Chapter 22
Lola stood at the window of the tiny apartment above Mac’s Garage. Watching Heather walk to her car and leave, an amusing realization struck him. Just a year ago, he stood here amazed at the direction his life had taken. He had sworn to avoid the dangers of trusting women and live for the club. Now, he enjoyed the company of three women he trusted. And yes, he had come to trust each of them.
Heather was the most recent. She was straight forward and no bullshit. They had deep conversations, and he was learning a lot from her. She would stop by the garage when she had time and they would sneak away here, to the uninterrupted privacy of the apartment, for what small amount of time he could steal away from work and the club. He was looking forward to the day he could reveal their secret meetings.
Amber . . . well, Amber was just Amber. That was his best explanation of her. Her presence was known before she reached the room. She wasn’t shy. If she ever hesitated around someone, as soon as they acknowledged her, she took it as permission to be herself. And she did. Or at least, she was with him. She had no problem telling him to fuck off, which only amused him. So at times he made it a point to push her buttons. But when they worked together, they learned they we’re more alike than they imagined. Together, the two of them made a great team
Mia was the complete opposite and the most complicated of the three and full of surprises. She was usually flitting around the kitchen or meeting with her therapist when not in her room. She loved the outdoors. She spent evenings on the swings she built and at times, he would see her strolling along the driveway when he came and went. She was quiet, and not just due to her inability to speak. No, she moved around so quietly, one would swear she floated across the floor like a beam of light silently bringing life to what it touched. She seemed to always add a bit of sunshine to everyone she met. He knew she had brightened his life.
Pushing from the window, he turned to head back down to the garage when he spotted the sign hanging next to the door. True Brothers Stick.
A smile lifted his lips as he stared at it, recalling walking in here and seeing it for the first time, nearly four years ago now. He had not fully understood the meaning that day. Now, he did. It had been a hard lesson, but a lesson worth learning.
The club brothers stick together, no questions asked. That is the lesson he has been taught this past year. Your brothers depend on you, no matter the time of day or night. No matter the situation, whether you understand or agree with their decision, they know you’ll back them. They trust you to be there. Your loyalty puts you there.
Loyalty and trust. Loyalty was the glue that bound them as a club. Trust was the freedom that bound them as a family.
Just as the sketch hanging on the wall that he had discovered Cowboy to have made and given the club in their early days said, true brothers stick. They stick together against the world. They stick up for each other no matter what. They stick it to their enemies.
Lola’s heart seemed to skip a beat. He dropped onto the arm of the couch. His body fell lax and he stared at the sign. It all makes sense now. Everything he had been running himself ragged doing during the past year was all lessons. He was not only being trained to put the club first, but he was being molded into the family. He had been building a bond with each individual family by gaining the trust of the old ladies and children who would rely on him to be that extra protection and role model they knew he would be.
He had learned and witnessed many things since coming to the Voodoo Troops, things he never thought possible. Since putting on his prospect cut, those lessons had multiplied. At times, he wondered if the hectic demands would ever slow. Truth be told, those demands were responsible for the time flying by in a blur.
One last scan of the room where he began this journey and he pushed to his feet, grinning. The duration of prospecting was uncertain, but now, the demands instantly lost their irritation. He hadn’t lost his freedom. He had obtained a new freedom. This was more than a motorcycle club. It’s a way of life. A family. A home.
The door in hand, he glanced once more toward the sketch on the wall. Reverently touching the artwork, he felt the world come together. Yeah, his world was right. Pulling the door closed, he jogged down the steps to his bike.
***
Lola stood in the commons of the clubhouse near the bar, beer bottle in hand as he took in the men around him. His club. His brothers. His family. Just a short few years ago, he had been living day-to-day, aimless after being betrayed by his woman, fired by his employer, and left alone to the heartaches of this world by the only family he had ever known, his mother.
Now, today, he had become a full patched member. As they waited for Cowboy to add the patch and new rockers to his cut, the club gathered near the bar.
“Brother, I can let you in on a little secret now.” Nova, the club’s vice president, stepped next to Lola and draped his arm loosely around his shoulder. He glanced to their President, and with a nod from King, he grinned. “You were a shoo-in from the moment you returned and walked through those doors.”
