~ Tiffany ~
Sitting in the space they’d made for Darkness and his little one, Rose held the baby out between the two of them. The contented little girl stared innocently up at them. Her dark eyes and a thick dusting of black hair were obvious gifts from her father’s native heritage, but her smooth, pale skin was Abby through and through. Rose pressed a baby rattler into her tiny palm, and they watched her shake it. An adorable smile lit up her little face.
Rose got all googly-eyed. “Isn’t she about the cutest baby you’ve ever seen?”
Reaching over, Tiffany smoothed two fingers over her soft, dark hair. “I’ve seen a lot of babies in my time at the hospital, but she’s about the most adorable one I’ve ever come across.”
“Her name’s Samantha Kelsey Andrews, soon to be Dawson. What do you think of that?”
“Can’t happen soon enough for me. The name change, I mean.”
Rose tickled the baby’s feet, making her smile. “I wonder whatever possessed the mother to give her up.”
Tiffany reached over and grabbed Rose by the arm. “It’s a long and terrible story, but you need to know something,” she imparted. “The mother is seriously messed up. If she ever approaches you, do not allow her to look at, touch, or hold the baby.”
Rose’s face contorted into a horrified expression. “What?”
Hating to be the bearer of bad news, Tiffany persisted anyway because this was just too important to be left unsaid. “Promise me, you’ll turn around and run if you ever meet her. She’s really dangerous and unpredictable.”
Looking stunned, Rose glanced away. “All right, I promise.”
Smoothing her hand down Rose’s shoulder in a comforting gesture, Tiffany allowed her hand to drop back to the bed. “You’re really good with babies. How’s she doing?”
Rose perked back up and couldn’t seem to keep the smile off her face. “She’s just like every other baby I’ve ever seen. Maybe a little easygoing, and she has her father’s eyes. You should see Darkness with her. He’s amazing when he uses his baby voice.”
Tiffany relaxed a little. Rose was right about Darkness. He was taking to be a father, like a fish to water. Still, the girl had been raised by club whores for a month and then shuffled off to a boarding school for the last three months. Peering down into her little face, it hit Tiffany like a ton of bricks. This beautiful baby never had real parents until Darkness came into her life. That was wrong on so many levels.
Tiffany felt herself tearing up and immediately fought it off. “Old Doc Reynolds gave her a physical a few days ago. He says she’s fine physically.”
“Why wouldn’t she be?” Rose asked, puzzled.
Unwilling to go into all the sad details, Tiffany murmured, “I never had a child of my own, so I guess I’m prone to worrying.”
“Stop it already,” Rose scolded. “She’s four months old, not a newborn.”
Picking up the baby, Rose held her up face-to-face in front of Tiffany. “Does this kid look sick or unhappy or anything else bad to you?”
Reaching out, Tiffany took the baby from her, ignoring the way her heart seemed to swell on contact. “No, she’s as perfect as the day is long.”
“Glad we got that over with.” Preening a bit, Rose rolled into a more comfortable sitting position. “I want to go shopping for her. Can’t you get Darkness to give you some cash?”
Tiffany didn’t feel comfortable asking the brothers for money. Even though it was for his child, Tiffany would have thought Darkness would have asked if he wanted them shopping for his daughter. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to—”
Throwing her hands up, Rose laughed. “Screw it, I’ll ask him myself.” Rolling off the bed, the teen went bounding out of the room.
Tiffany shook her head. That girl was all impulse and energy. She couldn’t remember a time when she was that enthusiastic about anything. Running from her ex had sucked the joy right out of her life.
Looking down into the little one’s sweet face, Tiffany couldn’t help but smile. The precious little girl had dropped her rattle and was now trying rather unsuccessfully to cram her entire fist into her mouth at once.
“One day you’re going to understand about size, and on that day, you will no longer be interested in shoving your fist into your tiny, cute mouth. Until that day comes, we’ll just do a good old-fashioned bait and switch.”
Pulling her little fist out of her mouth, Tiffany dried it off with the blanket and placed the rattle back into her hand. Looking it over as if she’d never seen it before, the baby began to shake it. Cooing, she got lost in playing with the forgotten toy, while Tiffany looked over her tiny, delicate feet, marveling at each little toenail. She was too precious for words.
