21. Chapter 20
Thunder
“Are you picking me up?” Sammie asks as I pull into the drop-off lane. I quickly look at the little guy and flash a grin as I reply, “Yeah, I’ll be picking you up, buddy,” and he grins as he fist bumps the air.
“And we’re packing, right? I mean if you and the brothers haven’t finished it?” he confirms as he wiggles in his seat with excitement. I move forward a little, keeping an eye on the idiot in front who doesn’t understand how to crawl forward and keeps slamming on his brakes like a tool.
I swear, if I had the harness on my bike, I’d ride with Sammie to make drop-off easier, but I just haven’t gotten around to it.
You know, with the whole adoption being finalized.
I’m just glad Sammie was thrilled when I brought him in on my plan because if he wanted to stay with Rachel, I knew I would have to probably think about leaving my club because my girl wouldn’t leave him.
“Yeah, but remember, your aunt doesn’t know we’re moving tomorrow,” I remind him, and he chuckles, “She’s going to kill you,” and I hum, not disagreeing with him before narrowing my eyes at the idiot in front who has once again held up the line.
I watch the idiot for a moment as we crawl forward before giving Sammie my attention, and I say, “She’ll be alright,” hoping he believes my lie, but by the giggle, I know he doesn’t.
Since last night, since breaking her sister’s nose, which was fucking hot, my girl has been stressed out.
I haven’t really had the moment to tell her that I wasn’t giving her the option about coming home with me.
I haven’t told her that we’re leaving tomorrow instead of in two weeks like I planned.
Also, Dr. Thomas has already taken her resignation after writing her a glowing recommendation that she didn’t need.
So much has happened in the last few days that I can see her struggling.
Her head is a mess, so I’m making decisions for her even if it means she buries me in the yard.
It’s time for us to go home.
As soon as I drop this little one off at school, I’ll be meeting up with Axel, Lorenzo and Marshall at the clubhouse to grab some prospects to begin packing.
“Felix will be coming with us, right?” Sammie confirms, and I curl my lip and retort, “You mean, Demon?” and the boy giggles, making my lips twitch.
Considering he’s had his whole life turned upside down, the boy is adjusting really fucking well. My girl has basically raised him, so I don’t know why I’m surprised.
“Alright, buddy, grab your bag, and I will pick you up after school,” I say, not mentioning that damn cat as I pull up at the drop-off point after the idiot in front speeds off like a jackass, and Sammie says, “Okay, good luck with Auntie Scottie,” as he grabs his bag and jumps out of the car, and I chuckle.
Cheeky little shit.
Shaking my head, I pull away from the curb and drive out of the line before driving the car towards the Untamed’s club house.
***
“You took your time,” I hear Lorenzo joke as I walk into the common room twenty minutes later, and I give the fucker a middle finger, causing his father to laugh while Lorenzo grumbles, “Is that how you treat your future brother-in-law?” making me grin wide because yes, yes, it is.
“You think that is bad, you should see how he treats me,” I hear, pausing my steps and I look sharply towards the bar and fuck. Never mind seeing Doc standing there grinning wide at me, the man beside him fucking shocks me.
I walk over to the bar, and instead of hugging Doc, I wrap my arms around my father, who I can be man enough to admit that I’ve fucking missed. He squeezes me tightly as I choke, “What are you doing here?”
“Doesn’t matter how old you get, you always need your father,” I hear Hawk say just as Dad mutters, “We thought you’d need help and I really wanted to make sure my soon-to-be daughter-in-law doesn’t kill you for uprooting her life,” and I chuckle as I step back and grin wide as Doc pats my back.
“We also didn’t want you to allow your girl to convince you to stay,” Doc jokes as Axel, Lorenzo and Marshall step towards us.
“Somehow, I doubt my daughter will try to convince him,” Marshall sighs, “We’ve treated her poorly and we deserve for her to leave us.”
“So, she feels like she has no reason to stay,” Doc mutters and Marshall winces but nods.
“So, what’s the plan then?” Dad asks, “Are we drugging her?”
Marshall and Lorenzo look at him in shock before looking at me, and I shrug and admit, “It wouldn’t be the first time a brother has drugged their girl to assure he doesn’t lose her.”
“You’re not drugging my daughter,” Marshall growls and the brothers chuckle, knowing he wouldn’t have a choice.
“I don’t need to drug her, she loves me, she loves the love I have for Sammie.
I know wherever I go, she will follow,” I say and even though I sound cocky, it is the fucking truth.
I’m all Scottie sees and that will come to my advantage.
Lorenzo goes to open his mouth, but I quickly say, “I know that makes me selfish and cocky, I know in a normal situation or a normal relationship, it would be a fifty-fifty situation. Being a brother, even though I’m not an officer, I still need to be at the club.
They’re my family, I have a role with them.
I have responsibilities that I cannot and will not abandon especially with the tattoo shop.
Meaning again as selfish as it is, I have to do what I have to, but I won’t do it without my girl. ”
“And what about her job?” Lorenzo asks, then mentions, “She loves her job and she worked her ass to get to where she is now.”
Doc cuts in, “She has a role in my ER, I’ve already had her transferred and had to fight several doctors to have her on my team, if I hadn’t been the one to recommend her, I would have lost her,” and Marshall nods with relief while Lorenzo smiles.
“And what about Sammie?” Marshall asks, and I smile.
“He’s happy about the move, and while Scottie is working, I’ll be on Sammie duty, giving him all the bad advice that he needs. On days that I’ll be on a run, he’ll be with my sister,” I say and Dad mutters, “Fuck, we’re screwed if he ends up like you.”
