31. Chapter 30
Ivy – Two Weeks Later
“You are so adorable, yes, you are…” Raya says to Hudson in a baby voice as she gently tickles his feet from where he’s sitting in a high chair and my boy squeals at her, making my heart melt, the sound always giving me a settling feeling.
He has his daddy’s smile through and through, and slowly, he’s beginning to meet some of his milestones, showing everyone how strong he is.
Since being home, he has been thriving.
This morning, he had his first puree food and enjoyed throwing it everywhere and the little monkey can finally hold his head up and roll over, like all he was waiting for was leave hospital to grow.
I’m taking every little bit of it all in, especially when this shouldn’t have been possible.
Hudson squeals again and kicks his legs at Raya, who smiles widely while I sit back in my seat with my coffee content. This day would be even better if Jax were also here instead of with some skank who needs to learn her place.
He’s currently tattooing a snake on the inside of some woman’s thigh, and honestly, I’m a little pissed about it, which normally I wouldn’t be.
I’m very confident in his feelings for me.
I mean, heck, he’s got the marriage license sorted and he’s always all over me, yet walking in to see him at work today and seeing that woman openly flirt with Jax, trying to touch him, urgh…
She wants him, even after seeing me and Hudson this morning, she still eyed him up like she can turn him against me and his son, opening her legs wide trying to entice him and I, crap, I want to hit her, I wanted to scream and honestly, she reminded me of Misty.
Stupid patch chasing bitch.
Women like her see the cut and think they can get a brother to change their minds about their women.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware she’s most likely been to a club party and seen brothers with old ladies, wives, and girlfriends openly cheat, but Jax isn’t like that.
Even though he was scared he would be, he isn’t and has never let his ego get the best of him, none of the now generation has to be honest.
Jax knows where his bread is buttered, and the woman can keep walking before she loses some teeth.
I swallow hard, trying not to let my insecurities take over like they always do, trying to keep the old me, the one who would expect Jax to read minds, at bay.
Like I said, I’m very confident in his feelings for me. I just sometimes revert into the person I used to be, allowing my mind to run circles and create problems that aren’t actually there. I won’t push him away because I’m scared sometimes.
Raya blows raspberries at Hudson, and I smile.
All it took was one phone call to Raya, and she dropped everything and met me here, knowing I was ready to kill the woman.
“Have you heard from Skylar and Anna?” Raya asks as she plays with Hudson, and I hum and admit, “This morning, she said she just needs some time to figure it out but mentioned Anna promised she’ll be back before Blade and Luna’s wedding in three weeks,” and Raya nods in understanding.
Apparently, Sky walked in to have it out with Brick, something I never thought I’d see happen, only to see Lacey throwing herself at Fury, her lips where they shouldn’t have been. She left without a word two days ago, and I don’t blame her one bit.
Fury, Blade, and Brick have been trying to find her since, and only I, Raya, and Lake know where she is. It doesn’t help that Anna has gone as well, causing an uproar within the club, believing she kidnapped Sky which is just hilarious.
“Do you want cuddles, baby boy, do you?” Raya asks Hudson who squeals in delight and grinning wide, she stands, taking him out of his high chair but before she can sit slender hands with bright blue nails takes him out of her grasp making her turn in shock and I laugh as Lake gently bounces the boy on her hip, dancing around with him.
“Hey!” Raya snaps, but Lake ignores her and continues dancing around with Hudson, making his giggles echo around Dark Angels Grub as some brothers enter, smiling, hearing his laughter, while the outrage on Raya’s face is hilarious.
“Not fair,” Raya pouts, sitting back down again and I grin, knowing Lake will only be here for a few minutes.
“She’s only come in for a sandwich before starting her shift,” I remind Raya and her pout vanishes as she smiles slightly, looking at Lake, pride shining off her.
From a woman who was sheltered growing up, no thanks to who her mother is, she’s really come out of her shell.
Lake twirls with Hudson but ends up bumping into a brother, making Raya and me laugh as she winces and apologizes, “I’m so sorry,” but freezes as she and Viper lock eyes.
“Shorty?” Viper says in shock, and Raya and I stop laughing, freezing at the anger he’s beginning to radiate as he looks between us and Hudson in her arms.
