Chapter 8 #2
Mari was less than impressed when I rocked up to her work, but it was the only way we could talk.
When she motioned for me to step toward her car, I knew she would listen to me.
Things were weird at the clubhouse. Prez was distracted but shit was going down at the Pit and with his son.
No one could get through to him that Trey was most probably a rat.
I didn’t want to believe it, fuck, if anything I wanted to protect the kid as much as if he were mine, but if he gave up the club, we were all in shit.
Things with Tavi were heating up, and I didn’t know if I could pull her down into a war with me.
Not yet. Especially not with her fuckwit of an ex looking for her and not with little Van.
That kid had already grown on me. I loved watching him eat his breakfast, play with his trucks and watch cartoons with him until he fell asleep.
When he fell asleep on me, like I was the safest place he could ever be, I felt it.
The shift.
I wanted to be his safe place, just like I wanted to be my own kids’ safe place.
Mari got in behind the driver’s seat and I sat beside her in the passenger seat. For a moment, we didn’t speak.
“How bad is it?” she asked after a beat.
“I need a favour. Not now, but it may come.”
“Are we in danger?”
“No, never.”
She turned to me, those eyes that held so many of my secrets, who guarded my worst fears and who guided me on so many occasions, didn’t believe me.
“There’s a girl.”
Slowly, her eyes softened, and a smile erupted on her face.
“Don’t get too excited, Mari.”
“You have never told me about a girl before. Excuse me for being excited that you may actually turn from a grouch into the man I used to know.”
“Fuck, this was a bad idea.”
I made a move to leave, but she locked the door on me. The fucking bitch. Turning back to the smiling Cheshire cat that used to be my wife, I sat back, hating how fucking high school this felt.
“Tell me about her, and what’s so different about her that you’re willing to include me in it?”
I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face. “Her name is Tavi. She has a little boy, Van. Her ex is a piece of work, but I don't want to tell you about that.”
“I know what that means,” she sighed. “What is the favour?”
“I need to get her to safety for a few days until I can find a safe haven for her and Van. Shit is dicey at the club at the moment."
Mari sighed. “How bad is this ex?”
“Don’t worry, he won’t live long enough to get close to her again.”
“And finding this safe haven, does that include you too?”
I shook my head. “No, you know I’m dangerous, Mari.”
She sighed, her head hitting the back of her car seat in frustration. “One day, Dane, you’re going to wake up and everything is going to be wrong. You’re going to realise you missed out on everything because you were scared.”
“I will never risk my kids, or you.”
“Or her?”
“She’s just a girl. She probably won’t even remember me after this is all over.”
“The way you’re not looking at me as you say that tells me otherwise, Dane. You obviously like the woman.”
I shrugged. “I guess I do. But she needs to be safe, look after her boy, and not get deep with me. I can’t offer her what she needs.”
“And what’s that?”
“Security.”
“Dane Hart. You are a good guy. Just because we didn't work out, doesn’t mean shit. Have you talked to her about this? Does she know you’re just going to ship her away without so much as a goodbye? What if she’s okay with club life? You deserve to be happy too, Dane.”
“Mari…”
She sighed, cutting off my weak excuses.
I didn’t want to leave Tavi. Especially not after the morning in the kitchen, but I couldn’t protect her.
I could never protect her, or her son. All I could do was take care of the problem that was her husband.
I couldn’t protect her in a way she needed, especially not from my lifestyle.
And we already knew I wasn’t giving up the club.
Whatever that made me. Weak. Coward. Whatever…I’d cop that, because I'd given up everything I cared about before. I could do it again.
“Bring her over. I can look after them for a few weeks if need be. But I want you to really think about this. Think about her and what she could mean for you, and your happiness.”
I got out of the car before she could talk me into proposing to the damn woman now residing in my brain 24/7. I was glad for Mari, she was my best friend, but she knew why I chose this life. She knew I never wanted to hurt someone with this lifestyle.
Yet, I could see Tavi in my life, being my ol’ lady, while I taught Van how to ride a bike.
It was a dream I’d had with my own kids too until they grew up and ended up hating me.
I still had to fix that, but first, I needed Tavi and Van safe, while I figured out what the fuck was going on with Trey and the Prez.
My phone went off in my pocket once I got back to my bike. Looking down, I saw the call for Church. I’d already missed so many of them, I couldn’t possibly do it again. Even though I’d promised Tavi I would be right back.
Club had to come first.
Maybe it would be better this way. She’d be mad, and want to be away from me. Easy.
And yet, my brain was already telling me I was in denial, while my heart beat erratically in my chest, making me feel like this was all wrong.
Jumping on my bike, I took off toward the clubhouse to see what was up, while my brain and heart bled for the loss of what could have been with Tavi.
She’s more, my brain chimed in. She’s it.
Fuck.
