Chapter Fifteen Ro
Chapter Fifteen
Ro
“This place is a hidden gem. The kids love the pizza and entertain themselves with games long enough for us to catch up,” Blanche explains, pulling into the parking lot in front of a building straight out of the early nineties.
Killer Pizza From Mars is written in a font reminiscent of a straight-to-VHS horror movie.
“This is amazing,” I whisper, taking in the retro posters and figurines visible in the windows. All four Ninja Turtles are represented wearing trench coats and eye masks.
Laughing, Jess turns in the passenger seat to face me. “Wait till you see the inside.”
The boys chatter from the third-row seats, and the easy camaraderie of the two women in the front is oddly domestic.
Four and five, Mav and Cash are funny, expressive, and charming in a way that only well-loved and adjusted children can be.
I envy the family she’s created with her biker, despite their age gap and his physical impediments.
“Alright, boys, do you remember the rules for Viking?” The tall, muscular blonde with piercing hazel-colored eyes and a prospect vest that has been assigned to us for the day asks.
I rode with him to Blanche's house, and he’d been our shadow since.
A looming presence in the local coffee shop remained close without being a part of our interactions.
This must be what living a high-profile life is like.
“We listen to him and follow the rules,” they echo.
“And the rules are?” Blanche turns to make eye contact.
“Don’t go anywhere without an adult. Stranger danger and listen to directions.”
Listening to them, I see the blending of worlds in real time. They haven’t shielded them completely from dangers but given them child-appropriate tools to keep them as safe as possible. Is this what Gambit and I could’ve had?
It’s all too easy to picture sun-kissed children with hints of their father’s russet strands woven into chocolate-brown curls. Viking knocks on the door.
“Alright, guys. Go with Viking.” Off like shot, they scramble for the door, playfully pushing each other to exit first.
Viking opens the door laughing. “Easy, little dudes. We’re all going to the same place.” He helps them down from the SUV and turns to Blanche. “You want me to place the usual order?”
“Yeah. Let them play a few games while we wait for it to be made. Idle is never a good look for these two.” She exhales, and he laughs.
“Yeah, I remember.” Viking flashes a bright white smile at odds with his fierce countenance. Turning, he leads the boys inside.
“Is he with you often?” I ask.
“Yes, but more for childcare reasons than safety. The boys like him, and he has a mind for paperwork and things like that, so my husband, Freeze, is his sponsor.” Blanche shrugs.
“But he is here to keep us safe right now, isn’t he?” I choose my words carefully, unsure of how open they can be with me.
The girls exchange a look. “Yes. We never take chances with family these days.”
There’s a story there. “Because something happened?”
“We’ve had some issues in the past,” Jess admits, hinting at troubles without going into detail.
“Sometimes things get dicey. But you love the man, so you accept the life that comes with the club. There’s no way around that.” She holds my gaze, and I swallow. I feel like she’s looking through me.
“Understood.”
“It’s a choice every woman has to make. If the risks are worth it. You’re here right now instead of back in Louisiana, so you must see a future with him.”
Put on the spot, I hesitate. “I want to. We didn’t part on a great note, and now this is our chance to see if we can salvage what we once had.
” The best lies always hold a grain of truth.
“The breakup was all on me. I was young, scared, and let the needs of others get in the way of my true desires.”
“So, you have to prove yourself to him?” Jess guesses.
“Yeah.” I nod.
“Well, that’s a plot twist I did not see coming,” Blanche whispers.
I laugh. “In this world, I bet.”
“If he brought you here, he’s more open to reconciliation than you think.” Jess leans over and places a hand on my thigh.
I wish I could believe you.
“Ugh. Let’s get inside. Viking is hovering by the window and staring a hole into us.” Blanche snickers.
I glance over to find the burly man not so subtly hinting that it’s time for us to relocate.
Head on swivel, he keeps an eye on the kids and us.
Blanche unbuckles her seat belt, and I follow her example.
I’m in awe of the successful woman in her late forties.
Holding down a career while caring for small children and balancing her husband’s all-consuming lifestyle, she’s an inspiration.
This is living proof of what you could have. The optimistic dreamer living inside me wants a life with Gambit. But I know we rarely get what we want in life. Does that mean we stop trying? Following the girls inside, I laugh at the fake alien statues. They went all out with the outer space theme.
