Chapter 17
FOOL
“You feeling okay?” I ask as I walk toward the clubhouse, April tucked into my side.
I didn’t want to have to come back to the clubhouse this afternoon, but with her family still here and questions needing answers, it’s mandatory.
I’d have preferred to stay at the house and enjoy her body even more, though from the way she winced getting off the bike, I know she must be sore.
After the first time, we went through three more rounds before passing out around three this morning.
This morning, I woke her with my mouth between her legs and had my way with her again before taking her in the shower.
It seems that when it comes to my wife, I can’t get enough of her. Teaching her, showing her what I like, and letting her touch me as she feels, it’s all addictive.
“I’m fine,” she answers, pulling me out of my head.
“If you’re sore, you don’t need to hide it from me,” I tell her, not wanting her to be in pain.
“I took something while we were still at the house. I keep Motrin and Tylenol on hand for headaches,” she admits sheepishly.
That’s good.
After our shower, I brought her bag, the one I’d packed and stowed in one of my saddlebags, so she could get dressed for the day.
She’d been surprised I remembered all her hair and beauty shit.
She did fuss over the shirt I picked out, the one she refused to wear because it was see-through.
I didn’t know I packed it, but I wouldn’t mind seeing it on her all the same.
Instead, she’s wearing one of my shirts, tied and tucked at the back, paired with light, faded jeans and flip-flops. I’d have preferred her in sneakers or boots, but I wasn’t about to complain.
“They’re going to have coffee already made, right? Or will we need to make some?”
I snort and shake my head at April’s question. My woman loves her coffee. The sweeter, the better, but she also drinks it black.
“Come on, we’ll get you some coffee, then deal with everything else.
After we finish here, we can head back to the apartment if you want, or we can stay here tonight.
” I’ll leave the decision up to her. I’d suggest going back to the house, but I want to get furniture for it before we stay there for more than one night.
My house, which I bought while in the military, should have been a tear-down, but I’d been working on it for years.
I rarely stayed there during the remodel, sleeping on an air mattress.
Thinking I might sell it, I finished it up a couple of months ago, but I’m glad I didn’t.
I enjoyed taking April to the house last night to make her feel special.
We’ll need a place anyway when she finishes school in a handful of weeks. No reason for us to stick to her apartment when we have a bigger space we can move to. I’m just not going to push it until the time comes. Her being so close to school makes things easier for her classes.
“Why can’t we stay at your house again?” she asks as I open the door for her.
“We have nothing there,” I state, pointing out the obvious. Hopefully, I'll remember to tell the prospects to pack towels when I send them.
“So,” she draws out, stepping inside. “I enjoyed staying there. It was nice.”
“If you want to stay, we’ll stay, but I’d prefer a bed to the floor,” I grunt. As great as it was last night, the blankets won’t suffice for more than one night for me.
“True, we can just stay here tonight, then. I kinda told Kayla she could crash at my apartment for a while,” she announces, biting her bottom lip and glancing around the room, checking to see who’s around.
“When did you tell her that?” I know those girls are close, but the small apartment feels cramped with just the two of us. Add a third person, and that’s a lot, though maybe it won’t be so bad. Kayla’s not like when Hazard crashed on the couch.
“Um, before everything with Venus,” she answers, blushing. “I’ll have to explain the reasons later, though I don’t know the full story.”
I hold her gaze and nod. “Right, let’s get you your coffee and see what’s going on around here.”
April smiles and lifts as I dip my head, meeting her halfway and kissing her soundly.
“I get y’all are married, but I don’t need to see you kiss her,” Twister calls from the bar. “It’s too damn early in the morning to see that shit. She’s like my damn daughter.”
“Sorry, Twister.” April snickers, shoving her face into my chest as I chuckle.
“Time to find you that coffee now,” I tell her, guiding her to the bar. I leave her next to Twister, who pulls her in for a hug as I round the bar and move to the industrial coffee maker.
Once I have two mugs in hand, I move back to April and hand her hers.
“Fool,” Cannon shouts from his usual table, motioning for me to join him and the others already seated.
Twister follows us to the table, taking one of the few open chairs next to his woman, Izzy. Rex and Lola sit between Cannon and Steel. Mikey is on the other side of my Prez’s brother. Horse and Kenny are also at the table, along with Hazard.
I hold out a chair for April to sit before taking one myself. “All right, what’s going on?” I’m getting straight to the point.
“Figured we’d get the full story from Rex and Mikey here on why Steel and I didn’t know we had a cousin,” Cannon explains.
I knew we’d have this talk, but I didn’t think it would be first thing.
“Technically, she was your dad’s cousin,” Lola remarks, waving nonchalantly. “But it doesn’t matter.”
“Mikey, why don’t you start?” Rex grunts.
April’s dad looks around the table, his gaze locking on Horse and Twister for a beat longer as he starts, “I know the two of you probably think I’m a deadbeat piece of shit for not sticking around to raise my girl.”
“Dad,” April gasps.
“It’s the truth, sweet girl, and we both know it.” At least the man owns up to his shit.
“Give us the full story,” Twister demands.
