurts too much to do it now," I replied.

He laughed harder. "Alright. Hey, let's get you comfortable. I'll get you a shirt to sleep in. Believe me, on you, my shirt will look like a nightgown."

He rustled around for a minute or so before handing me a shirt. He hurried through a tour, giving me an idea of the layout and where the door to the other bedroom was. In no time, I found myself under the covers, dressed in his t-shirt, with Freya beside me and Vex in the room next to us. The connecting door was left open. I drifted off, content that I was safe. It was nice to be cared for.