Chapter 19 #2
"Integrating back to the real world has been slow.
Those of us that adapt faster have gotten jobs, but those that are still…
shy to the outside world need more time.
There are a few of the women who are basically running daycares and babysitting for the others.
We pay them to watch our children so that they have someone they know to stay with.
And your club helps us so much. We can't tell you how grateful we are. "
"This is all the gratitude we need," I told her, motioning to where kids were sitting on the floor, ripping open presents and gasping with delight.
"Excuse me," a soft voice called.
I looked over and focused on a woman with blonde hair and sky blue eyes. "Hey."
"Could-could you tell us if Sloane is doing okay?"
"Oh, yeah. No progress yet, according to Lockout. He said it's probably going to take most of the day."
"Thank you," she whispered before going back over to where her son was sitting on the floor playing with some toy cars.
We watched over the mothers and kids for well over an hour before the women began ushering their kids out of the clubhouse.
I wasn't going to say a word if they wanted to stay there all day long, but it was obvious they had plans of their own.
By the time the last of them left the property, Eva, Sylvia, and the kids had cleaned up most of the wrapping paper and ribbons.
Static and I had been busy helping to bring gifts to the different vehicles the mothers had driven in.
"You didn't have to do that," I told Eva as I walked back in.
"It wasn't a problem," she replied with a shrug. "I wanted to help."
We all finished straightening up the room.
Once we were done, Static collapsed on one of the couches next to Sylvia.
The remaining kids were either still playing, or sleeping.
Cassie, Grace, and Caitlyn were racked out, face down on the floor next to each other.
Auron was next to them, a silent guardian watching over them as they slept.
"Shit, Christmas morning is exhausting," Static said with a yawn.
Chuckling, I nodded. "Though that's a lot more kids than most people have."
"When did you get back into town, Sylvia?" I asked.
"I got in late last night," she replied with a smile.
I met Sylvia the day after I got here, then she'd gone to spend time with her sister in Phoenix. This was the first time Eva was meeting her. They'd really only had time to say hi to each other while everyone was here.
"Are you an old lady?" Eva asked her.
During the downtime, me, and the others, had been telling Eva a little about club life. Not as much as I'd tell her if she was going to end up being my old lady, but enough that the slang didn't confuse her.
"No," Static answered for her, "Syl is a friend. She hangs out here and helps with the bar."
"Like the club bunnies do?"
Sylvia laughed, not at all offended. Eva still didn't realize exactly what the 'club bunnies' did. I wasn't about to explain that to her. "No, I don't sleep with any of these guys."
Eva's eyes widened. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize they…" She broke off and gave Sylvia a guilty smile. "I didn't know."
"I realize that." Sylvia gave me a hard look. "She's sweet. You'd better watch yourself with her."
My lips thinned out into a grim line. Everyone fucking thought I was going to defile the duchess.
The amount of times I was getting warned to be careful was irritating.
Or, it would be if I didn't realize exactly what they did.
She was kind, and innocent of the ways of the world.
She'd been protected and wasn't prepared for a man like me.
They didn't need to worry. I was doing my damndest to keep myself under control.
I hadn't told Eva the other name for the women who worked here or she might have caught on that they were more than just employees.
Somehow I couldn't picture her saying sweet butt.
It would probably sound classy with that accent of hers, everything else did, but I figured club bunny was better.
I could just picture her telling her parents about her time in America and talking about bikers and sweet butts.
"Syl's family," Static continued. "She lives here. The other girls don't. Lock and Rip take care of her because she's treated all of us like we're her kids." He reached over and tugged the older woman close to his side while wrapping an arm around her. She laid her head on his shoulder.
"That's nice," Eva said. "I can help you babysit for a while, if you want?" she told Sylvia.
"I'll help you with patrol for a while," I told Static.
"Appreciate it."
Static and I carried Cassie and Caitlyn upstairs and got them settled into the extra bedroom in Sylvia's apartment.
I watched the women interact with the kids.
Auron was lying next to the door where the girls were sleeping, and Jecht was curled next to Gabby's side on the couch.
"We'll leave you to it," I told them and shut the door behind us.
* * *
It was late afternoon before I went back to Sylvia's apartment to get Eva.
I grinned as I walked in and found her and Dex playing Go Fish.
Leaning against the wall nearby, I waited until their game was over, speaking with Sylvia and giving her the updates that Lock was sending me.
Sloane had been in labor for hours, but they were expecting her and Rip's daughter any time now.
"You ready?" I asked, when Eva put her cards down.
"Aww, can't she stay?" Dex asked.
"Sorry, buddy," she said with a smile. "But we have plans."
"We do?" I asked as she stood up.
"Yep." She gave me a look that said to just go along with it.
"We do," I said in a firm voice.
"And you're going to help me make dinner," Sylvia told him. Dex groaned, but he had a wide smile on his face. "Thanks for spending the day with us," Sylvia said to Eva.
"It was my pleasure." Eva picked up Tori's son, Adam, and nuzzled him until he was giggling and squirming to get down. She waved to the other kids, who were busy playing, or watching TV, as we went to leave.
I held the door open as Auron jumped down off the couch and padded his way out into the hall, following Eva. "You coming or staying?" I asked the second dog.
Jecht yawned but didn't bother to do more than lift his head. "He can stay with me," Sylvia told me. "I'll be glad for the company once these guys all go to bed."
"You need any more help with them?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I can handle them. I'll call you if anything changes."
"Thanks, Syl."
We walked down the hall to our own apartment. "That was fun," Eva said with a grin. "Everyone here is so nice."
"They are. I bet Sylvia was glad to have you there, too." I held the door open for her and Auron. "So, what did you have planned for us, Duchess?" I asked. My teasing got the desired effect as her cheeks went pink.
"Nothing," she told me in that prim and proper tone.
I started getting dinner ready for us while she enjoyed a glass of wine.
The dog laid down in the living room and promptly fell asleep.
Staring down at the food on the stove, I wondered how big of a shit fit Lock would throw if I hired a chef to come cook for me and Eva each day.
There were only so many meals I knew how to make and if she was here for long she'd get sick of them.
I put the chicken in the oven to bake, then went to my room.
Eva was watching me with curiosity written all over her face. It morphed to shock when I handed her a small gift box. "What's this?"
"A Christmas present."
"I-but I didn't get you anything."