Within moments, Rose came back into the room with Darkness in tow. “I’m just saying you should get rid of the really sleazy ones.”
“What the hell are you talking about, kid? All whores are sleazy. It’s their defining characteristic.”
Not backing down, Rose folded her arms over her chest. “Well, I don’t think you want that kind of stuff around your child. You live in the clubhouse. It should be a more wholesome environment,” she admonished, sounding older than her years.
“Whores are wholesome,” Darkness argued. “They provide an honest night’s work to earn their keep.”
“The ones you keep are going to end up being role models for Sammy, so you have to be really selective.”
Darkness pulled a nondescript, framed poster off the wall and began dialing the combination to his wall safe. “Yeah, I get where you’re coming from on that one. The thing is, I wouldn’t know which whores to kick out. They all look alike to me.”
Rose smirked at the big biker. He had a good fifteen years on her, but in this situation, he was clearly the student. “I’ll get with Mom and make you a list.”
“You do that, kid. How much money do you want?”
Shrugging, she replied innocently, “However much baby stuff costs. I’ll bring you whatever I don’t spend and all the receipts.”
Tossing her a lopsided smile, he replied, “I trust you, kid.”
“I’m sixteen and a half now, so stop calling me kid.” Her disgruntled voice made it clear that she thought sixteen and a half was practically grown.
“Whatever you say, kid,” Darkness said with a chuckle. “Will a grand do for now?”
“Sure, I guess.” Shoving her hands in her pockets, she smiled sweetly. “Can Ace drive me?”
An annoyed expression jumped onto the man’s face as he slammed his safe shut. “Hell, no. I don’t need your pops gunning for me too. Cut me a break here, kid.”
“Fine, let Peb take me,” Rose suggested. “He’s relatively harmless.”
Shrugging, Darkness quipped, “I didn’t know the boy shopped, much less drove. I’ll send Cork along for the ride, just to be sure you’re safe.”
Grabbing the money from his hand, Rose slapped the big biker on the shoulder before jumping up and giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Darkness froze, clearly mortified by her whimsical shenanigans.
Unconcerned by his reaction, Rose skipped back over to the bed, grinning. “Want to shop with me? It’ll be real fun.”
Glancing nervously from Darkness to Rose, Tiffany elected to opt out of the situation entirely. “No, you go ahead. Someone needs to stay with the baby.”
Darkness had clearly recovered his faculties and was back to his brooding, mouthy self. “I can take care of my own kid. I don’t need no bitches rearranging their lives around sticking their noses in my business.”
Glancing over at the clearly annoyed man, both women burst out laughing. Rose made a grandiose bow. “Sorry to wound your male pride, but you aren’t even supposed to be lifting. I’ll get my mom to sit with Sammy. She’s running around here somewhere.”
Darkness, clearly intent on proving he was a dad-in-training and soaking up the new information being thrown his way, capitulated with dignity. “Fine, but no whores.”
Rose’s voice singsonged back with a giggle. “Cross my heart and hope to die. Stick a needle in my eye.”
The big biker’s eyes narrowed, and he stated flatly, “Any more crazy talk like that, and I’m marking you off the list as well.”
Rose skipped out the door, laughing.
Easing down on the other side of the bed, Darkness looked down at his daughter. “Fucking hell. What am I going to do with a baby?”
Tiffany noticed the way he looked at his little one. His expression turned soft and adoring in a way she’d never seen on the man, and he rubbed her tummy like a pro. From the outside looking in, it might seem as if this was a horrible situation for a baby. But crazily enough, everything she’d seen out of the man so far led her to believe that he would be an excellent father.
“Suddenly finding out you had a daughter must be hard to cope with,” she said. “Most fathers have nine whole months to get used to the idea. Sammy got dropped into your arms in the space of a day. You’re probably still in shock. That’ll wear off soon enough, though, and you’ll fall head over heels in love with her, Darkness. I promise.”
Giving his daughter a tiny kiss on the forehead, he whispered, “I’m already there. Rose is right about getting rid of the whores. From now on, they can come after hours for parties only, and then they leave. I don’t want them around my little one.”
“Have you thought about getting yourself a house or an apartment?”
