Chapter 22: Chapter 22

When Bambi woke up a few hours later, it was to an empty bed. She frowned, looking around the room, but she didn’t see Curtis anywhere. When she sat up and strained to listen, the house was completely quiet too.

She had a feeling he’d left.

Leaning over the bed, she peaked inside Beau’s bassinette to find him still fast asleep. He’d been doing so much better sleeping the past few days. Ever since Curtis entered the picture, she thought to herself.

He seemed to have a calming effect, which was nice. Beau needed his father; that was obvious.

As quietly as possible, she climbed out of bed and gathered the clothing she wanted to wear that day then headed for the bathroom. It felt amazing to clean off all the sticky and crusty spots on her body, and it brought a smile to her face as she remembered how they’d gotten there.

Curtis was an addiction she never wanted to break. He was sexy and sinful and made her feel alive and desired. As she got ready for the day ahead, she found herself thinking toward the future and what it might look like. Would they go the distance? Get married and add to their family? Or would she end up a single mother again in the near future? The thought of that was disturbingly heartbreaking. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been banking on them being together until that very moment.

Maybe it was because he told her he loved her last night that the idea of them being together forever was making such a big stand in her mind. She’d never thought to hear those words from a man like him. From everything she’d ever known through reading and witnessing with her own eyes, Curtis had always been the type to run through women like water through a sieve. She didn’t know what made her the exception, but she wasn’t going to argue it.

She wanted Curtis in her life, and she was going to do her level best to prove to him that she was worth sticking around for as he’d thus far proven to her. So far, so good.

But where was he?

She forced aside any negative thoughts that threatened to shake her peace and moved about the house straightening it up. She had another shift tonight and she wanted to have a dinner prepared and on the table before Curtis got back.

She was going to make his favorite: southern fried chicken and mashed potatoes with collard greens.

It was going to be a major undertaking, especially with a kid on her hip. It would be the largest meal she’d made in ages, but it would be so worth it just seeing the look on his face when he walked through the door.

When Bambi reentered the bedroom to retrieve Beau, though, she noticed a piece of paper on the floor beside the bed. Curtis’s side of the bed. It must have fallen there after he’d gotten up.

She bent to retrieve it. Seeing Curtis’s inelegant scrawl, she smiled as she began reading it.

Hey dollface,

I didn’t want to wake you. You’re so beautiful when you sleep.

I got a call from the brothers. I need to ride out to the clubhouse for a while.

Do me a favor and stay inside today. Looks like rain.

Be back ASAP.

Love C

What did he mean it looked like rain? A quick glance out the window showed nothing but sunshine. And Bambi could tell by the lack of humidity and the fact she wasn’t already sweating that it would be a nice day.

Setting the note aside, she gently picked up Beau and carried him into the living room where she got to work changing and feeding him.

“We’re going to tackle this day together, aren’t we?” she spoke to him, loving his gummy smile that sent an arrow straight to her heart every time.

Yeah, looking at him now, it didn’t matter how much time and devotion he required. She could have a dozen more without batting an eyelash.

The morning was off to a good start. She was able to produce and store plenty of milk for the day, as well as clean up the house, and all well before nine. The benefits of waking up early and well-rested, she mused.

But when she considered leaving the house for her morning walk, Bambi hesitated, reminded of that cryptic note Curtis had left behind for her.

What did he mean? For whatever reason, it struck a chord of fear in her that Bambi couldn’t quite shake.

So she decided the best measure to ward the feeling off was to call him and have him explain. Lounging beside Beau on the floor while he played with his kick start gym, Bambi first tried to call Curtis’s cell. When it went straight to voicemail, she tried to text, but after several long moments of waiting, that uneasy feeling began to grow.

Was he in trouble? Was he afraid that trouble might find her? Maybe that’s what the note meant. He didn’t want her to leave the house because he was afraid of what might happen to them, but because the brothers weren’t supposed to reveal club business, he’d had to find a way to tell her without telling her.

Bambi’s heart pounded in her chest. What was happening at the Spartan compound? Picking up her phone once more, she made one more call.

