CHAPTER 2
HAMMER
While stepping into the common room of the clubhouse, the feeling of a new day, with all its possibilities, rushes through me. It’s the same feeling I always get when I’m starting a new job, especially jobs like the one I was called about a few days ago.
Construction is always a rush for me, and I love building something from nothing. Still, there is something special when I’m called in on restoration jobs. And if the client wants to keep the old charm and modernize at the same time? It’s my perfect storm.
I’ve been looking forward to checking out this house since I got the call.
Sure, I’m just going out to get a look at the place and put together an estimate, but I’m going to make sure this becomes a job for Devil’s Construction, no matter what. We’re the best in town when it comes to the work we do, and our sites are always the safest.
The leather on my back ensures our job sites are covered and protected.
I also employ enough of my brothers to keep the business legitimately under the club’s umbrella, but we also employ guys who don’t wear the patch.
I don’t care if they ride or not, if they do the job they’re paid to do and do it well.
When I glance around, the room is already fairly full. There are brothers eating breakfast or just enjoying a cup of coffee. Seeing so many guys up and about early in the morning isn’t new.
Still, the landscape has changed over the last few years.
There are a shit ton more couples occupying space at the tables which means a lot more female laughter fills the room.
Also, not nearly as much skin is on display compared to when the only women hanging around the club were the Old Ladies the old timers have had forever and the club angels.
Then there are the little ones. That has been the biggest change. Just last month we celebrated the first birthday of our VP, Prodigal, and his wife Wrenley’s little girl. It’s hard to believe that Maya is a year old now. Time fucking flies.
She’s toddling around now which has caused Prodigal to become a fucking tyrant.
He has not rested while trying to ensure every square inch of the clubhouse is baby proofed.
It’s not like I can blame the man either, but I won’t deny that I’ve turned and run in the opposite direction when I’ve seen him coming more than once.
The man is intense on a good day, then add it in his whole papa bear energy and shit can get rough real quick. I’d rather not get involved if I can avoid it.
Prodigal’s intensity makes him a damn good VP and will serve him well when he becomes Prez after his father steps down, but no one is in any hurry to see it happen.
It means he’s the guy you want at your back, no matter what you’re facing.
It also means you don’t want to be tasked with some baby proofing and then, when he checks your work, be found lacking.
That shit is not pretty.
I thought the three brothers who knocked up Heather, a former club angel who only spent time with the three prospects who became Bedlam, Viper, and Scope, were bad after their little one was born. Rain is more than a year and a half old now and is the cutest terror the clubhouse has ever known.
Rain has all of us wrapped around her little finger. She might be young, but she’s got her pout down. None of us are strong in the face of it. We don’t even pretend anymore.
You’d think it would have all of us avoiding her, but it will never happen. That little girl is family, and we’re damn proud uncles. After watching what Bedlam, Scope, and Viper went through to claim their woman, we’ll always stand in front of them and ensure their family is happy and thriving.
I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before they put another baby in their woman. Hell, for all I know it’s already happened.
And we all know this is just the beginning. As more brothers find their Old Ladies, we can expect this clubhouse to be at capacity. It’ll be overflowing with smiling brothers, happy women, and babies who will never know a day of suffering if we can do something about it.
It’s nice to know the next generation of Devil’s Saints are coming up.
I won’t say that I was worried about it, not really, but it’s not like any of us in the younger generation were getting any younger.
Hell, at 30, I’m very fucking aware I’m not getting any younger.
I think that it was when I turned 30 last year and saw all my brothers finding love that it really hit me.
I was done fucking around with random pussy and only caring about the construction jobs I was doing, my bike, and my brothers.
Will I admit to anyone about how damn loud my biological clock is and the need I have to put my baby in the right woman?
Hell no, I’m not interested in being laughed out of the clubhouse or looked at with a scathing side eye.
But considering the number of babies around and the amount of fucking some of my brothers are doing with their Old Ladies, I’m not the only one feeling it. We just don’t need to talk about it like we’re a damn sewing circle, I guess.