Eyes still fastened on his baby, he said, “No. I feel it’s safer for her right here. We’re secluded, have good security, and I trust the brothers with my life. Anyone so much as says boo to her, and I’ll give them an immediate dirt nap.”
Even though she didn’t typically advocate violence, Tiffany liked the sound of that. “I think you should clear out the whole top floor and renovate it into a kid-friendly apartment. Let everyone know it’s your personal space and no one is to set foot up there. We can make it real nice for you and Sammy.”
“I like that idea,” Darkness mused after a moment of thought. Then his brows pulled together, shadowing his eyes. “You and Rose keep calling her Sammy. I don’t remember choosing that name.”
“Rose uses it, so I thought it was what you wanted.”
“We’ll let it stand for now. If I give you some extra cash, will you pick me out some furniture and shit for my new space?”
“Don’t you want to do that yourself?” she asked, surprised. “I don’t want to overstep any boundaries with you.”
Darkness scrubbed a hand over his head. “Hell, I wouldn’t know where to start. Everything’s happening so fast. I could use some help with the stuff I really suck at doing. Just pick nice things that will make our space like a real home. I don’t want her to grow up in a shithole like I did.”
“I’d be happy to pick you out a few things,” she agreed. “If you don’t like my selections, you can always exchange them.”
His eyes lit up, making him appear more approachable and engaged than she could ever remember. “Thanks, Tiff. Ryder hit the jackpot with you, darlin’.” Edging off the bed, he returned to his safe, took out a ten-grand bundle of cash and tossed it to her. “Be sure to buy yourself something nice for your trouble.”
“That’s really not necessary.”
“Yeah, it’s absolutely necessary. I heard what you did for Ace. You and Ryder really gave him a second chance, and that’s a debt I’ll happily repay one day.”
“Are you really going to pay them a quarter of a million dollars?” she asked, curious.
Dropping down into the recliner, he sighed. “I’ve been running this club for coming up on five years. We’ve done some pretty big jobs. Club officers always get a larger cut, and I socked almost all my cash away.”
“But you must have expenses.”
“I’m a fairly simple man. I ride, run this club, and spend my free time working on vehicles in the garage out front. I pay my dues, buy food for the kitchen out of my share, and order clothing once a year online,” he listed off. “Hell, I can’t remember the last time I walked into a store and bought something.”
“So, it’s like that, is it?”
“Sweetness, I’m probably the wealthiest dirty biker you’re likely to run across anywhere in the Dakotas. I know that I probably ought to find a woman and settle down, but the one and only time I ever even tried to open myself to a woman, she screwed me royally and ended up trying to kill me.”
Tiffany didn’t have to ask to guess that he was talking about Abby. “I checked on her shoulder wound yesterday. She didn’t even ask about the baby, but she’s all kinds of pissed off to still be in that cell.”
“Too damn bad,” Darkness growled. “I ain’t having her make mischief on my watch.”
“Everything about her worries me,” Tiffany admitted.
“You’re preaching to the choir on that one,” he agreed. “I can’t wait for the lawyers to hash out this divorce and custody thing. We’ll all be rid of her soon enough.”
“It can’t be soon enough to suit me,” Ryder added from the doorway. “That woman is not to be trusted.” Strolling in, he sat beside Tiffany on the bed. “Rose says the two of you are going shopping. Need any cash?”
Holding up the thick packet of unmarked twenties and fifties, Tiffany shook her head and gave him a rueful smile. “Darkness has it covered. He’s renovating the upper floor and wants furniture.”
“You sure did a nice job sprucing up my place, so I’d say you’re just the lady for the job.”
Tiffany smiled to cover the fact that her anxiety was kicking up. “Do you have any favorite colors or preferences?”
Darkness stared at his little one. “I like black or dark furniture and vintage auto and motorcycle decor. Other than that, I got nothing for you.”
“That’s a good start, I suppose. Do you mind leather furniture? It wipes off spills easily, and now that you have a little one…”
“That’s good thinkin’, Tiff. Leather will be just fine.”
Within an hour, they were on the road. Tiffany sat up front with Cork, and Peb sat in the back with Rose. The two of them gabbed about the baby, school, and computers. Cork was still prospecting, so he was mister “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am.”
