Chapter Eleven
Caliana
A FTER WATCHING brYCE play for a while behind the clubhouse while Sam and Shy took turns pushing Rory in the baby swing, we make our way inside where it feels like a ghost town.
The common room is essentially empty with the exception of two Prospects working.
One is stocking the bar as Sidney cleans the area and the other one is wiping down the tables.
This is the job of the Feral girls but they aren’t anywhere to be seen.
It’s really not surprising because from what Kreed’s told me, these girls rarely do what they’re supposed to and have a tendency of being lazy.
Especially Abigail. That isn't surprising at all because she was the same way in high school. Abigail never did her own work and used everyone around her. It would make sense she does the same shit now as an adult because she’s a bully and treats everyone as if they’re beneath her.
Abigail isn’t some rich girl who has money to spend on whatever she wants.
I honestly have more money than she does at this point and yet she still acts like a spoiled bitch. It makes no sense.
I’m sitting between Maddie and Sam while Shy sits across from me with Rory in her arms. She just got my baby girl back to sleep after swinging.
I’m surprised Rory didn’t fall asleep in the swing.
It’s happened before when I’ve had them outside playing.
Today, Rory focused on watching her brother play while Maddie and Sam took turns playing with her.
“How have you been, Cali?” Maddie asks me as one of the Prospects brings us over drinks.
I accept the bottle of water from him and set it down in front of me before turning to Maddie to answer her question.
Maddie’s the one I’ve spent the least amount of time with.
She lives in Clifton Falls with her husband Tank.
They’re part of the Wild Kings MC instead of the Phantom Bastards.
However, Maddie’s Playboy’s sister so they spend a lot of time together.
The two clubs do a lot of things together if I’m being honest.
“Things are what they are. I miss Darren when the big things happen with the kids. I want to call him and tell him their latest updates. Sometimes it takes me actually grabbing my phone and pulling up his name to remind me he won’t answer the call.
That he’s no longer alive and can’t hear about what Bryce and Rory are doing.
Those are the really hard days. Right now it’s getting bad because the anniversary is so close.
I honestly can’t believe it’s almost been a year since we lost him,” I tell Maddie honestly as Sam rests her hand on my shoulder in comfort and I lean into her touch.
“I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it’s been for you, Sweetheart.
You know you can call any one of us for anything you need and we’ll be there.
I don’t care if we have to make the trip here to spend some time with you and the kids.
Tank is always ready to ride and take a road trip.
He loves spending time with you and the kids.
Plus, he’d be around if Caleb and Kreed need their asses kicked,” Maddie tells me, a large smile on her face as I start laughing because I have seen Tank go after Caleb and Kreed.
Tank’s a big man and doesn’t look as if he can move very fast. Underestimating Tank in that aspect of a fight would be the biggest mistake any opponent of his could make.
The man moves like he doesn’t weigh three hundred pounds of pure muscle.
It’s incredible to watch him move around a ring as he stalks his opponent.
And yes, I do mean stalk. Tank watches every slight twitch of his opponent's body and can guess what will be thrown his way before the guy even thinks about what he’s going to do.
I’ve never seen anyone fight the way Tank does.
He’s trained Caleb and Kreed with the rest of the adults so they kind of match what he does, but it’s not as good.
“Where are the guys?” I ask, looking around knowing it’s late enough in the day those who worked should be back at the clubhouse already.
“Well, Kreed called and let us know what’s been going on around here with Caleb.
The drinking and fucking his way through every woman he looks at.
We knew he wasn’t gonna handle things well.
Caleb hasn’t talked about how close the anniversary of Darren’s death is and I know it’s weighing heavily on him right now.
He never escapes the guilt that Darren died overseas while under his command.
Or the fact that he feels as if he betrayed you because he didn’t bring your husband back home to you like he promised before every deployment.
Tank has Caleb in the ring to knock some sense into him.