“Tina,” she said as soon as her friend picked up, “I need you to watch Beau for a little bit.”

***

The air was as still as the moments leading up to a tornado touching down. There were no sirens, no calls to evacuate. That had already been taken care of.

The Spartans were lying in wait, their friends Blaze and his crew having tipped them off that Cruiz would be making her move soon.

They didn’t know precisely when or where, but they were ready. Women and children had been moved out of harm’s way as much as possible. Country had gotten ahold of bullet proof vests for everyone, not just those around the table, and their contacts had supplied more ammo than they needed—hopefully.

But Moose had a feeling they were going to need every last bullet.

Judging by the mess they found at Blake’s place when Luciana’s crazy dead brother hit it two years ago, this was going to be an all-out war. Casualties on both sides, to be sure. He just prayed the majority of them were on the other side.

Moose sat on one of the leather couches in the common area, surveying all the long faces. His friends were just as worried and apprehensive as he was.

Only a select few had ever seen war. The rest were virgins to the cause. They didn’t sign up to be fodder. They’d come in when things were good, solid, and they’d expected them to remain that way. Shit changed. Now they were all going to be fighting for their lives. It wasn’t a matter of if anymore, but when.

Right now, they were just biding their time until the shit hit the fan.

“This is boring as fuck,” Tanner complained.

Moose stared at his little nephew sitting in a chair across from him, one booted foot kicked up on the scarred wood table, the other bouncing his knee like he was two seconds from leaping out of his skin.

“Get used to it, kid,” he groused.

Ever since he’d started thinking that his nephew might be capable of espionage, Moose had been watching him like a hawk. And he’d noticed some things.

Tanner was calm as hell, even when he shouldn’t be. He walked around like his shit didn’t stink, even when all the other prospects displayed a certain amount of wariness because they were still learning the ropes.

He didn’t like how cocksure he was. It was suspicious, and Moose grew to see him through the same lens he’d witnessed his brothers viewing him.

The kid was hiding something. Up until today, he’d maintained a level of control Moose had never seen in him before. Tanner wasn’t that confident man he was now growing up. He was always just a little nervous and shy, the way most boys entering adulthood were. Knowing he lacked the proper guidance at home, Moose had taken him under his wing, introduced him to the club, and started working on securing him a spot at the table.

It was always going to be a matter of putting in his time and dues, but it would be a good chance to learn some responsibility, what it meant to be part of the brotherhood, put down some roots and gain a real family. And he’d have plenty of adventures and life experience to tuck under his belt too.

It should have been a solid win, but Moose wasn’t so sure about that anymore.

The kid had changed. He hadn’t noticed it before. Hadn’t had a reason to look too close.

But now he saw the way his eyes shifted around, scoping his surroundings, soaking up every detail like a sponge. There was a coldness there, detachment that Moose didn’t like one bit.

Of course, it could all just seem that way because he was looking for the red flag, but Moose didn’t think so. He’d always had good instincts, and they’d never steered him wrong before. But by God, if it turned out he was right and Tanner was the mole, he’d put the kid down himself. He didn’t care if he was family or not. Sometimes, blood wasn’t always thicker than water. Moose had been screwed over and betrayed by what was supposed to be family too many times in his life to count on both hands. Therefore, he was no stranger to cutting people out of his life and heart.

It’d hurt at first. An unbearable pain that he thought might truly kill him. Turning your back on family wasn’t an easy task. Until it was. Moose had made that tough decision so many times in his thirty years it was becoming old hat. It was a matter of survival as much as it was a need for a peaceful and easy life.

He liked easy. He liked quiet. What he didn’t like nor abide by was drama. Drama was not welcome in his life, and he was quick to cut it and the people causing it off like a gangrenous limb.

Hopefully, Tanner wasn’t a limb that needed to be dismembered. Moose had grown close to the kid, let him into his life and heart in a way he didn’t allow too many others to do. It would suck if he found out he’d been a chump all along.

But better to know now than to find out later, he supposed.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Tanner asked, his dark eyes, so much like Moose’s uncle, boring into him.