Tiffany took out her cell phone and began making lists of basic furniture items. The idea of buying him a gun safe popped into her mind. It was more for safety than anything because if he had something like that, he could lock up everything dangerous. He’d need a sofa, love seat, chair, coffee table, end tables, dining table and chairs, new bed, dresser, chest, nursery furniture. He’d also need bed and bath linens and kitchen stuff.
Suddenly, ten grand wasn’t looking like such an exorbitant amount. She’d have to shop smart and make good decisions. She also made notes about his preferences.
Half an hour later, they reached a large mall and tumbled out of the car. Tiffany had been there before. It was situated between several smaller towns since it simply wasn’t feasible for such small townships to support large shopping centers.
The two men shadowed them, keeping their distance. Rose went directly to a children’s clothing shop and went wild. She bought a couple of really cute party dresses for no apparent reason, a dozen T-shirts and sleepers, a warm, zip-up, fuzzy snowsuit, gloves, shoes, tiny socks, little jeans, and several shirts with words printed on them. Tiffany added some bibs, baby washcloths, a grooming kit, and an extra set of bottles. They also got receptacle covers and grooming products.
Feeling pretty pleased with their purchases, they handed off their purchases to Cork and headed for a tiny coffee shop. Settling into a booth, they sucked on an iced coffee and waited for their food.
“Darkness talked about renovating his upstairs and wants us to snag him some furniture. What do you think he’d like?” Tiffany asked.
Rose’s lips pursed. “I don’t think we should go by what he would like. We should pick furniture a little girl would feel at home growing up in.”
Tiffany thought about it and nodded. “I agree. Maybe we can find something that’s a happy medium. They make cribs that turn into little beds and stuff like that.” She sighed and confided, “It feels a little strange buying for someone I barely know.”
“I’ve known Darkness for years,” Rose said with a wave of her hand. “He’s weird and cool and strange and amazing all at once. Maybe we can find furnishings kind of like him…you know, eclectic.”
Grinning at her enthusiastic, soon-to-be sister-in-law, Tiffany agreed. “It’s kind of sweet that he trusts me with something this important. He hardly knows me.”
“Everyone can tell that you’re a nice person, and you have good taste in clothing, so it’s not a gigantic jump to think you might be up for the job of picking out some cool furniture.”
A server stopped by, dropping food onto the table for them. Digging into their burgers, Rose moaned. “There is nothing in the world like a gourmet burger.”
“I have to agree. These are the best I’ve ever had.”
“My dad discovered this place when we were little. We used to come here every Monday night. He used to say it was our reward for making it through a weekend.”
Tiffany laughed. “Your family must have had more interesting weekends than mine.”
“Maybe,” the teen allowed. “Growing up around the club was fairly stable. Unlike some clubs, the Blind Jacks are like a real family and weather the storms together, and with Darkness holding the gavel, things are pretty stable.”
Tiffany choked on her burger. Thumping herself on the chest, she coughed. Washing the lump of meat down with a drink of coffee, she tried to get her head around that little nugget of information.
Rose giggled at her reaction. “I’ll just bet you can’t imagine anyone more unstable than Darkness.”
Choosing her words carefully, Tiffany said softly, “Let’s just say he’s a little more unhinged than I’m used to.”
Frowning, the teen leaned forward. “He’s not unhinged. Besides, word from the grapevine says you freaked out on my brother the other night, and he had to restrain you.” Glancing away, she sighed. “I did that for a few weeks after my rape. Since my brother ain’t the kind of man to abuse women, I know he wasn’t the cause of your meltdown. That makes me think you’ve been around guys that are way more unhinged than our club president.”
Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Tiffany tried to figure out how to disclose her past to an underaged person. Saying nothing would be seen as disrespectful to the young woman trying to be her friend. Then again, how much was too much to disclose to a sixteen-year-old?
Settling for the middle ground, she decided to spare the girl the gritty details. “I was in an extremely abusive marriage. My husband was a rich asshole who got off on mental and physical abuse. Sometimes, I still have bad dreams. Your brother knows all about it and has been nothing but nice to me.”
“Well, it sucks that you had to go through such a miserable first marriage. I hope it didn’t last long, and I’m really sorry that happened to you.”