“Jaylen? What are you…. A-are you a brother?”
Pain and hurt lace her voice as she looks over the cut he’s wearing before her face pales and Raya and I lock eyes, both realizing who he is.
Ah crap.
Viper, he’s the one she’s been seeing, the one she has fallen madly in love with. Sadness flitter between us because she will end things with him, being a brother being his downfall…
Damn.
I swallow hard and look at the pair and I wince seeing the anger on Viper’s face as he demands, “What the fuck are you doing here with the club princess and her son?” ignoring her hurt over him leaving out the fact he’s a brother.
“I’ve never known Viper to be in a relationship,” I whisper, and Raya nods.
He’s never really been one to be in a committed relationship, heck, he barely touches the club girls, seeking pleasure elsewhere.
“Answer me, Lake!” he demands, and she flinches, causing Hudson to murmur unhappily and I narrow my eyes at Viper, but he doesn’t pay attention to me, his sole focus is on Lake.
Damn, the last time I saw him this angry, a girl in high school trashed his bike because he didn’t ask her to prom.
“She’s my friend, Jaylen,” she admits, her eyes filling with tears as she tilts her head and accuses, “You lied to me, you said you didn’t hang around with the Dark Angels and yet you’re a brother…”
Uh oh….
He shakes his head, running a hand frustratedly through his blonde hair, as he looks at Hudson and then towards Lake again, while the brothers around him watch on in shock.
“How long have you known Ivy for, Lake?” he demands, yet again ignoring her accusations, most likely because she’s caught him in a lie.
She shakes her head as she gently pats Hudson’s bottom, aware he’s in her arms, and if I knew she wouldn’t crumble into the ground at the heartbreak shining off her, I’d take him, but he’s her crutch right now.
“What does it matter, you lied to me. Why are you so focused on who I’m friends with when right now, I-I...” her words trail off and her eyes widen in shock, coming into a realization about something, and she steps back a little and asks, “Did you, have you slept with Cherri?”
I clamp my teeth on my bottom lip as Raya’s eyes widen, understanding what she’s realized.
“Now, how would you know her, huh?” he demands, and she shakes her head and snaps, “Have you slept with her?!”
His jaw ticks and he snaps back, “She’s a clubwhore of course I fucking have, every brother has,” and Lake turns her head away, her eyes tearing up and he growls, “Now why don’t you answer my fucking question Lake instead of trying to make out like I’m sort of cheater!”
She doesn’t look at him as she admits, “Ivy, Raya, and Skylar have been my friends for about a year after a lot of persuasion on their behalf.” She looks at Viper and admits, “My father is Randy.”
Charter furrows his brows and asks, “As in our mechanic Randy?”
She nods, not taking her eyes off Viper, and says, “As in clubwhore Cherri’s daughter.”
Viper curls his lip and sneers, “So you’re the patch chaser, huh? Was this what this was? Did you seek me out on purpose?”
Oh, Viper, what an idiot.
Lake’s tears fall, and he flinches, though he does try to hide it and she turns towards us and carefully hands Hudson to Raya, who opens her mouth, but nothing comes out as she takes my son.
I however, I stand and I say, “Lake,” but she shakes her head, her eyes full of despair as she turns to Viper and says, “No, I’m the girl who fell madly in love with a liar, I fell madly in love with a man who has slept with the woman who tried using me to trap a brother only to be ditched when she trapped the wrong person, a woman everyone has compared me to despite never meeting me,” she looks my way and admits, “I can’t keep this from dad,” and I look down knowing he’s going to quit the garage which in hindsight will cause outrage within the club.
Viper’s jaw tenses as she walks past him, but she pauses as he snaps, “So what, you’re running away after your lies have come about, huh?”
Raya looks down, shaking her head, while the brothers furrow their brows, trying to see if there is any resemblance to the club girl, which there isn’t.
“I’m not the liar, Viper,” she says and he flinches like he’s been shot, “I told you my mama left me as a baby and she did,” she looks at him, “You are the liar, you kept the fact you are a brother from me, you slept with my mother who will give anything for that leather you’re wearing and now we are done. Don’t bother calling me again.”