Yeah, he had something to hide. “Just looking, kid.” Moose shook his head. “You don’t look too nervous.”

“Should I be?”

“You’ve never seen a war, much less been a part of one. People are going to get hurt. You sure you can handle that?”

Tanner shrugged. “It is what it is. I know how to handle a gun and how to look out for my six. As long as I do that, I’ll be fine.”

Moose sat forward, propping his elbows on his knees. “Your ass isn’t all you need to be looking out for. Part of the meaning of the brotherhood here is everybody has everybody’s back. If you’re not up for that, then you don’t belong here.”

Tanner glared with open resentment and hostility. “I know what it stands for. I’ve been here how long?”

“Long enough it should be drilled in.”

“Exactly.” Tanner tilted his head. “You worried I won’t have your back, unc?”

Moose let the question hang in the air, allowing his eyes to speak for him. No, he most certainly did not trust him. At this moment, Moose felt he had enough information not to trust his nephew any farther than he could throw him. Something was off. He just wasn’t ready to jump to the most obvious conclusion yet.

That was a heavy accusation to make. One that would put Tanner in a body bag. Moose had to be absolutely certain before he would start pointing any fingers, and even then, he knew he wouldn’t. He’d take care of the problem quietly and on his own terms.

Blake wouldn’t like it. He’d ream his ass good, if it came down to that, but Moose had to handle his own. Family problems needed to be dealt with in-house.

Standing, Moose walked away from Tanner before he ended up saying something he shouldn’t. He refused to issue words he couldn’t take back. Plus, he didn’t like how, the more time he spent with him, the more his gut told him the problem was right in front of him.

“You look like you could use a beer,” Quick said, knocking back a shot of whiskey. Moose wasn’t even sure why he bothered with a glass. The man had one hand on the glass and the other on the open bottle of Jack, pouring then shooting alternately.

The way he was going, he’d have the whole bottle finished off before the first gunshot rang out.

“Nah, I prefer to have a clear head.” He looked at the bottle his president was draining meaningfully. “You should slow down, Prez. It’s better to have your feet under you, keep your aim true. We don’t need any more casualties than we’re already going to have.”

“We don’t even know when it’ll go down. Could be today, could be a week from now. The waiting is going to drive me insane.”

He understood that. Completely. The whole hurry-up-and-wait thing was for the birds. “It’s necessary though. You know that better than anybody. Patience is key here, and we all need to be ready for anything. Once it pops off, and it will, it’s going to get real and fast. Everyone needs to be level when it does.”

Quick stared down into the empty glass. “Yeah, well, I’m sure once the bullets start flying, I’ll sober up real fucking fast.”

Moose’s eyes narrowed. He had a feeling this wasn’t entirely about the pending war. “What’s up? You got something on your mind?”

“Not really, bro, but thanks for asking. This shit is just fucking with my head is all. I don’t like knowing Gabby and the kids are off somewhere without me. I need to see with my own eyes they’re okay, to protect them, but I can’t. My place is here right now.”

Moose clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s right, you do. They’ll be fine until you can get back to them. Ash is probably watching cartoons right now, and Gabby is probably sprawled out in bed, glad to have it to herself for once, instead of fighting you for the sheets.”

Quick chuckled. “You got that the wrong way around, brother. She’s the bed hog. I wake up every morning with a crick in my neck from sleeping on the edge of the bed.”

Moose laughed with him. “Something to look forward to getting back to then.”

Quick’s expression sobered fast. “Yeah…definitely.”

Moose patted him on the back then stepped away. “I’m going to go check in with the others. Put that bottle away, yeah? You’re no good to us if you can’t stand on your own two feet.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Quick capped the bottle, giving Moose a little bit of solace. He hoped they had enough time for him to burn off some of that alcohol. He didn’t really look drunk yet, but he was close. Another couple shots and he’d be off his feet for the duration.

“You’re just stressed, like we all are. That’s what they call being human. Get some water. I’ll be back in a few.”

