Chapter 13
GEMMA
“ S taring at the door isn’t going to make him get back any faster.”
I swiveled my head to flash Molly a sheepish grin. “Is it that obvious?”
“Only because I’ve done this more times than I can count.” Molly scooped Luna into her arms. “And I grew up in the life.”
“Really?” I had gotten to know Maverick’s wife during my time at the clubhouse, but I had no idea she and her sister, Dahlia—who was married to the Iron Rogue president—had been raised in an MC.
“Yeah, Dahlia and I are club princesses.” She tickled Luna, her sweet giggles filling the empty space of the large lounge area. “Just like this little one, except our dad was the prez and hers is the VP.”
“Which club?” I asked.
“The Silver Saints.”
I nodded, as though the name meant something to me even though this was the first time I’d heard it. “Cool.”
“So you can trust me when I tell you to find a good distraction because it’s gonna be a long night,” she recommended with a soft laugh as Luna’s fingers wiggled under her chin.
Chase crawled across the black leather couch to get in on the tickling action, and inspiration struck. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
I raced up to Callum’s room and stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in the space we’d shared the night before. It didn’t make me miss him any less, but it helped me breathe a little easier.
I spotted my camera bag on the corner of his desk and crossed the room to grab it.
The thought of pointing my lens at something innocent and full of life made me feel a little more like myself.
I took one last glance around the space that had our things mixed.
It wasn’t nearly as tidy as it’d been the day Callum brought me here.
And it definitely wasn’t stark anymore. I liked that I’d brought some life into the room where he spent so much time.
With my camera secure in my hands and a quiet determination building in my chest, I headed back downstairs.
I couldn’t be out there helping Callum and his club brothers, but I could capture the little moments worth protecting.
Reminders of what they were fighting for while they were out saving Ellen.
By the time I made it back to the lounge, Molly was on the floor with Luna and Chase, their giggles echoing through the area like sunlight. Luna wore a sparkly tutu and mismatched socks, and Chase happily gnawed on the end of a spoon like it was the best teether in the world.
“Perfect,” I whispered, slipping my camera out of the bag.
After removing the lens cap, I raised it to my eye and started snapping. Molly glanced up and beamed when she noticed me. Then she lifted Luna’s chin with two fingers and whispered something that made the little girl tilt her head just so.
Her joy was effortless. And more beautiful than anything I had ever seen before.
Click.
Chase squealed and flopped forward onto his belly, kicking his legs like a swimmer while Luna jumped to her feet to twirl in a slow circle around him.
Click.
The tension in my shoulders began to uncoil. Capturing joy was something I could do. Documenting the pieces of life worth fighting for came naturally to me.
The sound of footsteps from the back of the clubhouse was followed by a familiar female voice. “Tell me I didn’t miss photo time.”
I turned to see Dahlia striding toward us like she owned the place.
With good reason, considering who she was married to.
Fox followed her, towering and tattooed, holding a squirming child in each arm.
Their twins were the same age as Luna, and he made quite the picture carrying them, so I snapped a quick photo before they got too close.
“You’re right on time,” Molly called, grinning as Chase attempted to crawl into her lap while still clinging to his spoon.
“I told you she’d be shooting already,” Dahlia said to Fox.
“How’d you even know?” I asked. “This was totally spur of the moment.”
“That was me.” Molly waved. “You’re a photographer. It was easy to guess you went to grab your camera when you raced outta here like your feet were on fire but told me to stay put.”
“Good point,” I agreed with a soft laugh.
Dahlia grinned at me. “I hope you have a fast shutter. These two don’t stop moving unless snacks are involved or they’ve passed out from sheer exhaustion. Which will hopefully happen in the next half hour, so they’re not extra grouchy tomorrow morning.”
“That ship has probably already sailed since it’s already everyone’s bedtime, but nobody is headed there anytime soon,” Molly pointed out.
“Well, you’re in luck,” I replied, lifting the camera again. “I’ve trained on wilder creatures. Like bachelorette parties.”