She leaves, shoving Cale and Jax out of the way, who’ve just walked through the door, looking at her confused.
“What happened?” my brother asks, seeing everyone tense as Jax comes my way, and I smile sadly at him.
“Lake has been seeing Viper,” I say, looking at the brother, who is frozen in place, looking at the door.
“Oh, okay, and that is bad?” my brother asks in confusion as he gently takes a happy Hudson from a now-scowling Raya. He ignores her look and sits down next to her.
“Her mama is Cherri, and Viper never told her he was a brother and has just accused her of being a patch chaser like the club girl after admitting to screwing her,” Raya finishes, glaring at my brother who continues to ignore her look.
“Fuck,” Jax mumbles and walks over to Viper and gently grabs his arm, getting him out of his shocked state.
He whispers something in his ear, but Viper shakes his head, says something back, and storms out of the diner toward his bike. Instead of pulling out and going towards the clubhouse, he drives down the road Lake walked down, and I chew my bottom lip.
“He’ll fix his fuck up,” Jax says, taking his now squealing son who is scrunching his fists toward him off Cale who growls.
He ignores him and sits next to me, and I mutter, “I don’t know. He slept with Cherri, even if it was before they got together. She’s still technically her mother, and then there is the fact that she had no idea he was even a brother.”
“If Lake had known he was a brother, do you think she would have walked away?” Cale asks, and I nod, knowing she would have.
“She didn’t go to school because the kids knew who her mother was, the club girl who opens her legs willingly accidentally trapping a mechanic believing he was a prospect.
She was bullied on the streets,” I admit then I clear my throat and state, “She wants nothing to do with the club and instead of seeing where he went wrong, he called her a patch chaser, accused her of being like Cherri who she has only seen a handful of times where the woman point blank ignored her. Viper will be lucky if she even gives him the time of day now.”
I look at Jax and ask, “I thought you would be two hours?”
He smirks and admits, “The woman tried to show me her pussy so I kicked her out.”
I scowl as I look at Raya, who looks away to try to hide her silent laughter and Jax wraps his arm around my shoulders while holding our son, and I melt despite the anger I’m feeling.
Knew I should have punched the bitch.
“You and I need to talk, kitten,” my brother says to Raya and Jax, and I look between them. “Raya!” he snaps when she ignores him, but he doesn’t get the reaction he wants. Instead, she looks at me and asks, “When are you two leaving for New York?”
I raise a brow at her and remind her, “In two days, we’ll be gone for a week,” and she nods and demands, “I want plenty of pictures, got it?!”
I nod and Cale growls, “Right, come on,” and grabs her arm, forcing her up, shocking her and me, all while my soon-to-be husband chuckles beside me.
“Cale!” she snaps, and I wince, knowing why she called him his legal name, hoping it would tick him off, while Jax freezes beside me at her balls.
“Ah, so she does know how to speak,” Cale says as he drags her towards the door while everyone is watching them, and this time, I freeze in shock.
He didn’t correct her…
“Let go of me before I kick you in the balls!” she threatens, and he chuckles, not at all scared when in reality he should be, and he turns and throws her over his shoulder, then walks out with her kicking and screaming.
Hudson babbles against his father's shoulder, not at all phased, while we all look and watch Raya kick my brother between his legs like she promised.
He makes a face and drops her to her feet to cup himself, giving her the chance she needs. She bolts down the street, sprinting, and I laugh as my brother runs after her.
“Well, that was entertaining,” I say, and everyone laughs before going back to normal and my brother returns but runs to his bike and climbs on before spinning away after her.
What are the odds they screwed…
“Twenty days, he’ll claim her,” I boldly admit now, and Jax mutters, “I bet you another baby he claims her in two months,” and I look at him in shock.
“Another baby?” I stammer, and he grins before he leans forward and kisses my lips, making me melt while Hudson gently plays with my hair and I smile into the kiss.
“I missed you,” he mumbles, and I melt.
A girl could get used to this….
“I love you,” I whisper, and he replies, “Not as much as I love you,” and I lean into him, his words making my heart soar.
While all the pain and heartache can’t be changed, they have turned into a lifelong love, and every day, I am grateful to have this man, grateful he wanted me after everything.
I’ll never let him go.