Chapter Thirteen
Carbon
WORKING AT THE bar tonight, I’d rather be anywhere else than here.
The kids aren’t having a good day and were crying and throwing tantrums when I left.
Peyton’s family is there so I know they’ll help her take care of the kids and get them calm.
Cedric wanted me to stay home with them today and was clinging to me from the second I woke up until I had to get ready to come to Down ‘n Dirty. He’s never clung to me the way he did today and it broke my heart because I know he’s not having a good day.
Instead, I left him crying in the hall of the house and I’m trying to pretend it’s not breaking my heart to know I’d rather be with my family than at work.
The bar is packed to capacity today and the crowd is driving me crazy.
Women are hitting on me every time I move and men are just drunk enough to think they have balls big enough to start fights with the club members in here.
The music is playing louder than normal and my bartender called off claiming to be sick.
Brick showed me the evidence of Vanessa being at a concert instead of being sick.
I’m already over this entire fucking day and everyone on staff knows it as they give me a wide berth while I move behind the bar to get the drinks served to everyone.
Gears will be here soon, but he had to finish taking care of a few things at the clubhouse before he came in.
“Boss Man, what do you need from me?” Josh asks, walking up to me and accepting the soda I hand him.
“Need you to keep breakin’ up these fuckin’ fights.
Fuckin’ assholes think they got balls of steel after havin’ a drink or two.
Damn pussies,” I answer him, turning to take care of the next customers.
“And if you see any of the women in here headin’ my way and you’re not busy, get them away from me. I don’t want anyone too close.”
“Got it. How’s Peyton doin’?” he asks, knowing I’m with the girl of my dreams and won’t ever do anything to make her lose the trust she has in me.
“She’s okay. Doin’ better than before but still not ready to truly live freely with the stalker still out there somewhere.
We’re doin’ all we can to find him. If you hear anythin’, let me or one of the guys know,” I state, passing out the next round of drinks as two of the waitresses walk up to the bar for their next orders.
“I will. We’ll all be here. I might not know Peyton as well as you two, but if she’s got your attention she must be a very special woman.
Never seen you spend more than a night with a girl before,” Josh says, his voice a whisper because he knows I like to keep my private life out of the world and away from everyone who doesn’t really know me.
With a nod of my head, I continue pouring drinks and opening bottles of beer for the customers filling the bar tonight.
I don’t understand why it’s so busy because it’s a damn Wednesday night and we’re usually steady but not this packed.
This is worse than a damn weekend and I have no clue what the hell is going on in town to cause this crowd.
Even during the summer months when we get tourists, we’re not packed this much.
“Matt! What the fuck are you doin’ behind the bar?” I hear called out as my head snapped up and I look around to find my brother Callum standing at the end of the bar with a smile on his face.
“Callum! What the fuck are you doin’ here?” I question my older brother as I head to where he stands.
“I’m on leave for a while before my next deployment.
Just came from seein’ Kimber and Brick. Our baby sister is doin’ good.
She looks happier than the last time I saw her.
Heard the reason for that was because Peyton’s back and she’s stayin’ at the house you built on the compound,” Callum says, pulling me into a hug and holding me for a minute before stepping back.
“Where you stayin’ this time? Got some girl you’re hidin’ somewhere and this is only a pit stop before you head to her?” I ask my brother as he starts laughing his ass off.
“Not at all. Women are fuckin’ crazy and I don’t need that shit in my life. Now, answer me about Peyton? Is she back?”
“She is. She got married after school and has two kids. A boy and girl. Her husband was killed in a car accident on the highway a while ago and she’s been on her own ever since.
Now, she’s got some fucked-up stalker after her and we can’t figure out who it is.
Kimber spends a lot of time with her and the kids because I’m workin’ and got other shit to take care of for the club.
The only thing I haven’t done is gone on any runs.
Rooster knows I ain’t leavin’ my family for that long.
Not when we were just screwed over by an asshole usin’ us to do his dirty work.
“Callum, you should know she’s pregnant with my twins.
Peyton and I are havin’ kids together and I couldn’t be fuckin’ happier than I am right now.
Well, maybe not right now because I’m here instead of home with my family,” I tell my brother as he takes a minute to digest what I’ve just told him and process it.
“Holy fuckin’ shit!” Callum says, laughing and slapping the counter with his hand.
“That’s the best fuckin’ news I’ve heard in a very long time, Matt.
So happy you finally got your girl and you’re havin’ a family with her.
You know, I might be leavin’ the military soon.
Still don’t think I’ll join the club, but it will be nice to come home and not have to spend most of each year away from my family and the ones I hold close to my heart,” Callum informs me, the smile vanishing completely as he gets lost in memories only he knows and understands.
“Kimber and Brick are gonna be here soon. Think they’ll bring Peyton with them?
Can someone at the club watch the kids while she’s here so I can see her? ”
“You know our baby sister as well as I do. If Kimber wants Peyton to come out tonight, she’s the only one who will be able to convince her.
Though, I know the kids were havin’ a rough day when I came in to work a few hours ago.
If they’re still in bad moods or sick, you’ll have to go to the house to see Peyton,” I answer him honestly as Callum pulls out his phone and I know he’s calling Kimber to bring Peyton to Down ‘n Dirty with them so he can see her.
***
Gears has finally gotten here and is working behind the bar for me.
I’ve done some paperwork and gotten things under control.
Including helping Josh get a bunch of troublemakers out of the place so we don’t have to keep working about fights breaking out and women being harassed constantly as they try to have a good night out with their friends.
