ROWDY
My parents went all-out with their “Meet the Twins” party. They invited everyone from the Sleepy Eye Community, friends from around town, the foxes from the Sorority House, and people from Rawlins. I even spotted a few Black Rainbow members present.
A catering company kept everyone fed. Two bouncy houses entertained the kids. By the time Kat and I arrived with the boys, the party was already in swing. Maria drove to my parents’ house with Farley.
Kat and Maria were dressed in matching loose beige pants called palazzos. My lady had a short-sleeved, black shirt with little buttons begging to be undone to allow me to enjoy her lovely tits. Farley was likely thinking the same thing about Maria’s orange version of the shirt.
The women had their blonde hair tied up in ponytails. Last night, they’d trimmed each other’s bangs. I watched curiously as they sat facing each other in a fun twin ritual.
My boys were adorable in their color-coordinated jumpers and caps. The plan was for Kat and me to wear the boys bundled up in slings, but Bebe and Shay stole the babies as soon as we pulled up to my parents’ house.
“Lucky has the sniffles,” Bebe explained as she fussed over her grandsons. “We stuck his butt in Ford’s yard, so he can see the party without sharing his germs with anyone.”
“Poor bastard,” I said, chuckling. “But I’m glad to hear he’s been quarantined.”
As Bebe and Shay hurried to show off the boys to Joker’s ex-wife and his current one, I took Kat’s hand and directed her to Lula’s house.
“My sister has swanky taste,” I said, entering the foyer where Lula poured herself a fancy beer. “It’s the lawyer in her.”
“It’s beautiful,” Kat replied as she held Lula’s annoyed gaze. Once my sister smiled at the comment, Kat added, “How many people live here currently?”
“Seven,” Dillon answered and glanced behind her toward Nova’s daughters who danced on the back patio. My niece’s chin-length haircut was as perfectly preppy as her gray-and-pink outfit. “We’ll have more soon. Mom is trying to give me a sibling. Nova and Boone plan to try for a baby, too.”
“That must make you feel scared and confused,” I told Dillon, who rolled her dark eyes at me. “If you ever need a friend to talk to, I’m always here for you, favorite niece.”
“I’m your only niece.”
“Are you saying if I get another niece, you won’t be able to compete with her?”
“Yes,” Dillon hissed and stepped closer. “I don’t want to be your favorite.”
“Well, now you’re just being mean.”
Dillon’s snarl dropped away, leaving behind a smile. “When I get older and become a lawyer, I’ll keep your sons out of jail.”
“Aww,” I said and hugged her to me. “My boys will be too smart to get caught, but I appreciate the offer.”
Dillon pushed me off her and grumbled, “Of course, I might become a doctor, so my offer was hot air.”
“These moments make me glad I didn’t have daughters.”
Dillon scowled at me and walked off to the snack table. I took Kat’s hand and whispered, “If you’re up to it, I’d like a daughter. I want to name her Alicia and teach her to use potato peelers on men’s genitals.”
“I’ll consider a daughter in two years.”
Grinning, I guided her to Nova and Boone, who stood outside with her daughters, five-year-old Skylar and four-year-old Lyric. The blonde cuties stopped dancing when they saw us. I introduced everyone before asking if the girls had seen my sons.
“Why boys?” Lyric asked, tilting her head so the ears on her Disney character hat flopped around. “You need to make them girls.”
“It’s a little late for that.”
“No,” Skylar said from behind her plastic red sunglasses. “Just make them wear pink.”
“That’s how you get a ‘Sleepaway Camp’ massacre, little lady.”
The girls looked at me with matching frowns. I used my favorite trick with them and offered cookies. Smiling now, the girls stopped hassling me about having sons.
Nova grinned at my bribery. She was a pretty brunette with big, expressive blue eyes and lots of curves.
Boone Chester was the son of the Rawlins Heretics MC’s VP and a member of the Everything Nice Crew.
His barrel chest and wide shoulders intimidated plenty of men, but Skylar and Lyric walked all over the biker.
“They didn’t like that Trent was a boy,” Nova explained. “They feel there are too many boys.”
Nova and Boone had been a couple for less than six months, but they were on the fast track to happily ever after. Their wedding was planned for early spring. They were also working on their forever house in Sleepy Eye Community.
“Well, that’s just not true about too many boys,” Elle said, exiting Lula’s house and smiling at Nova. “With your girls and Dillon, the numbers are even. You might want to explain math to them a bit more.”
