Chapter 16
Eva
"Thank you, Sweetie," I told Grace, as I took an ornament from her.
The moment I came down the stairs I'd been introduced to all the women, and their children.
Even the dogs were down here, and Seek explained that she did search and rescue with them.
It was obvious they were incredibly well trained, and their intelligent eyes followed every movement, as though they were watching for threats.
There were so many people here, it was startling.
Once again, I was grateful for my ability to remember faces and names.
It was like my upbringing had prepared me for this day.
We were currently unpacking boxes of Christmas decorations and lights. I was just happy to be included. Jo was sitting nearby holding her nephew. His name was Sawyer and he was about five months old. He was a cutie and I really wanted to hold him, but hadn't worked up the courage to ask yet.
"So," Gwen, Grace's mother, told me with a grin, "the plan is to decorate the tree down here tonight."
"And then do some drinking," Keely called out.
"Rude," Danica replied, putting her hands on her hips. Her baby bump was looking so adorable in the festive sweater she was wearing. "Some of us can't drink."
"Shouldn't have let your man knock you up," Jordan teased. Danica replied by sticking out her tongue.
I laughed and shook my head. This reminded me so much of me and my sisters. As much fun as I knew it was going to be, I was also home sick. "I have a question."
"What's that?" Kit asked. She was handing Sloane, who was resting in a rocking chair nearby, a glass of water. Sloane gave her an exhausted smile by way of thanks.
"Where's the tree we're supposed to decorate?" I looked around. Someone had shoved the couches in the main area of the clubhouse back to make more room, and the walk area was clear. The bar was on the other side of the massive room, but there wasn't a tree anywhere in sight.
Before anyone had a chance to speak, the front door of the clubhouse exploded open. Seek jumped to her feet, eyes narrowed, looking like a Valkyrie about to attack. Her dogs were on their feet, by her sides, growling low in their throats.
"Fucking hold your end up higher! I can't get the damn thing in if it's catching on the step," someone bellowed from behind the branches of a massive tree.
"I'm holding the damn thing up," Toxic shouted back, grunting under the strain of lifting the stump of the tree higher in his arms. He stumbled back a step, then caught himself. "Kit!" he roared.
She hurried over as everyone else relaxed. "You need help?"
"Not from you, woman. Where's your meat wagon of a boyfriend?"
My eyes were wide as I watched Toxic grunt and heave, pulling the tree inside little by little. The branches were so thick as they funneled through the door that they completely blocked it. It didn't take long before Kit came back with Hellfire in tow.
"Move out of the way," Hellfire ordered, grabbing the stump and hefting it up onto his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
"Not that high, you asshole!" whoever was still outside shouted. "What the fuck? Did you grow ten feet in the last few minutes? You're dragging the top of the fucking tree out of my hands."
Hellfire didn't bother to listen, just started hauling the tree forward. He sort of reminded me of the old American western movies my oldest sister loved to watch, where they would attach teams of horses to things and have the beasts drag the heaviest of items around. Only, Hellfire was the horse.
Butcher finally appeared through the doorway and Toxic jumped in the middle and the three of them began bringing the tree over to the corner we were setting up in.
"Could you put that tree stand upright, Sweetheart?" Toxic asked me, with a wink.
I set the ornament I was still holding aside and scrambled forward to do as he asked. Making sure to set it far enough away from the wall that the branches had space, I put the tree stand where they needed it, and backed away.
"Thanks, Doll," Butcher told me.
I frowned, wondering why he was suddenly calling me things like sweetheart and doll. There was muffled laughter from the other women, but no one commented. I shrugged it off and went back to helping Grace and the other kids unpack ornaments.
"What's all this shit?" Butcher asked. He had a few boxes in his arms that he'd picked up, leaving Toxic and Hellfire to get the tree situated. He frowned down into the box.
"Could you hang those outside," Jenny asked him with a hopeful smile.
Butcher looked at her like she was insane. "You want us to hang Christmas lights outside, on the clubhouse?"
Jenny nodded.
"But...it's a clubhouse," Toxic added.
"It's the place you're insisting we live for now," Susie pointed out. "And we have kids here who expect some Christmas joy."