The boys play a racing game in the corner. We pass them as we grab a corner booth facing the door, and it puts us beside a window that lets us see everything going on outside. The choices are subtle, but noticeable if you look.
“What can we do to help?” Jess asks.
“Why would you want to?” I eye them skeptically. Their loyalty is to the club. This is nothing more than a test.
“Because we know how difficult it is to love a King. I can see how much he means to you every time you talk about him.” Jess opens her straw and places it into the ice water in the old-school red cups with the wavy pattern.
“And I think you’d be good for Gambit. He’s quick to smile and joke, but it doesn’t always reach his eyes.” Blanche’s thoughtful expression tells me she’s thought about this.
“But you’d have to be willing to put everything on the line. There’s no halfway with this life or with winning back the trust of someone you hurt. Especially men as proud as ours,” Blanche continues.
“Are you speaking from experience?” I narrow my gaze, studying her.
“I know a lot about broken trust—"
Jess grunts. “Understatement of the year.”
“Whatever went down between you must’ve been nasty. You look haunted just thinking about it,” Blanche continues, ignoring her friend.
Sighing, I nod and slump down in the seat.
“To heal that, you have to match the energy of that destruction with creation. When I met Freeze, I never thought I’d heal from what happened with my ex-husband. The man literally tried to take my life.”
I gasp. “It’s funny, people think bikers have the worst to offer, but he was an upstanding, high-profile doctor.
We lived in an affluent neighborhood, and yet, it was all smoke and mirrors.
I lived a lie, and when it shattered, I was left to pick up the jagged pieces alone.
Then I met a man younger, hotter, and not my type.
What was meant to be fun became the love story I’d always dreamed of.
So, when I say anything is possible, I’m living proof. ”
“What if I don’t deserve a second chance?” I whisper.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Jess insists.
“If you’re willing to fight for it,” Blanche adds.
The waiter appears with an assortment of pizzas and breadsticks.
“We always do a little smorgasbord. That way, everyone gets what they want, and we can just graze once the boys are done and back to the games,” Blanche explains.
“Plus, what we don’t eat gets devoured by the brothers back at the clubhouse.” Jess grins.
“I believe that.” I snicker.
Divvying up the food onto plates, we call the boys back to eat, but conversation is replaced by silence, sans the clinking of plates.
The flavor of fresh pizza sauce and a unique spice blend explodes on my tongue.
I hum in appreciation as I fill my belly and think over the conversation.
Can I do this? With Betti heading to college soon, there’s not much left for me back home.
She has no desire to remain there, nor do I. I don’t know what I want out of life.
Except for Gambit. You know you want him. Maybe, for now, that’s enough. After all this time, isn’t it worth seeing what’s there? My brain continues to argue the case like a counselor who needs to win a major trial.
“I just got a text from Gambit. He’s coming this way to pick you up himself.”
“Oh, okay.” I’m surprised. He’s been standoffish since we fooled around the other night. I figured he regretted it. Or he was just as affected as you are.
I’ve never hated the part of me who hopes for the best as much as I do right now. Losing him a second time might take me out.
If you do nothing and he walks away, isn’t it the same thing?
Head and heart at war, I distract myself by getting to know the other girls better.
The rumble of a bike makes my stomach drop.
I peer out and watch as Gambit rides toward me.
He’s a modern knight on chrome steel. The leather drapes over his lean frame, and joy changes his face into a work of art.
There’s always been a special place he escapes to when he rides.
“I think my ride’s here, ladies.” I stand, placing my purse onto my shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”
“We’re here if you need us,” Jess says.
Viking stands. “I’ll walk you out, or he’ll have my a-s-s.”
I giggle at his attempt to avoid cursing in front of the kids. “Thank you.”
“See you ladies later.” I wave as we make the short walk down the aisle and out into the evening. Stars dot the sky above, and I admire the view.
Gambit pulls up and rests his feet on the ground. His face grows shuttered. Whatever happened today wasn’t great. His shoulders are tense, his face is pinched, and the aura flowing from him is dark and muddled.
“Thanks for looking after everyone today, Viking. We appreciate it.” Gambit’s gravelly voice holds a hint of respect.
“Anytime. Might be my favorite bit of grunt work.”
Gambit chuckles. “Enjoy the easier tasks when you can.”