Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
KRUGER
I lean back and cross my arms.
“What time is Blade due in?” I ask Havoc.
He looks at his watch before answering. “Sunshine texted about thirty minutes ago to say they were an hour out.”
“Alright, I’ll hang around for a bit, but I want to get over to Au and see how Delphi is getting on with the guys.”
“Has she figured out what she wants to do with the place yet?” Midas asks, but his eyes are across the room on Legs, who is fast asleep with her head on Probe’s shoulder and her feet in Crane’s lap.
“She wants to make it into a coffee and book shop.”
G leans back in his chair. “That’s not a bad idea. I could see it being popular, especially with the women. Add in the fact that the local library has just been shut down. Not everyone has the means to travel two towns over all the time.”
“Never thought about that. I know Neveah was pissed it was closing, but I’m not quite as passionate about reading as she is,” Havoc adds.
Midas chuckles. “Imagine having a famous author for an old lady and not being into books.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t into books. I can just never find the time to read. It was different when I was inside.”
“Amity and Tink used to go to their local library when they were kids, back before Citi was taken. They used to spend their afternoons curled up on bean bags, reading. I struggle to imagine Amity ever being that still, but she gets this wistful smile whenever she mentions it, so I’m guessing they are happy memories.
I know it’s not exactly the same, but I agree with Havoc.
I think it will appeal to the locals, especially the women with fetishes for book boyfriends, and single parents who need somewhere to take their kids on a rainy day. ”
“Throw in coffee, cakes, and sandwiches, which is what she’s planning, and yeah, I have a feeling if anyone can pull it off, it’s Delphi,” I agree.
“How are things going between you two?” Midas questions.
“Good. I mean, some things trigger a negative response from her, but we talk through it. It’s a work in progress, but I’m just thankful she’s even giving me the chance.”
“I get that, trust me.”
I nod, knowing he fucked up too, and almost cost himself Legs. Havoc nods, raising his coffee as if to say I have you both beat. Looks like we’re all a bunch of knuckle-dragging idiots.
“How’s the racetrack coming along?”
“Almost ready. Capone and Circus are done, though they have a couple of their team doing the finishing touches. I’m waiting for some equipment to be delivered and installed, and I have several interviews scheduled for next week.
What I need most is a project manager to keep an eye on shit and make sure things run smoothly while I’m out with Legs and the baby. ”
“Do you have anyone in mind?”
“Maybe. I’ll get back to you. I don’t want to jinx shit.”
G chuckles. “You and your superstitions.”
“You all think I’m lucky, but I’m just smart. I’m not giving karma any weapons to use against me.”
I see Ambrose walk in with his head down, heading toward the back. I call his name, and his head snaps up as he looks over. He hesitates, as if he’s lost the will to make small talk. Since his sister’s decline began, he’s pulled away from the club when he should be leaning on us now more than ever.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?”
“Not much, waiting for Blade to get here with Sunshine and the babies. Pull up a seat.”
“I was gonna take a shower and get ready for my shift at the gym.”
“I’ll get one of the prospects to cover you,” Havoc tells him.
Ambrose sighs but takes the empty chair, spinning it around so he can sit on it backward.
“How’s your sister doing?” Havoc questions, getting straight down to it.
“She’s her ever cheerful self. Tired, but she doesn’t let that stop her from talking a mile a minute.
Used to drive me nuts when I was a kid. Now I just want to listen to her all day, every day, because soon she’ll say her last words.
And I won’t even know they were the last ones until it’s too late. ”
His voice cracks, and I feel for the dude, I do. Death is such a fickle bitch. She cares little about those left behind picking up the pieces.
“Is there anything the club can do?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “Nobody can fight death. I know it’s coming. She knows it’s coming. I just want to slam the damn brakes and take a minute, but time is not on our side. It’s been me and her for so long…” He stops talking when he gets choked up, but none of us are judging him for it.
“What have the doctors said?” G questions quietly. “I can look for trials or something.”
Ambros is already shaking his head. “She’s tired. She fought hard, but she knows she’s just delaying the inevitable and wants to enjoy what little time she has left. They’re talking about palliative care now.” He scrubs his hand over his face.
“The husband?”
“Wants to bring her home. He’s a fucking wreck, too. We might not always see eye to eye, but he loves my sister.”
“What about if we did a charity run or something, help with some of the medical bills? I know they have insurance, but I doubt it covers everything.”
“I have more than enough to cover the difference, but Harry won’t take it. Fuck knows why. Pride, maybe?”
“He’s trying to take care of his wife in the only way he can,” Midas tells him, making Ambros grunt. But I can see he gets it, even if he doesn’t like it.
“If we do a charity run, he’s unlikely to refuse that, right? I think it feels different when a community comes together to look after one of their own,” G points out.
“She is not one of—”
Havoc cuts him off before he can continue. “You’re one of ours. That makes your sister one too. We’ll take care of it. I’ll get the girls on it. You know what Neveah is like—she’ll be all over it. Does Ella have anything on her bucket list she wants to do? Maybe we can help out that way?”
“You mean, apart from seeing her baby brother get married?” He huffs out a sad laugh. “I don’t know, but I’ll ask and get back to you. Think Neveah will sit with her for a little while tomorrow? Mike has to work, and I’ve got a meeting in town with my lawyer. She loves having Neveah read to her.”
“You know she will. I’ll drop her off there myself in the morning.”
“Thanks, Havoc.”
Pig walks over with a drink for Ambros, who takes it and drinks it down in one. I glare at the prospect, who hurries away. Midas chuckles. “You ever gonna cut the kid some slack?”
“Would you?”
“Fuck no.”
