Chapter 15—Bass
“Y ou going to ask me?”
I look behind me and give Milly a once-over before turning back around to pour coffee into my mug. “You going to tell?”
“No.”
Her response has me huffing a bit, making my lips smile of their own accord. I already knew as much, but it’s nice to confirm being right. “Figured. Wasted breath.” I turn around and lean back on the counter as I look her over again. For someone who was up half the night, she doesn’t look that bad.
Last night didn’t go as planned. Not even the second or third plan I’d created in my head. The first was to get laid by a vamp to release some pent-up frustration. I knew it was going to take a while, mostly because Milly being nearby made things difficult to think about. Well, that isn’t true. I thought about her, and her alone. Which is the problem. I don’t do complication, and all of this is a complication. So a night out, the kid at a friend’s house and Milly being watched by my brothers while I got my dick wet, was a brilliant plan A. Till plan B occurred, which was to blow off the obstacle and just go after what I really want. That worked after getting her off in the hall, but then plan C came into play due to what was going on with Ollie. But that didn’t go as planned either, since I’d hoped that us caring for her kid and showing our concern would somehow open her up. But from the look on her face, and her words, one night of putting him first isn’t going to win us any medals in her eyes.
She chuckles, and I raise my eyebrow in response. “What?”
“That’s something I would say.” She shrugs, a small smile on her lips.
And despite our similarities, there’s still no trust. I’m getting a little tired of this back-and-forth. Especially since I’m the one getting fucked over. This was meant to be a seven-day gig. However, till the club learns something more, something useful, my hope of only a week as a babysitter is doomed. And despite our little tryst at the clubhouse, I still haven’t gotten off by more than my own hand in months.
She walks over with a shake of her head, grabbing a mug from the cabinet. “If you think guilting me will work, it won’t.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh as she pours herself a cup. We might have gotten home before midnight, but I know I didn’t go to bed right away. Too wound up from the night’s events, and not just what went down with the kid. I know she slept with him in his room, or at least tried to. From the amount of crying, I doubt either got a wink of sleep before 4:00 a.m. Probably why it’s now after noon and she’s just rousing from Ollie’s room.
“Think I already got the memo. You’re stubborn, Yank.”
“It’s Brooklyn.” She says it so fast, I doubt she even expected her retort, especially with the way her eyes widen a bit as she takes a drink from her mug.
I smirk, saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” before I take my own sip.
We stand in silence as we drink our caffeine, and I’m jolted because this doesn’t feel strained. There isn’t an awkwardness about it. Sure, we still have a ton of unsaid things between us, but we seem to be able to live in the middle of everything. Or at least cohabitate without drawing blood. For now.
“What’s the plan?” She washes out her mug and sets it in the sink, then walks to the other side of the island to sit at the counter.
“Well….” I set my coffee down and place my hands on the counter as I look around. “Figured I’d stick around here for a few more years, do some light traveling in the offseason. Maybe do a bike tour up through Canada and then head to the tip of South America.”
The look on her face is priceless, even when she ends up glaring at me. “For today, asshole, not your life plan.”
“You didn’t specify,” I say with a shrug.
She just glares with a look of frustration on her face, making me smile.
“Family barbeque at the club. We’re going.”
“We’re not family,” she deadpans.
I shake my head as I turn back, rinsing my cup. “Never said you were, but as you like to describe it, you’re my prisoners. If I go, you go. And I’m going.” I turn back to give her a pointed look.
She presses her lips together but stands. “Fine.”
I think I might die from shock.
She returns to Ollie’s room and shuts the door. I can only assume they’re getting ready, so I go about doing the same.
“This a regular thing or a special occasion?” Milly asks as we get out of the truck, followed by Ollie. Kid hasn’t said much today, but he smiled at me, so I’m taking it as a win. I might push her, but I won’t force him. He’s obviously been through enough shit for a lifetime. No need to add to his trauma.
I stretch and then shut my door. I miss my bike, the freedom it gives me and the way it can wake me up with the wind in my face that isn’t replaceable by rolling down a window. I sigh heavily, as I know that getting my bike under me isn’t going to happen for a while, unless I plan to do a dump-and-run. Which, from the itch I’m getting now that I’m thinking about, might be sooner rather than later. The club can play babysitter for a few solid hours while I get a buzz off my bike. Might even get laid while I’m out.
Doubtful . As much as I want to feel the heat beyond my own hand wrapped around my dick, I can still taste her. I close my eyes and can hear her moans. My scalp still tingles from where she pulled my hair. Surprisingly, no one’s ever done that before. Probably because I’m usually holding their arms to the bed or having them prop themselves up as I take their ass. It felt good, the pain of it. I get what I put a woman through now, and I fucking crave it again. Being rough with a woman is hot, but having one give as much as she took was an experience on another level.
I scratch at my chin as I think over her question. “We have them, but nothing like on a set day and time each month. We usually just get a text from the boss either the day before or the day of and show up if we got nothing else going on. Most of us make it, but sometimes a few of us don’t get out.”