Swallowing thickly, Tiffany hauled in a much-needed lungful of air. “Thanks, Rose. That’s sweet of you to say. I didn’t mean Darkness was unhinged like that. Just that he’s a little more unpredictable and negative than I’m generally used to seeing in a man. Except for my ex, of course, who was totally unglued.”
“I just want you to know that Darkness is nothing like that,” Rose said seriously. “He’s weird, anxious, and says inappropriate things, but he’d never hurt a person just for the fun of it. All the brothers are good men. Most of them are just following in their father’s footsteps or came up rough and joined for lack of better options.”
Tiffany tilted her head. “Do you mind if I ask why you seem so preoccupied with Ace?”
Sitting up straighter, Rose grinned. “I don’t have the hots for him or anything like that. I just feel connected to him because of his brother. If you think about it, we both got a pretty raw deal. I might have gotten sexually assaulted, but Ace ended up with all the dirty looks and loathing that should have, by all rights, been dumped on his brother.”
“Too bad they look so much alike,” Tiffany remarked, feeling genuinely sorry for the guy.
“Yeah, it’s just another little part of life that kind of sucks. I guess I keep thinking if we partner up and get friendly, everyone will see he’s nothing like his brother and leave him the hell alone.”
“Sweetheart, it’s not your job to protect your abuser’s twin brother,” Tiffany said sympathetically.
Anger flashed in Rose’s eyes, and her knuckles turned white around her cup. “Ace is not just some psycho’s twin brother. That’s not his defining characteristic as a human being. If it is, that would make my defining characteristic be a poor little rape victim.”
“I didn’t mean to insinuate that, Rose. I’m just concerned that you take too much on yourself by worrying over Ace. That can’t be healthy.”
Leaning a little closer, Rose spoke in a low, clear voice. “I’m not some brainless little adolescent tripping through life, trying to save the world. I’m sixteen, and I’ve made straight As since first grade. Yours truly is on track to graduate by the time I’m seventeen. I have every reason to believe I’ll be accepted into premed at Denison when I graduate. I grew up in this club, punched my first whore at twelve and pretty much coordinate the club’s biggest annual charity event with whatever help I can scrounge up.”
Tiffany grabbed her arm. “Calm down, I—”
“Button it up, sister, and let me finish,” Rose said, shocking her. “Yeah, I got raped by some idiot, but Darkness pulled him off me and carried me into the hospital in his own arms. I got the help I needed to see that it wasn’t my fault. My brother even nailed the stupid fucker, which is fine by me because now I don’t have to go through life looking over my shoulder.
“I’ve lived a lot in a short period of time. I’m smart and mature for my age. That’s why they thought of me first when it came to helping Darkness with his baby. I’m not whatever stereotype you’ve got floating around in your head of a teen rape victim, so don’t treat me like I’m some clueless fool who needs advice from you.”
Tiffany stared at the annoyed young woman for a brief moment, totally wowed by her grit and determination. Placing a reassuring hand over one of Rose’s fists resting on the table top, Tiffany cleared her throat. “This is one reason I don’t have friends. I really like you and am starting to have this little sister fantasy in my head when it comes to you. I was the only child always longing for a sister or brother. Sorry I tried to press you into that role.”
Rose’s face lit up as her anger melted away. “Except for the whole giving me unsolicited advice, you’d make an awesome big sister.”
“So, I’m forgiven?” Tiffany asked hopefully. “That was a pretty harsh rebuke.”
“Oh, honey, that wasn’t just for you. I spent days working on that little speech when I got out of the hospital. Everyone from my folks to Ryder to Darkness himself has had a taste of it.”
Relaxing a bit, Tiffany grinned. “I’d love to have been a fly on the wall. Bet those badass bikers totally lost their shit when you told them off.”
Rose laughed outright. “You’re funny. I’ve always wanted a big sister.”
Tiffany rolled her eyes. “You’ve got a big brother.”
The girl’s smile was back full force. She made a so-what gesture with one hand. “Yeah, if big, muscle-bound freaks who curse like sailors and assign prospects to follow me everywhere were cool, I’d have it freakin’ made in the shade.”
Tiffany laughed. “You ready to get back to shopping, tiger?”
Nodding, Rose quipped happily, “Remind me later that I have a music video to show you.”
Tiffany had a sneaking suspicion which one she might be referring to.