Chapter 14
Axle
It was mid-afternoon of the next day, and Jake’s just messaged Angel that they are ten minutes out.
We’d opted for them to come straight to the clubhouse, rather than the garden centre.
Angel barely slept last night, and she’s been restless all day.
I was trying my best to keep her busy, but I was just as nervous as she was.
I wondered what Honor would be like, who she’d look like, what her personality was like. From all accounts, her adoptive parents had been amazing people and had loved her a lot. They’d left her well off, enough so that she’d taken to travelling.
Angel fidgeted next to me, her gaze trained on the gate at the far side of the compound. “They’re nearly here,” she whispers nervously, swiping her tongue over her lips. We’d come outside when she’d gotten the text.
Siera, Tru, Janis, and North were waiting inside the clubhouse with most of the brothers, except Spook, who was home with his boys. It was a Saturday, so everyone was around. They’d be here for support, and to run interference if needed. The whores had been told to stay in their quarters.
A large RV pulls up to the gate, and Giggles goes around and speaks to the driver.
Angel tenses. “It’s Jake and Fern.”
Giggles opens the gate and allows them through; right behind them is a colourful van painted with big, bright flowers. Reminiscent of a seventies flower-child pattern. I laugh softly. “Baby, I’d say she’s definitely yours.”
Angel giggles and relaxes. “Yeah, maybe I didn’t get it all from Fern.”
Jake parks where Giggles told him to, and Honor parks next to him. We can’t see her yet, all we see is a flash of the same white blonde hair that Angel has as she gets out of her van.
She says something to Jake, who nods, and then she disappears for a moment before walking from behind her van.
“Oh fuck,” I whisper as she walks towards us.
She’s the spitting image of Angel, except she’s about a foot taller.
But other than that, she’s Angel from the top of her white-blonde hair to her toes.
Her long, multi-coloured skirt swirls around her ankles, and she’s wearing an oversized cardigan over the top of a baby-pink top.
Angel lets out a sob, gripping my hand hard.
I know she’s trying to restrain herself from reaching out. Honor needs to make the first move.
Honor comes to a stop a few feet from us, and her gaze moves over both of us. We’re doing the same. My gaze traces every feature as she flashes a smile. “Hi, my name's Honor. It’s lovely to meet you. If it’s okay, I’d really like a hug.”
“Oh,” Angel sobs, reaching out to Honor. The two of them collapse into each other’s arms. I follow along and wrap both of them up in mine. “It’s so wonderful to meet you, Honor. I’m so sorry to hear about your parents,” Angel whispers.
“Thank you,” Honor replies just as softly, squeezing us both. I’m not sure how long we stand there like that, ignoring the sniffles from behind us that could only come from Siera and the girls. Finally, we break apart, wiping tears from our cheeks.
Happiness fills me, along with sadness for us all. Angel and I for having missed out on bringing Honor up, and sadness for Honor for having lost her parents.
We stare at each other a little awkwardly, and I’m not sure where to go from here when the awkwardness is broken by Spook’s shout and Honor staggering back.
Looking down, I see one of Spook’s boys grinning up at Honor with a toothy grin.
“Mine,” he cries. Honor laughs and bends down, picking him up.
“Well, hello handsome, and who are you?”
“Mason,” Spook sighs tiredly, coming towards us. “Sorry Axle, he got away from me.”
“Aww, that’s okay,” Honor grins. “What girl doesn’t like being knocked off her feet by a cutie? Especially one like this.” She pats Mason’s back and looks up at Spook, her eyes widening before she lowers her lashes. Ah, fuck me. I think to myself.
“Mine,” Mason tells his dad, curling tighter into Honor, wrapping his arm around her neck when Spook goes to take him.
“It’s okay,” Honor assures Spook with a smile.
“I’m used to little ones. Besides he’s my hero, he broke the awkwardness we found ourselves in,” she grins at Angel and me, wrinkling her nose.
Leaning forward, she whispers, “There’s a bunch of people behind you and not all of them are wearing leather, so I’m guessing they’re Jake and Ferns' family?”
“They are,” Angel smiles, slipping her arm through Honor’s free arm. “Come meet my mad sister and nieces. Oh, and Garret’s son.”
“Garret has a son?” Honor looks at me over her shoulder, eyebrows raised. I sigh and tilt my head up towards the sky as Angel explains who North is.
My entire life has been taken and turned on its head in the last few weeks. Not that I was complaining about that. Angel leads Honor away towards the crowd at the clubhouse.
“Are you doing okay Axle?”
Turning my head, I look at Roman and smile. “Yeah, brother. I’m doing fine. Got my woman, my son, my daughter, my best friend, and my brothers. I’m doing just fine.”
“Good,” he clasped my shoulder, giving it a shake. “Let’s get in there and warn the brothers away from your girl, because they’ll be sniffing around her.”
Chuckling I reply, “Oh, I don’t think we need to worry about that. Mason and Spook seem to have that under control.”
Roman side-eyes me. “No shit.”
“No shit. You’ll see.”
“Huh,” he replies, sauntering away.
“Garret,” Angel calls softly to me from the clubhouse doorway. “Are you okay?”
Walking towards her, I reply, “Yeah, baby. I’m better than okay.”
The smile she beams my way is all I need for my heart to settle in my chest, and happiness to wend its way through me. It had been a long road, but yeah, I was happy.