“When did you get the invite for this one?”
“About five minutes before you woke up.”
I hold the door open, letting them in first before I follow. There was only the prospect on the gate out in the parking lot, which isn’t abnormal, but it’s not usual. We have so many brothers that having a few smoking out front is the usual greeting I expect.
As I shut the door, I’m bombarded by yells of “Happy birthday.” I don’t startle—I’ve had years of training not to—as I take in the way the club has transformed in the last twelve hours. Balloons and “happy birthday” banners everywhere. If Minecraft and Pokémon had a baby that threw up, this is where the mess would be. And standing right in the middle is a grinning Mama Bear, shining with happiness for putting together what no doubt was a surprise party for Ollie.
I smirk at the way my club operates, loving every aspect of them and the old ladies who have stuck it out with us, before looking over at the guest of honor. Who’s frozen with a panic-stricken face, both he and Milly.
The hoots and hollers die off quickly as the club realizes at the same time I do that this is not a good surprise—not at all. Especially when Milly mutters, “Shit,” and her face drains of color.
She turns quickly and falls to her knees, grabbing her kid by the shoulders, trying to block out his vision as she gets close to his face.
“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. ”
“I… I forgot,” he says in disbelief as he looks at her with wide eyes.
“I know, baby. I forgot too.”
He shakes his head violently, and I’m half afraid that he’s going to disconnect his brain in his head from the rattle. He pushes out of her hold, and Milly falls a bit on her ass as tears gather in her eyes.
“I forgot her!” he screams, breaking the dam holding Milly’s tears back.
“No, you didn’t.” She shakes her own head. “You can never forget her. You just forgot the day. That’s it. It’s a day, nothing more. This means nothing.”
He looks around at everything, and when he speaks, his voice is so small. “I forgot my mom.”
I feel the club take an audible breath, as our theory becomes true. Milly isn’t Ollie’s biological mother.
“You can never forget her. She’s in here, with you always. She’s never forgotten, always here, right here.” Milly closes the distance between them, placing her hand on his heart. “This is just a day, nothing more.”
“It’s my birthday.”
“It’s not.” She coughs, pushing the emotion from her voice as she straightens her spine. “This is not your birthday. You know that.”
“But this….” He gestures to everything around him, using facts to prove her wrong.
“It’s mine.” I take a step forward, and they both look at me. “Club’s throwing me a birthday party since I missed the last one with them. They went big this year is all. ”
Ollie looks at me skeptically. “You like Minecraft and Pokémon?”
“Fuck yeah. Who do you think introduced Teddy to it, or how I knew how to set up the system for you two to play? I’ve been gaming with Teddy for years before you came around. I’ll admit, he’s the one who got me into Pokémon, but what can I say? Rillaboom is the shit. He could totally take Charizard and Pichu in a fight without even trying.”
“Nuh-uh.” He takes his glasses off with one hand, then rubs his eyes dry with the other. “Pichu could totally take him. He even did in the TV show.”
“Pssh, that was a show about Pichu. Of course they would have him win. In reality, it would never work. Come on, I’ll show you. Teddy, get those trading cards out.”
Ollie is already out of Milly’s arms and across the room, trauma forgotten. At least for the moment. Probably doing what most of us will do for the next few hours—ignoring it.
I watch Milly while everyone else goes about celebrating my birthday. Love that my club is just rolling with it. Even had a few shout, “Happy birthday,” to me. I’d be flipping them off if I weren’t so focused on the woman who’s still on her knees. Probably not the only one if I know my club, but they ain’t going to vulture right in for the kill. No, they’ll wait like the hunters they are.
After a second of her pulling whatever it is she needed to pull together, she stands and turns. Her eyes are on Ollie, but no doubt she feels me staring. I’m laser focused and not going anywhere.
She fights it longer than most who’ve been under my stare, but like everyone before her, she caves, glancing at me without even an ounce of sass in her eyes. She knows what’s coming. She’s smart—she gets it.
“Time’s up.”
She nods before looking back at the kid who she takes care of. “Yeah, probably is.” She huffs a breath before looking over at me with folded arms. “You got a place in mind we can talk? Rather do it without him listening.”
“After.” Casper steps up between us and decides for the club. We both hold his stare, me, then her, before we nod in acquiescence. “No need to ruin a perfectly good cake. What are you now, Bass? Five?”
“Fuck you. Didn’t see you stepping in other than holding your dick and watching.” I nudge him with my shoulder, and he stumbles. I know he’s just trying to break the tension that’s still hanging over the club. It’s impossible not to feel it still lingering after what just went down a few moments ago.
“Thank you.” Her words have both me and Casper looking at her in shock. “I… I wasn’t prepared for this. I….” She huffs as she jams her hands into her pockets. “Just thanks.” She looks to me quickly, which I nod at, and then she’s off like the devil is on her heels.
“Did she just…?” Casper asks, flabbergasted.
“Yeah, I think she did,” I say in awe.
Who the hell knew gratitude would come before trust?
But I think after tonight, we might get both.