I’m fifteen years younger than Rex. He wasn’t really part of my life while I was growing up.
When he formed the Grave Prowlers with others, I went my own way, full of energy and defiance.
I met April’s mom at seventeen, but we didn’t start dating immediately.
Eventually, she convinced me, and we began seeing each other.
Then she got pregnant, and things started to change.
She began demanding things from me I couldn’t handle.
She believed I was a club member, which I never claimed to be. Mikey pauses to gather his thoughts.
“When April was four, her mom threatened to kill her if I didn’t leave.
She said she’d slit April’s throat right in front of me.
She held the knife to her throat as she delivered her threat.
The bitch claimed she was tired of how I treated her worse than my daughter.
I wanted to take April with me. I was going to, but she went to court for full custody. I was only to have visitation.”
April gasps.
Rage swirls in my veins. The need to find the bitch and kill her myself boils to the surface. I’ve witnessed enough shit in my life, but seeing kids die is one of them.
But what Mikey’s saying doesn’t make complete sense.
“Wait, that doesn’t make sense,” Hazard says, speaking the words I’m thinking out loud.
“It doesn’t,” Mikey agrees, nodding. “However, I wanted to confirm that April came to no harm. Her mom said that if I stayed away, she wouldn’t hurt my girl. I was just protecting her the best way I could.”
I glance at my wife, not missing her pale complexion and the tears pricking her eyes. Reaching for her, I pull her close.
“Why didn’t you come to us sooner? We could have helped you,” Twister says gruffly.
“I’d have killed the bitch,” Kenny snaps.
“I’d have helped hide the body,” Izzy adds. “There’s still time to do it.”
Both women look murderous.
“Please don’t,” April whispers.
Everyone at the table glances at her, expressions ranging from outright rage to sorrow.
“April, sweetheart,” Kenny calls, leaning forward. “You don’t have to protect her anymore. You can talk about it now. I know you, and I know you’ve hidden a lot of things that happened in that home with her.”
“You’re right, I have,” April agrees softly. “But I got myself out of there. You all helped me with that. That’s enough for me. You and Izzy don’t need to plot murder on my behalf. I’m safe. Happy. Graduating from college in a few weeks. She’s not worth thinking about anymore.”
Mikey looks at his daughter with pride in his eyes. “I know the type of dad I’ve seemed to be, but I wanted to be there for you more than I was.”
“Honestly, it was good that you weren’t.
She would always go into a rage when you were.
I loved having you around and spending as much time with you as we did, but it was hell dealing with her afterward.
Besides, you made sure I had new clothes each school year, gave me Christmas presents to open, and helped me buy the car of my dreams. So what if you weren’t exactly Dad of the Year?
You did what you could for me, and that’s enough for me. ”
April looks toward Horse and Twister. “You guys stood up for me the rest of the time, so I like to think of you both as honorary dads when mine couldn’t be there for me.”
“You know you’ve always got a place with us,” Horse remarks with a grunt.
“Damn right,” Twister grumbles.
“Can we be done with this now? I don’t want to hear about it.
What I want to know is how I didn’t know I had an uncle.
” Her words surprise me. She lets things roll off rather than letting them simmer.
She pushes through, not bothering to let the past eat at her.
Or that’s what she wants others to believe, at least.
I glance at the men she’s addressing and briefly lock eyes with them all, giving them a slight nod. I’ll wait until I’m alone with April and get her to talk to me then. I won’t push her to go into it now.
Rex and Mikey explain the rest of the ordeal to all of us, claiming that keeping April safe was for the best. Mikey knew that since April was best friends with two of the girls from the Devil’s Riot MC, she’d be safe and taken care of.
Rex explains it was his decision to push for the alliance between the two clubs after he found out about the relationship.
The two clubs are tied together because of her.
The more they talk, the more it makes sense—all of it.
Finally, when they were done talking, we ended it with conversations about what’s going to happen next.
“We’re gonna be driving back for the graduation,” Izzy proclaims. “We wanted to do your party along with Kayla and Mercy’s, but we can do it here if that’s okay.”
“Of course, it’s okay,” Lola pipes in, smiling. “I’ll get the menu organized, and we can work together to put on a great party.”
The woman loves planning things like this, and since it’s for a niece she hasn’t had the chance to get to know, she’s going to pull out all the stops.
“One more thing,” Twister remarks, looking right at April. “Burner asked me to tell you that if you still want the tattoo you asked him about, he’ll come here to do it.”
Tattoo?
April’s skin is completely flawless, with no marks in sight. A tattoo would look hot on her.
“Yeah, that would be great, but I can always go to him if it’s easier. I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“Sweets, you’re not an inconvenience to anyone,” I grumble, meeting her gaze. “You’re worth being around.”
That’s something we’re gonna have to work on together.
She needs to know she doesn’t come second to anyone or anything, and I’m going to need my brothers’ help.
From the look on my Prez’s face, he doesn’t disagree.
He lost family, and now he’s gained a cousin.
He’ll want to protect her as much as I’m willing to, because she’s quickly becoming my everything.