"Isn't Christmas joy a bottle of whiskey and a hooke-" Toxic broke off with a grunt when Hellfire elbowed him in the stomach.
I stared at them with wide eyes. It was fast becoming my usual look around these men. They were crude, and violent, and...honest. They held nothing back. I kind of enjoyed them. Everything was so different from back home, but they all made me feel incredibly welcomed.
"Don't worry," Jordan whispered, "I'm sure he's never actually used a hooker."
Gwen snorted, replying softly so the kids wouldn't over hear, "Like he'd ever have to pay."
"Not with the way the women flock to him," Daisha snickered.
Most of us were sitting on the floor next to the boxes, forming a wide circle as we laid everything out that we needed.
Kit started passing out egg nog a bit ago and it wasn't hard to see that some of them already had a buzz going on.
Brittney had Tori's son on her lap and they were untangling a string of lights.
He was doing his best to help, but kept making more knots.
Brittney didn't seem to mind, she just patiently loosened all his 'progress'.
My heart lurched in my chest. I wanted so badly to be married and have babies running around while my husband and I decorated our home for Christmas.
My two oldest sisters were married, but me and my younger sister had yet to find anyone.
I was almost thirty years old and I was worried I was running out of time.
It just seemed like the only men ever interested in me were con men looking to gain the family name for the title and wealth it would bring. Not for me.
Someone tapped my shoulder and I looked up and smiled at Caitlyn.
She was a very quiet little girl, but oh so sweet.
Without a word, she crawled into my lap, making herself comfortable.
I glanced up and found Jenny watching us with a soft smile.
Wrapping my arms around the little girl, I gave her a squeeze.
"You remind me a lot of my brother," I told her.
"What's his name?" she asked softly as she picked up some tinsel and ran it through her fingers.
"Charles, but we call him Charlie."
She grinned over her shoulder at me, then went back to watching the men set up the tree.
My mouth dropped open when, as soon as the tree was standing on its own, Taylor and Gabby went barreling into Toxic with ferocious yells.
They each hit the backs of the man's knees and sent him crumpling to the ground as his legs gave out.
"Shit!"
Laughter filled the room, Hellfire's booming above everyone's. "They got you, fucker."
The girls were giggling and hitting Toxic everywhere they could reach as they clambered over him.
"Jesus. You're turning my kids into vicious little monsters." Priest said as he walked up and watched as two of his girls whaled on Toxic.
"Need them to be able-" he broke off with a grunt as Taylor landed a blow in the gut. "To take care of themselves," he wheezed.
The rest of the men were standing behind Priest, but only he was shaking his head. "They're girls, I'm supposed to make them into ladies, or some shit." That was muttered low enough I didn't think any of the girls heard. "I really pity the kid that tries to ask them to prom."
"A little help?" Toxic called out.
Butcher walked over and grabbed both girls by the back of their jeans, lifting them into the air, and carrying them like suitcases.
More laughter sounded and I couldn't help but smile.
This was a family. They may not all be blood related, but they loved each other. Glancing over, I caught Idaho's gaze.
The corner of his lips tipped up in a smile that was more of a smirk.
He had his elbow resting on Lockout's shoulder while they stood and watched the chaos.
Lockout didn't look thrilled, but he wasn't shoving his brother off him either.
I'd only been here for about twenty-four hours, but I already picked up on the tension between the two.
It made me curious, but I promised myself earlier that I was going to keep my distance from the sexy biker.
My cheeks heated as the memory of him with his hand wrapped around himself came to mind.
I broke eye contact, and though I refused to look, I knew he was laughing at me.
It was impossible to be this attracted to someone this quickly...
wasn't it? I wasn't sure what was wrong with me.
I'd never kissed a man the way I had him.
One touch of his lips and I melted for him.
I'd been tugging him closer, kissing him back, at one point I'd even sucked on his tongue.
It was so overwhelming, and I didn't know what to do.
So, I opted to keep my distance. That should be easy enough.
The only men I ever met—was allowed to meet—were, as these guys would put it, prim and proper. None of them had that feral, savage interior that Idaho had. There was a real monster there.
"The women want these lights up," Butcher told Lockout, holding up a strand that was a gnarled mess. It was clear by the look on his face he was hoping Lock would say no.