Chapter 9
CHAPTER
NINE
Riptide
Am I sure? That’s a loaded question because I didn’t even realize I’d picked him up and started bouncing him like a pro.
“Yeah, I’m sure, Van.” She still looks undecided, but once Zoey hooks her elbow to hers and all but hauls her away, she follows but her eyes stay attached to me and little man with every step they take.
Icer is off in the background, already sitting with Elodie next to him as they chow down on their plates.
My brother squints his eyes at me, watching me interact with little G with a keen observation.
“He never was Gage’s biggest fan, which means he doesn’t know what to make of Van and this one,” Indiana says, reaching down and running his finger along the arch of the baby’s foot.
“I know, Indiana. But I hate feeling like a bug under the microscope.” I shake my head at Icer as he picks up a chicken leg and bites into it as if it’s his nemesis. “When he is confused about his feelings, he acts out.”
Indiana snorts. “His father really fucked him up.”
“More than I think any of us realize,” I convey. “If I didn’t fear for a therapist’s health and survival, I’d order him to see someone to help him get through the aftermath from the abuse.”
“Letti’s helped,” Indiana states. “She takes what tools she’s learned from hers and has implemented it with him. He hasn’t been as volatile lately as he usually is.” Now I’m snorting because I’ve seen him mean-mug several of the brothers who’ve tried to strike up a conversation with him.
“Has he gone to visit his mom yet?” I ask, shifting little man to my other side. Who’d have thought a kid weighing less than thirty pounds would give me a case of dead shoulder?
“I don’t think he’s made it through her door yet. You know it takes him a few attempts before he can go inside that house,” Indiana reminds me. “I know he’s driven by a few times, and from what a source told me, he even managed to make it into the driveway.”
“How long did he let his bike idle before he backed out and drove away?” I inquire.
“Didn’t ask, but I’m assuming it wasn’t for long,” he answers. “He’ll get there before we head back home.”
“Being honest here, I’m not sure if I want him to or not. If he follows the same pattern as per his usual, he’ll be in a foul mood for days after he has a visit with her,” I harrumph.
“Did you bring Dr. Feelgood with you, Rip?”
“You know I did,” I tell him. “If Icer tags along with me, I never leave home without it.”
“I wish we didn’t have to drug him so he can socialize,” Indiana sighs. “Letti doesn’t like him being forced to swallow narcotics.”
“I know, but it’s either that, or we deal with the fallout of a mass homicide spree, Indiana. Plus, when he relaxes he doesn’t mind people around him. I only do it when I notice he’s twitchy.”
Indiana mimics zipping his lips so I turn around and see the girls heading back our way. When they’re in speaking distance, Zoey says, “We made you two plates.”
Van sheepishly adds, “I didn’t know what you liked so I got a little bit of everything.”
“There’s not much I won’t eat, Van. I appreciate you thinking of me,” I say, walking them over to an empty table.
I sit at the end so I can angle my body to give little G more room to stretch out.
When she plops my plate in front of me then takes a seat beside me, I notice the difference between our plates.
Mine is full to the point that you can’t see the rim of it and hers is empty enough that you can see the entire outside layer of it.
“Are you not hungry, Van?” I ask her, hoping it’s not her nerves getting the better of her and having her not wanting to eat.
“I don’t eat a lot,” she says, waving her hand over her plate. “All of these curves are thanks to my little guy.”
“Nothing wrong with curves,” I rebut, smirking. “Real men love a little junk in the trunk. Wannabes are the ones who complain if a woman has some cushion for the pushing.”
“You’ll find most of us aren’t attracted to females who starve themselves.
If it’s a natural thing and the way your body is genetically designed, then that’s different.
But men like us, when we put our woman on the back of our bikes, we don’t want to worry she’s going to pass out and eat gravel from lack of nutrients,” Indiana tacks on his two cents.
“I eat healthier, but it’s because I’m predisposed to heart problems via my mother. I watch what I eat, but I don’t hold back because I’m afraid of how I’ll look if I don’t. I like who I am,” Van states.
Satisfied with her answer, I tackle my meat like a true Texan.
I grab it with my fingers and go to town.
Each bite has me salivating for another.
I’m a sucker for ribs and Van loaded my plate down with them.
The potato salad and macaroni will have to wait until I can use both hands because I’m right handed and since little man is now laid across that arm, it’s useless.
