Chapter 6 #2
“Okay, we know. It’s official,” Camryn says, looking between the two of us. “So now Freya is going to file paperwork with the courts to establish custody?”
“Yeah,” I say, turning my gaze toward her. “That’s what she said.”
“Great. That’s good news, Syd. Once that’s established, we won’t have to worry about anything my parents said. No judge is going to take you from your father.”
“What about you?” Syd asks Camryn in a small voice. “I’m not going to be able to live with you.”
“Hey,” Camryn says, moving closer to Syd so she can put her arm around her niece. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Sydney leans into Camryn, and I feel like the biggest asshole on the planet.
This whole time, Syd probably thought I’d kick Camryn out as soon as we read the results.
I mean, the thought did cross my mind, but I know that wouldn’t be what’s best for Syd.
And honestly, Camryn may think I’m an asshole, but I’d never purposely break my daughter’s heart—or Camryn’s.
My phone vibrates with a text, and I pull it from my pocket.
Knox: Church, asshole.
Shit. I check the time and realize I’m five minutes late.
“Listen, I have to go, but no one is going anywhere, Syd. Your aunt can stay as long as she wants.” I shoot Sydney a meaningful look, and she gives me a barely there smile. My phone vibrates again.
Jude: What the fuck. I’m here on time, and I don’t even fucking live here anymore.
Gritting my teeth, I shove my phone in my pocket. “I really have to go. But we’ll talk more when I’m done, yeah?”
Camryn and Syd both nod, and I shoot them a tight smile. This is fine. Everything is going to be fine.
I walk out of the room and around the bar to the other side of the clubhouse, opening the door to our inner sanctum—at least that’s how I’ve always looked at this room.
A giant oak table sits in the middle with a skull that has black roses for eyes carved into it.
This is where Trick, Ozzy’s old man and my former prez, handed me my rocker, signifying that I was a member of a brotherhood.
This is where all the brothers before and after me were patched in and given a family built on loyalty and respect—something many of us didn’t have until the Black Roses.
“Sorry,” I say as I take my seat next to Cash and across from Jude. “We got the results back from the paternity test. It’s official. I’m Sydney’s father.”
The men around me bang their fists on the table with wide smiles on their faces.
“We should throw you a baby shower,” Jude says, his eyes lighting up with excitement over the ridiculous notion. “Instead of a diaper cake, we’ll have a money cake. I hear teenagers are expensive as shit.”
“Shut the hell up. I’m not having a baby shower,” I say, though I wouldn’t mind taking his money. Fucking asshole.
“Oh, come on. It could be fun. Cece could bake a cake, and when you cut it open, it’s pink in the middle,” Wyatt chimes in.
“That’s not for a baby shower. That’s for a gender reveal,” Jude informs him.
“How the hell would you know that?” Braxton asks.
“I’m having a baby, dumbass. I know all about the parties people throw before the kid is even here.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Linc says next to Jude.
“Yeah, Lucy said the same thing,” Jude says. “I thought it might be fun, though.” He shrugs. “Maybe I’ll bring it up to Tanya. She would probably have a ball throwing a party.”
“My mom is not going to take your side over Lucy’s,” Knox says with a chuckle. “Then you would have to deal with Lucy thinking you went behind her back. Is that a can you want to open, brother?”
Jude thinks on it for a minute. “No. That is definitely not something I want to do. My woman is unpredictable on her best days. In fact, I came home the other day to all of my underwear cut into tiny shreds because I’d forgotten to lower the lid on the toilet.
And Lucy was simply sitting on the couch reading one of her romance novels as though all was well. ”
“Well, leaving the seat up is fucking rude, man,” Cash points out.
“I realize that. And I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. I still haven’t had time to run to the store to buy more underwear,” Jude says.
“So you’ve been walking around without underwear all this time?” Linc asks with a confused look on his face.
“Yup. I have to say, though, there’s something freeing about it. I don’t know. I think Lucy may have done me a favor.”
“As riveting as this conversation about your dressing habits is, we have actual business to discuss,” Ozzy says, banging the gavel on the table, signifying the start of church. “The Russians.”
He doesn’t have to say more. We found out, through the former—now dead—head of a rival club, that a small faction of New York Russians isn’t particularly pleased with how the new head of the Bratva is changing business practices in their territory.
