Page 95 of Bleed Me

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The Stallion’s number one enemy had fallen off the face of the earth. After some of the recruited teenagers met an untimely death by a sister chapter, our enemy knew we were figuring out what was happening, so he went underground and burrowed so deep, all trails faded away.

With that, guards came down, Legend’s ghost went back to the silent heartbeat, and life marched forward. Lynx and Justice once again found their connection and unity, just in time. My son, Rhett Gunn Dalton, came during a hell of an ice storm. Austin didn’t offer many nasty winters, but sometimes reminded us who was boss and would give us a good ol’ icing over. On this night, the icicles ended up hanging from everywhere. After a long night that was intended to be a simple vaginal delivery, even though my last child resulted in a cesarean, fate was not smiling on us and this delivery also ended with another c-section.

Dagger, holding my newborn son, who was decked out in Stallion everything, chuckled. “So, give him his Road Name now? Ice?”

Ice… It was perfect.

Brothers corralled around him, all so proud of the addition. How the men were allowed in the nursery? We were tight with security due to our time-to-time visits and injuries. Plus, Crow was fucking one of the nurses who claimed all the deep voices settled the infants.

Leaving my son in excellent hands, I went back to Saph’s hospital room. I stopped at the cracked open door when hearing Justice and Sapphire quietly talking.

Justice sniffled, “Who would have ever known that some little bunny who entered my club would one day be one of my most treasured friends?”

Saph hiccupped a cry. “Who would have ever known a bitch from hell could be my best friend someday?”

I won’t pretend to understand girly shit, but somehow, through all our train wrecks, these two women had become tight. Like, sisters from another mother, tight. I missed most of their budding friendship because the club played such a huge role in my life. I learned how to filter diamonds into the system without the government catching wind of our trails, and I learned how to move pot on the streets without being caught or ratted out. I didn’t feel guilty either. The stones had been taken from the filthy rich who only craved more power. Fuck them.

The weed? Well, shit, I smoked that ganja, too! It was straight-up incredible stuff! We even had it going to athletes for injuries. Football players for their brain injuries. Cancer patients who said the governed crap was nowhere near as good or effective.

What did we do with all the money? We lived our best lives and tried to make others’ better. Sapphire helped set up the program for brothers to guard children in court. I was so proud to use my ‘scary’ appearance for something good. Children are incredible bullshit detectors. My long beard didn’t fool them in the slightest. They saw the teddy bear who lived underneath my fake identity. They may have even recognized the kindred spirit in me. Damaged can recognize damaged. It’s as simple as that.

We even made more friends at the police department. They really appreciated the help. Those uniformed men and women love kids. Witnessing so much abuse and the system failing so many children, they saw our cuts as a blessing and a standup way of giving back to the community.

“Are you spying?”

I jumped in the hospital hallway, then answered Elle, “What?” Yes. “No!” I pushed open Saph’s door. “I was just being courteous and letting these girls finish talking before I interrupted—” At the end of the bed, I stopped, so taken by the sight. The mothers of my children were with little red noses, puffy eyes, in bed together, and in each other’s arms.

It was… beautiful.

“What?’ snarled my biker girl.

She was rough around the edges at times, and never wanted to be seen as weak. Little did she know, her vulnerable moments were her most beautiful ones. But I let her keep face. “Nothin’. Don’t get your panties in a wad.”

“Dada!”

I turned to see my Gracie in Vice’s arms. What can I say? The biggest, baddest, and scariest of the Stallions made for the perfect babysitter.

“Dude,” I chastised him while catching my leaping daughter, “why do you have glitter in your beard?”

“Gracie’s art project exploded in the waiting room. Fucking looks like fairies shit everywhere in there.”

Gracie twisted in my arms to see the women in her life. “Mama! Ju-Ju!”

She wanted to climb into the bed with them, but that was no go. “Gracie, Mama has a boo-boo. You have to stay with Daddy.”

The toddler’s lips pushed out to offer kisses for her mama’s boo-boo.

Melt my motherfucking heart!

I bent over, holding that baby to my chest, kissing every part of her I could reach. She squealed, loving all the attention.

Before I knew it, Rhett joined forces with my angel, and they both caused blissful havoc in our world. With Dick having not been seen in many months, the kids got to spend a lot of time with us at the club. We were careful, of course. No drugs or guns were allowed within Gracie’s reach. We weren’t animals.

Now, cell phones, keys, remote controls… these were all an option. If you left them too low to the ground, they were confiscated and properly hidden. One night, Justice and I came home after a ‘date night’ and found a bunch of bikers sitting on the couches in the Barn, staring at the dark TV. “Umm,” I cautiously asked since their expressions were far from pleased. “What’s going on?”

Dagger’s nostrils flared, which was comical because a sleeping Gracie was sprawled across his chest, slobbering on his cut. “She hid the remotes.”