The rest of the guys are in there watching the fight,” Maddie answers me as I try to be okay with knowing Caleb is in the ring with Tank.
“Don’t you worry about anything, Cali,” Shy speaks up from across the table.
“Tank won’t hurt Caleb too bad. He’ll teach him a lesson because Slim and Playboy won’t be able to do what’s needed.
Tank loves Caleb and doesn’t really want to do this, but he can put that aside to take care of the situation.
Playboy and Slim would go too easy on him and not make sure Caleb learns his lesson.
As we sit and talk about what’s going on in the gym, I have to fight every instinct deep inside my soul to go to Caleb and ensure Tank doesn’t go too hard on him.
That he doesn’t beat the hell out of him and hurt Caleb.
I know this is something these guys do on a regular basis.
The guys all get in the ring and spar on a regular basis.
It’s something I’ve watched countless times over the years growing up.
I would sit in the gym for hours and watch the guys spar and workout.
Every once in a while they would get me to work out with them.
Kreed and Caleb always helped me with my form and made sure I didn’t get hurt when I was working out with them.
“What are we doing for dinner tonight?” Shy asks, her voice cutting through my thoughts as I think of Tank and Caleb in the ring.
“I thought we’d order out and have the Prospects pick it up for us,” Sam answers, pulling out her phone and looking on one of her apps.
“I can cook something for us all,” I tell them, my hand starting to hurt because I haven’t taken my medicine since this morning.
“You’re not cooking, Caliana,” Shy states, her voice letting me know this isn’t a battle I’ll win because Shy knows I only have one hand and can’t work the way I normally would.
I grew up learning everything about cooking from the women at this table with me.
They never once kicked me out of the kitchen or made me feel as if I were stupid because I didn’t know anything.
My mom never allowed me in the kitchen with her because if something happened and dinner wasn’t prepared properly, my dad would be an asshole.
So, I wasn’t allowed in the room to learn how to cook and bake.
Shy and Sam were my teachers and they helped me learn everything I’d ever need to know.
That’s not the only thing they taught me growing up either.
If it weren’t for these women, I wouldn’t know half the things I do.
“Well, look who it is. The bitch who thinks she has some kind of claim on Caleb. Now you’re sitting with a bunch of old, used women these men wouldn’t touch if their lives depended on it.
A table full of skanks,” the woman claiming to be Caleb’s fiancée says as she walks in the common room with another girl and Abigail.
“Excuse me!” Sam says, standing from her seat so fast it makes a loud noise that startles Rory but doesn’t wake her up.
Bryce rushes from his spot on the floor playing to my side and stands in a protective stance before me.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but you have no right in this clubhouse to talk to anyone this way.
Especially not Cali. She’s ranked higher than you and always will be. ”
“You’re nothing but a used up slut. You have no right to talk to me this way,” the bitch says, her voice hard and cold as the three of them walk closer to our table.
“I’m Caleb’s fiancée and I’ll make sure he gets rid of you without hesitation.
None of you will be allowed back in this clubhouse and everyone will know what a bunch of sluts you are. ”
“You really are fucking stupid as hell,” I say, my voice rising with anger because these women are important to me and there is no way in hell I’m going to let some slut talk to them this way.
“These women are Caleb’s family and he’ll stick up for them while he kicks you out on your ass.
You’ll have to go back to working the corner with a pimp who beats the hell out of you on a daily basis.
No one gets away with talking about them the way you are. ”
The three women start laughing their asses off.
If anyone should know I’m telling the truth, it should be Abigail.
She’s met Caleb’s mom and grandma. I doubt she’d ever have the chance to meet Maddie because Abigail wasn’t allowed at the clubhouse very often or for very long.
The second Caleb knew she was there, he’d make her leave.
Kreed would too. They didn’t want to spend any time with her outside of school and I can’t blame them at all.
“That’s a joke. These women would never be related to Caleb,” the woman I’ve never seen before speaks up for the first time.