After handing off little G, I finished my meal and moved us over to the bonfire.
Icer is knelt down helping Elodie roast marshmallows as the rest of us watch.
The West Texas brothers are slack jawed because they’ve never seen this side of him.
Even as kids he was the one on the outside looking in, never joining in our antics.
I hide my chuckle when one of them isn’t paying attention to his hands and leans his beer to the side and it empties out on his boot.
“Shit, that’s alcohol abuse right there,” I point out.
Rio laughs in the background because there’s not much that has our men losing their composure.
Van’s eyebrows are drawn in, not understanding why everyone is tuned into Icer the way they are.
So I break it down for her. “Icer isn’t known to be a touchy-feely kinda man.
He grunts more than he talks. I have a friend that’s a chemist and I had him make me a special pill that will make him more compliant, for lack of a better word.
The world hasn’t been kind to my brother, so he tends to act first and ask questions later. ”
“Meaning he doesn’t like people?” she asks.
“Exactly that,” I admit. “Deep down, he’s a good man who’s been through some shit and doesn’t trust because of it. With him, you have to read between the lines, if you catch my drift.”
“I had amazing parents even though they had a rough time due to their ages keeping up with me and being active participants. When I look at my son, I can’t understand how you can make a child and hurt them. Our kids are the best parts of us,” Van says, her tone sad.
“Unfortunately, you’ll find that’s the case with most of my crew. Not all of them are like Icer though, they’ve found ways to move past their childhoods and lead productive lives. Some of us feel we haven’t touched the iceberg of what Icer endured.”
“He’s protective over the younger ones, isn’t he, Riptide?”
“Yeah, he is, Van. As you pointed out, they’re the better of us and need nurturing.
He’s not a hen about it, but he’s a bulldog when it comes to keeping them safe.
He’s keeping his distance for now, but when he gives into the urge and spends some time with your little guy, he’ll have a protector for life. ”
“Which explains more than what you told me earlier about why he threatened to track me down,” Van states, her eyes now misty. “At least we know I’ll be moving to the same town y’all are at so you can all spend some time with Gagey.”
“Little G and you are stuck with us,” I tell her, bumping her shoulder blade with mine. “My men that stayed behind are going to be tripping over themselves trying to earn the uncle title. Icer won’t share Elodie with them. At least not willingly or if Zoey puts her foot down and demands he shares.”
“I bet he has attachment issues like I do, Riptide. It’s hard for those of us who’ve felt abandoned in one way or another to let go after being shown true friendship.”
“You’ve got us now, Van,” Zoey interrupts. “I didn’t have the best influence growing up, my parents are zealots but their beliefs are twisted. They were behind my rape, I know they were.”
Van’s jaw hits the ground as she stares at Zoey with wide eyes. “They did what?”
“I can’t prove it, but when the man who raped me had me kidnapped, that belief was pretty much confirmed in a backhanded way,” Zoey confesses.
“You were what?” Van whisper-shouts, trying to keep her composure. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“With my grandmother and Indiana’s help, I’ve put it behind me as best as I can. I keep my eye on the future and my mind away from the past. I may not have got our girl under the circumstances I’d have preferred her be conceived under, but she’s the best gift I’ve ever received,” Zoey acknowledges.
“The world is mysterious,” Van muses. “In our darkest times, we’re given something that shows us the light. Elodie is your bright star.”
“And Indiana is my moon,” Zoey adds, leaning into Indiana who wraps his arm around her and tucks her into his chest, laying his lips on her temple while closing his eyes.
He still has issues with what happened to his woman back in the day and would like nothing more than to scour the earth and track down every Dragon then eliminate them.
We all have problems knowing that there’s a threat out there that we can’t get rid of.
At least, we haven’t been able to as of yet.
“Elodie and I orbit around him. He came into my life when I needed him the most and has been there every step of the way while I fought my demons.”
“The moon and stars go hand-in-hand. I’m glad you found that, Zoey,” Van praises.
The need to touch her overwhelms me so I reach out and place my hand over her free one.
When she doesn’t move hers away, my body eases.
I was worried she’d reject me but when she flips her hand around and laces her fingers with mine, my breaths come out in pants.
There’s an electrical charge between us, I just hope she will give me the chance to explore what it means.