“Because I’m Mac’s son?”
“I had nothing to do with it,” Mac confessed. “I kept that fact hidden until you confronted me outside. I wanted you to do this on your own.”
“Then it must have been my death wish to step foot back on club grounds.”
That brought a few chuckles from the men. “Your survival of our first encounter gave you the right,” King explained. “You coming back here and seeking closure had sealed it. By club law, you could have walked in and demanded your place that day. Mac knew you weren’t ready. I knew you weren’t ready.”
“That’s messed up.” Lola chuckled. “You guys are more fucked up than I imagined.”
Amidst laughter and joking, Cowboy appeared. “Welcome to the club, brother,” he said as he presented the newly patched leather vest to Lola. “Now, get your own woman and stop looking at mine.” He teased.
“Aww. But admiring yours brings out the best in you,” Lola joked in return. “And I’ll have you know, I do have a woman. Just as soon as I tell her.”
“I need to see this unlucky lady,” Cowboy said.
“We’ll meet her when we return,” King announced. “Lock up. Mount up. We’ll stop to get Lo’s bag and head out.”
***
Twenty minutes later, a line of motorcycles turned into the long drive leading to Angel Haven. The roar faded as, bike by bike, the engines quieted. Most of the club dismounted and remained near the bikes while Rash and Nova followed Lola inside.
Immediately inside, Rash rounded Lola, making straight for London, who stood across the room deep in conversation with Amber. Nova hesitated only a moment as London pointed to the office before he disappeared there. Lola glanced toward the staircase. Mia stood about halfway with a laundry basket on her hip. He flashed her a wink and kept walking toward Amber.
Lola threw his arms to the side and spun, leaving his back facing Amber until she squealed with delight. “You did it.” She launched herself into his chest, throwing her arms around his neck. He easily caught her, returning her hug. He dropped her feet to the floor and stepped back still grinning.
“I’m really happy for you,” Amber told him. “And you were right. You didn’t need any advice from me.”
“Oh, yes, I did. I have no idea about kids. You helped with every one of those purchases and decisions and babysitting.”
She laughed. “True.”
“So, I’m patched. You have your degree. We hit our goals. What’s next for you?” Lola asked, hooking his thumbs in his front jean pockets.
“That’s what London and I were discussing. I’m not sure yet. Thinking about finding a place and staying here in town. You?”
“We’re heading out for a few days. When I get back, I’ll be settling down. I have no doubts what I want from life now. And I’m going after it.”
“That’s great. I wish you all the best, but don’t forget me when you get yourself an old lady.”
“Not a chance.” He leaned in, leaving a quick kiss on her cheek, then turned and headed for the stairs. He wasn’t sure how much time he had to be back on his bike, but as long as Rash and Nova were occupied, he knew he was alright.
Reaching his room, he pushed open the door and grabbed the bag that he kept packed and sitting next to the wall. All in one motion, he stepped back, pulled the door closed, and turned toward Mia’s room.
Her door stood ajar as he eased toward the opening. Taking a moment to study her through the thin crack, he admired the slight curves of her backside as she stood folding clothes and placing them onto the bed. Smiling to himself, he tapped his knuckles on the wooden panel pushing it farther open.
***
Mia jerked, twisting toward the door. She gripped the gown in her hands tight and clenched it to her chest. Lola. He was beaming with pride. Just as he had when she watched him arrive and head straight to Amber to share his news.
“Hey.” He dropped the bag that he still held to the floor and stepped inside the room. “I’m leaving for a few days, but I needed to see you before I head out.”
Mia attempted a smile although she was afraid it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Maybe it was time to face the fact that friends were their limit. She could deal with that. Right?
He began speaking, with both his voice and hands.
Mia’s jaw dropped. Her eyes darted from his face to his hands and back. He could sign. When? How?
“I’m done prospecting.” He grinned and spun, pausing only long enough to emphasize what he meant. “As of this morning, I’m a full fledge brother. We hit the road for a few days to celebrate, and when I return, I’ll finally be available to give you the proper time you deserve. You have no idea how hard it has been to keep my hands off you. The only driving factor was that I could see in my mind getting you in my hold and having to let go to fulfill some minor demand. That would have pissed me off and it wouldn’t have been fair to you. You deserve my full attention.”