I grin wide while Lorenzo coughs to cover his chuckle.
What can I say, it’s no secret about why I needed surgery.
“Your mama said she’ll help with childcare as well,” Dad mentions, and I look away from him, not overly comfortable with her watching Sammie.
Since I decided to stay in Dallas, she’s been trying to call more, demanding that I come home. Since she figured out that I claimed someone, she’s been more persistent that I bring my girl home. That or she’ll get Brittany to bring over several cats to piss me off.
“I get it, she’s always been nice in public but cold behind closed doors, but she’s trying, son,” Dad says, and I sigh.
Am I shocked that he knew she treated me differently at home? No, not really, but am I shocked that he kept silent? Fuck yeah.
“So, you knew that she made me feel unwanted and unloved, yet you said nothing?” I ask with no heat because I know he loves her, I know he had an affair with her that partly caused her deceased husband to be killed.
I know she blamed the club, but the man should have stuck up for me more, especially when I did everything I could to keep his wife happy.
“I knew. I also slept at the clubhouse more times than I can count because of that treatment. And right now, after your sister marrying the president of a club, she’s trying to accept who we are, which is something she had hoped you wouldn’t become,” Dad says, and I shake my head.
She chose her path, she chose to have an affair, so she can’t keep blaming the club for shit she caused. Just like all the other fucking brothers did when they caused shit.
“But you’re a brother…” Ink says as he walks over when I don’t say anything, “She knew you were a brother, she knew your son would want to become one as well. She’s a hypocrite for expecting you to keep your life separate, and you shouldn’t have allowed her to treat your son differently.”
“I know,” Dad says, “and so does she. Which is why she’s trying to make amends, but she’s aware that she has a fight on her hands,” we lock eyes, “You called her Mama, you still call her it out of respect to me. The brothers, your sister and I will stand by whatever decision you make, as will your sister, but all I ask, is that you try, for me.”
“Whatever you decide, you’ll always have the brothers standing behind you,” Doc finishes and I nod but soon smile when he pushes a large white box across the bar and says, “Scottie’s cut has arrived, brother.”
I gently place my hand over the box, and everything fucking settles inside me, and I know there is just one more thing that I need.
“I want to marry her before we go home,” I mutter, shocking my girl’s father and brother, but all the brothers in the room laugh when Axel admits, “The marriage license is on my desk, I saw this coming.”
I grin and reply, “Thanks, Axel,” and the man nods.
“I’m guessing you don’t want Rachel at the ceremony?” Marshall jokes, and I snort, “Hell no.”
“But we will be right?” Lorenzo confirms, and I retort, “You, your dad and your mama, yeah, not your crazy ass wife though.”
Lorenzo rolls his eyes and says, “No need to worry, she’s signed the divorce papers and is currently on the plane back to Hawaii, where her parents are, after I showed her that I had proof of her extra activities while I worked.”
“And Rachel is basically on house arrest, so she’ll stay away,” Marshall adds, and I hum.
“Did she ever mention why she hates Scottie so much?” my dad asks, and Marshall sighs.
He replies, “No, but I think she just didn’t like the attention being no longer on her, plain and simple.
My wife spoiled her because she was the only girl.
When she fell pregnant and we told our kids the baby would be called Scottie, because we wanted her to be unique.
Rachel thought she was having another brother to boss around. ”
“It’s so fucking strange though, isn’t it?” Dagger grunts, shaking his head.
“It is, I mean, I’ve seen jealous sisters before, but not one who openly has tried to ruin their sibling’s life the way she has,” Ink says. “She hasn’t even wanted her to have anyone in her life.”
“It is strange,” Lorenzo agrees, “She hates that no one is falling for her lies anymore, fuck, she hasn’t even asked how Sammie is.”
“She never should have been a mother,” Marshall mutters, and everyone nods in agreement.
“Right now, Sammie is our main priority,” I say, “He isn’t aware that his parents signed him over, but he is aware that he’ll be living permanently with his aunt and me.”
“And how did he take that?” Doc asks with a frown, and I smile slightly.
“He was excited, I just don’t know if he has allowed himself to understand that he won’t be seeing them again,” I sigh, “I don’t want to have that conversation with him yet. He keeps talking about the move and his new school, and I need to keep it that way.”
My phone rings just as Dad opens his mouth, cutting through our conversation, and I grab it, muttering, “This better not be Brittany threatening the cat’s mama. She’ll get her to bring it home if I don’t come home.”
The brothers try to hold in their laughter while Marshall and Lorenzo openly laugh like assholes. Instead of giving them the finger, I smile at the photo on my screen, and nothing but love fills me.
“Treasure, shouldn’t you be working, you know, saving lives and all that?” I answer with a smile and the brother’s grin, but my smile soon disappears when sobs echo in my ear.
“Scottie?!” I snap as I put my phone on speaker, concern hitting me.
“What’s going on?” Lorenzo demands, but I ignore him and say, “Scottie, talk to me.”
“Stop fucking crying!” I hear a snapped, and everyone tenses. “The last thing I need is anyone to realize I’ve put you in here. If you keep crying, then I’ll knock you out again and if you hadn’t let that MC scum touch you then this wouldn’t be happening would it, Sapphire?!”
Mother fucker!
“Was that Kavan?” Marshall demands just as a bang sounds downs the line and my breathing picks up.
She’s hurt, I can fucking feel it.
“Treasure,” I say softly despite the fear I feel, and she chokes, “I-I need you,” just as the phone beeps and goes silent and pure fucking fear hits me as I lock eyes with my father to see fear showing back at me.
Fuck.