Moose trudged off, his hand breaking through the kitchen’s swinging door and parting the way for him. In the back, there was a storage room where they kept all the extra food. Now, it was also home to a whole shitload of weaponry.

That’s where he found Country and Taco.

“What are you two up to back here?”

“Taking inventory,” Country informed him without looking up from the clipboard he was taking meticulous notes on.

Moose hadn’t seen that thing leave his hands since they hunkered down in the clubhouse the day before. No doubt, the man had been through the list a dozen times or more. He didn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon either.

Standing off to the side, Moose decided to stick around and just observe. The last place he wanted to be at that moment was out there with Tanner, looking at his smug face, his mind running wild with ideas, suspicions.

He needed a break from all that.

Leaning up against the wall, he crossed his arms over his chest, tipped his head back until it met drywall, and closed his eyes.

The first image to come to mind was Angel. Pretty little lady with blonde hair and a killer body. But it was that soft voice that really got to him.

After they’d left the club, he’d taken her back to his place. She’d been nervous when he’d taken her out of there, even more so when she’d climbed on the back of his bike. When they got to where they were going, he thought her little hummingbird heart might take flight and pop right out of her chest.

But the moment he’d gotten her inside and fit his mouth over hers, Angel had turned into a little devil. She was hot and wild and free in his arms. He’d been surprised the way she’d opened up when he touched her, like a blooming flower, her satiny kisses drugging him far more than any alcohol ever could.

She’d given him a high like nothing he’d ever experienced. Getting inside her was the peak of the experience, a deliverance that rocked his world and blew his mind.

Moose hadn’t stopped thinking about her since.

She was constantly there, a tattoo on his brain that he couldn’t escape. Not that he wanted to. Hell, after they took out that Cruiz bitch and laid her whole goddamn family to rest, he was going straight back to the club and fucking his little Angel again.

Maybe this time he’d take her in the bathroom, up against a stall wall where anyone that came in could hear. He loved the idea of others being only a few feet away, knowing exactly what he was doing. His dick buried inside her juicy little cunt while they listened to her moans made him rock-fucking-hard.

“Um, yeah. I don’t know what you’re thinking about over there,” Taco said, “but you should probably go take care of it.”

“Yeah, man, you definitely need to,” Country seconded. “I’m not usually a prude, but when a brother’s cock is about five seconds from springing the pen and looking me in the eye, I get a little weirded out, you know what I mean?”

Lifting his head, Moose slanted them both a narrow look. “What I’d like to know is why the two of you are looking at my dick in the first place.”

“Dude, I might be a freak in the sheets, but you know I don’t float that way.” Country held up a hand, making the sign of the boy scouts.

Moose snorted. The man was the furthest thing from a scout he’d ever seen. Pushing off the wall, he strode back through the open doorway. “Me and my offensive dick know when we aren’t wanted. I’ll be out here if either of you all need me.”

Instead of returning to Quick’s side or taking a seat with his nephew, Moose bypassed the entire common area and went straight for the bathroom. He needed to blow off some steam. As soon as he stepped inside, he flipped the lock.

Drawing down the zipper on his leathers, he released his cock and the instant his hand wrapped around it and tugged, he groaned.

“Shit.” It felt good. Too damn good. Images of Angel down on her knees before him, those lush lips full and wet as she sucked his dick came to mind in full color. He jerked harder and faster remembering the way she fingered her clit and hollowed her cheeks, sucking him down into her throat, those big blue eyes staring up at him as if he was her god.

In his mind, he came in her mouth. In reality, he busted a nut all over the bathroom sink and counter, his seed jetting all over the porcelain and laminate. “Fuuuuck.” Moose came harder than he ever had, stars popping off behind his eyelids.

When he was finished, he surveyed the damage. He’d made a hell of a mess…and his dick was still hard. And that vision of Angel wasn’t going away. He wanted her tits around him while he pumped into the valley between. He wanted her pussy, her mouth, her ass. He wanted to paint her with his cum, every inch of that sweet little body his to claim.

Moose gripped his cock once again and stroked.