His hands fell to his sides.
Her heart felt like a drum, new questions arising with each beat. Was this real? What about Amber? How could she not have felt this from him?
“I’ll let you in on another secret. I have watched you so often and studied your reactions, I think I can pretty well follow your train of thought.”
Mia felt her eyes pop wide. No way he could read her mind like he always teased her. Was she really that transparent?
“You think I’m involved with Amber?” he asked when she glanced toward the door. “Only friends. No,” he corrected, “more like a sister, or as I imagine a sister would be. I saw you on the stairs. And, yes, I did stop to see her first. You want to know why?”
No. It was none of her business. She didn’t need to hear it. Her head moved slowly from side to side.
“Because I wanted your face to be last thing I focus on.” He raised his hands, his palms warm against her cheeks. “And your lips to be last thing I taste.” His lips brushed across hers. “To keep me warm until I return,” he said, his forehead resting against hers.
Mia still clenched the clothing to her chest. She begged her body to move, but it refused.
Carefully, Lola tugged her fingers from the softness twisted in them. He grinned and looked up from her hands. “You’ve been puzzled why I gave Amber jewelry for a Christmas gift.” He stated it rather than asked. “Jewelry is a sure bet to please a woman. A necklace is easy to pick out with no thought. Now, don’t get me wrong, when I buy jewelry for you, it’ll have plenty of thought behind it.”
He popped the wrinkles from the garment he held, the nightgown he had given her. “This,” he began as he folded it, “had much thought. You stay cold. You walk around in those thin pajamas before getting dressed in the mornings. They didn’t look warm. This was to keep you warm at night until I could. And tell me this, how many times have you stripped down and curled up underneath that huge ass scarf thing, thinking about me?”
Heat filled her cheeks and moved down her body. No way he knew that. And she refused to admit it.
He laughed. “I thought so.” His head dropped until his breath brushed across her ear, softly igniting another rush of heat through her body. “I had hoped so.”
He straightened and raised his right hand, palm facing her with the middle and ring finger against his palm, leaving the thumb, index, and pinkie out.
Tears blurred her vision.
His smile faltered. “Did I do that wrong?”
Quickly, she shook her head and raised her hands, signing, “You learned.”
“I’ve been meeting with your speech therapist for quite some time now. I wanted to learn so you could talk to me too.” He cupped her cheek, wiping the single tear as it slipped from the corner of her eye. “Can’t pinpoint when it happened. But it’s true, Mia. My heart is yours.”
“I love you too.” Her words were slow, and her voice was barely a whisper and came out rough against her throat.
The instant the words left her, his mouth crashed down on hers, demanding entrance that she gladly allowed. Tongues dancing and bodies pressed together, his arms tightened around her, lifting until her toes barely touched the floor. He pulled away and spun. Mia tightened her arms around his neck and a breathy, warm sound floated from her, mixing with his laughter. Dropping her feet back to the floor, he stole one more kiss and stepped back. His thumb slid across her chin. With a wink and a promise to return to her, he grabbed his bag and ran down the stairs.
Mia wiggled her fingers in a wave when he glanced back. Then, he was gone. She spun and dropped onto the side of the bed, listening. Seconds later, the loud rumble of engines coming to life vibrated through her. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes.
For the first time, everything felt right. She had been so devastated and angry that her dreams were shattered, and her life plans had fallen apart giving her no new sense of direction. She listened to the low roar fading down the drive. Life had not failed her, it had only given her strength and redirected her. To her new home. Her true future. To Lola.
***
Back on his bike, Lola glanced toward the house. London was right. This place did change lives. He thought he’d have everything he wanted when he earned his patch. He was wrong. He also had been wrong when he stated many times that there was nothing more musical than the sound of a good set of pipes under you. The truth to both of those realizations was inside the house. Mia. He needed her. And the sweetest sound he had ever heard was spoken minutes earlier in a gravelly whisper to his ear. That was for him and only him.
Yeah, prospecting was tough, but finding Mia in the process made the patch twice as sweet.
THE END