Yeah, some of them are looking to get laid, but not all of them.
Some of the women in here only want to laugh, drink, and have a good time dancing to the music playing through the speakers.
We don’t ever allow our female guests to be harassed by the men here and it’s not something we’ll ever change.
Finally, I’m able to take a break as I make my way to the table in the back reserved for the club and our family members.
With a tray of drinks in my hand, I push my way through the crowd until I’m standing and looking down at my girl sitting next to Callum and laughing as if she doesn’t have a care in the world.
For the first time since this shit with the stalker got to be more than she can deal with.
It heals something deep inside me and I know this is how she’s meant to live her life.
“Matt! It’s about time you join us,” Callum says, drawing everyone’s attention to me as Peyton looks up with a smile on her face.
“Tutor, I’m glad to see you made it here tonight. What did Kimber promise you to make you come?” I ask, bending down and pressing my lips against hers in a brief kiss.
“She just told me Callum was home and it’s been a long time since I saw him. It’s not easy when he spends more time out of the country than in it. It’s been nice to catch up with him,” she answers me, the smile never leaving her face as Kimber nods in response.
“I see how it is. You hear Callum’s home and immediately come out without hesitation,” I tease Peyton as she slides over closer to Callum and I take a seat next to her.
“Of course. Callum is the special kid in your family. When he’s home, we all want to hang out and visit with him,” Peyton teases me back as she leans into my side and I press a kiss on the top of her head.
“I always told you both Peyton liked me the best,” Callum adds in his own opinion on the situation.
“What can I get the table?” Karla asks, walking up to the table and looking at all of us.
“We’re good for now. Wait, Peyton did you eat before leavin’ the house?” I ask my girl as she looks up at me.
“No. Dad was cooking dinner when Kimber and Brick showed up to get me,” she informs me, shooting daggers at my sister because my girl is hungry all the time with this pregnancy.
“Give me a cheeseburger, fries, mozzarella sticks, and an extra thick chocolate shake. I’ll also have an order of wings with extra sauce. Tyler knows what I order,” I tell Karla as she writes everything down and the rest of the table orders food as well.
“I’ll have this right up,” Karla says smiling at Peyton with a look I can’t quite decipher.
I don’t take my eyes off of Karla as she walks away from our table and heads for the kitchen. Letting everyone know I’ll be right back, I head for her to find out what the hell is going on.
“Carbon?” Karla asks when she almost runs straight into me. “Did I do something wrong?”
“I don’t know. What the fuck was the look you were givin’ my girl out there?” I question her, my voice hard and cold as she smiles up at me.
“It’s nothing bad, Carbon. I promise you that.
My mom’s been sick. You know this. We’ve been dealing with the insurance company denying all of our claims to get her the treatment she needs to get better.
That’s literally the only reason why she hasn’t gotten out of the hospital so far.
If it weren’t for Peyton calling the insurance company herself and speaking to them, my mom would still be getting denied.
Your girl is literally saving my mom’s life and I have no way to repay her,” Karla informs me, tears rolling down her face as the weight of everything she’s been battling on her own starts to show in public.
“Good. But why didn’t you come to me with this shit?
I would’ve done anythin’ to help you guys out, Karla.
You’re part of the club since you work here and we take care of our own.
Rooster and Marie would’ve put some kind of charity thing together.
You would’ve had more money than what you needed if you had only spoken up,” I return, knowing Karla is a private person like most of us.
“Because I don’t take charity, Carbon. I’ve been fighting this battle for so long on my own.
That’s why I work two jobs and every waking moment is spent at the hospital.
My mom is my entire world and I’ll do anything for her.
Anything but accept charity from someone else,” she answers, standing up straight and tilting her head in that defiant manner only women can pull off when they’re really pissed or upset.
“I know you don’t take charity, Karla. This shit isn’t gonna be charity at all.
We’d do this to help your family out and make things happen that need to happen so your mom can recover or get the surgery she needs.
I don’t know what exactly is goin’ on with her, but whatever you need, you’ll have,” I promise her, knowing Karla still won’t accept this shit from the club.
“How about we save this conversation for another day?” Karla asks instead of answering me.
“I’ll give you this for now, Karla. We will be talkin’ about this at some point though.
And I can make sure Peyton knows you are thankful for her help in this matter.
For now, thank her when you come back to the table and leave it at that.
I’m sure you two can get together for lunch or somethin’ when her stalker situation is over with,” I say, turning to leave with one last look at Karla as she makes her way through the bar to go back to her tables.
Rejoining my family at the table for the club, I take my seat and pull Peyton back into my side.
We spend the rest of the night talking, laughing, eating, and listening to Callum’s stories from his many deployments.
He’s always been the entertainer of the family and hearing his stories now is no different from any other time my brother has the spotlight shining on him.
It’s one of the best nights I’ve had in a very long time.
When we leave the bar, Callum rides with Brick and Kimber so he can stay at their house.
Tomorrow he’ll come over and spend the day with us at home so he can meet the kids and hang out with her family.
Callum doesn’t really know Peyton’s parents or sister, but he remembers them from our time in school.
Peyton’s excited and it’s good to see the life in her eyes once again.
For weeks now they’ve been dead and lifeless as she tries to process and navigate everything going on with her stalker.
If it takes my brother being home to make her forget for a while, then I’m all for it.
He’s done what none of us have been able to do and I’ll be grateful to him for the rest of our lives.