Zodiac left the house and muttered, “The hellions know the truth.” He smiled when the girls stuck their tongues out at him. “They live to stir up trouble.”
“No,” Lyric said and waved him off. “He’s fibbing.”
“York can back me up,” Zodiac insisted while gesturing at his road captain.
The dark-haired biker still wore scars across his cheek from his time in the Marines. York stepped outside, seeming out of place. Sizing up everyone, he finally looked at his president.
“I refuse to get involved in your war with those little girls.”
“It’s not a war,” Zodiac replied and glared at the girls. “If it were, I’d have nuked them by now.”
“Bully,” Skylar hissed at Zodiac, who chuckled. “Where’s your baby?”
“He’s with my mom,” Elle answered and hugged the twins. “Shay and Bebe enlisted Darby and Amanda to help with their newborn daycare going on next door.”
“I should probably check the boys,” Kat said, growing twitchy with baby withdrawal.
“No, please let my mom have this,” Lula said and wrapped her arms around Kat. “She’s a junkie in need of a baby fix right now.”
Though Kat nodded, I felt her craving her own fix. Nudging my sister from the hugging position, I took over and wrapped Kat in my arms.
“We love our sons more than you love your son,” I told Elle, who laughed.
Zodiac immediately glanced next door as if his competitive nature might force him to hop the fence and prove his love for Trent.
“Don’t be a puppet,” Elle warned Zodiac. “Never let Rowdy pull your strings.”
While the couple whispered to each other, I focused on York, who seemed out of place.
Still hugging Kat, I asked York, “Why are you here?”
“Watch it,” Zodiac warned me. “My people have a right to piss, shit, and jizz all over this town.”
“Charming,” Elle cooed and wrapped her arms around Zodiac’s waist. “And so protective.”
York ignored how they fondled each other and explained, “I’m here to support Zodiac and Exile.”
“How do they need support?” I asked, just to fuck with him.
“They might need help standing against your club, or maybe it’ll be the Jokers causing trouble. Mostly, I came for the free food and booze.”
“Oh, then, welcome to the party,” I said and gestured out at the yards filled with friends and family. “I thought you might be here to start trouble since Zodiac has lost his balls to my cousin.”
York glanced over his shoulder at Zodiac before turning his gaze to me. “I’m going next door to avoid this pissing match.”
Kat leaned over to Maria and whispered something in Estonian. Farley heard them gossiping in another language and frowned at me.
“We’ll learn it,” I promised and smiled at Kat. “There’ll be no more secrets then.”
“We also know Spanish,” Kat said, making me smile.
“So do we.”
“We know some French.”
“Good Lord, woman,” I muttered and kissed her.
As I made out with my hot blonde unofficial wife, Farley mentioned his moms and sister were on their way over from the Sorority House. Maria tried to free Kat from my embrace, but I shooed her away.
Undaunted, Maria said something in Estonian and Kat broke free. Her gaze was big and worried. The twins grabbed at each other and whispered.
“You’ll always be second best,” Zodiac mocked me.
“A close second,” I replied casually, never letting the dickhead get to me. “How can I be any closer when they’ve known each other since the womb?”
Zodiac narrowed his eyes at me, irritated by how I refused to beg for his approval. Men like him walked through life intimidating people. I suspected the reason he went so gaga over Elle was that she wasn’t impressed by his macho man routine.
Kat and Maria stopped whispering in Estonian and shuffled closer to me. I realized I was supposed to protect them, so I glanced around for the threat.
Farley frowned at their behavior before focusing his irritation on me. I wrapped an arm around Kat and smiled at my friend.
“They’re scared of your moms.”
“Aww,” Elle cooed and nudged Nova. “Maria’s meeting Farley’s parents today. Does this party have popcorn?”
Soon, Maria stood out front where Bay, Pepper, and Zadie parked their motorcycles.
Farley’s moms were original members of the Everything Nice Crew.
They both sported short brown hair. Pepper’s icy blue eyes could be intimidating to outsiders, while Bay’s round face covered in freckles hid the killer underneath.
They both smiled at Farley when he took Maria’s hand.
Zadie looked like she hadn’t slept much the night before. Her blonde hair was a mess, and her brown eyes were sleepy. She wore her resting bitch face until Farley introduced everyone.
I could see the relief in his mothers’ faces when they realized Maria wasn’t a loser. Each word out of her mouth inspired them to relax a little more. By the time we walked to my parents’ house to show off the boys, I suspected Bay and Pepper were hoping for wedding bells.