And they’re especially displeased with our involvement with Nikolai Petrov and the transition of power—we helped Petrov wipe out the buyers and sellers in the skin trade they were making their money in.
Damien Sokolov and his crew had a hand in helping the Bone Breakers and spying on us.
The fact that a threat has been in our midst for the last several months, and we had no clue, doesn’t sit well with me.
“I talked with Petrov and told him we have a situation brewing with his old comrade, Sokolov. He said he’s been trying to find him, but he’s a slippery weasel.
There are safe houses that even he doesn’t know about—back from when his father was in power.
His guys have been working to uncover them all.
Sokolov just moved to the top of his list, but that’s the best he can do right now. ”
There’s no doubt Nik has his hands full.
From what I know, he gave his father’s men the option to follow him with the same loyalty they showed Viktor Petrov—the very dead ex-head of the New York Bratva.
If they chose not to, I’m guessing they were met with the end of Nik’s .
45. Of course, there always has to be that one asshole who thinks he can get away with being a turncoat, and that asshole is obviously Sokolov.
“So what are we doing in the meantime?” Knox asks.
“I’ve tightened security at Midnight Rose and Thorn and Thistle.
Your women know to keep an eye out for anything that registers even a little off?
” Ozzy asks, and all the brothers nod. “Good. There’s no need to go into full lockdown.
At least not right now. We know they’re out there, but they don’t know that.
They don’t have the numbers for a full-scale attack, at least Petrov doesn’t think so, but that doesn’t mean it can’t change.
They were using the Bone Breakers to try to pick us off, but since that didn’t work, they’re going to be hard pressed to find someone else to do their dirty work.
For now, the only thing we can do is wait and keep our eyes peeled. ”
“I fucking hate waiting,” Braxton mumbles.
“It’s not ideal, I agree. But we can’t exactly fight a ghost. Until we have something concrete, the best thing to do is make it seem like now that the Bone Breakers are dead, we think we’re in the clear.
Let them think we have no clue about them.
They’re more likely to make themselves known sooner rather than later that way,” Ozzy says.
I blow out a breath, and Ozzy moves on with schedules and assignments for the runs we have coming up.
This is the first time I’ve been charged with the safety of someone who isn’t in this club. Sure, I’ve had to keep an eye out for my brothers’ women and Colby, of course, but this is the first time I’ve had to worry about the safety of my kid. It’s…sobering.
“Alright, that’s all I got, unless anyone has something they want to bring to the table,” Ozzy says. When no one opens their mouth, he knocks the gavel on the wood, dismissing us.
Everyone stands to leave, but before I can get out the door, Ozzy calls my name and tilts his head toward the chair next to him.
“Look, sorry I was late, brother. That shit will never happen again,” I say, thinking he’s going to ream me out about being late to church.
Ozzy shakes his head and waves off my concern. “I understand. And I know it won’t happen again. I’ll call Freya and let her know you got the results back. She’ll probably have some shit for you to sign so she can file.”
“You make a very pretty secretary for your old lady, prez.” I grin wide at the scowl Ozzy shoots me.
“Fuck off.”
I place my elbow on the table and lean forward a bit. “Do you accidentally drop a pen in front of her desk and bend over so she can get a peek at your—”
“You’re pushing it, brother,” Ozzy growls, and I lean back in my seat with a chuckle.
Holding my hands up in surrender, I apologize, but Ozzy’s scowl stays firmly in place.
“Okay, no more jokes about you and your old lady role-playing,” I say, and Ozzy swipes a hand over his face.
“I wanted to check in with you to see how you’re handling everything with Sydney, but now I kind of just want to punch you in the face,” he grumbles.
I bark out a laugh and Ozzy pins me with a glare, obviously expecting me to answer his question.
“It’s…different than what I expected,” I finally concede. “Having the results makes it real. I’m responsible for this person now. I don’t know, man. It fucked with my head for a minute.”
“Stepping up to be a father to a kid you didn’t know about for her entire life would be a mindfuck for anyone, Barrett. But that’s exactly what you have to do now. Step up.”
“I am. Poor kid hasn’t exactly had the best upbringing, from what I gather.” At least that’s what I figured out from the minimal amount of eavesdropping I’ve done. Listen, I’m not particularly proud of myself for it, but I needed some way to learn more about Sydney.
“What’s she said about life with her mom?”
“We haven’t really talked about it,” I answer honestly.
Ozzy tilts his head to the side. “You haven’t asked?”