“What did he do?” Ambros looks between us, and I realize how out of the loop he is.
“He was supposed to be watching Delphi, and yet she managed to sneak out and catch a cab without him noticing. The fucker had the audacity to tell me everything was fine.”
Ambros chuckles. “Can’t say I miss being a prospect.
You guys keep meeting women who turn out to be far more than most of us are used to.
Grenades, cliffs, serial killers, stalkers…
” He counts off on his fingers. “I think I might need to look for a Suzy homemaker, or I’ll be gray before I’m thirty. ”
“Thought there might have been something between you and Neveah’s sister,” G says as he takes a sip of his beer. Havoc narrows his eyes on Ambros, but I know the fucker wasn’t blind to it.
“She’s not in any kind of place to even think about dating, especially a man like me who has his own fucking issues to deal with. We’re friends, and that’s what both of us need more than anything else right now.”
Havoc grunts. “You keep in touch?”
“Yeah, mostly through texts. Why?”
“Neveah says she’s gone quiet on her lately. She’s been worried.”
“I get that. How the fuck can Tink not worry after everything that happened to Citi? The thing is, Citi needs room to breathe. She spent almost her whole life confined. Give her space to spread her wings. She can’t do that if she’s worrying about everyone else, which is why I haven’t told her how bad things are with Ella. ”
“I don’t like my woman upset, but I get it,” Havoc grumbles.
“You don’t. None of us does. None of us will. Nobody survives what she has intact, and I think that’s what she’s struggling with the most. The guilt that Nevaeh wants her twin back, when Citi wants that part of her to die so she can start over, reinvent herself.”
“Which is hard when you have a carbon copy of you staring back, oozing happiness because they got to live the life that was stolen from you,” I add, drawing all their attention. “What? I’m more than a pretty face, you know.”
Midas chuckles just as a cheer goes up.
I turn and see Blade and Sunshine walk through the door. Blade has a baby in his arms while Sunshine has a bag that looks like it’s filled to the brim with shit. I look around and grin when I see Inigo bringing up the rear with the other baby asleep on his shoulder.
I get to my feet and walk over to hug Sunshine, taking the bag from her shoulder, which weighs a fucking ton. “Hey, gorgeous. How you feeling?”
“Tired, but good, thanks. It feels like forever since I’ve been here, but it feels good to be back. I missed you all.”
“We missed you, too. You look good.”
“Such a charmer.” She grins, pulling back.
“Where’s Alex?”
“He’s with his Auntie Six. They’re doing a Squid Games marathon.”
I cock my eye at that.
“We listen and we don’t judge, Kruger.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
She huffs. “Yeah, I’ve got nothing. I don’t know who is more obsessed with the show, him or Six.
Every time she comes for a visit, they build a pillow fort in the sunroom and watch it from the beginning.
It’s odd, I know, and it probably makes me a bad mom, but it makes him happy.
And Six? There is such an innocent quality to her that it’s hard to refuse that woman anything. ”
I laugh. “How’s King doing with all that? He’s used to being a boy dad and now—”
“Now he’s finding it really hard to let her out of his sight, especially knowing what she went through. However, it helps that her husband, Will, is richer than sin and almost as ruthless as King in his determination to keep her safe.”
“I take it she’s the reason he didn’t come today?”
“He told me he wanted to keep Conan company, but even Conan wasn’t buying that.”
“And how’s the big guy?” I ask quietly.
She gives me a shaky smile. “Really good. His last check-up shows the chemo is working. He wanted to come today, but with his immune system shot to shit, it wasn’t worth the risk.
It’s bad enough being around the kids, little petri dishes that they are.
Fingers crossed, though, Kruger, we’re on the home straight. ”
“That’s great fucking news, Sunshine.”
“I know. I’ve been scared to say it out loud in case I tempt fate. After losing Pike…I’m not sure I could do it again.”
“Sunshine, I’m not sure there’s much you can’t do.”
“Alright, stop touching my woman,” Inigo snaps, clearly reaching his limit, making me grin as he steps up.
I look at the baby in his arms and feel myself soften. “He’s so small. How the fuck don’t you worry about crushing him?”
“You should see him in Conan’s arms.”
“You want to hold him, Kruger?” Sunshine asks.
Inigo turns his back to me. “No, he doesn’t. Nobody wants to touch them.”
I snort, shaking my head.
“You’re so selfish,” Sunshine teases.
“Don’t care.” Inigo kisses her cheek before moving over to talk to Mac and Toot.
They’ve been away from the clubhouse a lot lately, following up on a couple of leads regarding Lil from a contact of theirs, but it didn’t pan out.
I think Havoc is getting to the point where he’s going to call a halt to the search.
Not that we’ll stop looking completely, but sending brothers all over the country is taking its toll, especially when Lil doesn’t want to be found.
I walk over to Blade, who is rocking the other baby in his arms. “Cute,” I comment. And she is. She has a little bow hairband on her head, making it easier to tell her apart from her brother.
“She’s all her mother.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
He flips me off with his free hand even as he gazes down at his daughter with soft eyes.
“So how’s it feel being a new dad at your age?” G asks, coming up beside me to stare down at the baby.
“I’m not that old, fucker.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” G teases him as I hear familiar laughter. I look over and see Delphi walk through the door with Circus and Capone. Capone is waving his arms around as he talks. I have no idea what he’s saying, but Delphi is finding it hilarious.
I whistle to get her attention. “I didn’t know you were coming here.”
“Circus persuaded me, and Capone bribed me with a chocolate shake.” She grins as Blade turns around. As soon as she sees him, all the blood drains from her face.
“What the fuck is she doing here?”