I’m happy for those amongst my brothers who have found their forever. I’m also fucking jealous.
After filling up my travel cup with coffee, I grab the steel clipboard and notebook holder I’ve had since before I was given my road name. Hammer suits me and it’s not just because of the construction work I do.
Do you have any idea the amount of damage a hammer can do to the human body? It’s a beautiful sight of painful retribution when done right and righteously.
“Are you headed out to the consultation from the call a few days ago?” Bedlam questions from one of the tables where he’s sitting and bouncing Rain on his lap. She’s looking up at him with the biggest smile on her face and my heart squeezes painfully in my chest.
I look down at the Devil’s Construction shirt stretched across my chest and decide to give him shit. “Well, I am wearing my uniform and looking all professional.”
Bedlam huffs and rolls his eyes before picking up Rain slightly and pointing her in my direction. “Can you believe Uncle Hammer, Raindrop? He’s being so mean to Dada.”
Rain throws her arms in the air and screeches, “Dada!”
“That’s right,” he coos. “You love Dada, don’t you?”
Rain reaches in my direction with a huge smile on her face. “Hamma, hug me and snuggle.”
She’s been growing her vocabulary so much over the last nine months or so. There are times when she looks at me with such serious eyes, and I just know she’s about to throw a dissertation at me. But then she’ll smile, smack my face, or bring me a book to read.
Since she’s demanding a hug and snuggle from me, I don’t hesitate to grab her from one of her fathers and tuck her against my chest. She rests her head against my shoulder and lets out a sigh filled with contentment.
It does something to my heart and has me yearning for something I’m not sure will ever happen.
I can only hope one day it won’t be Rain in my arms; it’ll be a little one who is half of me and half of the other part of my soul.
“This isn’t a new build, right?” He prompts me while eyeing Rain who is very content in my arms. “It’s a renovation?”
“That’s what the appointment says,” I snark back at him with my words while my tone is pure fucking velvet for Rain.
Her giggle has me grinning at Bedlam who narrows his eyes at me. Heather, who has been watching our exchange, turns away and covers her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter. Scope leans into her side and whispers something in her ear which causes her to turn red.
Yeah, Rain won’t be an only child for long.
Viper pops up next to me and grabs his daughter without any warning.
I’m holding air before I even realize what is happening.
The scowl I direct toward him is the same one that has scared many men in the past. It doesn’t do a damn thing to him though; he only smiles at me and buries his face against Rain’s neck and blows a raspberry.
Rain’s shriek of delight is beautiful and makes me grin.
It also makes me more jealous than I have any right to be.
When I look at Heather, I’m a little surprised at the understanding and knowing expression on her face.
It’s as if she can feel how the green-eyed monster is breathing down my neck and demanding I turn on my family.
It’ll never happen though. I can be happy for them and want more for my own life as well. At least, I hope I can.
“I gotta get going,” I growl while glaring at Viper.
“Bye, Hamma,” Rain throws her hand up in the air as she screeches at me.
When she starts blowing me kisses, I fucking melt and the feeling of jealousy burning in my gut dissipates. I blow her a kiss right back, not giving a fuck at the way some of my brothers snicker. Like they wouldn’t do the same damn thing.
Before heading out the door, I flip them all off behind Rain’s back. The last thing I need is for her to learn some bad fucking habit from me. I’d never live it down and I don’t need Heather’s wrath anywhere near me.
With a longing look at my bike, I climb into my truck with the Devil’s Construction logo on the side. It’s basically the same image as the one on our patches, but instead of bike parts under the Devil’s skull, it’s two hammers. I can’t help but smile every time I look at it.
It doesn’t take long for me to get to the address for the consultation. The moment I pull in and start heading down the long ass driveway, I’ve already found some areas where we’re needed. This is the kind of place which is damn close to being taken back over by nature.
It doesn’t take away from the beauty of the place, or the grandeur which is apparent the moment you enter the property. When the trees break and the bend leads me toward the house, my eyes widen at the sight in front of me.