Tavi
Maverick returned just before dinner, but Van had already gone down for a nap. I didn’t see any need to keep him awake. If I could have dinner with Maverick, maybe we could have dessert behind the bedroom doors.
He didn’t look over at me with lovey dovey eyes like he had when he left hours ago. Instead, I saw pure, unadulterated rage.
Fuck.
“Maverick…”
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” I asked, edging behind the couch, in case this was one of those times when Hardy would lose his shit and take it out on my body. I didn’t think Maverick was like that, but you could never tell, right?
“What’s your name, Tavi?”
“Tavi Bainbridge.”
“Try again.”
Cold dread slid down my spine. He knew. Somehow, he knew.
“Octavia Charman,” I said, my voice all but a croak.
“You’re one of them.”
His voice was a sneer, like the very idea of it was repulsive to him.
“I am not one of them. Do you know why, Maverick? My father was going to sell my virginity to one of his enemies just to save on a debt he owed. I hated him. I was glad when he was killed. My brother is different, but he’s still bound by stupid laws set up from our forefathers.
I am not one of them. I want to get away from them.
Everything I said to you was true. Hardy is trying to hurt me, to hurt Van, just because of the power of my last name. ”
His rage was simmering down, but I could feel mine rising.
“You could have just asked me. Not once did you ask me anything.”
“You could have told me what you were running from.”
That was also true, but I wanted him to see how unruly he was being. “I am not part of the Ironborne by choice, and if it came down to choosing between you and them, I would choose the Sons, every day of the week.”
Maverick looked away, his hands on his hips, but the weariness was evident in his eyes. “Hardy is looking for you. Put a hit on you.”
Fear sliced through me in every direction. I knew he was capable of it, but I didn’t think he would.
“I’ll leave, take Van and go, I just need…to find my brother. He can spot me a couple of thousand.”
“No,” he said, with finality. “I’ve got a place you can hide out in. But you can’t have a phone, or any way to contact your family. You have to be silent, and hide out for a few days until I can get you out of here.”
My chest burned with anger and heartache, but I refused to let him see me cry. I nodded, moving to get Van, but he stopped. “Grab a few clothes from my drawers. I’ll get Van.”
I wanted to object; tell him that he was my son, but I also knew I felt erratic right now and I didn’t want Van to panic.
I nodded and moved into his bedroom, a place that felt so foreign to me now, even though just an hour ago, I’d felt at home in it.
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I pushed them back, holding onto my anger.
This was for the best.
Later, when the danger was over, when Van and I were free, I could explain. I could tell him what I lived through, all about my youth, about why I had started to attend the clubhouse parties, in the hopes of falling for a biker to piss my dad off.
I could tell him I wanted it to be him since the moment I saw him.
But right now, he needed to hate me, and I needed that too.
The house Maverick brought us to was in the suburbs of Jordan Springs. It was nice, a new modern home, and close to the park. Van was going to love it.
“Where are we?”
Maverick didn’t respond, which only made my anger return instantly. The entire ride over here, in a car I didn’t know he owned, he’d been quiet. That was okay, because I didn’t want to show him how much I was hurting. But now?
He got out of the car, and woke Van up, who looked up at him with a lazy smile, like he trusted him. Oh baby boy, how was I going to break your heart when I told you he wasn’t going to be coming around anymore?
Slowly, I followed behind him with the few items I took from his drawers so I could wear clothes, my heart pulling in different directions. A new found fear forming in my throat.
A woman came out of the house with a warm smile, as she took in my son, and then me. “Hi, I’m Mari.”
“Tavi.”
“And who is this handsome little man?” she asked.
“Van.”
“Well, you’re both very welcome, come on in.”
I nodded at her, unable to form any words. Maverick handed Van over to Mari who was heading inside with him. He blocked my path, his eyes looking everywhere but at me.
“It won’t be long.”
“Whatever, Maverick. You got what you wanted, didn’t you? A quick fuck, and now I’m gone.”
“That’s not what this is.”
“Funny, I don’t believe a damn thing you say,” I seethed at him. “Don’t worry, Dane, I’ll be out of your hair in no time, and you can go back to your whoring at the clubhouse.”
I didn’t let him take hold of me again. Storming away, I headed inside, where Mari stood with two teenagers. My eyes widened when I saw the boy, now kneeling beside Van.
He was the spitting image of Maverick.
“I don’t understand…who are you?” I asked Mari.
“He didn’t tell you?” the woman asked. The teenage girl scoffed, moving to close the door behind me.
I noticed the way she flipped the bird at Maverick, before she slammed it shut.
Turning back to the woman, I waited for anything to tell me where the fuck I was and who I was with.
I shook my head, my urge to grab Van and run was fast becoming my ultimate goal.
“I’m Dane’s ex-wife. I think we’ve got a lot to talk about, Tavi. ”