Fox chuckled before settling both kids on the rug. “They’ll behave for a minute or two. Maybe.”
“Two full minutes?” Molly teased. “Are you trying to spoil her?”
“I mean, she’s family now,” Dahlia quipped with a wink, then dropped onto the floor next to her sister.
Family.
It had been so long since anyone had considered me a part of theirs. I was honored that these amazing people thought of me that way, even if it was just because I was with Callum.
To stop myself from crying over how touched I was, I crouched again and framed the scene in my viewfinder. Fox’s broad shoulders in the background, Molly making Chase belly laugh, Dahlia brushing hair from Violet’s forehead while Jett tackled a nearby pillow.
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of the shutter was steady and reassuring. An integral part of me.
Hope swelled inside me. I wasn’t alone. Even with Callum gone, I had people around me who cared. Fierce, loyal people.
And no matter what came next, I’d have this moment captured forever. Proof that good things were still worth fighting for.
I snapped more than a hundred photos over the next twenty minutes, then Fox and Dahlia wrangled all four kids toward the kitchen for a bedtime snack.
Before the door swung closed behind them, Jett loudly declared his love for applesauce as Violet suggested they should hold out for cookies. Luna agreed with that plan.
Molly stayed behind. She didn’t say anything at first, just sat down on the edge of the couch and tilted her head toward me with a knowing look. “You okay?”
I lowered the camera to my lap, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. “Yeah. I’m just trying not to climb the walls while I wait. You were right about finding a good distraction. Maybe I’ll go put on a movie when the kids are ready for bedtime.”
“Running after Luna and Chase definitely makes the time fly by.” She leaned back, arms stretched along the cushions. “But being with an Iron Rogue means you’ll never face your fears alone. There are old ladies I can call who’d be happy to stay up with you for a movie marathon if you want.”
My throat tightened. “That sounds really nice, but I’d hate to be a bother.”
“None of them would think of it that way,” she assured me.
“As an only child whose parents passed away a couple of years ago, it’s hard to wrap my head around having a big family like this.”
“As Hawk’s woman, you’re part of us now.
But I get that it takes a minute to wrap your head around the way this life works.
” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Like the whole old lady thing. I know it might seem outdated or submissive, especially when we’re dealing with other clubs who we aren’t closely tied to. ”
“I’m not Hawk’s old lady,” I reminded her.
“It’s only a matter of time, and not that much if I had to guess.”
My cheeks heated, so I steered the conversation back. “I’ve noticed the way you let the guys take the lead in public.”
Molly didn’t press when I dodged talking about my relationship with Hawk.
“That’s by design. When you’re out there with your man’s property patch on your back, you let him run the show.
It keeps things smooth with other clubs and maintains the image.
But behind closed doors, us women run our damn kingdoms. Don’t let the leather, hogs, and tattoos fool you.
These men worship their women. They just don’t want anyone else thinking they’re easy to mess with.
Their badass reputation keeps us all safe. ”
That earned a small laugh from me. “So you’re saying I don’t have to stay quiet and sweet all the time?”
“Hell no,” she replied with a snort. “Just be smart about when and where. You’ve already got Hawk wrapped around your finger anyway.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks again. “I don’t know about that.”
“Oh, trust me.” Molly sat forward to tap my knee. “That man would light this whole town on fire for you.”
I looked down, twisting my fingers in my lap. “That’s kind of what I’m scared of.”
Her expression softened instantly. “Not because you think he’d hurt you, though.”
“No,” I quickly confirmed. “Never. It’s just that I’ve never had someone care that much before.”
She flashed me an understanding smile. “You’re not weak for leaning on him. None of us are. These men don’t want fragile. They want fierce. But they also want to be your safe place.”
I swallowed hard. “I want to be that for him, too.”
“Then you will be.” Molly smiled, eyes crinkling. “Just by loving him the way only you can.”
Her advice stayed with me all night long while I waited for Callum’s return.